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The death of handicapping in Central PA has begun! Although it's not time trials, but it's a start! Thanks Port Royal!

http://portroyalspeedway.com/index.php/2011/04/new-lineup-procedures-and-bonus-package-go-into-effect-immediately-handicapping-process-dropped/#more-761

NEW LINEUP PROCEDURES AND BONUS $ PACKAGE GO INTO EFFECT IMMEDIATELY, HANDICAPPING PROCESS DROPPED

April 14th, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 4/14/11

Port Royal – A new attitude for a new decade of auto racing at Port Royal Speedway has yielded a major change to how the speedway will conduct its weekly auto racing programs for the balance of 2011.

PRS Promotions officials have announced that the track will launch a new heat and feature alignment procedure beginning this Saturday, forsaking the long entrenched handicapping system and associated penalty clauses at the oval.

“It’s our hope that this innovative new lineup process will help to bolster our regular fields while at the same time adding excitement to our programs by making every position more worthwhile in the heat races,” says PRS Promotions official and speedway promoter Steve O’Neal.

“After receiving feedback from a host of competitors and considering the current state of the economy, we realize that a lot of our regular racers cannot afford to run weekly and this move should help all racers be able to race with us whenever they are available because all penalizations have been dropped and we’re not asking them to start out the night at what has become a costly disadvantage,” O’Neal says.

The new heat draw/feature redraw system will now be utilized for regular programs that include 410 sprints, late models and pro stock divisions. Although most of these programs will take place on traditional Saturdays, the new process will be used for the divisions on a few other occasions during the course of the season.

In a nutshell, the new procedure will see heat lineups set by draw with the top two (2) heat finishers redrawing for preferred feature starting positions, which could range (dependent on the number of heat races) from four (4) to eight (8).

The rest of the cars in the feature will be started heads-up based on their heat race finish. For instance, the third finisher in the first heat would start fifth in the feature if two heats are contested or seventh if three heats are run, etc.

As an added twist to the new system for the fans and drivers, a financial bonus package has also been introduced.

If any one of the redrawn preferred position starters opts to give up his or her chosen spot and take the feature green from the 11^th spot on the starting grid (or further back if more than one redrawn driver opts to try for the bonus), he or she will be eligible for the following bonus money on top of the regular winner’s share: 410 sprints – $300; late models – $200; and pro stocks – $100.

Aside from the redrawn preferred starters, any other regularly scheduled starter slated to go green from 11^th to last-place in the field will be eligible to claim the bonus bucks if they race into victory lane.

If any of the redrawn preferred position starters opt to move back in the field to try for the bonus cash, the balance of the lineup in front of row six will simply advance position accordingly to take the feature green flag.

Port Royal Speedway will host the first of only two appearances by the super sportsman this season Saturday, April 16. Also on the racing card is the 410 sprints and late models with admission gates opening at 5 PM and racing slate for 7

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Why not just have qualifying like all other 410 tracks (minus WG & Lincoln).

A $300 bonus doesn't seem like much of a bonus IMO to start 11th on back when the first couple rows will surely have fast cars up front. How many wins would Kauffman, Shaffer and Dewease have at Port over their careers if they started in the first two rows every night?

Ohio doesn't qualify either.

I hate pill draws. I hate straight up starts for the main events. There is nothing more boring than when one of the "top" cars draws the pole from the heat. The driver will then run away from everybody in the heat, start on the pole in the main, and then run away from everybody in the main.

A handicapping/ point average system is much better and produces much better racing.

I couldn't disagree more. I've seen better racing during time trial events here in Central Pa the last few years vs. handicapping.

We will see how the "luck of the draw" plays out...but I like the idea better than handicapping.

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I think the biggest plus is it could bring additional cars in to run that would have not came otherwise due to having to start on the tail on night due to handicapping. Sounds like a good move to me.

Attica doesn't but Fremont does. It's only one lap which, in my opinion, should be the limit for all series anyways. I've never been to regular show at KC so, I don't know if they Q or not either.

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... i like the one lap qualifying too... the woo did that at chico one year... it was quick ... entertaining.... and i think leads to a better shuffle of the cars...

While there is no perfect answer.. perhaps it should be viewed as the highest level of dirt track racing and therefore no handiapping at all.

I say pill draw, 2 heats of 7 laps /car with a total invert of the heats.

Then line the feature up by the total positions from the heats , lowest to highest. ( two wins is two points, a win and 5th is 6 points etc) with the tie break going by your initial pill draw.

7 laps around Port Royal is plenty to sort out positions.

I would hate to see a championship come down to the last race and the luck of a pill draw determine the winner !

I hate qualifying, pill draw the heats, top 2 for each heats runs a pill drawn dash, winner of the dash draws inversion pill, (0,2,4,6,8) depending on number of cars in dash. Then pay the $300 bonus if the same driver wins the dash and feature. Qualifying is a waste of time, more laps on the track and fuel for the owners.

