Possum, I'm not saying that I think a street car can win the championship. I feel that we will get more cars total if we make it more fun for the street guys instead of making them cannon fodder in the first round all the time. I brought my street car and took my beating, and in the process built the fastest Slant street car in the country. However, I was also a serious bracket racer to start with.

Even with splitting the street cars in the first 2 rounds a true race car will still win the Championship, and in all probability it will be a box car. The racers will have to decide if they want to keep hedging the rules toward themselves or let the series have a chance to grow.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Im in on let the series grow i just doint know how to put any usefuf input in to that.
I brought up two ideas at the banquit and both got shot down and it was for the street racers so here we go. I would share my ideas but it doint seem to do no good.








Your Racing Buddy Possum

Everyone has their own point of view and you're never going to please everyone.

I tend to agree with Slantzilla (Bagel ) on the "too big for our britches" and think we should have more of an opportunity for beginning racers to get involved and have a chance to be recognized for their accomplishments.

It seems like we are tending to focus "The Series" on the more serious racers and not giving much recognition to the "growing the series" aspect of things.

Let the "Serious Racers" "Go for the Gold" in the quest for "The Series Championship", but have something for the foot braking, beginning, weekend wanna-be, racers too.

I like the PR concept, but I am a bigger fan of a Divisional or Regional concept to spur growth and initiative among those that don't have the funds or vacation time or whatever to seriously compete for "The Big Series Championship".

It seems that there are at least a handful of "other racers" out there racing or wanting to race Slant 6 cars that just can't make it to "The Series" races.

If we make more of an opportunity for them to get something started in their local area and give them some recognition for their efforts I think we would see more growth.

As it stands now we have the same 15-20 (?) racers competing in the same races with slightly varying results among the top 4-5 guys in the standings each year. That's fine and wonderful for those 4-5 and even 15-20 folks, but it doesn't really inspire growth in my opinion.

I have seen posts from at least a couple people on this topic wanting something in their area that is not supported currently by "The Series" and that's understandable. "The Series" can't be all things to all people, but if you just write those folks off and say "have fun, and good luck ole buddy", then it tends to stifle their initiative in wanting to be a part of "The Series" at all.

If you give them some guidance and encouragement and recognition for getting something started in their area they will be more likely to do just that.

What's the harm in allowing "Hometown Racer" from "Poe-Dunk, Hole in the Woods" or wherever else to set something up with a couple other "Hometown Racers" and add that event to the calendar? They certainly wouldn't be competitive for "The Series Championship", so they are low threat. They probably wouldn't even win their Regional Championship based on serious racers like Dale Rose or Mike Jeffries or whomever else that would win "The Series" race(s) in their region. But they would stand a chance of placing well within their respective regions and getting a little print in SSRN or on .org.

That recognition stuff is what inspires initiative and promotes growth. Admittedly, that adds more effort to the person putting out the Newsletter to keep track of that and incorporate it into the Newsletter or post it on .org.

I would gladly volunteer to be the POC (Point of Contact) to receive that data from the different "Regional Coordinators" and assemble it for posting to .org and even put it together and forward it to Seymour to put in the Newsletter if that's what it takes.

For what it's worth...

Rob

I agree with rob on several points.
It isn't much fun as a newbe to know you are going to be stompped in the first round because you were unlucky enough to draw the number of an experienced racer. That happened to me at Pittsburgh, though the racer was a really humble and gracious winner(thanks Jim). even bracket racing else where we would have been in the same class though.
I cant imagine it is much fun for an experienced racer with an all out race car to have to stage and wait 5-10 seconds to launch and I don't see how that can be looked at as racing( a 10 sec car lined up with a 18 sec car).
I also have a hard time believing we could not all agree apon what a street car is vs a race car. street cars dont run slicks, stutter boxes, or line locks. they are regestered and possibly inspected if the home state requires this, they have working lights,wipers,heaters, full exhaust systems, and DOT aproved street tires.
I certainly dont expect to win a championship in my daily driver BUT i would like to at least partcipate, meet some people, swap ideas, heck maybe even win an elimination round for a change.
I'm sure there are many of us that dont eat, sleep, and dream drag racing. We would just like to be able to come out for just one or two weekends a year and have a good time.It dosent help get people to show up when those of you that do eat, sleep, and dream drag racing tell us to come out to your neck of the woods or do it your selves, oh and by the way you will most likely get your butt handed to you by a car running twice and quick as you.
I also agree that we tend to focus on the really quick cars. Granted they are the most impressive but what about the guy that worked his butt off for a week just to show up and turn in a 19.5 with a car that would be in a junk yard if not for him? what about the guy that got his car to run a full second and a half quicker in a year on a shoe string budget?
I personally don't GOTTA win. I want to see how my car runs, meet some people and have a good time. It seems to me the guys that are the most serious about winning are the least fun to hang out with and talk to. My experience is limited to one event but am I wrong?
Just my 2 cents.

