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Post by C.W. on Mar 18, 2015 0:19:11 GMT
I don't think you can base anything on one race, whether big numbers or not as big. 21 cars isn't a bad count either. Now we just wait and see. Since we're talking about advertising whatever to win, I have to wonder how many racers knew about the to start money. How much did that word get out. Time will tell. One camp has adjusted the rules, another has raised the purse money and still another thinks it will be just dandy to run a similar class with wings and see what they can do. Racers need to decide what it is they want, or we'll be back to where injected, winged 360's is the only game in town again. Anyway, I'm moving on from this debate. I think I've made my point well enough Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are those of an old racing reporter, column writer, announcer and co-founder of Wingless Spec Sprints and are not meant to offend. Unfortunately, these opinions sometimes do just that. Sorry about that. You know what they say about opinions
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Post by Rodger Slack on Mar 18, 2015 19:48:23 GMT
We receive our check for the Joe Hunt Silver Cup race in Chico recently in the amount of $300.00 for third place, we only made $100.00 more than if we had finished in last. I don't know where we go from here, but I think a $50.00 increase for the pay-outs from 6th place down is a great move for all car owners and drivers, that end up with a 6th place finish or less "for one reason or another", or for the ones that have to dragged their cars in to the trailer because of a DNF. I can't count how many times that's happen to us. Everyone though out the race season one time or another load's their car in to their trailers without a top five finish or with a DNF, only to take home $150.00, unfortunately that's racing!!! I say don't rob peter to pay Paul, increase the show up money to $200.00, but don't do it at the expense of the top 5 finishers for Joe Hunt races. One weekend you finish out of the top five with $200.00, but the next race you may finish 2nd or win a $1,000.00 for first and that helps off set the couple of hundred you came home with the race before. Let's face it these cars are expensive to race and maintain not to mention replacing parts from a wreck. Maybe think about increasing entry fees, possibly this would make it fair for everyone. One would think that with the new 2015 Joe Hunt schedule at venues like Calistoga and Stockton racing with the World of Out Laws, King of The West and the Civil War Series, that the top five finishers would receive more than $700.00 to win and $225.00 for fifth place. When PMG took over the Hunt Series there was to be no changes to the pay-out schedule WHAT HAPPENED !!!
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Post by C.W. on Mar 18, 2015 23:55:32 GMT
I'm gonna jump back in one more time, because Rodger just reminded me of something. I'm gonna modify my stance just a bit. In my defense, I've been away for a while, but this should have been obvious to me. I supported it before. This goes back to John Soares Sr. I believe John Jr. had a hand in this. They created a pay scale sheet at Petaluma that the drivers had for ALL divisions. Yes, even back in the early 1990's, he paid Mini Stocks and Pure Stocks something. If you had this many cars, this is what you got, right down to the car. Promoters are in this to make money. That's a fact. Even though most racers won't make money, the promoter has to make sure this deal is being run properly on both sides of the grandstands, so it's a full time job. Now, when John Jr. turned Don O'Keefe Jr. and myself loose on the racing world to start Spec Sprints at Antioch, he gave us three things we needed to know. He needed a minimum 12 car count to get started, and we gave him that. We needed a decent schedule that wasn't over booked, which he gave us. We needed to know what it paid. We had all of that to work with Now, the pay was based on cars with a 12 car minimum to 16 cars at a certain level. The money went up at 17 cars. I used this as the basis for the class we were gonna have at Chowchilla in 2002 before Tom went another way with things. So, I see what Rodger is saying. I guess it went over my head because the attitude I was seeing here was "Screw the little guy. Let him bend over and take it" or something of that nature. When I look at Rodger's words, I totally get it. There was already an established purse at the top. So, I can see where somebody says don't take what was established and give it away. Maybe set it up where once count reaches a certain level, maybe 24 or 26, then you pay higher in the back. The thing is, the intentions were good. John Prentice only has so much money to work with here, so he's looking at things and trying to get a higher car count. To those guys in the back, that $50 does matter. If they aren't generally getting a piece of the Top 5 money, they aren't worried about it. If you are one of those teams that does finish up front, then losing $300 for a win isn't gonna make you happy. I totally get it. I think it was done with the best of intentions. It was basically restructuring the money that was already paid, rather than adding more. I think you need more cars for that. Look, we are watching this whole thing fall apart, and it can all go away. John himself dropped the Spec Sprints at Ocean, for whatever reason. Soares has changed rules in an effort to get a handle on things at Antioch and attempt to rebuild his car count. Then, you have Dennis Gage putting wings on cars and dividing his Spec Sprint count. Is an attempt being made at Marysville and Chico to erase the Spec Sprint option as we know it? All I know is, there are those who NEVER liked this class. I recall the term "bastard class" being tossed around back in the early days. Some people didn't like what was done or how much success this class was having at one time. The fact is, there are many racers who might never have gone Sprint Car racing if not for Spec Sprints. Others came back because this class was here as an option. Still others moved up from the 600's into this class. It is still viable, but it's up to what the racers support. My advice would be to discuss this with Prentice, maybe even bring up the sliding scale purse where the back of the field gets more at a certain level. Don't toss those guys aside because you want more to win. Or the next "what happened" moment may be when that winner is only beating nine other cars at a Hunt Series race and the series is over. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are those of an old racing reporter, column writer, announcer and co-founder of Wingless Spec Sprints and are not meant to offend. Unfortunately, these opinions sometimes do just that. Sorry about that. You know what they say about opinions
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Post by Admin on Mar 19, 2015 0:19:49 GMT
John Prentice only has so much he can get from the promoters. I think what he is doing is the right thing in the long run. Also Chowchilla did run the spec sprint class in 2002 as I won the Championship that year. He did try it again in 07, but the track closed that year.
