[flagboy55]

I personally don't have a problem with seat saving, and I am one who doesn't usually get there in time to save the best seats. My only concern is don't save more than you need. Actually I like the idea of getting there early marking your spot, then go fire up the grill and enjoy a few beers and watch the cars and people come in. At least in my case, the idea of some "tailgating" helps sell the deal to some new comers. I have to disagree however that ticket prices don't play a factor. How can you charge adult prices for someone not old enough to drive themselves to the track. In my case at anyway, cost is always a consideration

[JDK222]

Can see your point, everybody is different it's all about perception. I don't drink or party I come for the methanol and hard racing. I always went to the 500 I think 78 was my first race as a child. I stopped going when I felt I was no longer wanted at the track. I felt the grumpy old yellow shirts were just rude and turned me off. I couldn't sit in sections during time trials and practice I had always sat in since I was young now they were blocked off, can't park here, have to turn there. I felt as though I was an outsider an inconvenience so I no longer go. It's just how I perceive it I could be wrong. Respectfully

[DAD]

The question is do we want to see racing flourish again or tracks prosper? Back in the 50's pre Quarter Midgets I used to go to the Sportsdrome in Jeffersonville Indiana to watch dad race his cars. Best I can remember is they only raced one class Hard Tops that later morphed into Super-Modifieds. My memory is a little foggy but I can remember being just a little irritated when they brought in Stock Cars to race also. It made the night go on way long for a kid. I think they also had a week day race also for other classes but we never went to any of them.

Race tracks are too large of a piece of real estate to be left just setting around most of the time and earning little or no revenue for the operator. Race night are way too long nowadays many stretching way past Midnight in order to run all of the other various classes.

What if race tracks had a week day race for the support classes. They could run one Friday or Saturday night race with at the most 2 quality classes. Pick a mid week night for the support class races, and maybe filled in the rest of the week with Go Kart rental and races for the fans.

Honest Dad himself

[rclaridge]

I'm guilty of occasionally saving more seats than we need,when this happens I like to find someone that's arriving late and let them have the extra seats.That usually puts a smile on there face.....and mine!

[captrat]

Originally Posted by Charles Nungester And for big races every one of those seats were empty with no blankets at 3pm when the gate open so that means those people were there and I've never seen em go unused at Kokomo. As others said they go out to the car or down to the bar for the other classes but their there when the sprints roll. Except maybe Pine and Aero. Sometimes they can't find the gate again

As the starter of this thread it is great to see the civil discourse and positive ideas. As to the seat saving it is like many things in which a few misuse the privlege.

1. No seats should be saved until the gates are open to all.

2. Saving more than one needs is unfair and unethical. For us who stand in-line prior to gate opening this seldom presents a problem. However, for the person who shows up at 5 or 5:30 why should they be presented with a vision of the top half completely covered by tape/blankets often which go under utilized. I do not like to use anecdotal evidence to make a generalization, but it seems clear from observation that this happens far too often ex. people who save 10, use 4, people who even cover the row in front of them so they have a place for their feet. As a person who saw Parnelli win a sprint car race, I can assure you this is a practice that has blossomed in the last decade.

3. Ban any folding seat that interferes with the leg room of the person behind.

The ultimate answer is for people to think of others, which may be difficult if not impossible since we seem to have lost the concept of the social contract that should exist between us all.

[DAD]

The seat saving thing is just plain inconsiderate to other race fans..Try saving a place for someone in line at Disney and see how that goes over. If you want to save a block of seats someone should at least stay with the seats. What would be wrong if a group of people arrived at a race track and decided to rip up the blankets and throw them over the top of the rail and on to the ground and have a seat Not often are seats at such a premium but at the chili bowl if you sit in the #2 turn bleachers get there early with your friends and have them save your seat when you need a break from racing. The early bird gets the worm and he had darned well better protect it. Would a few signs posted stating "no seat saving" posted at the top rail help people to understand just how rude this practice is put an end to it?

Honest Dad himself

[kart31rac]

A lot of good answers, as someone that has been going to the races for over 50 years. Here is my simple answer to many Damn classes. Growing up in the Springfield area they had three classes at Joe's. Sprints, Latemodels, and sportsman or street stocks depending on who was talking. Jacksonville had Late models and street stocks and then added sprints. Now where ever you go to the races there are five or six classes. if I cant win in a 410 lets start a 360 class if I cant win there lets start a 305 class in I cant win there lets start a 602 class. Now we have a midget class that has so many different types of cars running it you cant keep track. Instead of 30 to 40 a class or more now you have 10 to 12. A year ago or so I was at Leaders Edge picking up a rear end and the conversion came to this, why is everyone grey headed at the race track. LoL except the drivers. Well I hope somebody has the answer. If there is a answer it should come up on here. LoL JMO

[Roy Bleckert]

Originally Posted by kart31rac A lot of good answers, as someone that has been going to the races for over 50 years. Here is my simple answer to many Damn classes. Growing up in the Springfield area they had three classes at Joe's. Sprints, Latemodels, and sportsman or street stocks depending on who was talking. Jacksonville had Late models and street stocks and then added sprints. Now where ever you go to the races there are five or six classes. if I cant win in a 410 lets start a 360 class if I cant win there lets start a 305 class in I cant win there lets start a 602 class. Now we have a midget class that has so many different types of cars running it you cant keep track. Instead of 30 to 40 a class or more now you have 10 to 12. A year ago or so I was at Leaders Edge picking up a rear end and the conversion came to this, why is everyone grey headed at the race track. LoL except the drivers. Well I hope somebody has the answer. If there is a answer it should come up on here. LoL JMO

kart31rac is correct , division splitting hurts the racing , then you get little to no fans !

[DAD]

Racing as always been dictated by local or regional activity. Each particular local market had an idea of what racing should be like often dictated by what was available to work with. In the 50's the west cost raced a lot of what I think they called track roadsters built from old 30's era Ford roadsters. In the mid west they raced hard tops comprised mostly of 40 era Ford coupes. That is what was available for that particular region to race cheaply. There were a lot of regional Midget racers also. They also varied greatly from coast to coast. There was one National sanctioning body AAA and all of the regional racers wanted to join that very exclusive Fraternity. Now We spend way too much time worrying about the big races and not enough time cultivating what we are trying to grow in our own back yards.

Honest Dad himself

[Roy Bleckert]

Originally Posted by DAD Racing as always been dictated by local or regional activity. Each particular local market had an idea of what racing should be like often dictated by what was available to work with. In the 50's the west cost raced a lot of what I think they called track roadsters built from old 30's era Ford roadsters. In the mid west they raced hard tops comprised mostly of 40 era Ford coupes. That is what was available for that particular region to race cheaply. There were a lot of regional Midget racers also. They also varied greatly from coast to coast. There was one National sanctioning body AAA and all of the regional racers wanted to join that very exclusive Fraternity. Now We spend way too much time worrying about the big races and not enough time cultivating what we are trying to grow in our own back yards. Honest Dad himself

Even in SoCal in the Fifties Edelbrock & Ward got rid of the Midget division splitting (V8 60 & Offy's) by pouring nitro in Vic Sr's V8 60 Midget & Roger Ward commenced to kick the crap outta the Offy's @ the Time , we should encourage more local racing by getting the stuff especially Midgets that could be used to facilitate more of the Old Skool way of doing things !