Madhouse...

buckaroo

buckaroo

Here kitty, kitty, kitty
Joined
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Winston Salem, NC
Opening night at Bowman Gray Stadium and from what I heard, it was one of the biggest crowds ever. As I said, "from what I heard" meaning that we didn't go. I was watching the radar and that green crap was making it's way to Winston Salem pronto. Gates opened at 6 pm and second day qualifying would be at 7 with the first races to begin at 8. I live about five or six miles to the west of the track and at 6 o'clock, it was spitting just a tad. By 7, more came down and by then I felt safe from my wife (my decision not to go). Rain took over and well, it'll be next week before they run that 200 lap race.

Now the big news, Madhouse 2 is on. Cameras were there and that is all I know right now. Not sure who they will feature, but I'm sure the same bunch will have a big presence. Also, not sure it will be on the History Channel this time. I also heard today, but have yet to see if it's true, but that the reruns for Madhouse 1 will be on Speed. So for those who missed the last episode, you might be able to catch it yet.

Oh, Friday was qualifying day for the 200 lap race with the top ten locked in. Tim Brown won the pole with Burt Myers 3rd in a backup (throttle hung on the primary car and was destroyed). Jason qualified 6th. Jon Boy blew two engines and didn't make a run. Now he's looking for a sponsor. Junior Miller now running his own team also didn't make the top ten. There were 29 cars vying for a spot in the field of 24. Can't wait for next week now.
 
I just read how the rest of the field qualified yesterday before the rain and the "Show Stopper" didn't make the field. :D Now I wonder if they will continue to showcase this idiot.
 
buckaroo said:
I just read how the rest of the field qualified yesterday before the rain and the "Show Stopper" didn't make the field. :D Now I wonder if they will continue to showcase this idiot.
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They will probably just piece him in there from past footage they have just like any true REALITY SHOW.:D
 
Just another quick update. My friend Andy told me that it was a real zoo on Saturday at the stadium. There was some serious tail-gating going on, and at least three tents with campers. I guess most people from out of town don't realize in what part of the city the stadium is in. Let's just say projects and let it go at that.

There were tags from Utah, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and more. Andy met a couple from Niagra Falls who said they came down just for the opener. The local news talked to a couple from Buffalo, NY who said they worked all week and then drove down after work on Friday for the race. It was rained out, but they said they would work all week again and make the trip again. The stadium seats 17,000 and it was pretty much full and this was on a day where rain was forecasted and the skies were threatening. We are talking about some serious race fans. I won't drive that far for a Cup race. And the latest forecast is for another system to come in here on Saturday. :eek:
 
Hopefully this will have a posetive effect at the local tracks around here. Lake Erie speedway( http://www.lakeeriespeedway.com/ ) is a very nice facility with good car counts and much better racing than what I have scene from Bowman Gray but they just do not get the support from the fans.
 
Unless there is further discussion on this subject, this will be the last post on the Madhouse.

Finally, opening night, and no rain. After two weeks of waiting, Bowman Gray Stadium saw racing again for 2010. I won't bother with how the lower three series went, and for all intents and purposes, everyone was waiting to see what happened in the 200 lap modified race. Tim Brown started on the pole, Burt Myers started right behind him in third. Jason Myers started something like 7th and Junior Miller was outside the top ten, maybe 11th. Chris Fleming didn't make the race and went home along with four other drivers. Oh, and the young "prince", Jonathan Brown started almost dead last, but that was no indication of how his car would run.

For the first half of the race, it was single file with Brown first and Burt second. It was pretty much ride around with no action. I knew it would be this way and I'm sure the many out-of-towners began to wonder if this is what it is all about. However, all it took was for one caution to come out and as they say, cautions breed cautions and nothing could be more true than at BGS. With one to go, they put out an orange cone at the S/F line and as the cars come by in single file, the drivers can choose to stay on the inside, or go to the outside. Long story short, Burt always went to the outside, thinking he could out drag race Brown to the first corner. Never happened and Burt kept saying that Tim's car must have a "device" in it. The restarts allowed Miller and Jon Boy to move up and with the double file restarts, it was, needless to say, very exciting. Jon Boy looked to have something for the front two, but after he knocked Burt to the side a bit, he conked out and was out of the race. Never heard what the cause. Just never could get it to refire. Miller was just so so, not causing any trouble, though he did spin out one car. Thought we might see some retaliation, but the tower made sure that didn't happen. Brown did lose the lead one time when Burt tapped him and got him squirrely but he recovered to stay in second. On the restart, Tim went to the outside and within a lap, was back in front. Myers faded with a small bit of help from Miller and finished just behind Junior in 7th place. Burt was satisfied because he was running his tour car and felt it did very well. In the end, it was all Tim Brown and very convincing.