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Post by Gary Nelson Sr. on Mar 19, 2015 0:49:00 GMT
I agree with Roger Slack. We we went to the banquet last year and were told nothing was to change including the payout. The hunt series can go a long ways if It goes back to the way it was ran for many years. We put a lot of money in these cars and to tow 4 hours to Chico and recieve $275 for fourth is a hard pill to swallow. The increased amount for "show up" money is nice but it comes at the expense of the top 5. We love the series and want to see it excel, we would like to see it back on track and the payouts increased to what they were.
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Post by Rodger Slack on Mar 19, 2015 16:42:58 GMT
There was 21 non-wings at the Silver Cup this year about the same as any other Joe Hunt race give or take one or two cars, but one wouldn't know that it if they were "away for awhile". How many more entry's does it take after 21 cars to be consider as larger car count. The Joe Hunt series had more cars on a regular bases than the 410 USAC Western Series and they paid $1,500.00 to win. There's always been a sufficient amount of cars at every Joe Hunt race for a promoter to maintain the original Joe Hunt payout.
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Post by C.W. on Mar 20, 2015 0:53:12 GMT
Two things, and I am out of this thread, because I am NOT liking the vibe here. First of all, I endorse what Prentice did. It was done with the best of intentions. I only offered the other solution as a possibility to play devil's advocate, because OTHER promoters have done it that way. I know you know more about what went into this, so I defer to your knowledge in this particular instance, Keith. Also, you don't know the whole story about Chowchilla with respect to this class in the very beginning. I was there when the initial plans were made, but you know what? It doesn't matter now. It's years later. Coulda shoulda woulda doesn't matter now. Glad you got a championship out of the little deal they did run Race, stay home, argue about money... Whatever... Pay attention boys and girls. We have Economy Sprints with wings, RaceSavers are in Cali now. Do you like Spec Sprints? It's time to decide what you want to do. Lack of support will only lead to one less option. It's up to you. Debating it here will get you nowhere. Talk to the man himself about your desire for the more top heavy purse and see what can be done if it's that important to you. I grow tired of this thread, so I'm out. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are those of an old racing reporter, column writer, announcer and co-founder of Wingless Spec Sprints and are not meant to offend. Unfortunately, these opinions sometimes do just that. Sorry about that. You know what they say about opinions
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Post by spec sprint on Mar 20, 2015 19:08:28 GMT
I am also asking everyone to drop it as of now. We can talk to PMG or leave a message, and it will be brought up at Calistoga. I talked to him and he was very receptive to the thoughts of many, so lets not deal with this on the internet.
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Post by Admin on May 2, 2015 19:54:25 GMT
Planned Make-Up Date May 23rd Cancelled
Unread post by bcra91 ยป Fri May 01, 2015 10:15 am Given the feedback that we've received from our racer's regarding last weeks rain out and planned make-up race Petaluma Speedway has made the decision to not go forward with the event on May 23rd. We realize that family schedules often times are planned around racing schedules and with such short notice we now feel that this is the best course of action. The Joe Hunt Wingless Series Race has been rescheduled for July 18th. Enjoy your holiday weekend with your families.
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