Rice brothers call it quits. Plans for rest of year up in the air.

[old fan]

can't find a crate race with 100 plus miles and the supers have been great

[kidrock]

The crates normally put on the better shows.

There are fans of late models and then there are fans of racing. I've seen some darn good races in the 4 cylinder class, I've seen darn good races in the Street Stock class. I've seen darn good races in the crate late model class.

[MI Dirt Fan]

On dry/slick Crate will have a bit of an advantage at times. But I'd want that extra HP if I can get a run off a corner.

[blncfn57]

The only way people are going to really make money is to be like Josh/Mark Richards or Bloomquist or Jonathan Davenport. They all have the right idea.

Davenport/Rumley make their own motors, etc. so their $50k motor probably only costs them $15k. That is a BIG help. Then when refresh time comes around they pay a fraction of the cost.

Richards/Bloomquist use the racing as advertisement for their chassis. Bloomquist not so much because he does not sell a ton either way, but Richards is probably slightly profitable from racing, but all his success translates to units sold back in WV.

You either need to make your own stuff for personal use, or find something you can make to sell to others so that you can afford to pay someone else to buy the motor, etc.

Thanks,
Jeff.

I was able to race 21 years and be fairly successful at the local level by knowing how and doing things myself, but sadly it has gotten to the point where it's not even affordable that way anymore. Look around, there are race part businesses everywhere (and they're obviously making money). That should give you an idea of the amount of money being spent in the sport. Not to bash anyone, but when knowing how to do things and how to make things work is replaced by the ability to pay someone to do it for you and pay someone to tell you the answers, it becomes pretty expensive and eliminates racers that are otherwise talented. Not everyone that quits because of the cost is broke, moreso because they have common sense and don't wanna be in the soup line because they kept fighting a losing battle.

[GRT24]

I was able to race 21 years and be fairly successful at the local level by knowing how and doing things myself, but sadly it has gotten to the point where it's not even affordable that way anymore. Look around, there are race part businesses everywhere (and they're obviously making money). That should give you an idea of the amount of money being spent in the sport. Not to bash anyone, but when knowing how to do things and how to make things work is replaced by the ability to pay someone to do it for you and pay someone to tell you the answers, it becomes pretty expensive and eliminates racers that are otherwise talented. Not everyone that quits because of the cost is broke, moreso because they have common sense and don't wanna be in the soup line because they kept fighting a losing battle.

Just like someone posted in a earlier post. There is a time everybody stops and enough is enough on spending money. Either that being losing some money or losing the farm. I know I love racing as much as the next person but if it jeopardized mortage payments diapers and formula then I'm out. To most it's a hobby and a passion but if it's above your means a smart person will step away and there is nothing wrong about that. Your priorities have to stay in check. I know drivers that skip power bills and donnt take there kids on vacations and do without. To me a man that walks away to not take away from his family is the better man in my eyes.

[kidrock]

When you have the bug it's not easy to just walk away from the sport but, when it takes from the family that's when some finally say enough is enough. After all for 80% people it's a hobby and I'm not sure how many other Hobbies you make money at but, it can't be many if any.

[dirty bert]

Some of time around my area which is North ga a crate car has the fastest lap all night especially more towards the middle of summer I've seen on 4 occasions already this early in the year that being the case. 99% ppl could not tell a difference between a crate steel head or open motor If there lap times are similar and the racing is side by side. A few weeks ago a 604 crate set fast time for crates and guess what he was 3 tenths faster than the super pole which was Ronnie Johnson. There was also a 602 that turned the 4th fastest lap all night. Super field wasn't a field filler either very good regional talent there 3k or 4k to win

Your right the people making most of the noise round you are engine builders who motors getting out run by a create motoran there customer thinking why spend $30/40 grand to get out run by someone spending $8/10 grand

[Hoosier_Dirt]

To me, if you're a real race fan, you wont care what kind of engine it has in it. Racing is racing!! I like both. Have seen good races in both classes.

[dirty bert]

To me, if you're a real race fan, you wont care what kind of engine it has in it. Racing is racing!! I like both. Have seen good races in both classes.

That's right most fans don't know what's under the hood unless someone tells em they just know if they saw a good race are not

[Rollover]

Photo finish last night in the Crate division feature at Florence Speedway; very exciting race to watch with a lot of side-by-side action in the closing laps. Much better than one dominant Super Late Model winning by a half of a lap or a Super Late train race with no passing.

let florence run a crate show as the headliner with no supers on the schedule and you will see half the amount of fans in the stands as a regular show. no where did i say they dont have close races they just suck to watch. reality is people like speed. hornets have side by side races all the time but they are not a headliner class just as crates are not

[GRT24]

[QUOTE=Rollover;2005410]let florence run a crate show as the headliner with no supers on the schedule and you will see half the amount of fans in the stands as a regular show. no where did i say they dont have close races they just suck to watch. reality is people like speed. hornets have side by side races all the time but they are not a headliner class just as crates are not[/QUOTE

I was just saying that even though it's not a 850 hp engine that they just paid 40k for your still seeing the same lap times in some cases. Sometimes they are faster than supers like I stated in my earlier post. Its just the thought of more horsepower has to be the fastest and the best racing which in fact is not true all the time. It's all in the head for some ppl I think. If the lap times are close and it's side by side racing what is the difference?

[Rollover]

i get what your saying and i should have put imo crates suck its just a matter of opinion. I dont like them never will and honestly think its the dagger in the heart of late model racing. i remember asa tried the crates long ago and failed

[GRT24]

i get what your saying and i should have put imo crates suck its just a matter of opinion. I dont like them never will and honestly think its the dagger in the heart of late model racing. i remember asa tried the crates long ago and failed

I do see your side as well. When people think of Super late models you just now it's the cream of the crop and the top dollar teams. I do enjoy a small motor small spoiler run with them though. Its kinda like the little guy trying to make it nuts on the floor board and gas pedal to the fan blade lol knowing he is 200 horse down.

[Bubstr]

The problem with the crate classes isn't that they don't go fast enough or look different than open LM, but that the purses are cut down and the don't draw the traveling hot shoe. People want to see the best of the best, even if it costs a extra $10 or $15 for a ticket and another 2 hour drive.

I just went to FALs last Saturday night. If it had been a crate race, the top 10 or more, wouldn't have been there to see. The best of the best, in this area running for $10K. The crates have to compete with these shows and can't draw the good drivers or the fans. I don't know what the answer is, but it sure doesn't seem to be crates.

Some are saying the Crates are as fast as the Open LM, but yet they want a handicap to race in that division. That kinda tells you what is what.

[Clayton_Wetter]

[QUOTE=GRT24;2005415]

let florence run a crate show as the headliner with no supers on the schedule and you will see half the amount of fans in the stands as a regular show. no where did i say they dont have close races they just suck to watch. reality is people like speed. hornets have side by side races all the time but they are not a headliner class just as crates are not[/QUOTE

I was just saying that even though it's not a 850 hp engine that they just paid 40k for your still seeing the same lap times in some cases. Sometimes they are faster than supers like I stated in my earlier post. Its just the thought of more horsepower has to be the fastest and the best racing which in fact is not true all the time. It's all in the head for some ppl I think. If the lap times are close and it's side by side racing what is the difference?

Not at Florence, they qualified them earlier this year and 2 plus seconds a lap slower is quite a bit.