Wreckin on the first lap of a late model feature

[hpmaster]

Ok I never wrote or even griped on this board but here I go. I have been racing the better part of last 30 years and one thing that really makes me mad is people runnin over each other and wreckin on the first lap of a feature. First of all I have never been paid for leadin the first lap. This past weekend I was the meat in a late model sandwich. I saw people gettin loose mid turn and started checkin up sure enough they are wreckin on the straightaway out of 2 with 3 cars all tangled up. No place to go, big tires to my left car on my right I hit the brakes and was stoppin when the 2 guys behind me push me into the pile turnin my car side ways I hit hard enough to break the upper door bar off the front and colaspe the front Xpit bar and peddels into my feet. I think they need to go to the cause the yellow on lap one you are done. Ok I will crawl back in my cave.

[ferd]

A lot of guys think that you win the race on the first lap. Even when they've been mid-pack all season. Lately (in our area) it seems that a lot of first lap wrecks are caused by kids who have Daddy's money to fix whatever happens.

A couple of seasons ago we had a special Crate Latemodel race that drew a bunch of really good cars, and the whole field qualified pretty close together. The track is wide and banked, and has 3-wide racing frequently (4-wide when there's real drivers involved) and was in great shape -- no reason for drivers to think that there wasn't any way to pass. But on the start a kid tried to bang his way from the second row, and took out the top six cars (including himself) before they even got to turn 1. The announcer nicknamed him "The Show Stopper" that night and it's stuck to him since. Dubious honor.

[rooky]

most 25/30 lap ,week in week out races are won on the first lap. get strung out on a 1 lane groove,and that is your finishing order. got to get it from the GET GO

[ferd]

I'm not totally against agressive driving. I'm against those guys who drive over their heads and make others pay the price for it. Also against those guys who cannot tolerate payback. If you can make a banzai pass and not take anybody out, that's great. If you screw up and take me out, then you DON'T want to be the guy who parked me.

If the track becomes one lane right away, creating a follow-the-leader race, then there's something wrong with the track prep and / or design. That track owner needs to get it fixed before his car (and fan) counts get low because everybody it too beat up and broke to race any more.

[2138d_Racing]

I've been wrecked by others banzai-ing their way into the first turn, and it sucks. What some guys don't realize is that, given the track prep is adequate, the better drivers will always find their way to the front. IMO, let the field shake down a lap or two, then start pickin' them off. If you're racing at a track where one-lane racing is the norm, you need to find a new track. Let the car counts do the talkin'.

You're right, nobody ever got paid for leading the first lap. And, nobody wins the feature when their stuff gets wrecked. I'd much rather get second, third, fourth place pay than a bill for parts at the end of the night.

[hpmaster]

I've been wrecked by others banzai-ing their way into the first turn, and it sucks. What some guys don't realize is that, given the track prep is adequate, the better drivers will always find their way to the front. IMO, let the field shake down a lap or two, then start pickin' them off. If you're racing at a track where one-lane racing is the norm, you need to find a new track. Let the car counts do the talkin'.

You're right, nobody ever got paid for leading the first lap. And, nobody wins the feature when their stuff gets wrecked. I'd much rather get second, third, fourth place pay than a bill for parts at the end of the night.

The track is not one lane. I went back and checked all the LM features this year and not one pole sitter has won, with winners coming from as far back as 12th. Now after last weeks wreck I have a bent car that was a feature winner now pushing like a dump truck and worse yet the yahoo who started wrecked me didn't come back. I guess one night of wreckin was enough fun for him. I have a new chassis in my shop for next year but had this one sold. Now I can't sell it or I should say I won't sell it cause its junk now. Things are tough enough without the idiots and deep pocket fools killing car counts. As my dump truck pushed it's self into a wall I need to fix the bent and broken bumper. Maybe I jinxed myself by gettin a new chassis and sittin next to the old one?

[8wheelsbetterthan4]

lol...... 8 wheels turn better than 4?

[buster83]

well u must have put the
fear in that kid that started it if he aint
been back yet.

[Clayton_Wetter]

btt.........

[Markus Hankins]

The biggest thing that I've noticed is some guys go and make wholesale changes on their car and has no idea what it's going to do, until they get into turn one. Others, they will slow way down in turn one and cause an incident. The biggest thing that'll help is allow a hotlap or two at speed then go racing. I'm new to this board and I'm not sure what track you're referring to. I know most tracks do give a hotlap or two before their late model feature, but I've seen several that don't.

[Headhunter]

We have had guys wreck in hot laps too. We even had a guy wreck 6 cars one night trying to clean his tires as the race was starting. Coming to the power line he decided to give it one more hard left taking out the guy next to him as the guys in the back were anticipating the start and already on the gas. This same guy had hit cars on the track many times doing the same thing under caution laps.