Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

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http://www.midwestd2midgets.com/

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Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

Thunder

Have you posted results for last Friday. Keep up the good work !!!!! We working on it.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

yes results are on website http://www.thundervalleyracing.net/index.html they just got to add drivers names not sure what happen but they are fixing it

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

duane hilderbrand has decided He will guarantee 300 to win with a guaranteed 50 to start no matter car counts ...But if car counts are not atleast 18 to 20 purse will be cut down in the middle so that means everyone is guarenteed atleast 50 dollars and winner is guarantee 300

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

Thunder Valley

Somewhere in my ramblings I posted a MALS pay out chart. Reasonable racers would not expect the purse to not change if car count did not reach that Magic 20 number, but reasonable racers would like to know exactly what they are getting into if that car count is off.

I saw some grand stand photos and it looks like the front gate is up quite a bit. That should be a good thing for all of us promoter and racer alike. You don't need 20 cars to make a good race>>>>a good race needs close competition>>>lots of passing and side by side action. To achieve this some new or for that matter OLD way of lining the cars up would help a lot. Watching the pole cars take off and run away from the field, followed by a freight train of racers is not very exciting. To build a front gate we need to race one another (Not Wreck) and demonstrate the abilities of the cars and drivers.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3hCGTNmh5c...125%2Bcopy.jpg

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

I would like to take a moment to congratulate Chett Gehrke for winning the first ever Div II Midget race at the famous Little Salem "Thunder Valley Raceway" last Friday night.

I hope see a few other Midget drivers show up there to compete. I bet if word gets out we might also find drivers like AJ Felker and perhaps John Heidenreich over there giving driving instructions to the younger kids.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

John and AJ will be giving instructions to some of the older participants as well!

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

Now i been wanting to ask this question....is thunder valley doing a tire rule this year? In the rules it says we are. But at the drivers meeting were not....just wanna get this clarified by owner. Thanks

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

no

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

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Very glad to see you guys jump on the next big thing in MIDGET racing as a whole...
D-II midgets will be a sound investment and with the rules package in place it will allow close competition across the board with many different engine einities.

Come on out and support Midwest D-II and Thunder Valley where the fun can be had by all regardless of age or experience. Check'em out...

D-II
AFFORDABLE MIDGET RACING AT IT'S BEST!!

How about offering a couple of nites to try wings on some of the Kenyon, focus, and ecotech cars??

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

If I can convince the crew chief/c.f.o. it's a good thing I do plan on coming out to support Thunder Valley on a Montpelier off-weekend (just not this one), but after seeing pictures and videos of last week's action I do have a couple of concerns:
I really don't like to see large heavy equipment tires ringing the inside of the track, especially one that seems to be pretty tight in terms of available runoff area; Montpelier seems to have gotten the message after Devin Fairchild's endo in his TQ last year and have replaced the big rubber with half-buried passenger car tires. Not the perfect solution but it seems like contact with them wouldn't be as likely to end in disaster.
In some photos of the track there appears to be a jagged tree stump up on the embankment above turn one, in a place that isn't protected by a catch fence; it's hard to tell how far from the track surface it so maybe someone who's been there can tell me if it's in an area that a car could end up if they happened to catch a right rear and go for a ride out of the park. If it is, I'd feel a lot better about anybody racing there, not just me, if someone went out with a chainsaw this week and cut that sucker flush to the ground...

Tree stump? There isnt any trees close to the track i think the pic is tricking you. And as for the tires yes this is being addressed

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

Jim

You are probably talking about my leaning tree. Located up on top of an embankment about 10 to 15 feet higher than the track. Yep I can't think of anybody in Midget racing that hold fuzzy feelings about earth-mover tires unless they are on earth-mover's prepping the track.

In Little Salem's distant path there was an owner by the name of Steve Smith that was also grader operator>>>near as I can figure Steve took that talent to his grave, because I have not seen any young up and coming operators plying their trade lately on a race track
. Steve could build a berm on the inside of the track about 12 to 18 inches tall, it was a determent as well as an asset to the racers, depending on their abilities. It didn't total any race cars. However Steve was a one of a kind guy. I have watched Steve go out with that antique grader and grade the top couple of inches off of the race track after a rain shower just to give us a track to race on. Wasn't anything that Steve couldn't do with that grader and a case of Beer beside him.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

If it's further away than it looks from here, OK, but that would not be a good thing to land on upside down...
Dad, Jimmy Naylor out in Ventura can work some magic with a grader too, from perfect berms to a 15-minute rehab of the surface before the main; it is a rare gift.

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

Jim

That ain't my tree, it is on up the hill and behind a fence beside the pit bleachers.. That one looks like a quick fix.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Where can I find any videos of last Friday?

That thing is way on top a hill if you can get a car up there id buy you a house

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

Bobby

I watched a racer in a blue TQ one night climb a tire on the start of the race trying to go from the tail to the lead before turn two. He cartwheeled straight down the exit chute into the pits before he stopped bouncing. Had he taken a slightly different angle of attack I am sure he could have made that tree stump>>at that time it was probably a whole tree.

Never too soon to think about safety>>> beats the heck out of thinking about it too late.

Jim wonder if we could get a quote on track prep from Jimmy?

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

What is the driver minimum age rule? My son Nick Williams has outgrown a 1/4 midget at 12 yrs old and looking for our next step up.
Danny Williams Jr.

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

It's amazing where racecars can end up; I don't think anyone ever dreamed you could hang a Sprint Car by its' cage from the top of a catch fence pole at Ascot but Clark Templeman proved that you could, with tragic results. Not long after that every pole in the place had a tire on top of it to prevent it from happening again.
I have a house; I just want to remove "again" from that last phrase whenever possible so guys like us can enjoy their houses for a long time. There will always be risks in racing but some can be eliminated with a little preventative effort.

