How about keep Time Trials and run, (wait for it) "NIGHT SHOWS", 3/4's of the event is run in the sun light. Some of ya's might have to miss the 10 O'clock news, but I would bet track conditions would be a lot better. Starting too early, Day Light savings time and the sun are killing your tracks, not Time Trials.
P.S..Whats the difference if you start TT at 5:30 then take an hour and a half throughout the night to keep up with the track. Just start at 7:00, then less laps will be run in the hot sun...The water truck should be on the track at 5:00, not race cars.. JMO...
I agree about Last Chance or B Feature drivers getting to start as high as 7th place in the A feature. If you don't transfer through your heat your should start no closer than behind all of those that did transfer. To a certain extent it makes the heat races meaningless.
Originally Posted by johnnythunderhead:
I for one would be in favor of abolishing time trials, they take forever, they destroy the track before the racing begins, and if you draw a late slot, you're all but done for the nite from the git-go. I say draw for starting spots in the heats and race your way into the feach. top eight re-draw for starting positions 1-8, then the next eight re-draw for 9-16, then the b-main transfers re-draw for 17-24.
if you absolutely insist upon time trials, put 10-12 cars out at a time and do what usac calls European time trials.
the track surface at the 'put' was worn out before the midget time trials were done last nite
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Why stop with drawing for heats? Just have them draw for the feature. Heck, get rid of the feature too, just have everyone draw, the number you draw is where you finish the night. Saves the track and gets everyone home at a decent hour. But then all the keyboard jockeys wouldn't have anything to ***** about.
I always have liked single car qualifying. It's great being able to concentrate on one car and hear the driver work the throttle. That being said, I like passing points too. I really don't know what the perfect system is, I think it doesn't exist.
I was only able to make it to two of the midget shows thus far, lps and the burg. tracy hines drew a late slot at both places and his nite was effectively over before it started. the burg wasn't near as dried out as lps was for him/ but both places had gotten a good bit wider and the times had gotten increasingly slower(another reason I don't care for time trials) so I guess if you're going to have em, get the track super wet and tacky to start with, so the track isn't spent before time trials are over. I see I've been corrected and it may have been daren hagen i'm thinking of as drawing a late slot at lps, (my memory is terrible as of late) but I recall it was one of the top runners.
Originally Posted by johnnythunderhead:
I was only able to make it to two of the midget shows thus far, lps and the burg. tracy hines drew a late slot at both places and his nite was effectively over before it started. the burg wasn't near as dried out as lps was for him/ but both places had gotten a good bit wider and the times had gotten increasingly slower(another reason I don't care for time trials) so I guess if you're going to have em, get the track super wet and tacky to start with, so the track isn't spent before time trials are over.
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Heres whats great about TT to me, You think the tracks gone or no possible way a driver could touch the early qualifyers times and the last DUDE/DUDETTE that goes out there and SETS QUICK TIME!!!!!!!!!!! I seen drivers late in qualifying at the Burg put on good times and different lines like going in high and diving off the banks. It was awesome.
As others have pointed out, Every track used to qualify and IMHO it went away not because it wasn't popular but tracks started running 4-5-6 classes and needed a way to shave time off the show. They also did Trophy dashes and had the winner of each race stop at the flag stand for photos and let them get applause from the fans on the track, Not after they'd pulled off.
IMHO Midget week has outgrown the three classes (Not that I don't like the Mods/SS or whatever the third class is)
How about run Two top classes like Midgets/Sprints. Qualify both or Passing points and increase the sprint purse a bit to draw more?
Originally Posted by johnnythunderhead:
I was only able to make it to two of the midget shows thus far, lps and the burg. tracy hines drew a late slot at both places and his nite was effectively over before it started. the burg wasn't near as dried out as lps was for him/ but both places had gotten a good bit wider and the times had gotten increasingly slower(another reason I don't care for time trials) so I guess if you're going to have em, get the track super wet and tacky to start with, so the track isn't spent before time trials are over.
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better check again tracy was 4th quick at lps but didn't transfer from the heat and started 8th in the feature. so great point went out late and still had a good lap lOL.
Originally Posted by brian2h:
better check again tracy was 4th quick at lps but didn't transfer from the heat and started 8th in the feature. so great point went out late and still had a good lap lOL.
Hey Brian... we need to make a setup adjustment to your brain, the wire connecting your eyes to your brain isn't working correctly. Tracy was 3rd quick not 4th at LPS.
Originally Posted by johnnythunderhead:
I was only able to make it to two of the midget shows thus far, lps and the burg. tracy hines drew a late slot at both places and his nite was effectively over before it started. the burg wasn't near as dried out as lps was for him/ but both places had gotten a good bit wider and the times had gotten increasingly slower(another reason I don't care for time trials) so I guess if you're going to have em, get the track super wet and tacky to start with, so the track isn't spent before time trials are over.
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Yeah, great idea, make it so greasy the first ten qualifiers' nights are "effectively over".
Here's the thing; a dirt track is constantly changing, and one of the things that draws me to it is watching everybody trying to figure it out, from hotlaps through qualifying, heats, semis (if you haven't figured it out yet) on up to how the track is going to be at the beginning, middle and end of the feature. When you get a late draw, someone like a Tracy Hines has the experience and skill to adjust for what they think the track will be like when they go out. When they hit it, it's magic to watch, and every bit as exciting as a hard fought feature. Pack qualifying doesn't have the same energy, and it's too hard to keep up with. Pill draw? What if you draw a bad pill? Your night's "effectively over" then, too. Give me good, old fashioned single-car quali's any day; and while you're at it throw in a 4-car 4-lap trophy dash and give quick time the honor of parading the flag during the anthem.
That's how you start a night of Sprint Car or Midget racing in Amurrica, Son.
