One big race? And exactly how is that going to make the class seem more appealing? You think someone will jump on this class based on one big race? We figured a handfull of "better paying races" would be more attractive to the common racer than that "one big race" due to the fact not everyone is going to win that "big race." Like Mark said.......we want to give everyone more chances at more money.

Wrong area? Uhhhhhh.................look at our schedule.............we have tried to spread the money out in all directions. Not just what we consider local for us. Our plan was to help all of Lightning Sprints in the midwest. "Those people" that think we are going about this all wrong or are in the wrong place are probably the same ones that are hoping we fail for all the wrong reasons. The same ones that didn't want to work with us when we wanted to combine a show or two with them and help their own local racers with an inflated purse. A race they wouldn't have to drive very far to take advantage of some additional funds added their "local" purse. Yeah..........those are the people I would listen to.

Bottom line...........the money is out there. Either take advantage of it or stay home. Your choice.

I like this!!!

As long as we agree to disagree and we keep on talking we got things under control. My wife and I have been doing this for almost 40 years now and I have missed a few meals dong it this way, but we have been pretty productive. Out of all this bull manure a beautiful flower should grow. I am not a Jayhawk and you guys are not Hoosiers come to think I still only got a green card to be a Hoosier myself, guess I'm really a Hill Billy at heart. A few of our ideas may sound good to one another and hopefully will be used and shared amongst us.

I spent 13 months on the "ROK" Republic of Korea and they would say that I am the "Yang" to Marks "Ying" or visa versa, but to exist we need both sides and ways of thinking I think Mark and I actually complement one another. We do create a lot of readership with our posts.

I agree to much of what Mark and Phil are doing, and I think and hope that they have gleaned a few bits of knowledge from my ramblings. Now if we could just apply this give and take to Washington DC. we could get back to some serious racing.

Honest Dad himself

Phil

I did the number crunch thing again and it looks like 1/4 mile and smaller are at 50% and 3/8 th mile tracks are also at 50% in you guys schedual. PowerI chose a lot of small tracks (80%) for a reason. I watch my son race and as a parent I can tell you although I know it is not always true I still feel much safer when we race on the Bull-Rings we go to. The action is much more intense and the chance to bend things is greater but I have never totaled a car on a short track. We count 2 cars totaled at Lawrenceburg and 1 car totaled at North Vernon. All of those wrecks scared me to death. I know racing is dangerous. But like most Dummies I do it any how>>> I tend to also get much more excited watching the racing on a small track and at the same time I also feel much more comfortable watching these races taking place at slower speed.

I know that if you went to Bull-Rings all the time the older racers might require on-board oxygen to make a twenty lap main. We raced 30 laps at DuQuoin and Doug said thank God they had so many cautions so he could get his wind back.

Mark says he like getting his elbows up on them big tracks and It is kinda of neat when your eye balls start rattling up around at 100 miles per hour, and a Mini- Lightning Sprint is very capable of 100+ miles per hour with wing on a 3/8 th or larger track. But the same mistake that will bend an axle at 60 MPH on a Bull-Ring will Total a car at 100 MPH.

In my opinion we just don't need this kinda of speed to have a fun venue to race in. Besides that the fire breathing Hot Rod Built Kaw's of mine (read as built out of 3 different motors with a prayer thrown in for good measure) don't last long on them big fast race tracks. If I wanted to go that fast I would race a Full Midget with PowerI. But then Come to think of it they race mostly on little tracks, so I guess I would have to get a 410 Sprint and bring my own Ambulance to the races with me just to handle my heart condition that I know would develop from that kind of racing.

I guess when it all comes down to the real bottom line >>the answer is>> it is not really about "MONEY" it is all about having "FUN" and doing something you love to do as a family. In 20+ years of racing I have never had a profitable season. But I have had some great advertising dollars spent in a way that I know have made money for my business. Race fans really do patronize racers business's, and that is a fact.

Honest Dad himself

Billy is just saying location can be a huge help for a series. Most racers want an affordable class that races close to home on a consistent basis. When ILSS based our series out of Peoria 2 years ago, it gained us a lot more interest and almost doubled the size of our group. This year we are going to be based more out of the Peoria & Springfield areas and we have already gained 3 new members because of it. ILSS has Peoria/Springfield, WIMS has Wilmot, MMSA has Brownstown, & AMSA has Waynesfield. Having a solid home location to base the races around has been a key for all those clubs. That's all we're saying, nobody ever once said anything about wanting to see MALS die off.

You guys can take my post how ever you want. I figured you wouldnt take it the right way. All im stating is you guys are along ways away from the majority of mini sprints in the nation. Hell its usually 4-6 hours for me to come race at 90% of your tracks. If you guys can get people to start showing up thats great i hope you do. I want this class to be like 600's but with out the big price tag.

Ya I spend alot of money to go to tulsa every year but its tulsa and I want a golden driller sitting on my shelf. Also its right in the middle of the holidays. Thats an easy time to take a vacation and just makes it easier on me. Hell im not even excited about the traveling im going to be doing this year with ILSS but im the only one in the group that is not from the peoria area and thats the series I run in.

