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Lack of cars on pavement
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8/14/16, 6:55 PM |
#61
Re: Lack of cars on pavement
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 64 |
Here’s a little background for those wanting to use the same silver crown car for dirt and pavement. Chuck Buckman and I ran a car for Johnny Parsons in 1989. We had one car for all the races and were pretty competitive. JP finished second as driver and the car finished third in USAC points. These are the parts we used to switch our one frame over from dirt to pavement. Wider front axle with LF/RF brakes and pavement spindles/hubs. Right side steering gear. Motor plate for lowering engine and moving forward abut one inch. Longer driveshaft and torque tube. 6 piston rear caliper with steel vented rotor. Master cylinder to match brakes. If we could have afforded it we would have had a pavement tail tank which mounts lower. Add to this at least 8 pavement shocks and 10 dedicated pavement wheels. If you didn’t do most of these changes you wouldn’t make 10 laps at ORP or Gateway before getting in the fence. Using the same car would be insane.
So yes we used the same car but the frame and engine were about the only thing common between dirt and pavement. Somebody mentioned tire costs. In 1989 we got all our Goodyear tires for free and all our fuel was free from the Speedway. Those days are gone forever. Even Indycar and NASCAR pay for their tires today. Silver Crown cars are still the neatest cars to watch on the track but we need to quit pining for the good old days and get behind what’s going on today. |
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8/14/16, 6:59 PM |
#62
Re: Lack of cars on pavement
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 160 |
There are probably 40 pavement Silver Crown cars sitting out there not being used. I can’t see how changing the rules to obsolete them would increase participation at pavement races. JMO
Brian Gerster |
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8/14/16, 7:13 PM |
#63
Re: Lack of cars on pavement
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,646 |
Quote:
Do you know why people started building pavement only race cars? Because they could tune the car to make it much faster than a converted dirt car. Do you know why people stopped converting dirt cars to pavement cars? Because they could not compete with the pavement only cars.
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Last edited by Jonr; 8/14/16 at 7:15 PM. Reason: Grammar |
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8/14/16, 7:25 PM |
#64
Re: Lack of cars on pavement
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Banned
Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 333 |
I think we should give the last word on this subject to Brian. As they say he has been there ,done that, and got the t-shirt. He knows more about the business than any of us.If you were given the job of rebuilding the pavement portion of Silver Crown racing what would your plan be.Again , I applaud USAC for rebuilding the dirt side, but for pavement what do we do.
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8/14/16, 7:28 PM | #65 | ||
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,074 |
Quote:
I think everyone on here wants to find a solution to get the car count up. Could you please give your opinion on how it might be able to be accomplished? |
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8/14/16, 7:58 PM |
#66
Re: Lack of cars on pavement
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Banned
Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 333 |
Brian, the forum is yours.
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8/14/16, 8:44 PM | #67 | ||
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 980 |
Yes Brian.....this is on your shoulders now. Please wear the T Shirt as you read your decree.
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8/14/16, 10:24 PM | #68 | ||
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 1,873 |
Quote:
Kevin Miller has sat on his butt and not done a thing to try to help protect the investment of the owners by making an effort to keep the pavement side going. If that means going to Hoosier and bargaining a different deal, a different tire, whatever! How about going to American Racer and seeing how they could help to keep the pavement side of SC (not stock car) going. I'm afraid we've seen our last pavement race USAC is going to sanction for a very long time. And as far as I'm concerned, that is shame on you Kevin Miller! You should lose your job! |
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8/14/16, 11:17 PM | #69 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 475 |
Going to Salem, Winchester, and Gateway isn't going to increase the car counts on pavement. Guys don't wanna run these places. And tracks that have drawn a decent car count in recent years couldn't draw a crowd. I'm not even sure if the product is appealing enough to fans anymore for promotors to take a chance and book a pavement Silver Crown show. Salem is just the the most recent example. USAC has had to lease tracks just to keep the series going the last several years. It's kinda like the SCCA where the track gets leased and all the members show up to race in front of no fans.
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8/15/16, 7:29 AM |
#70
Re: Lack of cars on pavement
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 978 |
The 13 cars at Salem represents the largest owner/car count at any USAC race. There are 8 or 9 sprint owners and 4-5 midget owners that have attended all the races thus far this year.
I am in a minority, I much prefer pavement racing.... until tire costs can be made affordable trying to build a series is going to be hard. Don't put all the blame on Hoosier if they could build a tire that was cost effective and made good business sence they would. |
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Lack of cars on pavement
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