Nats Afterthoughts

[stick2]

Some concerns, in my opinion, attendance was dismal, we surely were expecting more racers. Is it a sign of the times? Type of track? Or maybe folks just didn’t care to attend our race? Not sure but do know that our attendance left us scratching out heads. Interesting though cause as a group, we have been pretty supportive of other Nats sites, guess there’s no reciprocal agreement in place.

Just to refresh your memory, this was how it all started. Note to self... shut up about all of your self inflicted problems, and you won't get any answers you don't like. Boy that truth can sting!

[RomanK]

I was hoping to get some conversation started with some folks that are #1 participants and #2 may actually know what they are talking about due to their participation in the type of racing we are discussing. Tom in all the posts of yours that I've read over the years all you do is whine about how broke you are, how expensive slot racing is and how we should be runing some goofy off the wall classes that you and your YMCA buddies raced umpteen years ago. Here's a clue Tom, if we raced the classes you have suggested, I wouldn't be a partcipant nor would many of the folks that race now. The low end classes that are offered today are as affordable as any other pastime so long as someone does not go overboard. As in any hobby, someone can go overboard but that is not the basis on which you judge the affordabilty of a particular pastime. Hell man, in that goofy womp class that you talk about, I'm sure that there are bluprinted versions of that available by well known builders in your area at twice or three times the cost of retail, don't make it a bad class, just means that some folks go overboard.

Quoting my words doesn't make you any smarter nor does it make you understand the situation any better. If you had been there, if you were in any way shape or form a participant them maybe it would be different but you aren't and you weren't and I doubt you ever will be because you might have to spend a couple of bucks and somehow I just don't see that happening.

My post regarding my thoughts on this years Nats and attendance at the Nats is not an open invitation for some financillly challenged typical back marker to share his wisdom of slots as he sees it. Sorry if this is harsh Tom but maybe it's time for you to find a hobby that you can afford and leave this one to the folks that at least make minimum wage. Maybe you can spend some of your extra time developing your skill set so you can get a job that pays as good as Erkle's or Joe SS, you know them rich guys that race and win at wing cars.

Hope to race with you someday Tom, I bet you're a real treat to be around in person.

I apologize for the caustic nature of my post but I gotta tell ya Tom, your "know it all" attitude and and general tone of your posts really rub me the wrong way.

[Ron Hershman]

My two cents worth...................

First of all the attendance issue needs to be addressed. There could be a zillion reasons, but could high gas prices, higher air prices, higher hotel prices have anything to do with it? I am sure that's a big part of it.

Slot racing equipment has had price increases the past few years, more mag segments, ball bearings, tires, etc, are important things to keep up to date on and the worst part of slot racing is that it takes MORE or twice as much equipment to race today than it did three years ago. Some simply refuse to play the game any longer. Do any of you think 575.00 22 seg mag motors are going to help things grow, while some things were almost impossible to get this year to be competitive. If some can't get it, then they just stay home.

The USRA needs to control the cost of racing by implementing better class restrictions aimed at reducing costs to go race.

Tires...... this got out of hand two years ago with the introduction of Speed rubber tires and the fact that one pair per heat were needed at 14.00 in some of the classes. This should have been addressed two years ago, but it wasn't. I know of at least 10 guys who have not been at the nats since this was allowed and they aren't coming back until it gets addressed. Now alot of the tires are at 18.00 per pair...a couple of years ago you could have got two pairs for that price instead of one pair today. I am not knocking anyone in the tire game, but rest assured, as the prices go up on quickly disposable equipment, the players will go down in numbers.

While I am not 100% sure the track layout had anything to do with it, I do know that many are getting bored racing on the super speedways of today. Not all are, but there is a silent majority out there that are and only race on them if it's the only game in town. Would the Nats this year have been any larger had it been raced on a track similar to the one used in 2003? I doubt it. The racers who go to all the races were there, we have lost the ones who used to go all the time, but have lost interest with the current situation. I have never heard a bad word about Mimi's or the track used for this years nats, so I don't really think that that was the main or any reason for that matter.

