Thanks T-Mez
 

Love his honest interviews Bubba's is never very racey. I wish they could find a better track. JMO you know only When the winner says the track is bad as usaul only the front 2 rows will have a chance.

Re: Thanks T-Mez
 

Originally Posted by cornerthree:
Love his honest interviews Bubba's is never very racey. I wish they could find a better track. JMO you know only When the winner says the track is bad as usaul only the front 2 rows will have a chance.

Should of proof read before I posted. LOL

Love t mez but didn't ballou get suspended for saying the samething couple years ago?

Re: Thanks T-Mez
 

Yeah, Tony Stewart and Lawrenceburg got butt hurt. Believe Kokomo as well over his Twitter remarks and rock collection.

Re: Thanks T-Mez
 

I Like TMez but thought his interview was pathetic. His one the night before was almost as bad. I am sure sponsors are lining up to support him now. Just thought he sounded whiney, but a lot of people like that kind of stuff these days. Thursday nights track was really bad. Last night it rained, what are you going to do.

Volusia and Easy Bay are a rather short drive from Ocala, and Volusia is closer to the hub of Speedweeks activity in Daytona. Hell, Daytona has a 1/4 mile flat track on site

I couldn’t agree more about ocala. Never produces a very good race. Lots of cars but not a good start to the season to lure in new fans

Re: Thanks T-Mez
 

Originally Posted by Chief Wahoo:
Yeah, Tony Stewart and Lawrenceburg got butt hurt. Believe Kokomo as well over his Twitter remarks and rock collection.

Spot on.

Re: Thanks T-Mez
 

Originally Posted by BrentTFunk:
I Like TMez but thought his interview was pathetic. His one the night before was almost as bad. I am sure sponsors are lining up to support him now. Just thought he sounded whiney, but a lot of people like that kind of stuff these days. Thursday nights track was really bad. Last night it rained, what are you going to do.

Seems to get some pretty good rides. Might have a little to do with his talent behind the wheel. Some people lately are into honesty instead of being fed a corporate line. Honesty/whining whatever you wish to call it. Let’s hope for no more rain and a decent surface for these guys. I did not watch the practice nite but guys were saying it was decent then so ��.

Not a fan of Ocala, wouldn't mind seeing them running at Milton Fl near Pensacola. Looks pretty racy from the videos i've seen.

Re: Thanks T-Mez
 

Originally Posted by Therealether:
Volusia and Easy Bay are a rather short drive from Ocala, and Volusia is closer to the hub of Speedweeks activity in Daytona. Hell, Daytona has a 1/4 mile flat track on site

With Volusia now owned by World Racing Group (parent company of World of Outlaws and Xtreme Outlaw Series) it is highly unlikely they will schedule USAC. East Bay closes permanently after their 2023 races, so while USAC could run there next year, it would be a one and done deal.

Bubba Raceway Park is certainly not a 1st class facility. I pretty much agree with T-Mez’ statement on that. BUT it IS racing in February in more comfortable temperatures when most of the Midwest is shivering.

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Originally Posted by yeleyfan76:
Seems to get some pretty good rides. Might have a little to do with his talent behind the wheel. Some people lately are into honesty instead of being fed a corporate line. Honesty/whining whatever you wish to call it. Let’s hope for no more rain and a decent surface for these guys. I did not watch the practice nite but guys were saying it was decent then so ��.

Last I saw the track was the same for everyone. A lot of people on here complain that races don't pay enough, does this help or hurt the cause? I only watched on TV, the track was heavy and hard to pass, but did I miss something. I watched an Outlaw race last year from Jacksonville. The track was the wettest, and roughest track I have ever seen them run on. Brad Sweet in an interview called it an old school wet rough short track. What exactly was wrong with the track, other than it was heavy? I like Thomas, and at times he is great on a mic. Last night was not one of them.
I remember a couple of years ago a guy won at Haubstadt and made a comment about the track. The same people praising last night, blasted him.

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Originally Posted by oppweld:
Not a fan of Ocala, wouldn't mind seeing them running at Milton Fl near Pensacola. Looks pretty racy from the videos i've seen.

I don't think it has the capacity to pay the purse, and make money. Especially a night like tonight that is paying $10,000 to win. Plus the Panhandle can be pretty cold this time of year, not that Ocala can't be. If you wait any longer we will be racing up here.

WRG has owned Volusia since '05 and they do let the other series, such as the All Stars race there just before their own series. So its definitely doable. Hell, even co-sanction with the Xtreme Outlaw series.
If they're going to continue to run in Ocala I think they need to run the midgets and sprints on the same nights. Give more bang for the buck. I'd even throw in the Silver Crown cars at New Smyrna on the pavement and give all 3 series a February opening

Re: Thanks T-Mez
 

Originally Posted by Chief Wahoo:
Yeah, Tony Stewart and Lawrenceburg got butt hurt. Believe Kokomo as well over his Twitter remarks and rock collection.

