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#45
by
Sunny
on 23 Apr, 2017 00:19
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Charlie, it needs to dry out before it gets better, and it can't do that if you keep hammering water to it.
I understand that Tyler was in a difficult spot Friday. On one hand, he has this awesome opening weekend planned that he has already lost one day of (Thursday). On the other hand, he has a seriously wet track. Does he reschedule and get crucified for that? And if he rescheduled the event, where would he put it? He would lose DIRTcar modified, sprint, and sportsman teams to Utica Rome if he tried the event Sunday, 4/23. If he goes to 4/28, he loses sprints, sportsman and modifieds to Fulton.
Damned if you do, and damned if you don't. I think he should have cancelled, taken some grumping for it, and moved on. Now people are not happy AGAIN with his opener, and may not come back - fans AND competitors. You can pay all the high purses you want. Paying $750 to win a sportsman feature doesn't make up for the $800 in parts you need to fix your car afterward.
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I see this problem coming..on a regular night he needs to be done by 11 right? Now he has a regular show PLUS a mini stock makeup .just looking like there will be a make up or 2 every week .U can't start late jack around with bad track conditions for hour's and still get the whole show in. The track guys are working there a$$ off but not making good progress. Maybe is just bad leadership who knows what goes on behind the scenes.
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#47
by
Sunny
on 23 Apr, 2017 09:45
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He has another problem now, Tony.
Nowhere in his press release did it say the pay structure was changing. When you post the ENTIRE show is moving to a one day event, that means the pay stays the same, including the $150 for a heat race win, which no heat winner got by Tyler's call.
I see there was a post put up apologizing that they hadn't "gotten a grip" on the new clay and they would still be paying the big purses. We are $350 into parts on a NOT WRECKED race car, and last night the throttle linked came apart because it vibrated loose Friday. Big purses still don't mean anything when you are fixing your car extensively every week.
This week, Fulton is looking good for the start of the DIRTcar Sportsman season. Next week? Maybe we'll see what Afton has to offer. But right now, there is not a plan to return to Dundee.
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It also didn't help that the Suprick rig parked on the main road to the pits. Literally in the driveway. Apparently he didn't want to park in the mud, and threatened to leave. So it basically created a choke point for haulers trying to get through.
I've always said that tracks should have a handout of the general layout and directions that haulers should be parked when touring series come to town. Would cut down on the cluster in the pits.
The track was definitely the roughest track I have ever been on, not sure why water was being put down when it rained in the morning on Friday. I asked an official at about midnight if our 4 cylinder race was going to happen ( I had to work in the morning), and was told most likely because small cars could be ran late. At about 12:45 we were called to lineup, and they told the sportsman on the radio that they had 9 minutes to get as many laps in as possible and then it was going to be official. They ended that race at the curfew, and never came back on the radio to tell the 4 cylinder guys we were done as well. We left lineup when we saw the flagman packing up his flags.
There is another thing that the 4 cylinder guys need to know about and haven't received an answer on yet. The postponed show was an open rules show, using the same rules they used at the Dutch Hoag race at the end of the year. Pretty much open rules with show up points. The race this week is supposed to be normal rules and points. I messaged the track on Facebook to find out what rules are going to be used for the shows this week, and haven't gotten a response yet. Takes some time to switch things over, so hopefully they come up with a plan soon.
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Mr.Siri has not a clue on how to maintain and run a racetrack.There should of been no racing last night as that track was in no shape to race on.Canceling would of been his best bet.I think the only winners last night were the race teams that stayed home and not have their race cars torn apart from a track that was that bad.
This opinion is an excellent example which demonstrates what factors track promoters/owners must weigh when making decisions about whether to run events--or not. "Cancel the program"
?? I can just hear the complaints now--"WHY was the show cancelled--the weather was good enough to run the race(s)" It was the season opener with a good crowd and a good car count. Everybody was itchin' to get the racing season started! This kind of second-guessing is unnecessary and does NOTHING to solve the problems--in my opinion, a decision to cancel would have made things even worse . I can admit I don't know how to "prep" a dirt track surface--and I doubt there is many on this board who have the experience or knowledge about it, either. My common sense tells me it's a "crap-shoot" to get things exactly right. Regardless of the track surface, racers who come to race at a track can (and should) expect and accept that their stuff could be damaged due to a variety of reasons. If, after racing in the heats, a driver felt that conditions were such that there it made no sense to continue to race, they should have packed up and left at that point--but that's also a tough decision, isn't it?
