Re: Do sprint car drivers want to qualify at local race tracks??
 

Originally Posted by Panama:
Are we new fans to the sport?

There is nothing as cool as the sound of one lone sprint car engine sucking in air and making big horsepower. I have been a gopher, crew member, driver and announcer, I have been going to the sprint car races for 40 years, I love qualifying and I miss it dearly!
I go to watch hot laps, qualifying and of course the racing, that is the full picture of who' who in engine builders, chassis set up and the HERO's that will put it all on the line to be the fastest You can see who know how to pick the fast line, you can hear the BEAUTIFUL sound of BIG money motors.

If it were my choice it would be against the law to "NOT" have qualifying. :2:
Just my .02

New fan? Absolutely not. I'm 25 years old, and have been going to races since I could barely walk. So yes, you have more years under your belt than me. That being said, I think that I may be the "new generation" of race fan. One who likes RACING, not qualifying.
And my question about whether or not the support classes will qualify still remains.

And again with the group qualifying. I haven't seen it in person so I guess I can't say much. But how does it work? Do you hot lap, then get a chance to go back and tune or adjust your car...then go back out? Because that seems fair to me. But if you get timed during your first and only hot lap session, that's ridiculous. I've seen VERy good drivers just simply have their car set up incorrectly for hot laps. Too tight...far too loose. These things can happen during hot laps to very good drivers. But that's what hot laps is for, to give them practice on a particular track on a particular night.

So how does group qualifying actually work?

Re: Do sprint car drivers want to qualify at local race tracks??
 

Group qualifying is hot laps and qualifying combined. Everyone has to make the right decisions based on experience or input from other drivers. You make a point of "testing" your car for setup but I have seen over many years that even after hot laps drivers would miss the setup. I've been going to races for over 30 years and have been to many different tracks and it all evens out, the cream rises to the top.

Re: Do sprint car drivers want to qualify at local race tracks??
 

Originally Posted by nonwing79:
Group qualifying is hot laps and qualifying combined. Everyone has to make the right decisions based on experience or input from other drivers. You make a point of "testing" your car for setup but I have seen over many years that even after hot laps drivers would miss the setup. I've been going to races for over 30 years and have been to many different tracks and it all evens out, the cream rises to the top.

Hmmm. I don't like that. But hey...that's what makes racing great right? We're all entitled to our opinions.

Does Kokomo do group qualifying for their support classes?

Re: Do sprint car drivers want to qualify at local race tracks??
 

No

Re: Do sprint car drivers want to qualify at local race tracks??
 

Yes!!

Re: Do sprint car drivers want to qualify at local race tracks??
 

Originally Posted by nonwing79:
No

I'm ok with that. I'll have to check out Kokomo some night.

Re: Do sprint car drivers want to qualify at local race tracks??
 

Group qualify then fast qualifier draws pill for number of car inversion!

Re: Do sprint car drivers want to qualify at local race tracks??
 

Quals are great if the track operator can re-work the track before the feature.

If it takes time or screws the track No! pill draw.

If track re-works and give a good surface for the feature Hell Yes !!!


Support Classes - No way, draw only.

Re: Do sprint car drivers want to qualify at local race tracks??
 

I see its been hijacked by fans so here goes nothing.

My track went to pill draws years ago and the track still slicked off by the end of the first heat. I got to see one or two USAC shows a year and qualifying. It was always neat. It was neat when I was a kid.

But I thought qualifying was wearing tracks out ect. That low budget teams didn't stand a chance with qualifying.

I WAS WRONG, SPridge is right. With a good format with inversions Qualifying and fast guys having to pass to transfer makes for THE BEST RACING! Not only are they on the HAMMER TRYING TO MAKE IT! Slower qualifying cars are doing their damndest to keep their possition or move forward themselves!

The sound of one car, The visual of doing everything within himself and his car to do the best possible to the point of bicycling "THE EDGE" is sometimes more exciting than many of the races that will happen later that night. Look at AGAR's pics from Terre. All that bicycling and one wheeling ect was QUALIFYING! The crowd ooohing and ahhing!

Now im seeing tracks that don't "COME IN" untill the second feature and only using half the track most of the night.

Yeah, your being charged more and missing "PART OF RACING" without it. Those against are probably the ones showing up at RACE TIME and finding a few cars left to qualify. IN CONSIDER IT PART OF RACING and a ASSET TO THE SPORT!

Nothing as boring as a pill draw, A top car getting the pole in heat one, Running off and then getting the pole for the feature. Yeah he earned it but it took a lot less to EARN.

Chuck, either way, I still love dirt track racing. I find group qualifying to not ADD anything to the show for the fan but helps the drivers. Its just hotlaps to me and sometimes a car is held up durring it and doesn't get the track time prior to qualifications that would help him *SETUP* for *QUALIFICATIONS*