Driver classification....... in my opinion, this probably has as much to do to hurt attendance than anything. What was voted on in Chicago, was different when voted online and not everyone was clear on who could race what. But when it was voted to throw some racers out of certain classes, it did hurt the overall attendance. You can't vote to cut your entries in half the following year and expect a bunch of new racers to come in and fill the void. They aren't out there as the regional wing car racing is way down compared to a few short years ago. When series shut down or raceways shut down. most of the guys who were doing all the racing, move on and find other things to do. These guys don't seek raceways far away from home, they seek close by and local raceways to go race. If they can't find them, then they find something else a bit closer to home and stay there.

Increase the regional racing and you'll increase the nats participation.

Scheduling...if there was less classes to be run then why did it take the same amount of time compared to previous years of running more classes?

25 Pro racers.... if you take away the foreign travelers, then you didn't have that many American entries. It's hard to believe that only 20 or so American pro's go to the nats anymore. Why is this??? Answer that if anyone can. There are more than 20 out there in the US....why don't they come to the nats anymore?

As we all get older in life, we all have other priorities that take us away from slot racing. Some of us used to live for slot racing, now some of us live to hopefully slot race from time to time.

For the nats to get bigger in the future, there needs to be leadership and cost restrictions put into some classes to let the budget minded racers come and play once a year.

Maybe it's time to split the nats into two nats. One for Ceramic classes and one for cobalt classes??? Shorter schedules, lower travel costs could be two good things to come of it. How many Pro racers come to watch the Box Stock race and how many Box Stock racers stick around the entire week to watch the Pro main? Not many.

Maybe it's time to go back to a only Group 27 and Group 7 Nats????

[SlotCarsofKaty]

There were many things that made it hard this year with all the different issues involved. I am not saying that those were the only reasons why some are upset about the turn out. We hope to address some of these at this years nats at PA's. We do expect a larger turn out next year because of several reasons. Many people who were not able to attend this year have already said they are planning to come next year. And many that attended this years nats also said they will be there. One issue this year was there weren't as many locals as in the past. The local regional racers here in our texas series along with just our local racers at PA's should boost the entrys by alot. We also think we will have some more incentives for pro racers to attend(will inform yall later on that). The track is different but the same, You need to see it in person. Having a host with the background as PA has(30+years) is also a plus. And last but not least the information we gather from a thread like this that the racers that attend and may attend can give us. So please keep giving us info on how we can make next years Nats one that will be remembered as a great one.
Thank you,
Shelby

[stick2]

Ya know Roman, the best revenge would be to make some real rules and smart decisions that increases participation, and you can feel vindicated. The sad part is that I know that most of you guys are more than smart enough to get this done, but, for some reason, you just don't want to. It really is a shame.

[Bent rim]

I have gotten a few complaints about you. I have responded to them that you have not broken any rules yet. I just do not ban people because their opinion conflicts with others. In fact, I like people to post what they feel. Having said that, One of the questions, I am asked before I ban someone is if they are a true contributor to the board? I want you to ask yourself that question.
Maybe something positive once in a while.

[stick2]

I haven't been on the board for a while, but we all know how to examine posting history, and I have contributed positively. I guess I could patronize the wing guys as to not hurt their feelings, but the problem is, that like a disease, the wing car mentality to spend your way into the wiiners circle is very contagious. Consider me wing car antibiotics.

[stick2]

I just went through my posts, and before this one, I had 31 thread subscriptions. There might have been six or seven, max, that weren't shiny happy posts. That calculates to 80% being positive, I think, so not too shabby.

[Bent rim]

I just went through my posts, and before this one, I had 31 thread subscriptions. There might have been six or seven, max, that weren't shiny happy posts. That calculates to 80% being positive, I think, so not too shabby.

Ok I can do the math, if you had 31 posts before all this and 6-7 were not shinny, you are now up to 61 posts. That means you have had 24 shinny ones and 38 turds. That gives you 65% turds, give or take a few.
You even managed to upset 2 of the nicest guys to pick up a controller, RVW and Ron Herrera. You even made Ron kinda cuss.
Personally, I laugh at a lot of your posts. You make me think of a song that Scarecrow sang in the Wizard of Oz. Can anyone remember the words?

[Bill Fulmer]

Doug,
Let him stay,just reading his posts brings up everbody elses self esteem.