Any one else in the valley interested in watching or competing in the most exciting form of racing there is? Am I the only one? I sure hope they can make this work as I grew up around dirt track racing and I miss going to the races. I have been to the local asphalt track a few times and its just not the same. Been to the cart races and they are exciting, but I need the roar of a V8 to get my blood pumping! What kind of cars does everyone want to see? I hope they run some form of Dirt Modified and/or a wingless sprint with a spec. motor in the sprint. Don't fool your self into thinking that the boise area can support full on Sprint cars or Dirt Late Models on a regular bases as much as I love them. How many people have $20 to $40,000 to put into a motor just to race for a few hundred bucks? That is a recepie for failure. You also need a very low buck class like a 4 banger or bomber class to let people get their feet wet. The biggest sin a track can make is to have to many divisions. There are only so many people who are going to be racecar drivers. Better to have 3-4 classes with a lot of cars than 6 classes with only a few cars in each. Also to many classes gets boring and can drag out a show. Well just wanted to vent my opinion, Lets here from someone else out there.
Slidejob, I couldn't agree more! In addition to too many watered down classes, the people presently controlling local racing have put their own interests before the welfare of the racers. Nearly nothing is being done to keep costs in check. I have raced on dirt only once, and found it to be a great equalizer. I'd love to see a dirt series put together, with possibly only three or four divisions, and keep the rules simple. Tires, induction, and weight are the three easy-to-tech things that will keep costs in check. An entry level 4 cylinder class, a modified 4 cylinder class, and two similar V-8 classes would do it. Keep them all production based, to keep parts cheap, and find a tire for each division that will repeat and perform, to keep those costs at rock bottom. There are cars sitting idle all over this valley, and many racers who would switch to a different track, if the option were available to them. Pleasant Valley could have them all, if anyone cares to organize these racers.
You'r right, dirt is the great equalizer. When I first started racing in '93, I built a motor using mostly stuff me and my dad had sitting around. 350 with pocket ported camel humps, 12.5 comp stock 2bl intake and out of the box 500cfm holley. Only moter rules were cast iron heads, block and 2bl intake and carb. Thats it! I didn't know any better at the time , but we were running against 421ci. plus roller cammed, dart headed, ported intake and huge custom built 2bl carbs that flowed close to 700 cfm. Some of those guys were making 100 horses more than I was. We ran 12" wide late model tires on alum. beadlock wheels on our "Street Stocks". High banked, tacky clay track. My car would bog down in the corners when the track was tacky but I did win a B-main and finish as high as 3rd because the track would dry out by the time the mains started. Used the same motor the next year and won 2 Mains! I don't care how much motor you have, you can only put so much down on a dry track. That is what is great about the Mods, the small hard tire. You have to be a real driver to hustle one of those things around a dirt track. I ran a few Mod races in 2004 at a track that had no moter rules. I had est. 525-550hp running with guys who had motors dynoed at 650+hp. You could not tell on the track. On dirt the best drivers are going to win most of the races and thats how it should be.
So who do we need to talk to to get the ball rolling? I have 5 other guys right now with race ready Mini Stocks who are interested. I know of Hornet racers as well, and a few Street Stock folks who have their cars parked. The racers are out there, and someone needs to convey to them that this is a doable thing, not just more of the same pie- in- the- sky they have been fed for so long. I think the big thing is to write a set of sensible rules for about 4 classes, that will not only allow just about any exsisting race car, but keep them reasonably competitive, and inexpensive. I've studied this stuff for years, and it CAN be done. The time couldn't be better. Everyone just wants to go back to the old fashioned fun of yesteryear, so why not now?
Outlaw Mini, you can try calling the track at the number on the website. Also there are contact numbers on a topic in "The Strip" forum listed as Mark at 941-7504 or Denise at 941-3558. Also get the word out to anyone you can. I don't know to many people around here but I posted about the track on the Southern Idaho Stockcar Message board. I was going to post on the Keevan Motorsports Message board but I can't seem to get logged on. Maybe you or someone else could do that to help get the word out and get some more interest going.
