Originally Posted by bigq11:
There must have been exceptions to this rule as I was there when a 13 year old Jeff Gordon raced there. It was an ASCOC Speed Week race, maybe they allowed someone of that age to race and Earl went by their rules as they sanctioned the race. One thing I noticed about Jeff at this race and the other Speed Week races that year was that he seemed the have a tremendous awareness of what was happening around him on the track at all times.
I still think it should be 16 or older to run a 410 sprint car.
I think your mistaken. Gordon got a exemption at age 15 to run the kings royal because it was only a couple weeks till his 16th in August but was banned before that. Not sure on the sprintweek, He might have for that as well but Earl was a flat 16 the entire time he owned the track. He raced the 16car then got the 6 Winterbothem. He did drive at Millstream and other tracks like Attica as I watched and talked to him there before he was 16. Raced Lawrenceburg almost weekly at 14-15 along with Joey Saldana, Huntley, Briscoe, Randy Kinser, Shields' Blands and Rice's.
Glad to see everyone on IOW seems to be thinking along the right lines here.
I announced at the BOSS banquet back in November that beginning in 2015, BOSS now requires drivers to be a minimum of 16 years of age.
I've known this was a problem for years. We have kids 8 and 9 years old racing full size V-8 modifieds here in Ohio. I'm hoping to be a sanction that starts putting a stop to this.
I'm also researching effective ways to implement random drug testing ......... but that's another discussion.
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Nascar's Mark Martin had a son that was the next great thing a few years ago. Seemed like he was racing full size cars at 13. Then it seemed like he fell of the edge of the world. Does his story fit into this discussion? How old was Bill's son Chase when he was in a full size car? I would like to see 16 and under, only race with other under 16 year olds. Have then in a slower class, on tracks at or smaller then 3/8 miles.
Originally Posted by chop:
Nascar's Mark Martin had a son that was the next great thing a few years ago. Seemed like he was racing full size cars at 13. Then it seemed like he fell of the edge of the world. Does his story fit into this discussion? How old was Bill's son Chase when he was in a full size car? I would like to see 16 and under, only race with other under 16 year olds. Have then in a slower class, on tracks at or smaller then 3/8 miles.
chop
Mark and his son were smart enough and mature enough to realize that racing was not what the young man enjoyed or wanted to do. He had the talent but not the desire.
Karts, quarter midgets, junior sprints, 250 micros, 600 modified midgets, mini wedges, legend cars, compacts and the list goes on. There are plenty of options for youngsters to learn and I'm all for it.
As for full size race cars 18 or 16 probationary period.
Originally Posted by chop:
Nascar's Mark Martin had a son that was the next great thing a few years ago. Seemed like he was racing full size cars at 13. Then it seemed like he fell of the edge of the world. Does his story fit into this discussion? How old was Bill's son Chase when he was in a full size car? I would like to see 16 and under, only race with other under 16 year olds. Have then in a slower class, on tracks at or smaller then 3/8 miles.
Matt Martin (Mark's son) decided that racing wasn't for him on a professional level. Matt took his fathers passion for physical fitness and made a career out of it. He is now a physical trainer at Hendrick Motorsports.
Mark is spending a lot of time at the dirt tracks now and is a major sponsor of Jared Landers and Scott Bloomquist.
