Observations of an old time over the hill racer
1. Rules to make racing more affordable very seldom achieve their purpose.
2. Spec tire rules should make racing cheaper for the competitor. That means the spec tire should be supplied at a cost cheaper than the racer can buy the tire anyplace else.
3.A racer has a much better chance of winning the "A" main event even on a hard spec. tire if they start the race on a sticker right rear tire.
4.Weight is everything. We were much more successful with an inexperienced 90 pound driver than we are with a very experienced 250 pound driver.
5. If you have one of these things you really want to slow down a little >just add weight. Jerry proved this in AMSA a few years ago.
6. Racers love to experiment, some of us will do anything to be different. That makes it a challenge, and makes us racers.
7. These motors will get more powerful every year, that's how they keep on selling more motorcycles.
8.A good driver and set up man can make almost any car fast.
9. Race car chassis design changes every year. That is how they sell more cars. Sometimes they have to go back 20 or 30 years to find a new design to bring back to the racing public.
10. Even though the car design changes every year it is always the same driver and team doing the winning.
11. The stock 1000 cc motor made the outlaw 1200 cc motor too expensive and obsolete to race.
12. The stock 1000cc motor starts out life at about 175 horsepower or so, If you could get it in a 410 cubic inch version you would have a 14000 horse power sprint car motor.
13. The motor cycle people did not leave a lot of room for improvement on their design and usually modification will actually subtract horsepower from the engine.
14. If you spend a ton of money for a race motor the old "BUTT DYNO" in going to see a large horsepower increase.
15. You can not protect a person from themselves, so stop trying and save money and energy.
16. The 5% of the "1000cc Midget Racers" writing into this web site are the most vocal and opinionated S.O.B.'s that I know of, and most of them share the same last name. I might be just a little bit guilty.
17. There appear to be a few 1200cc cars out there still. They are for the most part owned by racers just getting into the sport and not wishing to spend a lot more money to re-power right now.
As a recovering addict I know if we get them hooked now when that old motor lays down they will find the money for a newer motor even if the kids have to give up shoes for the summer. I would like to see us "grandpa" these motors, mark them and say no more after this one dies..
18. It is much easier to be a nice guy if you don't write the rules.
19. Race directors need to be fair and follow the rules even if the rules suck. If it is a bad rule change it or get rid of it next year. If racers even think you are playing favorites you will loose your racers.
20. Every body likes to think that they have a chance of winning. Nobody wants to race for second place. If the director see's a certain team becoming dominant he needs to do something to slow that team down.
21. Good driving and experience means a lot in racing, these people will always be out front. New racers tend to think the guys beating them are cheating and if driving skill and experience in setting up a race car is cheating then these racers are cheating.
22. Cheaters usually run mid pack. Guys wining can't afford to be caught cheating nor do they have to.
23. These motors can make more horsepower on $25.00 a gallon race fuel than they will on methanol, even more if you add a little more nitro propane to the mix and race track fuel testers have a hard time catching them.
24. Methanol is a much safer fuel choice and very hard to cheat with.
25. Converting over to methanol is not a big cost factor. You don't need a $3000.00 conversion to do the job. I spent less than $300.00 on mine.
26. The left nerf bar rule is out of date.
USAC has a great rule for this.
27. Racing is very addictive! Once one experiences their first win much like drugs they spend the rest of their lives looking for that same high they experienced so long ago and will never be able to duplicate again. Be very careful and work on not getting addicted.