We arrived at the track about 20 minutes earlier than normal because we knew it would be crowded. I've never seen it as crowded before and it was standing room only with probably a good two or three thousand standing behind the wall. It was great to see such a crowd, but I hope this was the last time. The wife said she had never heard so many Yankees before. I just wonder how many people came down from north of the Mason Dixon line. I'm sure they all enjoyed what they saw. We sure did, and we didn't even record the Richmond race. Had to log on to NASCAR.com to see who won.
 
sounds pretty awesome, be cool to see that in person. Though my plans involve the WoO races in Pa this summer and maybe Thunderroad when I go back to school this fall
 
Racerx11 said:
I like the updates and thank you for them.
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I found out today that as I mentioned earlier, there was standing room only, but I didn't know to what extent. They sold 25,000 tickets and sent people away. Ten bucks a head. There were people parking over a mile away. I guess some of them were thinking it would be about the same at a Cup race. Next week might be just as bad because it will be Ladies Night and all females get in for just a buck. Oh, and it seems like all the fights in the stands are between women. And remember, there is only a very small section in which you can purchase and drink beer. I know that you can sneak alcohol in, but if you're caught, you can be banned from the stadium. What was the fighting all about? From what I was told, it wasn't about who is the best driver, it was over someone sitting in a seat that someone else has been using for years. If you want your seat, you have to get there first.
 
25,000 tickets sold is amazing. I attend a track that will be lucky to draw that this year.

This particular track, Lake County Speedway (formerly Painsville Speedway) used to draw 30 Sportman, 30 Figure 8 cars and 100 street stock a night. I do not know what the pay out back then was, but this year is the largest weekly purse they ever had, and the winner of the Sportsman and figure 8 get $400 to win. Street Stock and now the 4cyls, got nothing. Over the last several years the car count has been dwindleing. Three years ago, they dropped the sportmen altogether only to try to bring them back last year. Last year I think they averaged something like 35 cars in the pitst a night.:( That is 35 cars diveded by 4 classes and you know over half were 4cyls.

My point is, if the previous owners loosened up the purse strings when they had the cars and the fans, maybe the new owners wouldn't have to fight so hard to get them to come back. They have done a good job so far. The car count is up a good 25% for opening night over last year.

I do not remember what you told us they weekly purses were like at Bowman Gray, but I remember they sucked. They brought in 1/4 a million bucks on ticket sales alone. They need to start paying those drivers.
 
Racerx11 said:
I do not remember what you told us they weekly purses were like at Bowman Gray, but I remember they sucked. They brought in 1/4 a million bucks on ticket sales alone. They need to start paying those drivers.
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Exactly what my friend Andy said. The mods get a grand for the win, limited late models get I believe $600 for the win. Street stockers get $300 and 4 cylinder winners get a C note. I think last place there gets $15.
 
Here's the results and payouts to Thompson's Icebreaker mod race. Buck's BG Stadium buddy Burt drove here, raced, went home with a whopping $1,130. (before taxes dem sumbeeches:mad:)

That didn't even come close to paying for his fuel,tires, or pit passes on race day. Let alone driving his rig here, food, lodging for his crew. And beer, that's always a killer expense. :beerbang:

Winner got $8,800 but that's not what the normal purse is. Normal races pay $1500 to $2,000 to win.

I agree purses should be more and spread deeper in the field. You really can't run a competitive car in any class, mod or 4 banger streeter, out of your pocket as we did 30 years ago. You need a very good sponsor with very deep pockets and they are hard to find today in this economy.

That's why car counts are down across the board. Local level racing is pricing itself out of existence.

http://www.thompsonspeedway.com/results/WMT/NWMT_Icebreaker_OfficialResults.pdf
 
SST55 said:
That's why car counts are down across the board. Local level racing is pricing itself out of existence.
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You might be surprised that the car count at BGS in all series has been growing. They actually sent home five mods that didn't qualify for the first race, including the Show Stopper, Chris Fleming. Last year the biggest race only drew 21 cars, and of course since the most that can start is 24, all made the field. I think the only series that lost cars was the street stock (6 cylinder) series. The second tier sportsman (limited late models) and stadium stock (4 cylinder) series all grew.

It's interesting that Burt made more up there finishing 14th than he would winning at the stadium. Of course, there is a huge difference. And Burt does have one of the better sponsors at the stadium, but for the most part, the owners field their cars from their pockets. If they can get a sponsor to pay for the tires, they are tickled. Believe me, I have no idea how these guys continue to race, except that they put all of their resources towards the car.
 
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