Are 2 classes of Crate Late Models really needed?

[dirty-white-boy]

I sat down to watch Flo Race last night and realized there are 2 classes of Crate Late Models. I guess I have seen it in results but never really paid attention.

Why cant this sport just make one class of crates and be done with it?

And why do tracks use a tractor as a wrecker?

[Action10]

I sat down to watch Flo Race last night and realized there are 2 classes of Crate Late Models. I guess I have seen it in results but never really paid attention. Why cant this sport just make one class of crates and be done with it? And why do tracks use a tractor as a wrecker?

Probably the same reason there is a street stock, factory stock, and hobby stock class and some tracks run 2 or 3 of those classes as well.

[EvelB7]

There should only be one class of crates; however the racers do this to themselves.... To me, perfect world would be Crates as top weekly class; smaller regional series 'limited' late models; bigger regional-national series would be super late models. Problem is no way to keep the national series alive without some local support in most areas...

[RacerZ]

A mods, B mods... XYZ mods... Ridicules!

[Jim11h]

Well that right there now is one of more ridiculous things I've read. I'm not paying to watch crate late weekly. There is no feeder system to go up with this idea. Eliminate crate crap and you'll get more supers. The mentality of you have to have 900hp wide bore bs is just that. It's needed at big tracks and fast qualifying tracks but by feature time a good setup, feel, and smooth 825hp cheaper motor can and will win races

[dirtcrazy4u]

Well you have 2 major crate sanctions. Fast track and rush. One flies around in his airplane to races and the other one used to be a track owner/promotor until she drank the water..

They both want to take over racing. Where I'm from in the summer months ( pa ) promotors have wised up and the 358 motors are replacing the crate garbage and classes are growing each year. The south is still crate land I call it and 4 cylinder racers are everywhere.

One thing most casual fans don't realize is these crate racers have to pay hefty entrance fee's on top of back gate tickets to get in the pits.

The ones making all the $$$ in crate racing are the 2 organizers

[play4kps]

Jim11, personally Im not a fan of crates, but if you think eliminating crates is going to drive people to late models, your totally wrong, until you reign in the corporate sponsors of dirt on dirt, WOO and Lucas oil, it will be the haves and have nots. And if guys cant make the feature, how do you expect them to get any better? And how long do you think they will show up to trailer for the feature or get lapped 2 or 3 times in a 30 lap feature? The problems in super late model racing are much bigger than crates. If anything its helping the sport, those crate guys will be hungrier to get into a late model, and work on their skills to run Supers.

[EvelB7]

Yes, people are busting at the seams to race weekly super late models! That is why tracks have continued to drop the super late models, not enough room in the pits for the huge car counts... I prefer supers myself, however if it were not for the crate car my racing would have stopped 10 years ago.

[Josh Bayko]

Once upon a time the 602 and 604 ran together and the 602 got a weight break.

[Morgs153]

Wanna know why the Dirt Kings series is becoming a successful late model regional series up in Wisconsin, look at their engine rules. They have formulas in place to allow for open, WISSOTA rules, and other engine/weight formulas.

Josh has it right when he pointed out that 602s and 604s ran together with one getting a weight break.

Do away with qualifying and have some good honest tech work and you can merge a bunch of engine/weight formulas together in the same class. You might not arrive at the perfect world and someone might argue that a certain formula is the advantage but you'll possibly grow your class. A lot can be done with weight and spoiler combinations to equalize things, especially when weight has to be added in certain areas.

[Morgs153]

Dirt Kings engine rules 2021.

• WISSOTA – 2300 lbs, 10” max set back / 29 ½” ball joint to motor plate.
• Open Motor – 2350 lbs**, 6” max set back / 25 ½” ball joint to motor plate.
Under 370 cubic inches, 10” max set back / 29 ½” ball joint to motor plate.
• IMCA Engine – 2250 lbs, 10” max set back / 29 ½” ball joint to motor plate.
• WDLMA Spec – 2250 lbs, 10” max set back / 29 ½” ball joint to motor plate.

OPEN ENGINE COMBINATIONS
• Any engine not designated WISSOTA, SPEC or IMCA
• GM CT525 Crate Engines will be considered open motors - coil packs and/or individual
ignition systems (electronic or mechanical) will not be permitted.
• Aluminum blocks engines must run 50 lbs in front of the motor plate (Steel blocks are
exempt) OR have a restrictor plate of 1.25” installed at all times. The weight or restrictor
plate must stay in place all night and cannot switch to the other during the night
• Additional weight and restrictor plate may be added at half mile tracks

[weatherman85]

Quite a few tracks here in NE Ga and SC have done away with the 604 class altogether and only run 602. That led to some drivers moving up to Limited and a few dropping back to 602. I think part of this is due to the 602 engines now cost right at what 604s cost few years back even before supply issues. 602 was initially a beginner late model class where chassis had to be a certain year or older. Got to hard to enforce I believe so they opened it up. They now have a 602 charger division for beginner drivers.

[EvelB7]

I personally like the mix of engine groups, can remember when running in the midwest the 390 carb was introduced to help even the field. Biggest change in supers is actually how good the cars are now (bodies, shocks, etc.), lap times are so close that it does come down to engine in qualifying. Cars are very aero dependent so if you do not start up front it is very hard to pass- add in track prep that is not good and you get very poor racing (regardless of engine)....and for the record I agree that 602 and 604 should be run together as initially conceived.

[Paradox28]

I personally like the mix of engine groups, can remember when running in the midwest the 390 carb was introduced to help even the field. Biggest change in supers is actually how good the cars are now (bodies, shocks, etc.), lap times are so close that it does come down to engine in qualifying. Cars are very aero dependent so if you do not start up front it is very hard to pass- add in track prep that is not good and you get very poor racing (regardless of engine)....and for the record I agree that 602 and 604 should be run together as initially conceived.

I'd rather watch steel blocks over any "crate" class.

[427c.i.]

I could care less how many classes of cars there are, just make it a rule that when a traveling series comes to town the promoter gets two support classes along with the feature class.
Two.
Two only.
And the feature class gets the best time slot(s), whenever that may be.