Tmez tends to say whats on his mind and it's gotten in trouble. lost rides etc before. But also Love many of his interviews (Im twice as old as some of these kids, but look who won") type thing

Don't know what he said this time. I'll go thru flow and see it they have interviews.

The deal with Ballou was he was pretty much bashing promoters, Accusing them of trying to kill someone etc. Don't know if he deserved suspension but you keep doing that stuff that track is not going ot have that series come back after so many times of that. On top of that it was at tracks he podium ed from deep (So how bad was the track in reality when you passed ten cars) Robert is analogical. I get that. Love his determination and always the first guy to say hi in the pits.

Racing's been full of characters since long before I was around. Without some of them. I wouldn't say it would be boring, but certainly the love em, hate em or love to hate em aspect has a big roll in it and you get that this way.

Watched Steve and Karl flip off the boo birds off many times while holding the big check and they came back to watch em every time they ran.

Funny how things change t-mez loved the track last week when he was running the midget lol

Re: Thanks T-Mez
 

Originally Posted by oppweld:
Not a fan of Ocala, wouldn't mind seeing them running at Milton Fl near Pensacola. Looks pretty racy from the videos i've seen.

Southern Raceway in Milton, FL. They were supposed to have a race last night but it was cancelled due to a power outage at the track. I’m sure that would have gone over well if they had a USAC race scheduled.

All Tech Raceway is just north of Ocala. It hosts the Lucas Oil Late Models and big block modifieds. Many in the late model world think All Tech will take some additional races to fill the void left by East Bay if it really does close. I don’t think All Tech hosted many national tours like the Lucas Oil Series until the last few years when the East Bay concerns started to grow.

North Florida Speedway is also just north of Ocala and only a few miles from All Tech. It has a better configuration than Bubba Raceway, but it would need some significant upgrades to host a national touring series. If they would make the investment in North Florida, there is definitely an opportunity to host bigger races and make some good money. Easier said than done, but if East Bay really does close the events are there for the taking.

Re: Thanks T-Mez
 

I couldn't help but laugh! :5:

Great racing tonight. Made the 1st one and the last 2 yrs. Kicking myself for not going this year. I like the place and like Tmez.

Born and bred Hoosier who moved to FL in 1984. I can assure you that anything north of Tampa in February is dicey on winter temps. Too bad Punta Gorda is pavement.

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Originally Posted by captrat:
Born and bred Hoosier who moved to FL in 1984. I can assure you that anything north of Tampa in February is dicey on winter temps. Too bad Punta Gorda is pavement.

How about Hendry County? It’s in the middle of nowhere about an hour east of Fort Myers. They have USCS races there so maybe they would be willing to run some other sprint shows. The surface looks pretty worn out but the configuration reminds me a little of North Vernon. They tout themselves as the southernmost dirt track in the US.

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Originally Posted by hoosier race fan:
How about Hendry County? It’s in the middle of nowhere about an hour east of Fort Myers. They have USCS races there so maybe they would be willing to run some other sprint shows. The surface looks pretty worn out but the configuration reminds me a little of North Vernon. They tout themselves as the southernmost dirt track in the US.

The guy that owns the track is an awesome guy and promoter ,however there’s no way that track could support a USAC race.on a side note if it could ,you would be treated like royalty by the promoter,when you race there he comes around and shakes your hand every time you show up, and it’s not just lip service!

Re: Thanks T-Mez
 

I went to Bubba for USAC events 4 or 5 years ago and loved every minute of it, it was my first ever non-wing show. This year I watched on the web and it looked similar to me, a good bit of passing and shuffling. Maybe the difference is I'm from the south and I'm use to dry/slick 1 groove tracks, nature of the beast. I realize Bubba isn't Kokomo or Petaluma, but it has its place. I for one like Bubba better with non-wing sprints than Late Models, which are what I'm use to. The DLM's are too wide(IMHO) to put on much of a show at Bubba, but the non-wing sprints I enjoy there. No it doesn't have a big cushion to lean on and no its not heavy and hammer down, but it does require skill and patience to get around. T-Mez is one of my top 5 favorite drivers(Grant, Ballou, Bacon and Robert Bell) being the rest, but maybe he was frustrated with poor qualifying results. Anyway I guess Bubba is an acquired taste, I get the same arguments from DLM fans from up north, they want every track to be Fairbury. I enjoy seeing the 410's stretch their legs as much as anyone, but I can also appreciate watching a driver with delicate car control and smooth on the fuel too. :6:

Thanks T-Mez'!!
 

Originally Posted by cornerthree:
Love his honest interviews Bubba's is never very racey. I wish they could find a better track. JMO you know only When the winner says the track is bad as usaul only the front 2 rows will have a chance.

