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Your thoughts on this? From driver Brandon Thirlby's Facebook page a few days ago....
From Michigan UMP Super Late Model driver #m14 Brandon Thirlby's Facebook page posted a few days ago.
Your Thought's on this.
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Ignorance truly is bliss.
I've been trying to bit my tongue while reading all of this anti UMP Late Model in Michigan propaganda spewed all over Facebook the past couple of days.
Well, I'm here to set he record strait with FACTS not OPINIONS. This post will not turn into a spirited debate of tires, cost, car count, ect. This post will simply clear up some common misconceptions and explain why Michigan UMP Late Model tracks don't have 35+ car counts and what an actual Super Late Model truly is. Also, I will be using direct quotes from recent Facebook post I've read to further clear up the main misconceptions about UMP Late Models.
I guess we'll start with everyone's main concern, tires. "We need to go back to AR's so the low budget racer can actually buy affordable tires". "The Hoosier tire doesn't last near as long as my AR's". One of my personal favorites "I can't races there because I'd have to buy a bunch of new rims".
1st off I'd like to say, I'm not taking any personal jabs at any under funded late model teams, and most importantly I have a lot of respect for MOST drivers that do a lot with a little. In fact this only pertains to a few select individuals who have decided to bash UMP, some of them who aren't even racers themselves. But the fact of the matter is, (most of) the under funded teams don't buy brand new Hoosier tires, they buy used tires from guys like me or one of the dozen or so actual Super Late Model teams in Michigan. They range from $25-$75 depending on the condition. If you can find a guy selling used AR's cheaper, let me know so can buy them and turn a profit. So I don't need to be reading about how expensive Hoosier tires are from a guy who has never bought a new tire or anyone who doesn't even have a dog in the fight. There is a stamp on the side wall of the Hoosier tire that reveals it's compound (soft, medium, hard) same with the AR's. If we ran the soft compound of AR tire, they would actually wear out quicker than the soft Hoosier LM tire. So if you want to debate over how long the Hoosier last Vs the AR's, your just compairing apples to oranges at this point. Also if you even semi-serious or just a Saturday night racer with a late model, you probably own some tire spoons and a bead breaker. I don't care how many rims you own, it takes less that 1/2 hour to dismount and mount 4 tires.
Once again, I'd like to start off by saying I don't want to take anything away from any tracks owners / promoters. I admire all your hard work and dedication each and every one of you put in to let us enjoy our weekend hobby. Also, I've never walked a mile in your shoes, nor do I want to., these are merely suggestions so tread lightly. If this job was easy, everyone would be doing it.
The 2nd biggest concern is car count. "The Late Model car ciunt at Merritt was way better that any UMP track in Michigan". "UMP is killing (late model) car counts in Michigan!". Well folks sometimes the truth hurts and I hate to be the one to break it to you, but there's only about 15-18 actual Super Late Models in the entire state of Michigan. The rest are hopped up Sportsman cars with Late Model tires bolted on. merritt Speedway had a rough 20 car field of hopped up Sportsman's every night with a few Super Late Models sprinkled in. The rest of the Super Late Models were strung across our state of Michigan at "Track X & Track Y".
That brings me to my next point, it's not UMP killing the Michigan Late Models, when it comes right down to it, it's the promoters/ owners. They don't realize that the FACT of the matter is there isn't enough actual Super Late Models to race on a weekly basis. The only way actual Super Late Models will ever thrive in the state of Michigan is if the promoters come together as a team.
In a perfect world we would have 2-3 Friday night UMP tracks and 2-3 Saturday Night UMP tracks. These tracks would each host a Super Late Model event every other 3rd weekend, instead of having 4-5 tracks racing against each other on "weekend X" then only 1-2 racing against each other on "weekend Y". In this perfect world you would still have most of the actual Super Late Models at your track every other to every 3rd weekend. (Once again, this is in a "perfect world" and if it were at all possible I'm sure someone a lot smarter than myself would be doing it right now).
