2010 Wish List

As I usually do somewhere around this time, here's my wish list for 2010.


Personally:

- Make it to more races outside of Eagle. That's a given and I plan on making Eagle less than 50% of my total outings. My goal is to follow the ASCS Midwest series this year. I also plan on hitting some Modified events and would like to make a few Late Model races this season as well. When not hitting an ASCS race that week, I plan on getting out to the other tracks in the area.

- More interviews with and more up-close photos of the people involved in the sport. Trust me there will be plenty of track action photos.

Getting to my wishes for the tracks:

- The WoO show is a success at Junction Motor Speedway. Sprint cars have had a unique place in Nebraska auto racing history and it would be a shame to be without what is still the nation's top series making an annual stop in the state. I understand Eagle deciding to pass this year. But a bar has been set - in terms of fan accommodations and in many cases competition on the track, aided by an aggressive promoter during the 35-40 cars heydays of the early 2000's. The on-track action with the Outlaws was arguably I-80's biggest failing under a long-gone management regime, far removed from the current group. Yes, there were some less than memorable shows at Eagle as I've said in previous pieces, but there were more very good shows, especially when the track got just a little dry. In the first half of the decade after a hotly-contested dash, Brad Doty exclaimed, "That's why these races need to be on bullrings!" JMS certainly has the facilities, will the show match on the big track? I hope it does - it can be done. A good car count will go a long way. The question is where the cars come from and how hard will the promoters work to get them?

- Tracks go to the use of one-way radios. Midget racing has been using them for several years, as has the ASCS. Most use what's called a "Raceceiver," essentially a pager-sized, $100 scanner that with form-fitting earphones. It greatly speeds up communication between officials and drivers, eliminating the need for confusing hand signals, saves fuel, is a safety device on the track, and is a relatively low-cost, RE-USABLE piece of equipment. It's 2010 people - we don't have flying cars, but we can get with the program. If places insist on running 5+ classes, at least speed up the show. If $100 is that big a deal to someone who will get probably years out of them, then rent them - it's a money maker for the track, or let go with a payment plan. The other piece is that unlike transponders, these items are nearly universal and can be used at most any track. It amazes me how many people will complain about $100 of useful equipment but spend hundreds, thousands on graphics and wraps that get trashed in the first wreck.

- Again, since class counts seem to be going up, track owners need to do their fans and frankly other racers a favor and do what they can to speed up shows. Examples:

• The aforementioned one-way radios and transponders (along with the proper training to run them)
• Lone Ranger rules: spinout or stop by yourself in a heat or B and bring out the yellow, you're done.
  
• Time limits. There is no reason to run any race one hour. Period. Done. With the exception of red flags, and even then...you'll have a hard time making me think otherwise. I've always thought "a minute a lap, stop the clock on a red" was a good starting point. And, that includes heats. I've seen this at Eagle and elsewhere for the heats: if enough cars drop out that nobody can better their A feature starting position regardless of finish, they throw the checkered right there.
  
• While I'd like to see pit stops ended forever, that won't happen. But...how about a time limit on that and perhaps a number of times a car can pit? C'mon, one pit stop is enough.  
• Intermissions of 15 minutes or less. If you can't sell beer or concessions fast enough, improve your selling (hawkers in the stands, separate beer-only stands, expand your concession area, hire another person).
  
• Starting on time and moving through the show quickly. Lineups need to be ready, and cars for the next race need to be staged - not waiting in the pits. 
• ONE race director, ONE set of rules and follow them. Many times when I've been to shows where the program took too long, I often heard officials arguing with each other and debating the rules over track rules, thus chewing time often while cars are burning fuel on the track. While I believe in democracy, I think auto racing is best governed by a dictator. See NASCAR, F1, etc.
  

I've said enough. Happy birthday to this site and such.

- Jason