I have had a few people call or message me wanting to run some midget pavement races. What I am wanting to know is how many people would be interested in running on pavement. This would be the same kind of deal with the dirt series I am running. Would allow lightning sprints, TQs, Kenyon Midgets and all mudgets up to 4 cylinders.
I'm getting some tracks interested in sunning midgets on pavement so I need some feedback to see if their is enough cars to try this or not.
This will be a separate deal from the dirt series.
I have already had some people ask if I was going with rules like the Rumble series and going with dirt tires. Needing some input on tires. I do want to keep the cost down.
Jay Tinder
Media and Competition Director
ILLINI Midgets
Would like to bring my tq and I know of at least one other pavement tq that would most likely be interested. You'd have to make the rules so it would fair running a tq that only makes 100 hp or so though
There is quite a big difference between a dirt and pavement tire, both in size and hardness of the rubber compound. Unfortunately they are pretty close when it comes to cost.
Tony used a dirt tire rule on the sidewinders and 1000cc cars when we raced up at the Rumble. We were pretty much tied down even with worn out tires. Guys were actually using 10 year old TQ dirt tires to free the cars up a little. Tire wear wasn't a problem up there>> but replacing Coke syrup with asphalt might cause premature wear of the soft dirt tire in very short order.
The guys up in Illinois are using a DOT tire with what I understand to be pretty good results, you might also contact the guys on the east coast that run pavement midgets for a deal on their take offs?
One thing for sure it would sure be fun watching a bunch of guys that have only raced on dirt take on the challenge of taking the dirt out of their driving style.
IRS - Grundy, Rockford, etc - has a nice rules package & has run pavement for like 20years or smthn...maybe someone more involved with the club / has races with them more often than I have lately, could add some input.
Originally Posted by LRP36:
Not a good idea to mix them on pavement..... to much of a hp difference and the national motor corner speed would be much higher
Just stay off the big high horsepower tracks. The little Honda powered cars ran well with the national cars at Kitley last year. Stay away from tracks like Phoenix, they require lots of HP Grundy might also be a bit big>>Thus the need for all the restriction rules with IRL. They must be doing something right>
Originally Posted by LRP36:
Not a good idea to mix them on pavement..... to much of a hp difference and the national motor corner speed would be much higher
Y'know, there's an "out" clause in the Montpelier series rules (hasn't been needed so far) that may be something to consider for pavement; "At the race director’s discretion, class may be split into two classes (Midgets and Mini-Sprints) if car count or competition level necessitates it."
It could even be a race-time decision, based on how the cars that sign in perform in hotlaps; if any TQ's, Kenyon Cars, Rookies, Old Guys, etc., seem to be an impending hazard, run them in separate heats and features.
Better than cluttering up the rulebook, in my opinion...