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#50
by
Modules
on 24 Apr, 2017 12:25
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Paz, were you at the track that night to watch the races??? By your comment I will say no. Well I was and when I'm sitting in turn 1 and can see cars being launched in the air going into 1 so much so as all 4 wheels are off the ground there is a problem. There was between 8-10 sprint cars that flipped throughout the night. There was a ramp on the bottom coming out of 2. again cars completely off the ground. Turn 3 was just like 1. They should of cancelled as the track was unsafe. Mr. Siri does a good job on the promotion side of the business but he needs to hire someone that knows what they are doing for track prep. Also he needs to make a decision. Does he want to own and run a race track or does he still want to drive a racecar.
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#51
by
Sunny
on 24 Apr, 2017 13:35
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He will argue with you that Pete Bicknell does both. Pete owns and races at a race track. But he doesn't remember that Pete HIRES people to run the facilities and keeps out of most of the issues.
I am fully aware of the difficult decision to cancel a race when the weather is nice. The casual fan will not remember we got 5 inches of rain in a day and a half on an already soft surface. The casual fan won't care that there was standing water in the infield. And it is true, as some pointed out, that drivers could have packed up and left.
I will stand firm in saying that had he just cancelled the damned race, he would have taken less crap.
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Was told by an attendee that U/R cancelled they're show during the nights events because of track conditions and a super thick dust storm.
Truth? or........... ( what the heel is going on in the dirt world)
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#53
by
Sunny
on 24 Apr, 2017 14:42
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They red flagged it for track work, they didn't shut down.
The sun and the dust were the issue early, and Roger Heroux tried to keep from watering the track, because he knew it would get rough and peel. Mike Maresca flipped his modified, Jamike Sowle flipped his sportsman (John Clifford caught the big air of that in his photo), and I guess one sprint car flipped in the heats. Steve Paine ran into someone in hot laps due to the dust, and destroyed an axle. Steve loaded up and went home. The HBR modifieds of Phelps and McLaughlin loaded up after hot laps and left. Alex Vigneault and a bunch of other sprint car teams packed it in, too.
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These are both excellent examples or events that should have been cancelled. The safety of the driver has to be first and foremost. In addition I don't know of any fan that would want to sit through this versus not holding the event. Outlaw started at 7 and hit curfew of 1AM. Utica-Rome started at 4 and was still going when I called it a night at 11. No thanks!!
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#55
by
Sunny
on 24 Apr, 2017 15:18
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He will argue with you that Pete Bicknell does both. Pete owns and races at a race track. But he doesn't remember that Pete HIRES people to run the facilities and keeps out of most of the issues.
I am fully aware of the difficult decision to cancel a race when the weather is nice. The casual fan will not remember we got 5 inches of rain in a day and a half on an already soft surface. The casual fan won't care that there was standing water in the infield. And it is true, as some pointed out, that drivers could have packed up and left.
I will stand firm in saying that had he just cancelled the damned race, he would have taken less crap.
Pete Bicknell and the Williamson's no longer own Merrittville. It's owned now by Don Speice. One of the reasons for selling the track was "conflict of interest".
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#57
by
Sunny
on 24 Apr, 2017 18:20
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I am well aware of that fact, having pitted next to Matty and Cliffy and Ray Ray all season last year at Canandaigua. Make that point to Tyler.
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Not the only track with problems this past weekend Mckean major dust Utica major dust Sharon major problems with the lucas latemodel show .
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#59
by
Sunny
on 25 Apr, 2017 07:14
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All three of which out down new clay in the off season, from what I understand, Charlie. But a very valid point.