Chris Madden on dirt on dirt!

[Kromulous]

A race car driver that doesn't like inverts LOL...

Duh...

Future of weekly SLM is selling our stuff...

[RCMC]

For how many years was the World 100 a 6 invert for the heats? No wheel, not chance for a lesser number, just 6. Most of those years also had about 200 cars, so there was no guarantee of even making a heat. The first 4 heats all saw the 5th place starter transfer in, and then we have to listen to Madden whine for what felt like an eternity. He's lucky the mic was hot and feeding back because I think he would have lost even more fans.

[Mams]

Earl had inverts because there was a 2-3 second difference between the fast cars & the others. It was not that difficult for the good cars to get to the front. Now the difference is tenths of a second so it is much more difficult when the invert is 5 or 6. However, as stated before every competitor knows there will be inverts; if you don’t like it stay home.

[brsteg]

Indeed, Madden has cried about inverts for as long as I have seen him race at Eldora (2010, I'm a newbie still compared to many), but he's been there every race I believe.

The Dream and World 100 are supposed to be hard to win, that's what makes them valuable beyond the purses. The invert and tweaks to the system the based few years have rightfully kept it difficult to win.

[brsteg]

Other point about inverts and the "fast heat races". The invert I believe was a 6 for the Dream this year, and it was 5 for the World this weekend; and the points provisionals were not claimed until the 4th or 5th heat races both races this year.
If the guys that got inverted back to 5th or 6th in the "fast heat races" can get to 2nd or 3rd if not a win, then the excuses are off the table.
That is the format, these races are supposed to be hard to win, go loaded for bear and race.

Once you are in the feature, you have 100 laps to find the lead.

[RapidRuss]

Other point about inverts and the "fast heat races". The invert I believe was a 6 for the Dream this year, and it was 5 for the World this weekend; and the points provisionals were not claimed until the 4th or 5th heat races both races this year. If the guys that got inverted back to 5th or 6th in the "fast heat races" can get to 2nd or 3rd if not a win, then the excuses are off the table.That is the format, these races are supposed to be hard to win, go loaded for bear and race.Once you are in the feature, you have 100 laps to find the lead.

If it's supposed to be hard to win, why are you just handing guys front row spots in the heat's because they messed up qualifying?? If it's supposed to be hard to win, when you qualify bad, you should have an uphill climb ahead, not pole for the heat!!

[CrankedUp90]

No way should there be an invert of 6 for heats during World weekend. And especially on a big, fast, hammer down track like Eldora with the cars the way they are today. All about the aero and clean air bs. They are all so even and cant make up any ground on a hammer down track. Putting the fast timer 6th when its like this in a heat is just crazy. 4th tops, and thats too much imo. They couldnt pass, and even come feature time on the prelim nights guys like BShepp, Pierce, etc couldnt even make a charge so you know somethings wrong. They were hammering but going nowhere. There are a place and time for games and inverts, but during the big shows is not it..

[latemodelman]

Listen the thing is the reason Eldora had 98 cars was because no guys from Oakshade or Florence or Brownstown or Atomic outside of the normal 4 to 6 showed up. Also why not qualify them on Saturday night and make a complete show? Make them spin the wheel and go. or how about draw for a heat.

[brsteg]

No way should there be an invert of 6 for heats during World weekend. And especially on a big, fast, hammer down track like Eldora with the cars the way they are today. All about the aero and clean air bs. They are all so even and cant make up any ground on a hammer down track. Putting the fast timer 6th when its like this in a heat is just crazy. 4th tops, and thats too much imo. They couldnt pass, and even come feature time on the prelim nights guys like BShepp, Pierce, etc couldnt even make a charge so you know somethings wrong. They were hammering but going nowhere. There are a place and time for games and inverts, but during the big shows is not it..

Then how did the 5th place starter Saturday in heats 1,2,3,4 all transfer? Same in the Dream. Passing is hard, and clean air matters, but there is passing and the best racers are passing from 5th and 6th into the biggest races of the year.