Last but not least, I wanted to point out a few more misunderstandings about racing UMP Late Models in Michigan. "You need an unlimited budget to race UMP Late Models"
"To compete with those guys you need to be willing to spend $100,000+ a year when it's all said and done" "I can't compete, my stuff (equipment) is too out dated and out powered to run with those guys"
I have ZERO problem what so ever (repeat ZERO problem) with guys spending their hard earned money dirt Late Model racing, but at the end of the day the result is an out dated chassis with non adjustable shocks and not an ounce of aluminum can be found in, at or around their power plant. What I do have a problem with, is the guys complaining that they can't compete! The truth is, you couldn't compete in any unsanctioned Late Model race or UMP Late Model race, so pleas stop spreading false information about the matter.
I've got a funny lil' story for you, one of the few actual Super Late Model drivers in Michigan who happens to be slightly underfunded, had motor problems on a Friday night at I-96. The following night this same driver showed up to Winston Speedway with a 10+ year old MasterSbilt & with a crate motor. I was a distant 2nd place to this guy with my "$100,000+ race car". The FACT is, this driver has been doing his homework for years and is one hell of a wheel man, He won the A-Main hands down!
In conclusion, I don't honestly car if Merritt Speedway becomes Unsanctioned, UMO or even open for business this year at all, I'll probably only attend one or two races throughout the entire season. But the main point is that there are a lot of common misconceptions about UMP Late Models in the state of Michigan. And for the guys who have never, nor have any intentions of buying new Hoosier tires to say they are too expensive seems pretty ignorant to me. " Race with in your means", if you want to complain about how much money you have to spend to be competitive , yet you can't event compete with the guys a class or two below you. Maybe it's time to reconsider you entire out look in your racing operation. Also , if you have never raced a Super Late Model, sponsored, crewed, or had any intentions of doing so, please keep you OPINIONS to yourself. You have no control over who reads what you type, and your word could lead to further biased OPINIONS for someone who has never heard the FACTS. Finally , there's only one possible explanation that could sum up how this particular subject can breed this much anger.
"They hate us, cus they ain't us"
Your Thought's on this.
-
Ignorance truly is bliss.
I've been trying to bit my tongue while reading all of this anti UMP Late Model in Michigan propaganda spewed all over Facebook the past couple of days.
Well, I'm here to set he record strait with FACTS not OPINIONS. This post will not turn into a spirited debate of tires, cost, car count, ect. This post will simply clear up some common misconceptions and explain why Michigan UMP Late Model tracks don't have 35+ car counts and what an actual Super Late Model truly is. Also, I will be using direct quotes from recent Facebook post I've read to further clear up the main misconceptions about UMP Late Models.
I guess we'll start with everyone's main concern, tires. "We need to go back to AR's so the low budget racer can actually buy affordable tires". "The Hoosier tire doesn't last near as long as my AR's". One of my personal favorites "I can't races there because I'd have to buy a bunch of new rims".
1st off I'd like to say, I'm not taking any personal jabs at any under funded late model teams, and most importantly I have a lot of respect for MOST drivers that do a lot with a little. In fact this only pertains to a few select individuals who have decided to bash UMP, some of them who aren't even racers themselves. But the fact of the matter is, (most of) the under funded teams don't buy brand new Hoosier tires, they buy used tires from guys like me or one of the dozen or so actual Super Late Model teams in Michigan. They range from $25-$75 depending on the condition. If you can find a guy selling used AR's cheaper, let me know so can buy them and turn a profit. So I don't need to be reading about how expensive Hoosier tires are from a guy who has never bought a new tire or anyone who doesn't even have a dog in the fight. There is a stamp on the side wall of the Hoosier tire that reveals it's compound (soft, medium, hard) same with the AR's. If we ran the soft compound of AR tire, they would actually wear out quicker than the soft Hoosier LM tire. So if you want to debate over how long the Hoosier last Vs the AR's, your just compairing apples to oranges at this point. Also if you even semi-serious or just a Saturday night racer with a late model, you probably own some tire spoons and a bead breaker. I don't care how many rims you own, it takes less that 1/2 hour to dismount and mount 4 tires.