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actually 18.96 and replace junk yard with crusher!!!

It was still one heck of a good time.

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1980 Aspen 225 super six

HHHHMMMM????? - What does any of this have to do with Mr.Drakes original post?

log in next time then we will talk.

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Yes it got off topic but it promotes discussion on ways to make the series better so I am all for it.

Ron P. - What were you two ideas? I remember only one and it got a few supporters including myself. Please post them here again.

I dug out the last four years of newsletters and went through all of the names that entered races and could not come up with any pure street guys that were showing up and now do not. The guys from Honey Path SC (and now that I am typing I have completely forgot their names) raced for a while and stopped coming but they had dedicated race race cars. From what I heard it was a $$ thing. We all know what happen with Gordie Stevens, Oscar Derrick is gone and rumored to have moved to Fla??? What about Beckey Shiffett?(sp) I would like to see Ron Hambys friends at Wilkesboro attend a few mores races because both are good racers and would add a lot to our group. There are quite a few racers that are not entering as much as they use to but that can happen to anybody... as the old saying goes "life intervened" which is understandable.

The random ladder this year did create some opportunities for street cars to make it deep in elimination. Lou's friend made it three rds at Wilkesboro and there were a couple of others. If more street guys would show up then maybe we could separate them from the box cars but as long as we get the turnouts that we get now is that really feasible? If so how?

Maybe we start giving out an award for the best performance increase at the event(or over the year) in a pure street ride without the aid of NOS or boost. This has happened a couple of times.
DD - Didn't it happen at Vegas last year? Some picked up like 1 sec just from tuning tips you gave him?

As far as faster cars not wanting to wait....it is something that we are equipped to handle and personally does not bother me or the car. That is just a none issue if you ask me. I will race a 40sec or 4 sec car just gimme someone to race.

As far as the divisional idea - I liked it to and thought it had promise but it needed more than 1 year to get refined. Everything is a work in progress..once you see the problem areas then fix them and move on.

Keep the ideas coming guys....this is the only way it gets better and grows. It takes support and communication. I like it!!!

Tom
Down but not out![/quote]

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Nitrous cars are like old men on Viagra. Once the bottle is empty they are useless.
FJD

I know we have a lot to offer to any Slant Six owner or enthusiast if they just make the effort to come-out to the events and give bracket racing a try. It is fun, you will meet some great people and you will diffinitely pick-up a few "pointers" on how to make your car run better. Yes, that is Gunpilot, another great Slantsixer, too bad he is doing the Iraq thing right now so Slant racing is down the list aways, "life" does make it hard for many to do even one race.

What I like about the Series is the great friendships that come out of meeting and racing with these folks, people you would have never met otherwise.

We need to get the word out and promote the 2005 season, Seymour loves it when new faces are at the events and lately he has been sad that there has not been many new faces. Seymour sad he want to get out to Las Vegas so I hope to get some new people out there on April 1, 2 & 3rd
DD

Tom, I'm just curious. Do you consider my Cuda a street car? I do. It is not a daily or long distance driver, but I do drive it to cruises and shows.
The only thing I change for racing is put on the slicks, or put in a deeper gear for 1/8 mile races. I have driven a continuous run of about 150 miles each way.

I am planning on only one slant race this year. Don't know which one yet.
Since all the races are so far for me (I think the closest is about a 1000 mile round trip), I just cannot afford to race for points. So to add what support I can, I will try to make one race.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Charrlie - Yes...if you leave the NOS bottle out and take the slicks off. Just my opinion.

Tom

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Nitrous cars are like old men on Viagra. Once the bottle is empty they are useless.
FJD

Slicks=Race car.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

OK Slicks= race car. Nitrous= race car. 66 Cuda=race car
Had 4 sets of slicks given to me freebe, not going to spend $300 for dot legals. Especially when my local tracks allow slicks in street legal class.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Dont get mad because my opinion doesnt fit your car! Your drive on the street with illegal tires?

Tom

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Nitrous cars are like old men on Viagra. Once the bottle is empty they are useless.
FJD

Nitrous=Street car IF it's on street tires.

Nitrous+Slicks=Race car.

'66 Cuda+Nitrous+slicks=Race car.

Can't play it both ways.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.