Mod - Car Counts - Central Illinois

[modracr41]

and your point is a team can strap new ones on all day long some tracks say the tire you start the night with is the tire you finish with

That's not feasible for modified racing. You will always have the "have's" and the "have-not's" but to level the playing field to the point that "have-not's" aren't out-classed is the goal. New tires will outrun used tires 95% of the time, but you still have to drive the car, know how to set up the car, and how to take care of the tires so they're there at the end of the feature. Those things will win races when $$ won't. UMP changes rules without input from drivers, and more importantly doing some research and looking at what will make a difference. Taking the spoilers off will help on a long, momentum type track, but on a small 1/4 mile bullring track it won't make a difference. They need to look at restricting the high $$, high HP engines and a hard tire with little tread does help with this. Tech is also a huge part of this and for it to be successful it has to be done and enforced. Ask Tom Brady about rules enforcement. UMP would have dropped the minimum air pressure in the rules for all of the balls so what he did wasn't illegal any longer.

[hygty]

all the excuses dont change the fact that ump/hoosier are charging 35 bucks a tire more than any other sanction. This is not helping the class. the a40s mess just shows that Hoosier and UMP did not do enough testing and were hoping the racers would live with it, tried to blame it on siping etc. not to mention this nonsense of only allowing Ds at some tracks. usra and imca have ONE tire.

and your point is a team can strap new ones on all day long some tracks say the tire you start the night with is the tire you finish with

[kidrock]

all the excuses dont change the fact that ump/hoosier are charging 35 bucks a tire more than any other sanction. This is not helping the class. the a40s mess just shows that Hoosier and UMP did not do enough testing and were hoping the racers would live with it, tried to blame it on siping etc. not to mention this nonsense of only allowing Ds at some tracks. usra and imca have ONE tire.

i agree with you.

[wadegarrett]

According to guys on here NASCAR is sucks and nobody watches it anymore do, no way can a NASCAR race hurt dirt track attendance.

all the excuses dont change the fact that ump/hoosier are charging 35 bucks a tire more than any other sanction. This is not helping the class. the a40s mess just shows that Hoosier and UMP did not do enough testing and were hoping the racers would live with it, tried to blame it on siping etc. not to mention this nonsense of only allowing Ds at some tracks. usra and imca have ONE tire.

[hygty]

well some fans like it but they probably like getting in the head with a brick lol

[kidrock]

that is the main factor without fans the tracks will have a hard time surviving . doesn't help when you NASCAR on sat night or friday night

According to guys on here NASCAR is sucks and nobody watches it anymore do, no way can a NASCAR race hurt dirt track attendance.

[hygty]

that is the main factor without fans the tracks will have a hard time surviving . doesn't help when you NASCAR on sat night or friday night

[DirtDirtCrazy]

So here is the deal; I started this thread to basically discuss the welfare of Central Illinois Dirt Tracks and particularly the Modified Division. Many have replied to the thread and I thank you all for that.

Based on the responses, a good deal of what it will take to deal with the Car Count issue will require a strong cooperation between UMP, Track Promoters, and of course MODIFIED DRIVERS and their teams. I am hopeful that these three parties can work closely in the near future to make A-Mod Racing healthy again.

But there is a fourth element that cannot be ignored. FANS!!!! Give them a good racing product and they will come!

[kidrock]

I've been around racing 52 years. As I see it the sport has two major problems.

1. Not enough fans in the stands.
2. Not enough cars in the pits.

It will be impossible to fix the attendance problem without fixing the car count problem.
Racing costs too much. SLM cost too much, mods cost too much, SS cost too much. In all the time I've been around racing I haven't heard a single racer say they quit because it didn't cost enough.

If weekly racing is going to survive, the cost to compete has to be less. Anyone that thinks otherwise is living in a dream world.