Im also not saying you need to run just 1 race a year but if you guys tried to get 1 race closer to Indiana on your schedule say around the border at a good racey track I bet you would have 50 cars. That is a sucess in the racing world.

I dont want you guys to fail like you think I do. I hope you do succeed its good for the sport just trying to help you guys out is all take how ever you want it. I also enjoy stirring the pot a little.

Buckshot

I understood what you were saying. First thing off the bat, the MALS really don't need to import competition. They have a good product to sell. In their heydays go-karts where everywhere, because they were cheap easy to work on store and haul. Mini sprints are the same type race car. We raced go-karts and those things got to be real expensive real real expensive to those that drank all the Kool-Aid that was being sold to them.

It takes a special racer to race an open wheel car or to put their loved ones in one to race. These things are perceived and rightfully so as dangerous. They lack the fenders roofs and extra frame work that make stock cars and even E mods appear safe to the average fan.

I am a purist, that means I like things as they have always been. I race open wheel because I think it is the only pure form of racing. When I put Doug in the Beast for his first race we had a long discussion about how to respect other racers and his race car. To race an open wheel car competitive requires an exceptional driver. They have to do all the things a fendered race driver does, just as close or closer and never touch. I like to think of it as honest racing. You can't just go in a turn and lean on the other racer to negotiate the turn, You have to drive in wheel to wheel and avoid contact at all times. The video posted by Collin Ambrose show what happens when one driver or another make a 6" mistake in judging what his car is capable of doing.

We have to work on cost both the race car and now even travel expenses if these things are to take off. Although I don't mind being part of an exclusive minority in the racing world.

1. Don't put so much importance of the caliber race track you race on. We raced at a little 1/4 mile track in south eastern Ohio, named "Brown County Raceway". It sat on top of a big old hill in the middle of a cow pasture. To this day that is the best race track we have ever raced on. The promoter made us his A Class, the purse was great, the track stayed racy all night long and his grand stands were always full.

2. If you are serious about keeping racing on the cheap, stay away from them big fast joints. That is what happened to USAC midget racing. It took so much Horsepower to win at these places that they segregated the racer by their pocket book. Kenny Brown, I would bet noticed this and with his PowerI Midgets he chose to keep to the smaller race tracks where Midgets were not too popular. PowerI is now a huge success story, and USAC has a hard time getting a full field of cars.

3. If you want to race in your division don't beat all of your fellow competitors. Enjoy the race but don't chase off you fellow racers. When it comes down to making calls stay out of the fight. Appoint what you and your fellow racers can perceive as neutral judges.

4. Remember that racers are people that like to tinker, leave them room to do this, try to design your races so that everyone attending think they have a chance to win. Watch out for people that win too much, better to handicap them than cause other racers to not show up to race.

5. Work on a tire company. Make it to where the racer can buy a spec tire from the club cheaper than any place else and put the small profit that is left in the points fund. Racers are funny people, most of them don't want to think that you are making a dime off of them, so in your tire deal don't make a dime. Next to the engine and travel tires are a racers biggest investment give them a deal. While you are at it only sell a nice hard tire that will last half the season and make those built motors useless as teats on a boar hog. Only sell the right rear tire. Don't try to run your tire dealer out of business, make a deal with him to pay a contingency to racer that win on all his brand of tire.

6. Times are hard, don't expect miracles, plan for the future, things tend to always get better with time.

Honest Dad himself

Billy..........that's why we are thrilled to be teaming up with MMSA at two or three races as well as working with the RMLSA group on the Dodge City, Kansas race. As you can see by our schedule, they have two in Indiana and one in your back yard.....Flora,Illinois.

At this point, we are not trying to start a weekly series by any means. HELL NO! Our intentions are to supplement programs in whatever series that is interested here in the greater midwest. Mark tries to find an open date in a region and put one of our races in that slot offering EVERYONE a chance to run for more money. Or find a date that area's series is willing to co-sanction with MALS letting us bringing additional funds to the table and help all of Lighting Sprints. We ARE NOT TRYING TO COMPETE with any series. WE are not the enemy here....we are just trying to help Lightning Sprints with a few races in each series IF THEY WILL LET US. Our goal is to co-sanction two races with each series simply trying to help out. It amazes me that some groups don't want the extra funds for their racers...????

Dad...........I understand what you are saying about track size. Only personal problem I have with the small tracks......NOT ENOUGH SPEED. To me......RACING = SPEED. I am not saying we need to be going 130 mph in our type cars but I really like the 90-100 mph stuff. I will admit our cars probably put their best shows on tracks that produce 70-80 mph speeds..........quarter miles. But not the little bullrings that produce 35-50 mph. Here we go again, but in my opinion, 600's put on a better show on those little tracks. That is my second problem with little tracks.....we don't look as good as the 600's on little tracks. We look slow and cumber sum. Let them have their playground where they shine and we find our niche which in my opinion is quarter miles and slightly bigger. Throw in a good small 3/8 mile for the thrill seekers ever once in a while to hold their interest.