I don't like this at all. Looks like to me they are catering to the likes of Todd Shafer, Dewease, Pittman etc. Really going to hurt the lesser funded teams like the Bolgers, Heckman, Stroups, Hahn etc. Also won't be as fun to watch guys like the "jerks" Layton and Mark Smith run over people to get to the front. How many wins to you think Kauffman, Paxton, Snellbaker would have if they had done this back in the day. I quess I will have to start going ot Lincoln full time now!!!!!!

This needs to happen as Port is only getting 20 cars or less each week... and it's very early in the season.

The thing is, is this really going to help the car count at Port? Maybe Zemco will show up there a couple Saturdays on a whim or some teams will get pissed off at Lincoln and tow to Port as a result. But I don't know that it really does anything for the car count. I know you have just recently moved to this area, but Port's car count has actually been pretty good the last several years. I never remember it as a place that got lots of 410s because it is fast and requires very good stuff to run up front. Port had some real lean years car count and quality wise back in the mid '90s when Lance and Todd literally won 80-90 percent of the features and some weeks the car count was in the 16-17 range.

I agree 100%. Don't expect to see much passing at port royal this year.

A

KC uses transponders and qualifies during hot laps. It beats drawing a pill.

Here are opinions from a few drivers:

http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2011/04/port_royal_speedway_makes_majo.html

Port Royal Speedway promoter Steve O’Neal has made a dramatic format change eliminating the traditional points handicapping system.

The 410 sprints, along with the late models and pro stocks, will draw for starting spots for the heat races for the remainder of the season. The top two finishers in each heat race will redraw for the feature. The remainder of the field will be set by heat race finish.

He’s hoping the change will encourage more cars to attend Port Royal as often as they can without being penalized in the heat races and feature.

“It’s our hope that this innovative new lineup process will help to bolster our regular fields while at the same time adding excitement to our programs by making every position more worthwhile in the heat races,” O’Neal said.

Here are a few opinions from Port Royal sprint car drivers beginning with Harrisburg’s Chad Layton, who is the defending track champion.

“They’re trying to do things to keep the track going and you can’t down them for that,” Layton said. “I don’t want to say it’s a bad idea yet because you’ve got to put the plan in action and see if it works. The idea of trying to get cars there is a bright one because 16 cars isn’t going to cut it.”

“Right now, I’d like to do it the old way because I’m so far behind in points,” Layton said. “If they would have done it last year when I was the point leader, it would have been a chance for me to start better than 12th. In the end, I think it will be pretty fair. Some people may get lucky and start up front more regularly than others, but that’s part of the game.”

“I’m second in points, so now I know when I go up there I have a chance at a decent starting spot,” said former champion Mike Erdley. “I’m for it right now, but there’s guys it’s going to hurt.”

Erdley said he doesn’t have a problem with outsiders coming in and maybe starting ahead of him.

“That place needs to keep going and they need to do what they need to do,” he said. “The cream still rises to the top. As long as they’re there and supporting it, I’m okay with it. I’m sure some guys that start on the front row every week are going to be (mad).”

“It helps me because when I go race something else I don’t get penalized,” said Steve Buckwalter, who will miss some shows when he’s racing his ARDC midget. “As long as the cars show up, it’s great. I don’t think redrawing two is near enough. If you have to start at the back of the heat, you’ve not getting up to the top two.”

Former World of Outlaws driver Justin Henderson would have benefitted from the handicapping system, but he supports the change.

“If somebody wants to come in and race with you and you’re going to penalize them and make them start at the back, why the hell would anybody want to go to somebody else’s racetrack,” Henderson said. “On the flip side of that, Pennsylvania has some of the best racing in the country and a lot of that is because of the handicapping.”

Bonus money will also be available if a driver that is eligible to redraw chooses to start 11th instead. For sprint cars, it will be $300, late models $200 and pro stocks $100.

I give credit to O’Neal for going against the norm and trying something new. It may work and it may not. Only time will tell that. However, I would let the top three in each heat redraw.

Port Royal added another change which isn’t a good idea. The previous week’s feature winner will have to start 11th the next time they enter a race at PR. Are we penalizing drivers or not? This rule doesn’t belong with this system.

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I'm not so sure about that. I've always seen actual qualifying sessions at K-C Raceway using a timing light. I didn't think the track had a transponder wire. Up until this season, K-C has qualified both the sprints and LMs - thankfully, after enough late nights, they have pulled back to qualifying only one class per night this year (and it won't necessarily be either of the headline classes if a touring mod show is in town).

Signature here.

Apparently the promoter is under the impression that the fans are a bunch of drooling moron frontrunners who want to see the same 2 or 3 guys win all the races.

Apparently the new management team has the guts to move forward with a better idea. Handicapping didn't produce better racing, not in the last 3 years.

The new system starts tonight!

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