Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Whats everyone else's opinion here? I personally think they should do away with the 50 lap A main,which really is just two 25 lap sprints. They should just go back to a 30 or 40 lap race,non stop, no half time break! Or at least if it's still a 50 lapper,with the half time break, but you can't change tires,if you do you go to the rear. Also if it's two 25 lap races,why can't the field be reset & those,still running, are back on the lead lap to give those guys at the rear who were unlucky enough to be lapped in the first race half a chance. As all they are doing in the 2nd 25 lapper is riding around hoping someone drops out,to gain a spot.

Yes we do!   We actually could use three instead of two.   I think they should run three 25 lap segments and make them finish the race on the same tires they started on.   And if Schatz leads the second segment, invert the top 20.    He'd probably still find a way to win though.   

So you like offering the field a "lucky dog"? Frickin most ridiculous thought ever! The format being run now has offered more excitement to the Nationals A Main, and I'm sure most who attend would agree. It has virtually ended open reds late in the Feature that most fans found unfair. And before you make a statement like "all they are doing in the second 25 lapper is riding around hoping someone drops out, to gain a spot".....you might want to ask a few of them if that is indeed the case. Of course, you take the risk of getting knocked on your ass, because it might appear as though you are challenging their desire to race and compete!

This year is the first year I can think of where the 50 lap format took something away from the race, mostly because the track went away in that last segment. 

But I wouldn't change it because it's produced some amazing races since 2010.

Funny you say that,because I did ask one of those drivers who were lapped early on,and he did say all he was doing in the second 25 laps was racing a handful of cars that were a lap down also and although he passed a few more cars,it was to no benefit. Hence why I brought that idea up. Funny that, I didn't get knocked on my ass for asking,he agreed with me.

I say -- 40 laps  - no stops, no open reds.

Respect your opinion. But, you are in a very small minority. 

A sprint race with a scheduled stop isnt truly a sprint by definition. Keep it as long a possible for the fuel they can carry and pick your set up before the green and live with it. Fuel stop if necessary due to too many yellows.

Just one more opinion.

Even though I may not know you, I 
care what most of you think!

It's definetly a sprint race by definition, only difference is it's two of them!    I like the format for a couple of different reasons, but one of them is that it gives guys that start towards the back a better chance a better chance of winning.   Jason Johnson was a good example of this on Saturday.   He start 17th and moved up well and I think it was 5th or 6th at the break.   He didn't advance any more in the second half, but at least he had a chance though.

Im wondering if anyone is asking this question if the 57 passes the 15 at the end? I don't remember hearing this at all last year.

Na. Its not a sprint if you plan to take a rest in the middle.lol. 

How did the break help Johnson if he didnt advance in the 2nd half. Other than tightening up the field and clearing the lanes for the leaders?.

Even though I may not know you, I 
care what most of you think!

I personally like the 50 lap race. Fans get more bang for their buck and the race "has the potential" to be very exciting at the end reference 2010, 2014, and 2016. Even this year it was a nail biter as Larson made a run on Schatz. Not sure of the rules on the stop, but I like a closed red and just give them fuel and let them have at it. Just happy we have a Nationals.

Here are some race leader stats since the race was changed to 50 laps in 2010:

2010: Lap Leaders: Swindell 1-44; Schatz 45; Swindell 46-47; Schatz 48; Shaffer 49-50.

2011: Lap Leaders: S. Swindell 1, Sweet 2-5, S. Swindell 6-14, Schatz 15-27, Pittman 28, Schatz 29-50.

2012: Lap Leaders: S. Smith 1-13, Schatz 14-50.

2013: Lap Leaders: Brown 1-40, Schatz 41-50.

2014: Lap Leaders: Schatz 1-43, Brown 44, Schatz 45-50.

2015: Lap Leader: Schatz 1-50

2016: Lap Leaders: Pittman 1-10, J. Johnson 11, Pittman 12, Schatz 13-26, J. Johnson 27-43, Schatz 44-45, J. Johnson 46-50.

2017: Lap Leaders: Gravel 1-22, Schatz 23-50

35 to 40 lapper without fuel stop. Keep the open reds.

That's OK Mr. Rodin, you can define the word sprint however you like and I'll define it the way I want to and be happy with the Nationals the way it is.   How did the break help Johnson?    You said it yourself!    But he also got a chance to work on his car, like everyone did.    

This subject has been debated numerous times on this board, and I believe it's been calculated, I COULD BE WRONG, that including all the extra laps, potential yellows, that a 40 lap race wouldn't be possible with out a bigger tank. 

Keep It Real

30 is pushing it, 35 is really pushing it, 40 laps basically guarantees a fuel stop.

When they started the 50 lapper I disagreed with it. I didn't understand some of why they did what they did, so rather than bitch about it, I called Cappy. To his credit he was very patient with my questions and did a great job of explaining it. He told me that the cars just burn to much fuel and even running a regular 30 lap A main is pushing their luck on fuel. He didn't think requiring a bigger tank would go over well because the small budget teams would not buy one just for one race, and he didn't want to ask them to. So to him, if you can't run much more than 25 laps on a tank of fuel, make them run 25 laps twice. I told him I was more of a tradiionalist and like the 30 lapper. He agreed and said he was to, but then said that every tradition had to start somewhere and was willing to risk starting a new one. I didn't always agree with Cappy but I respected him. 

This is sort of silly, penalize the leader of a race.  Good luck finding tires that would last 75 racing laps.  The hard ones will blister.  The 2 twenty five lap races are perfect,  or really a 50 lap race with a pit stop.  Schatz domination will not last forever.

If we are going to have a fuel stop (and this year we would have had the race been 30 laps), we might as well have a 50 lap feature with a fuel stop at lap 25 or thereabouts.

Personally, I think that the WoO (and all local tracks that run 410's), need to start upping the laps on all features which will "force the hand" of all team owners to buy the larger tanks when they are purchasing new for the next season.  They can still sell their smaller tanks to 360, 358 and 305 teams so it's not like they are making them obsolete, they are just making it so a team owner has to think twice before ordering a small tank for the next season.

I don't have a problem with the break during the race, it does make it in a way two races but it makes it entertaining as a car who's worked their way from say 20th to 7th with field strung out gets a chance to see if they can't throw hat in the ring by bunching up the field at the half. However I will say this, as much people give NASCAR crap about the stage racing... this is essentially the same thing. (Bring out the wolves lol )