Can UMP fix the car count problem? Of course they could.....but they won't. Promoters know that. Some have talked publicly about leaving UMP, and others have privately. It's only a matter of time until a few leave UMP. Once they do, others will join them. Nearly all of the IL promoters talk to each other. Some of them even meet during the off season. It's not just a matter of survival for the modified class, it's a matter of survival for the tracks. In my opinion it's not a matter of IF the tracks leave, but a matter of WHEN they leave UMP.

UMP started with 14 tracks in 1984. It was tough to find more than three tracks with the same LM rules back then. When the promoters that are dissatisfied with UMP leave, and they will leave UMP, they'll have an advantage that UMP didn't have in 84. They've already got uniform rules for the mods. They'll just need to make a few changes. Tires for sure. They could (and likely would) still be Hoosiers. The restrictor plate idea is interesting. A shock rule would benefit the class but will likely run into opposition from some of the racers.

Yes there have been a few that have talked about leaving UMP and I believe you might see it next year. And yes your right for the most part the rules are in place and just a little tweaking of the rules is all that's needed.
Very well said Pops.

[sirleafalot]

very well said..........something needs to change.......... And if ump dont make it happen track owners need to get together and take matters into there own hands and do it

agree, track owners are in this as well and own part of the concern. they need to step and tell ump and others of the issue certainly on tires where they have options.

[Pops15]

I've been around racing 52 years. As I see it the sport has two major problems.

1. Not enough fans in the stands.
2. Not enough cars in the pits.

It will be impossible to fix the attendance problem without fixing the car count problem.
Racing costs too much. SLM cost too much, mods cost too much, SS cost too much. In all the time I've been around racing I haven't heard a single racer say they quit because it didn't cost enough.

If weekly racing is going to survive, the cost to compete has to be less. Anyone that thinks otherwise is living in a dream world.

Can UMP fix the car count problem? Of course they could.....but they won't. Promoters know that. Some have talked publicly about leaving UMP, and others have privately. It's only a matter of time until a few leave UMP. Once they do, others will join them. Nearly all of the IL promoters talk to each other. Some of them even meet during the off season. It's not just a matter of survival for the modified class, it's a matter of survival for the tracks. In my opinion it's not a matter of IF the tracks leave, but a matter of WHEN they leave UMP.

UMP started with 14 tracks in 1984. It was tough to find more than three tracks with the same LM rules back then. When the promoters that are dissatisfied with UMP leave, and they will leave UMP, they'll have an advantage that UMP didn't have in 84. They've already got uniform rules for the mods. They'll just need to make a few changes. Tires for sure. They could (and likely would) still be Hoosiers. The restrictor plate idea is interesting. A shock rule would benefit the class but will likely run into opposition from some of the racers.

[kidrock]

very well said..........something needs to change.......... And if ump dont make it happen track owners need to get together and take matters into there own hands and do it

Where's the like button!!!!

[indyboywilliam]

yes i understand that part and that's been going on since racing started. Guys move up but, you need guys from the lower classes to move to the mod class and yes there are a few but, not as many as is needed. I guess we will have to sit back and see where we stand in a couple of years if no one wants to make some changes. Like i said i'm not going to give all the blame to ump but, they take some responsibility in this. They can't be happy to see what use to be 25 to 30 mods down to 15 to 18 mods and in some cases 10 to 12.

very well said..........something needs to change.......... And if ump dont make it happen track owners need to get together and take matters into there own hands and do it

[kidrock]

that is where many of your mod drivers are gustin, stormy scott scottie weber cody conner mike spataloa gilpin kent robinson to name just a few

Yes I understand that part and that's been going on since racing started. Guys move up but, you need guys from the lower classes to move to the mod class and yes there are a few but, not as many as is needed. I guess we will have to sit back and see where we stand in a couple of years if no one wants to make some changes. Like I said I'm not going to give all the blame to UMP but, they take some responsibility in this. They can't be happy to see what use to be 25 to 30 mods down to 15 to 18 mods and in some cases 10 to 12.

[wadegarrett]

Not all can or will move up, as stated on here before racers will either move up or down or get out unless changes are made to preserve the class. Ump is not willing to make the right kind of changes