You would have to call the track amd see on there age limit but we habe race with 12yrs before so depends on the track

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

Welder

I think the printed age is 14 years old>>> but I also think that they also allow the use of discretion by the track promoter. My boy started I think at 12 years old. AJ Felker started at 12 as well as Brad kuhn, JT Stapp and I think lastly Seth Motsinger all at Thunder Valley. The best I can remember Will Kimmel of ARCA also did a few races at Thunder Valley in a Mini Sprint before his 14 th birthday.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

That tree stump issue is being dealt with today

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

That's good to hear, Bobby. Thanks.
Response like that makes me want to support the track even more.

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

Racing is about improvement and doing the best with what one has at hand. D II Midgets came along just about the right time Wayne Davis filling a void between the smaller cycle powered cars and the full blown if you like Midget racer with it very exclusive pricing structure.

The nice thing about DII midgets is it is more inclusive of other race cars and engines. Right now Mini Sprints are powered by an economical $1200.00> $5000.00 1000 cc motorcycle motors in semi stock condition. We are already witnessing motor builders out there that would like to make them go better for a nominal charge. The automotive engine starts out life also as a stock motor in a wrecked vehicle for about $300.00 to $1000.00 but it requires additional parts to make it work in a race car however these parts can be used over and over again as we explode motors occasionally. Making engine choice about even as far as out of pocket money and giving the automotive engine an advantage in the long run. It is hard to admit but there is also very little difference between a $1500.00 quick change set up and a $600.00 axle and sprocket set up with several $100.00 dollar chains and expendable sprockets that tend wear out at an alarming rate.

In racing the best usually wins out if they happen to race together as in DII midgets soon the best will win out one over the other and the majority will be one type or the other power plant.

If we protect the Mini Sprint Brand and exclude the automotive engines then in 10 years we will be racing with Motor cycle engines and chain drives just as we do today.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

I have an old car tire I don't need anymore. If they're chopping that stump down as close to the ground as possible, I can bring the tire with me and we can throw it on top of what's left of the stump for added safety.

And I know guys hate tractor tires on the infield marking the turns, but smaller car tires marking the turns is just as bad. Ask Andy Bradley when he flipped off one at Columbus.

I will have cars for rent at Thunder valley, I have a $350 rental and a $500 rental. Call or text for more info 214-714-1747

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

i have talked to duane about the tractor tires and we are looking at options

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

I have been looking over the pic on Thunder Valley's FB page and see another safety issue. Up on the hill where the Ambulance normally parks all I see is a police car. Open wheel racing is by its nature more dangerous than other forms of racing. I know that Ambulance rental is expensive but I would much rather pay a little more at the gate for the reassurance that medical response was close at hand.

As far as the earth mover tires I think we have a pic somewhere that shows the damage one of them things can do to a small stock car. One of those things will destroy a Midget more so than the wall will. We Being fortunate enough to race there when they used a berm my vote as well as most other Midget racers would be for a berm with those big tires moved to the infield as back up protection for track crew and photographers.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

its parked else where now

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

there is a a full saftey crews and emts on site

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

Thunder

Thanks for the quick response. That hill has been ithe Ambulance parking spot for a long time and the police car stood out like a sore thumb to me. Salem's Hospital is only about a half mile from the track making me feel somewhat safer when we race there.

We have used the ambulance service once when AJ was driving for me, and when you need it you need it.

I sure hope you guys can find a cure for those tires>>>>I know you don't have a lot of options.. I wonder if a guy could take white lime and outline the turn and then go in 5 more feet and do it with yellow lime. If a car touches the white lime no harm no foul>>however touch the yellow lime and the yellow flag comes out and you go to the tail, >>>next time you go to the pits.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

Our last race we had at Golden Isle Speedway we had a stock 1000cc Hyper lighting car "finally" came and raced. Yep the same guy that has been saying the MC cars are not competitive with the ecotec or focus. Well he proved to himself and his dad they are as he finished 2nd and had a chance to win it, behind an ecotec but in front of several other ecotecs and ford focus's.

As far as the wing thing is concern D-II midgets will not rule out a separate "winged" division but as it is we are a non wing series of midgets/lightning sprints. This division was formed to allow many different and diverse cars come run together allowing for bigger field of cars and an opportunity for a "National" champion that will be from the regional groups of D-II. This phase is in the works for 2016.

Whatever you race, with whoever you race race with, be it a series, organization or track, please just support them because without you Mr. or Miss racer we will not survive.
Support your local track and bring a kid with you for they are our future.

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

What are the odds of qualifying for the midgets? Put the spotlight on each and every car that shows up. Pay a pit pass for the quick qualifier.

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

We did at Marion County Speedway Fl. every race but once we ventured out tracks have no time for it cause they are running 5 and 6 divisions

Re: Midwest Division II Midget Series
 

Wayne

I was talking with a friend from out west this morning about the same thing.

Could the problem be that most promoters have given up on trying to make any money on the front gate so they are now focusing their efforts on the back gate only and think only about car count and pit passes sold. Could this be hurting the quality of the show and even driving the front gate attendance down even more.

He thought the answer to be successful was being able to do or accomplish 4 things.

1. Pay a good purse for quality race cars. (Quality over Quantity>>what is magic about 20 cars)

2. Go out and work to build up the front gate. (The front gate should pay the purse)

3. Have good and not overpriced concessions. (be competitive with Mc D's in price and quality)

4. Be seen as fair by all of the competitors

The promoter needs to achieve all of these 4 objectives>>>> if he doesn't he is probably in trouble.

Honest Dad himself:6::6: