Ump nationals need some changes

[latemodelman]

I wish they would bring the UMP Nationals Back to Eldora and run a 1 day show on Saturday Charge $20 for stands and $40 for pits and pay Super Lates 10,000 to win and 1,000 to start and run Modifieds and pay 5,000 to win 500 to start and get it back to 50 or so Super Lates and 100 Modifieds. Maybe start at 5p.m. with hotlaps and qualifing and start heats at 7p.m.

[Action10]

I think there are a ton of holes that can be poked in everything UMP does with the late models and modifieds. Most of it can be laid at the fact that their parent organization only cares about the sprint car series.

[latemodelman]

I think that with really only local cars showing up thats sad. I remember when it was no entry fees and the Super Late purse was double what it is now. They would have 65 to 80 Super Lates and 150 to 180 modifieds and it was big. They had states and chassis races. I mean it was a big deal a 2 day ticket was $20 and a 2 day pit pass was $40. Saturday was hotlaps and qualifing and heats and Sunday at 1p.m. was States and Chassis races then consis and features.

[Big Daddy 37]

I wish they would bring the UMP Nationals Back to Eldora and run a 1 day show on Saturday Charge $20 for stands and $40 for pits and pay Super Lates 10,000 to win and 1,000 to start and run Modifieds and pay 5,000 to win 500 to start and get it back to 50 or so Super Lates and 100 Modifieds. Maybe start at 5p.m. with hotlaps and qualifing and start heats at 7p.m.

All that for $20?? Good luck!

[latemodelman]

I still have my ticket stubs from every UMP Nationals at Eldora from 2002 til 2012. It was $20 for a 2 day race and it was 10,000 to win for super lates and 500 to start and 3,000 to win for mods and 300 to start with tow money of 100 bucks for every class and no entry fees. Then they cut the Super late model purses and thats when things went downhill and racing mods for 3 days. If it aint broke dont fix it.

[HoosierDirtFan]

Like I said on the thread about the event. The event it's self is a joke of it's former self. It could be a whole lot better then it is. There is no incentive for a driver to run that race. Run Late Models and Modifieds and let other tracks run a nationals type event for the other UMP divisions. It can be done just needs a track with space in the pit area and a promoter. Make it the absolute last UMP race of the year and the only event that weekend paying UMP Points. Not trying to dog the track just the event.

[latemodelman]

it used to be that this was the only UMP event of the weekend and the last points paying race. I mean you would see guys from 20 states there. That was when it was a Saturday and Sunday race. Also you did not have the Lucas Oil and WOO competing against them and it was always around 200 to 260 cars in 2 classes there. When it moved I think it lost its luster and the purses being cut did not help.

[fryefan]

In looking over the results it looked more like a weekly show. The USRA Nationals at Wheatland this coming weekend had over 300 cars registered a week or two ago.

[dmr37]

I went the last 3 years it was held at Eldora. Bad weather and poor attendance.

[LM1]

I am fine with the venue but change the name unless WRG is going to restore this event to its previous luster. In its current format its nothing more than a money grab.

[HoosierDirtFan]

I went the last 3 years it was held at Eldora. Bad weather and poor attendance.

That's because 1/2 the fans where in the pits. I've been too all of the fall Nationals since 2002. If you put the event at another track like Florence, Brownstown, Fairbury, or some other track with a large pit area the amount of people that show will pack the grandstands. Show needs to be late models and modifieds only and let other tracks have a season ending UMP points event for the other divisions.

[Jim11h]

Poor attendance at Eldora packs most tracks. Also if recall race dropped to $5k to win for late models killing attendance. Mods were typically worth their price of admission

[smooth32]

dont know why they dont make it more of a "big deal". They have a great opportunity and theyre missing the boat

[hoosier race fan]

How many racers actually chase UMP points, especially racers outside of Illinois? I think that is a factor that has led to the diminished interest in the fall nationals. It was a big accomplishment to be a state or regional champion in the 90s and early 2000s. National champion was a career milestone that usually required traveling away from your local track to hit some races with a bigger field of competitors, and that usually included the fall nationals. Now, it just doesn’t seem that way anymore.

The reduction in payout for the late models certainly hurt when the fall nationals was still at Eldora. I don’t think any other track would attract as many cars as Eldora. The Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan teams would go to Eldora and a bunch from Illinois would travel to race the fall nationals there. Not many from those same states will go to Illinois to race at an event that is considered little more than a local show. Fairbury might be able to draw more cars, but still not at the level of Eldora.

Also consider how much UMP/Dirtcar have diluted the late model and modified divisions with the addition of pro/crate late models and pro/sport modifieds at many tracks in the midwest and south. Dirtcar and WRG have also greatly promoted the World Finals at Charlotte as their premier fall event. They’ve added the world short track championship the weekend before the world finals, which to me is their replacement for the fall nationals. All the “lower” divisions are part of that event which probably draws as many cars or more than the old fall nationals at Eldora.

[latemodelman]

Its just a shame what has happened. I remember the heat races for the modifieds. 8 heats 20 cars in a heat fast 6 inverted and top 2 to A-main everyone else to a consi where only the winner went to the A-Main. Also 6 heats for the Late models and 3 consis and let me tell ya it was wild racing.