Grandview dropping LM

[MI Dirt Fan]

Is that significant news for it to be on DoD?

[CageFaraday]

Its bad news if anybody drops LM, but it seems the powers that be aren't listening. As long as their traveling circus's still have cars they think all is right with the world, until it isn't. Retirements are up, Owners are quitting and tracks are dropping the class. For anybody that cares about the sport above the health of a tour, its bad news. Image says it all, the sun it seems is setting on DLM: weekly, then regional, then national...

[BTExpress]

Grandview has struggled for the last few years with getting decent car counts for the 358 Late Models. One of the problems was their engine rules were different than the other area tracks running the same class. Hopefully a few of the teams will decide to race at BAPS Speedway (if they conform to BAPS engine rules) on Saturday nights and help bolster their car count. Sometimes Promoters are their own worst enemy. Instead of configuring to one set of rules concerning bodies, engines & tires, they try to stay on their own little island and then wonder why car counts keep going down. This is especially true in the northeast with the Dirt Modifieds. Each track has their own set of rules so cars can't compete, even if they had a rain out, because their cars are slightly different. Very frustrating.

[manwplan]

Grandview has paid like absolute crap for years and has always treated the late models like second class citizens. Slowly guys realized this and went racing elsewhere. The tracks response the last two years was to eliminate heat races and reduce the purse. You will not get anyone back that way.

[Josh Bayko]

Its bad news if anybody drops LM, but it seems the powers that be aren't listening. As long as their traveling circus's still have cars they think all is right with the world, until it isn't. Retirements are up, Owners are quitting and tracks are dropping the class. For anybody that cares about the sport above the health of a tour, its bad news. Image says it all, the sun it seems is setting on DLM: weekly, then regional, then national...

It was 9:1 compression 358 limited late class that has been on the decline for years. They don't particularly for anything but small block modifieds and sprint cars at Grandview.

[waaac77]

Grandview has paid like absolute crap for years and has always treated the late models like second class citizens. Slowly guys realized this and went racing elsewhere. The tracks response the last two years was to eliminate heat races and reduce the purse. You will not get anyone back that way.

Eliminating heats and reducing the purse is them slowly fizzling them out hoping people won’t notice. They must not like late models because that’s the exact opposite of trying to save them.

Sucks when tracks close or drop LMs but I don’t think DLM racing will ever die. People have said its going away since the 70s and it’s still here. Just won’t have car counts like they used to. If they want car counts to increase stop making dumb rules and start advertising and getting sponsors. People aren’t just gonna show up you have to market your product, like any product. Customer is first not racers or race teams. That is one huge glaring problem. If you’re JD or Bloomer the rules don’t apply. I’ve been to a lot of shows that Bloomer was not at. It was still a good show.

Cost ain’tever going down it will only get worse.. Gotta adapt. Find new creative ways to make your business (racetrack) succeed. If everyone keeps complaining about cost then we just may die out but if we adapt and figure out how to get more money in the sport then we’re working towards bringing car counts up and more people racing as a hobby.

[MI Dirt Fan]

Getting sponsors isn't all that easy. Not many places have money to just give away to race tracks in exchange for thier name on a banner and mentioned a couple times a night.

On a side note-
Alot of the larger corporation's right now are spending money that they have been sitting on the last 4 yrs of the Obama administration to use to pay potential EPA fines, Lawsuits and Lawyers etc. They are now spending that money. But pretty soon they will be stockpiling again.

[waaac77]

Getting sponsors isn't all that easy. Not many places have money to just give away to race tracks in exchange for thier name on a banner and mentioned a couple times a night.

On a side note-
Alot of the larger corporation's right now are spending money that they have been sitting on the last 4 yrs of the Obama administration to use to pay potential EPA fines, Lawsuits and Lawyers etc. They are now spending that money. But pretty soon they will be stockpiling again.

You’re correct MDF, it’s not easy and it never has been. That’s why the one who does it will benefit. Way of the world. If it was easy everyone would have more sponsors than they would know what to do with. God forbid anyone do anything tough this day in age.

Most track owners are lazy and look for excuses why they’re going broke or not getting fans. Like anything in life, those who make excuses will fail. Those who look for answers will succeed. I guess it’s probably offensive to call someone lazy nowadays so let’s just blame the rich people and their out of control spending since it’s the easy way out. Maybe we can get a law passed where those rich people give the poor people their hard earned money so they can compete too. We’ll call it the Socialist World of Outlaws Tour. Perfect!

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Maybe we should just completely derail a thread and go on a tirade.

[08racing]

Most other tracks around Grandview in PA and MD run a 358 (Limited) Late Model class that follow common rules (or very close) to the Mason Dixon Shootout Series. In September and October this year that class was still drawing 40+ car fields. That class is growing, not dying.

Sucks that grandview dropped the class, I’m sure we will see those cars at other area tracks.

[Josh Bayko]

@08

Grandview was kind of on an island with their rules. The guys that left to go run other stuff already did, that's why the class was on the decline there.

[manwplan]

Grandview was kind of on an island with their rules. The guys that left to go run other stuff already did, that's why the class was on the decline there.

Actually the last 5 years or so you were allowed central PA engines which at least half the guys had so they could race elsewhere if they wanted. It is a simple fact that the lower than average purse was the biggest deterrent to cars staying and new ones coming in. I will concede that the American Racer tire rule didn't help however they had a provision that you only had to run one Racer the first week and add a tire each week after.

[smoot]

Should have a tour event there, if you have never been great racing

[Josh Bayko]

Should have a tour event there, if you have never been great racing

The WoO did run there back in like 08 or 09.