Also Dad...........I could agree with you....but then we'd both be wrong. LOL Just messin' with ya.

Phil

You say "Po-tay-to" I say "Po-tah-to" SO>>> I try to hide the serious stuff somewhere in the middle of all this BULL>>>

We really aren't too far apart. Sometimes it seems so but we both have the same goal at heart. I used to be an old fart before I got to be real old and I know that them little track can beat an old fart to death. Look at what Kenny Brown has done, Look at what USAC has done in the last 10 years. Before PowerI there wasn't a lot of Midget racing going on in Illinois now they are all over the place and racers are even crossing state lines to race with them. Heck now they even have a few off-shoots popping up also because of their popularity. Now Kenny is heading out your direction using the same formula. He is doing something right. Hope he doesn't get too big for his britches. Success can be a terrible thing.
You guys keep on keeping on. Thank you Phil for putting the show on for your fellow racers, and thank Mark for keeping me on my toes and helping you getting the MALS up and running.

Next year, get some battle bars installed, maybe an O2 system and come on to DuQuoin and race with us. If at all possible we will try our best to get out and race with you. We are Looking for fellow racers to share expenses with us for those trips.

Phil at DuQuoin we were the race>>the 600 all lined up and raced in line we went out and raced. If you want to hurt 600 sidewinder racing put some of them guys in a 1000cc upright and watch their face when they come back in the pits. I think you said you had a sidewinder, which would you rather race?

Another way to look at things is if you got on u-tube and posted a video of a midget race at Tulsa and then a Mini-Lightning Sprint race there also, turned down the sound, the casual fan could not tell the difference between the two, as the track size gets smaller the difference even becomes less.

I am not for sure but>>>>give me a good really big zx10r a good light driver and car and we could go out and run up front at the Chili Bowl and give them guys some real fits. BUT that is when the Chili Bowl People start to draw the "RULES" line!!! Darned them chain drives

Honest Dad himself

It would be no different if you put a 1000cc upright guy in a full midget, 305 sprint car or 360 sprinter......let alone a 410. More power. More power usually means you have "upgraded." Who wouldn't want that? A bigger car gives a more enhanced sensation of speed due to mass. Yes, a midget is the same size as our cars but the power to weight ratio..........absolutely no comparison. Midgets can over power a race track easily. We can't. Each type car requires it's own driving style. That is what makes midgets on small tracks so entertaining. I think POWERi realized they can't compete "show wise" with sprint cars on the bigger tracks (1/2 miles)....so what do you do? Go where you can make the best show. 3/8th and smaller. I still say "our" best shows are on 1/4 miles.

Watching various Chili Bowl and Shootout videos................Besides the full midgets, the 600's put on the best side by side racing and slide jobs. Lightning sprints did a descent job.....just not as appealing. I don't know what the 600's looked like at DuQuoin but the three in car videos I watched of the Lighting Sprints.........go low and go slow. Bumper tag on the bottom is all I saw. Idling through the corners or with minimal power applied. Then buzz the sh*t out of it when the car was straight. The heats were probably better but the feature.....???? Now go watch a midget race in there. Much different. Even after the track is gone. Full lock slides, slide jobs out the butt, wheel stands, multiple lines to race. Didn't see any Lightning sprints doing that. Not trying to hurt anyone's feelings just saying what I have seen.

My hat is off to anyone that attended. You supported the class. I just chose not to go because I would rather apply my racing buget to a facility that better suits what I expect out of racing. I sincerely hope Mr. Nace does it again for everyone's sake becasue it is really a good thing for those that prefer that kind of racing. But with the car counts versus the purse versus spectators..........I just hope he came out well enough to justify it all. Didn't he have 6-7 classes though?

And yes........I have a 600cc Multi. On a small track (1/6 mile and smaller)........I will take it over the 1000cc any day. I hate to say that but I have to be honest.

Phil

There isn't a whole lot of difference in top speed from one class to another, the biggest difference is the kick in the butt when you nail the throttle. Single engine go kart to dual about the same top speed but the ability to get there in a hurry is much faster. I think perhaps 1/4 mile and smaller track is our goal. We race with midgets up at Montpelier and run pretty good with them. Given 30+ horsepower which is possible we could beat a lot of them. Just put the wing on and we could beat them right now. Take that sidewinder to a 1/4 mile or larger track and we will stomp their butt.
Nothing like the torque of that 1000cc motor over one of them peaky little 600cc motors. There is not a race car made that can turn a faster lap on a quarter midget track than a AA Quarter Midget. They were designed as a package deal.

I guess if you got the need for speed some of the motor cycle guys have their land speed records and measured miles runs, that can get the old heart pumping.

Find the track that works best for our cars, I kinda of like 1/5 th mile, too small for stock cars and e mods but just right for us and at these tracks we can be the main event..Nothing hurts my feelings more than being a support class for cars that we are 1 second per lap faster than.

Honest Dad himself