[brsteg]

If it's supposed to be hard to win, why are you just handing guys front row spots in the heat's because they messed up qualifying?? If it's supposed to be hard to win, when you qualify bad, you should have an uphill climb ahead, not pole for the heat!!

You mean giving regional drivers a chance to transfer by spotting them a few positions for hanging in decent for 2 nights with the best in the country?

You don't know what the invert is going to be or what it will take on qualifying nights to start up front. Sometimes your bad luck can be your good luck, but you can't just waffle your way into it. If you do get a break to start up front, you have a target on your back.

If you survive to make the feature, you still have to put 100 laps together. The correct formula is simply never known; that makes it hard to win.

Drawing an early pill, qualifying fastest, starting on the pole of the heat, running away in it, starting on pole of feature, running away and winning feature. That's easy. Hardest part is getting the right pill draw. Closes the potential winners down to maybe 10 while not having much to look at as a fan. --See Lucas Oil races Zzzzzzzz

Folks that are wanting Southern format qualifying on Saturday and start heads up complain about not being able to pass now? Put the fastest cars up from and it will be freight train racing.

The guys putting in the most money and doing it for a living aren't the only ones spending hundreds and thousands of hours and all the cash they physically can into their cars. Inverts gives opportunities.

Why are big teams and drivers spending so much on race cars if they don't want to race them?

[RapidRuss]

You mean giving regional drivers a chance to transfer by spotting them a few positions for hanging in decent for 2 nights with the best in the country?You don't know what the invert is going to be or what it will take on qualifying nights to start up front. Sometimes your bad luck can be your good luck, but you can't just waffle your way into it. If you do get a break to start up front, you have a target on your back.If you survive to make the feature, you still have to put 100 laps together. The correct formula is simply never known; that makes it hard to win.Drawing an early pill, qualifying fastest, starting on the pole of the heat, running away in it, starting on pole of feature, running away and winning feature. That's easy. Hardest part is getting the right pill draw. Closes the potential winners down to maybe 10 while not having much to look at as a fan. --See Lucas Oil races ZzzzzzzzFolks that are wanting Southern format qualifying on Saturday and start heads up complain about not being able to pass now? Put the fastest cars up from and it will be freight train racing.The guys putting in the most money and doing it for a living aren't the only ones spending hundreds and thousands of hours and all the cash they physically can into their cars. Inverts gives opportunities. Why are big teams and drivers spending so much on race cars if they don't want to race them?

Reread all my posts. I have said the final night is fine. The heat races are 15 laps and the track is usually slicker by the 3rd night. The prelim nights, track is wetter and heats are only 10 laps. 6 is crazy for a 10 lapper period!!

[TS FAN]

I like the system the Big E has, I wish all big races inverted. You would have a lot more leaders in these big races. Way to many wire to wire winners putting the best cars on the pole. Passing points are not too bad, but as a fan, I like inverts and always have. When I started going to races 70 years ago, the fastest cars started in the rear. Now that made things interesting. I realize it would not work in this day, but it worked that way for years.

[WisWildManFan]

Maybe awarding the drivers some more qualifying points to count towards Saturday would calm them down, honestly without the inverts Eldora is just another race. I understand drivers gripes but without fans attendance they don’t make a living driving.

[TS FAN]

WOW now the race at Indy is a normal nascar race, You are the one missing the point' Late Model Dirt fans love what Eldora is doing, this is the way that Earl did it.

I must say first. I love DLM racing and especially the big E. However, you seem like many other people, to want Nascar to fail. Why? BTW Nascar does fine. DLM is suffering somewhat with tracks closing and low car counts. This does not make me very happy, I hate to see it. Nascar has fallen off some too, but both forms of racing have fallen off and that should make everyone a bit uneasy. I want to see all forms of auto racing flourish. All forms.

[play4kps]

TS fan I could not agree more, spot on. I know I got a bit carried away complaining. We have just seen a complete shift in Dirt late model racing to Lucas oil, WOO and Eldora and nothing else matters. And if everything and the top 10 drivers are ok, Dirt racing has never been healthier to most on here. Its just frustrating.