Once again, I'd like to start off by saying I don't want to take anything away from any tracks owners / promoters. I admire all your hard work and dedication each and every one of you put in to let us enjoy our weekend hobby. Also, I've never walked a mile in your shoes, nor do I want to., these are merely suggestions so tread lightly. If this job was easy, everyone would be doing it.
The 2nd biggest concern is car count. "The Late Model car ciunt at Merritt was way better that any UMP track in Michigan". "UMP is killing (late model) car counts in Michigan!". Well folks sometimes the truth hurts and I hate to be the one to break it to you, but there's only about 15-18 actual Super Late Models in the entire state of Michigan. The rest are hopped up Sportsman cars with Late Model tires bolted on. merritt Speedway had a rough 20 car field of hopped up Sportsman's every night with a few Super Late Models sprinkled in. The rest of the Super Late Models were strung across our state of Michigan at "Track X & Track Y".
That brings me to my next point, it's not UMP killing the Michigan Late Models, when it comes right down to it, it's the promoters/ owners. They don't realize that the FACT of the matter is there isn't enough actual Super Late Models to race on a weekly basis. The only way actual Super Late Models will ever thrive in the state of Michigan is if the promoters come together as a team.
In a perfect world we would have 2-3 Friday night UMP tracks and 2-3 Saturday Night UMP tracks. These tracks would each host a Super Late Model event every other 3rd weekend, instead of having 4-5 tracks racing against each other on "weekend X" then only 1-2 racing against each other on "weekend Y". In this perfect world you would still have most of the actual Super Late Models at your track every other to every 3rd weekend. (Once again, this is in a "perfect world" and if it were at all possible I'm sure someone a lot smarter than myself would be doing it right now).
Last but not least, I wanted to point out a few more misunderstandings about racing UMP Late Models in Michigan. "You need an unlimited budget to race UMP Late Models"
"To compete with those guys you need to be willing to spend $100,000+ a year when it's all said and done" "I can't compete, my stuff (equipment) is too out dated and out powered to run with those guys"
I have ZERO problem what so ever (repeat ZERO problem) with guys spending their hard earned money dirt Late Model racing, but at the end of the day the result is an out dated chassis with non adjustable shocks and not an ounce of aluminum can be found in, at or around their power plant. What I do have a problem with, is the guys complaining that they can't compete! The truth is, you couldn't compete in any unsanctioned Late Model race or UMP Late Model race, so pleas stop spreading false information about the matter.
I've got a funny lil' story for you, one of the few actual Super Late Model drivers in Michigan who happens to be slightly underfunded, had motor problems on a Friday night at I-96. The following night this same driver showed up to Winston Speedway with a 10+ year old MasterSbilt & with a crate motor. I was a distant 2nd place to this guy with my "$100,000+ race car". The FACT is, this driver has been doing his homework for years and is one hell of a wheel man, He won the A-Main hands down!
In conclusion, I don't honestly car if Merritt Speedway becomes Unsanctioned, UMO or even open for business this year at all, I'll probably only attend one or two races throughout the entire season. But the main point is that there are a lot of common misconceptions about UMP Late Models in the state of Michigan. And for the guys who have never, nor have any intentions of buying new Hoosier tires to say they are too expensive seems pretty ignorant to me. " Race with in your means", if you want to complain about how much money you have to spend to be competitive , yet you can't event compete with the guys a class or two below you. Maybe it's time to reconsider you entire out look in your racing operation. Also , if you have never raced a Super Late Model, sponsored, crewed, or had any intentions of doing so, please keep you OPINIONS to yourself. You have no control over who reads what you type, and your word could lead to further biased OPINIONS for someone who has never heard the FACTS. Finally , there's only one possible explanation that could sum up how this particular subject can breed this much anger.
"They hate us, cus they ain't us"
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