'cept TDThorson!!..Sat. Nites "HARD CHARGER"!!..think was.. 17th ta 2nd!!
______________
Brucer':32:

I was down for 3 weeks at 3 tracks. Volusia, All Tech, Bubba. Seen late models, wing sprints, midgets, and sprints. All 3 tracks had bad nights as far as track condition, All 3 also had good tracks. It's dirt and it changes with the wind. Volusia charges $25 a night to camp and races were $38 to 42 a night. All Tech was $20 a night to camp and $40 for races. Bubba was free camping and $30 and $35 a night. I like Bubba track for the fact it's mnot a 1/2 mile track. There was rumors that Bubba was selling the track to a late model driver. I ask Bubba about this and he said that the track was for sale but not to the driver we were told. Bubba said he was contacted by a representative of Amazon to aquire the land. I hope it does not sell to them.

Re: Thanks T-Mez
 

Originally Posted by EldoraMark:
... Bubba said he was contacted by a representative of Amazon to aquire the land. I hope it does not sell to them.

That would terrible, I hate Amazon(Globalist Arse's):7:

Re: Thanks T-Mez
 

I have been to Ocala maybe a dozen times. Like all tracks some nights its better than others. One think I like about it is the track is shaped different. I don't want all tracks to be the same. Same with the surface. I like that it is challenging for drivers and teams.

Re: Thanks T-Mez
 

Originally Posted by BrentTFunk:
I have been to Ocala maybe a dozen times. Like all tracks some nights its better than others. One think I like about it is the track is shaped different. I don't want all tracks to be the same. Same with the surface. I like that it is challenging for drivers and teams.

That is an interesting take. I went to the first night of the midgets at Ocala this year. It seemed to me that there really isn't a good line through 3 and 4 only lines that suck less than the others. It seemed to much of a "gimmick" for me. I think that all of the heat race winners mentioned learning how to get through 3 and 4 in their on track interview.

I also enjoy going to different types of tracks for different experiences, but the shape of Ocala is too much for me.

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We've attended at least 15 events at Bubba and have seen some extremely good racing there, and as is the case at most any track, some not so great racing. Weather took it's toll on at least 3 of the 5 USAC events. Saturday night of sprint weekend all the toilets were rendered unusable due to an equipment malfunction of some sort and there were only 2 ports-potties to take up the slack. THAT wasn't pleasant, especially for the ladies in attendance. Friday night of sprint car weekend we arrived back our place in Daytona at 3:05 AM but that was due to weather. Those are situations that can't be predicted or easily and conveniently remedied. The racing is, as often as not, above average so I reckon we can expect the status quo in the years to come.

Re: Thanks T-Mez
 

Originally Posted by hoosier race fan:
How about Hendry County? It’s in the middle of nowhere about an hour east of Fort Myers. They have USCS races there so maybe they would be willing to run some other sprint shows. The surface looks pretty worn out but the configuration reminds me a little of North Vernon. They tout themselves as the southernmost dirt track in the US.

Hendry County is not an option. It is much too sandy hence their new t-shirt touting "The Fastest Sandpit In the South". If people are complaining about Bubba Raceway Park surface this would be worse.

Southern Raceway is too far north and west to be an option in February as it would be too cold. I spoke with someone at East Bay and they said that the company that bought East Bay has something that was delayed and East Bay will be able to race in 2024 which would give them another year. The problem with East Bay is that their schedule is packed already and unless they turn someone else away there is no room at the inn so to speak.

North Florida and All-Tech are possible options but are further north and would not draw the speedweek crowd. As mentioned North Florida needs a lot of work and All-Tech has a tendency to get black and slick and that is not the type of surface I want to watch them on and it is big (1/2 mile) so others may not want to run that big of a track.

The track in Putnam County is probably not an option as the surface is not that good and facility is not big enough to handle an USAC show.

Just giving my impressions on the current Florida situation and do not have any answers but that the same time I am trying to be honest and not bash any track in the process.

The only option would be a new dirt track to be built and I don't or hear from anyone on that happening.

Bruce Eckel :6::7::11:

Re: Thanks T-Mez
 

Originally Posted by Jonr:
That is an interesting take. I went to the first night of the midgets at Ocala this year. It seemed to me that there really isn't a good line through 3 and 4 only lines that suck less than the others. It seemed to much of a "gimmick" for me. I think that all of the heat race winners mentioned learning how to get through 3 and 4 in their on track interview.

I also enjoy going to different types of tracks for different experiences, but the shape of Ocala is too much for me.

The track has always been this shape even when it was pavement,not a gimmick it is what it is, good drivers will always rise to the top!

Re: Thanks T-Mez
 

At this time everyone should know by now what your generally going to get at Bubba. It's usually going to go dry slick and your going to burn up tires and have a big tire bill. Then your out the money to tow there plus the cost of someplace to stay. You know this ahead of time but they still had a lot of cars because it's someplace to race in the dead of winter and generally a lot warmer than the rest of the country. What I'm saying is you have a choice, stay home and save your money to race locally or go race and a lot seem to want to go race. I think what Thomas and some others were upset about was the unusual amount of time they had to spend on the track wheel packing the night of the rain shower. I don't know what equipment the track has to rework the surface but all I saw on the broadcast was a water truck. It seemed to me they were out there a long time and as an owner I wouldn't have been thrilled doing that much wheel packing with a $50,000 motor.