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When I was a kid in the 1960s I had a couple of neighbors who had local track cars. I thought they were really neat. Couldn't get Dad to take me to the track, though. Then, to Dad's chagrin, I discovered NASCAR and USAC races on TV (mostly "Wide World of Sports"). I kept bugging him and he...

When I started kart racing in the 1970s there already were some guys racing the Briggs flathead, but there were only a few of them. Most tracks had just two classes for them: "stock appearing" and "modified" (and no weight classes). Meaning that they didn't check if anything had been done...

You're right - karting has had a "too many look-alike classes" problem since around the early 1980s. It's because of two things: allowing different levels of engine modifications, and also because weight differences of as little as 25 pounds can make a significant speed difference for a racing...

Apparently the 212cc Ducar engine is a new candidate for Predator classes. DynoCams is a retailer, and they have a rulebook for it on their website at https://www.dynocams.com/catalog/documents/212-RULES.pdf. In my experience DynoCams is a good company with good products. However, this new...

Another tip to avoid getting run over: try to run in the fast groove, but be prepared to move over if you're getting lapped. Different tracks prefer that you either move to the inside or to the outside - ask during the driver's meeting. If you're getting lapped by a pack, hold a consistent...

Overall, you will probably be happier and more competitive with a new chassis. Because kart chassis are made to flex (since they have no suspension) a used chassis can be tweaked without you knowing it - and cause you to chase your tail trying to make it handle. Phantom makes good chassis, and...

You're welcome. I like to try to help new racers, and I've seen many get frustrated and quit after a short time because they didn't realize that kart racing (particularly in NASCAR country) is very competitive - meaning, there are a lot of people who will spend a lot of money and even hire...

Been there done that. Raced karts off and on since the mid-1970s, including the last 20 or so years on dirt tracks in NC (mostly just a little north of where you are). Also did the one-man-team stuff the last few years. I'll tell you what I learned, although it might be a bit dated since I...

UPDATE: apparently, after some court wrangling, the museum will be allowed to reopen. However, it must rename itself (and possibly remove some other advertising that specifically mentions "Winston Cup"). Reported by local TV station WXII: The museum recently reopened following a brief...

And one use NOT to do: When I raced karts, a major speed determiner is tire grip. There is a whole science and profession about choosing tire compounds and treating them with chemicals to make them grip, but not grip too much. Lots of products offered, and lots of confusing facts and...

NASCAR is more than just the drivers. Although NASCAR is squashing it, the series was seriously impacted by the talents of crew chiefs, mechanics, pit crews and engineers. The more NASCAR takes away the ability for teams to build and modify their own equipment, the farther NASCAR gets from its...

The Winston Cup Museum is located on the edge of downtown Winston-Salem, NC. It was opened in 2005 as a tribute to RJR Tobacco's (RJRT) sponsorship of NASCAR for 33 years. The museum was built and maintained by the owners' own resources, without funding from NASCAR or RJRT or any government...

Yep, and eventually it hurts the class and then the crowds and then sponsorships... This killed what we used to call "Street Stocks" on the dirt tracks in my area. Track management caved into the opinions of the racers, who wanted more and more and more... the "Street Stocks" became "Super...

Teams that follow the rules only have to spend their money once. If the sanctioning body fails to enforce rules then teams have to keep spending more and more money to keep up with the teams that break the rules. Agree that new rules force teams to spend more money. That's why I prefer...

Larson was not much of a factor. Started mid-pack, moved up to 9th (pending a possible winner's disqualification) - moved up mostly due to attrition. But he did lay off the chrome horn, which he had a lot of opportunity to use. That in itself was a professional performance.

Agreed... as long as you don't look too closely...

With today's NextGen car having very little in common with the street cars that are "represented", does it matter what models GM carries in its fleet? They can apply Chevy stickers to whatever NASCAR's spec body happens to be.

You ain't kiddin'. I was crew chief for a Legends racer who ran the Summer Shootout at Charlotte because he could rub elbows with big name guys. It was frustrating because he refused to spend the money needed to compete there. Those cars are spec, so everything has to be just right or you're...

Well, they had extra body styles. The GM cars all had Chevy engines long before this race...

Okay, so some last minute advertising on Twitter. Didn't see it since I don't do Twitter. Did see Fox air some commercials for some of the other races - to be shown on cable channels that not everybody subscribes to. Again, didn't see these advertisements until a few days before those races...