11 year old kid in a late model

[Rajflyboy]

So when a youngster races the "slower" class & gets hurt or killed, that is ok??? That does even make sense. Actually that is a really stupid statement. SMH

Motocross, enduro, go karts, mini sprints (millbridge speedway). Plenty for these youngens to race.

[bullring]

Lake stepping away. That is one large kid, last time I saw him anyhow. If this 11 year old is not getting into situations where cars are getting torn up and he has the abilities to get the car around the track then I say go for it. The safety measures in today's cars are so much different. These containment seats alone along with the forms of head and neck restraints is huge from what was around 10 years ago.

Isn’t he the kid that intentionally wrecked Erb at East Bay?

[Bill31]

Didn't a guy driving the #8 in nascar start out at 11 or 12 in a LM ?

[Rajflyboy]

Didn't a guy driving the #8 in nascar start out at 11 or 12 in a LM ?

The #3 did. Austin Dillon was like 14 at the big Colossal race in Charlotte back in like 2007. I just basically laughed at him in line to get autographs from all the great late model drivers. Didn’t mean too but just couldn’t help myself.

[weatherman85]

Tyler Red(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) was either 12 or 13 when he started.

[Rocky]

If the goal is to move a driver to Cup then you're wasting your time and money in Late Models (or for that matter anything) in Missouri, 11, 12, 14. That's the only reason I can think of to jump to a late model from karts at 11 years old. You need to pick up the family and move to Charlotte and run Millbridge and the Shootout at CMS for a couple of years working to build connections between your business and backers to take you out to run for the K&N championship by the age of 15. And you have to do it right now, any time doing anything else at all in the next 4 years DRAMATICALLY reduces the chances of getting to Cup. Mom and Dad will have to commute by plane to handle their business assets back in Mo. I don't like it at all but the fact of the matter is in this day and age if you aren't in xfinity by 20 or 21, you're going to be considered moldy and washed up by any sponsor or team. Am I wrong? Not if you look at the starting grid on Sunday I'm not. Also, the Longhorn House car isn't the most coveted short track ride in North Carolina. Tim Ladyga's #48 legend is.

[NeedforLMspeed]

How long did Rusty Schlenk have to wait to be old enough to run Eldora?

[Rajflyboy]

Outside of the “friends of NASCAR” group” I don’t see much happening for younger folks moving from Millbridge to big time paved track racing. Heck.. even Bubba Pollard and Steven Nasse can’t move up and they are 100% legit on pavement.

[Rocky]

The most important part of my post was start networking for sponsorships and basically become one of the friends of NASCAR. Bubba Pollard and Steven Nasse are good against 13 - 19 year olds in asphalt late models but what they do is like the L.A. Lakers winning YMCA rec league games. Asphalt racing is straight up trash. Driver development has turned it into high school JV football. It hurts my feelings to type that but it is what it is and it has been for a long time now.

[Rajflyboy]

Asphalt late model is getting better as of late. 5 flags speedway events are very good and competitive

[Rocky]

Maybe it's getting better, but I grew up on Trickle, Mike Eddy, Bob Senneker, Butch Miller and many,many more and that's just template body stuff the outlaw cars had Joy Fair, Larry Zent, Bobby Blount, Tim Felver, John Doering, Tim Ice, Chuck Roumel etc, etc. They used to have ASA and ARTGO up North and All Pro in the South and those series all had their own stars today they have about 5 guys and they're racing against high school kids. Just like Lucas and WoO have today they had names. Then all these guys saw that that was where NASCAR drivers came from and driver development became a thing. Asphalt Late model became the next division up from go-karts and turned into a joke and not a Dave Chappelle funny joke. A joke that say Whoopi Goldberg would tell.

You want to see dirt late models die the rest of the way, let it become about driver development.

[tsand]

I know one driver of the 48 legend car and he has had a few interviews with trucks and Xfinity teams
The first thing all of them ask is how much money can you bring. Money is always going to trump age. Look at the guy that caused the wreck in cup the other week with a stupid move his best finish in trucks and Xfinity was 15th. Now hes running cup because he is paying for the ride.

[Rajflyboy]

I know one driver of the 48 legend car and he has had a few interviews with trucks and Xfinity teams The first thing all of them ask is how much money can you bring. Money is always going to trump age. Look at the guy that caused the wreck in cup the other week with a stupid move his best finish in trucks and Xfinity was 15th. Now hes running cup because he is paying for the ride.

I think you got this right (and usually they become “Friends of NASCAR”). I do 6hink paved late model is making a comeback but we have no big time touring series yet (cars tour isn’t horrible by the way)

[EvelB7]

Unfortunately racing has become all about the money. Can you imagine an NFL team announcing 'at starting quarterback, Johnny Noarm from southeastern community college. Johnny would like to thank his sponsors, Noarm energy drink!'. You can't buy your way to the top in many sports, but racing has become one you can! Just have to remember there are still many talented racers out there that do make it (Red(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word), Bell, Larson...).

[Rajflyboy]

Unfortunately racing has become all about the money. Can you imagine an NFL team announcing 'at starting quarterback, Johnny Noarm from southeastern community college. Johnny would like to thank his sponsors, Noarm energy drink!'. You can't buy your way to the top in many sports, but racing has become one you can! Just have to remember there are still many talented racers out there that do make it (Red(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word), Bell, Larson...).

Yes and somehow over the last 15 years or so it has gotten much worse. Even with go karts you have kids showing up with trailers full of karts, tires, engines, parts.