84% of Lucas Oil races were won from the first two rows

[BloomerHarvickFan]

Some people may not like USAC, but their method of inverting the top 6 cars every night in the sprint car and midget heat races and features demands elbows up and great racing! You gotta get in the top 4 in your heat race to get your inversion for the feature. No fast qualifiers starting the front row except the Silver Crown.

This is a good idea, and would hopefully solve 2 other issues. Drivers would want cars that could race better in traffic, so we might finally see some aero changes, and they'd also want tracks that you could pass on, so maybe we'd see better track prep too.

[Josh Bayko]

Qualifying is everything in Lucas races. They should tweak the straight up format a bit. Pull a pill for heats, then qualify only against the guys in your drawn heat. Run the program straight up from there.

[Tireguy17]

Straight up from time trials and 8 lap heat races are why we have the kind of results posted in this thread.

The USMTS series divides the field into groups, Those groups time trial together, invert the fastest 6, and 10 lap heat race together with passing points. I like their system although the 6 invert is probably too many as they can struggle to make it directly into the A, a 4 invert would be better.

[drich24]

I went back and looked at the 2009 Lucas oil races from the articles posted on the Lucas oil website. They don’t have an article for the Knoxville nationals however, with the 40 races they have on there, 70% of the races were won from the first two rows.

[over4T]

Our touring group up here in NorCal uses a modified USAC system. The top 6 or 8 from the heats, depending on car count, all redraw for the main. You may win your heat and you may redraw 1 for the main but it's not likely. Makes for darned good main racing and most everyone likes it except for the fastest guy who redrew 8.

Spectators came to see passing, not follow the leader, and real racers go to pass cars.

[TS FAN]

I go back to what the N/S did which was a lucas race. Same thing Eldora does more or less. Some kind of invert is needed, period. IMO

Fast time, pole of heat win easily, pole of feature. Often game, set, match. Not a good plan. At the very least have a redraw.

[fryefan]

Straight up from time trials and 8 lap heat races are why we have the kind of results posted in this thread.

The USMTS series divides the field into groups, Those groups time trial together, invert the fastest 6, and 10 lap heat race together with passing points. I like their system although the 6 invert is probably too many as they can struggle to make it directly into the A, a 4 invert would be better.

Agreed. This is a much better format than the freight-train formats.

[dirtcrazy4u]

Eliminate timing cars. Give them 2 hot lap sessions, then draw a pill for heat race line ups. Isn't that the way your weekly track used to do it ? Western Pa sure was, and you would see excellent racing. The list of yesterday's hero's that raced 3 and 4 nights a week with full fields always produced good racing. I bet then you would see aero changes, because every last one of them that pulled a bad pill would be screaming.

[MRM]

I guess the only two Lucas races I saw this year were not won from the first 2 rows.

[drich24]

I enjoy the USMTS a lot. However, it is impossible for most people to follow what heck is going on. My Race Pass makes it easier to follow, if you have it and if you have cell service.

Even with all of the inverts and redraws, so far in 2023, the winner has started on the front row 57%, first two rows 73%, and first three rows 80%.

[Highside Hustler25]

Mikey Marlar
Ponderosa Speedway 7/14/2023
Won from the 11th row

[Fast Wheels]

Mikey Marlar
Ponderosa Speedway 7/14/2023
Won from the 11th row

Proving that it’s possible to win from that far back in the series officials are only concerned about licking the drivers by starting races, heads up