Mark & Denise Campbell are the owners of Pleasant Valley Raceway. And the numbers you provided are the correct #'s to contact them. I've done quite a bit of research and it seems that what I see for Mods in the NW look like adhere to IMCA or close to IMCA rules. The 2 tracks closest to us in Nevada run IMCA rules, and Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wa and Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon have what appear to be IMCA rules with some variations. All these tracks have pretty strong contigients of Mods. Be nice to follow those rules, so as a class like that builds here to have a big blowout (future thoughts on my part). There is plenty to be done to get going, and I'm sure Mark & Denise would welcome any thoughts and or offers of help to make our Ovals a go. Its nice to see interest on our board and welcome
Jay, Our local Modifieds started out with IMCA rules, but were changed over time to the NASCAR Grand American rules. I can't say that was good or bad, because they have good numbers now, as they did in the beginning. I don't know if you could get any of these guys to run dirt or not. Most of them seem loyal to Meridian Speedway, so it's probably a moot point. I do know there are many local cars that would happily race on the dirt, from other divisions. I'll call Mark and Denise when I have a few extra minutes, and see where they are on the subject.
Welcome Alan. Good to have you posting on our board. I have seen many of your posts on the Southern Idaho board. I really don't know anything about the Grand American rules. Are they close to IMCA? What are the differences? Aren't they an Asphalt Class? In any case, I think we would indeed want to have the local contigient of Mods with us at Pleasant Valley Raceway, if they are interested. As for the other cars, the more the merrier. And yes, do contact Mark or Denise. With your experience I am sure they would welcome any input.
Wow, you uncovered my identity, and still say it's good to have me posting here??? LOL! You must be one of only a few who figured out that as cantakerous as I get, I only want eveyone treated fairly and equaly. Unfortunately, that has resulted in two other guys, and myself, jumping on the proverbial grenade. We have lost our ability to participate in local raceing, even as spectators. Hopefully, if Pleasant Valley decides to go foreward, I can bring my humble little Toyota out and play again? As for running the local Mods at Pleasant Valley, I agree completely, if they want to be involved. These cars are awesome on dirt. I saw them run over in Salmon a couple years ago, and thought they were exciting, to say the least. As far as the rules go, I've never compared the two sets of rules side by side, but I know people who have raced the same car under both sets of rules, and there was little difference. I think there are some differences in body rules, the tires are different, and I don't think there is any engine claim rule in the Grand Americans, or if there is, it's much higher priced. The trouble is, at tracks useing the Grand American rules, they seem to all make changes that suit their particular purposes, such as tire brand, crate engines, etc. Every place I've ever seen the IMCA cars, the rules were EXACTLY the same. I like that. I personaly don't like some of the IMCA rules, but they remain consistant, and use the same rules for asphalt and dirt both. Seems to be a good thing.
When the Modifieds started in California most of the tracks ran a Nascar sanction and called them Grand American Modifieds. Rules were exactly the same as IMCA only they had a claim on the heads and intake only so you could build a motor with good parts in the bottom end that would last several years and you didn't go home with a big hole in your engine compartment at the end of the night. Low budget guys (like me) could still build a competitive motor using a lot of stock stuff, just not as strong. Most of the power is in the induction system anyways. A lot of drivers that are new to dirt racing and/or just never run up front like to complain that it is because they don't have the big buck motor that the fast guys have. That is mostly a copout. Driving a racecar on dirt isn't easy. 95% anyone can do, very few can get that last 5% out of the car and track. Just about every time I have ever got out run it was because the other guy out drove me or I crashed. Also run the same tire that every other track any where close is running(IMCA). The promoters is Ca. screwed it all up when they figured out that they could make the racers run "their" track tire and they would get a piece ($) of every tire sold and keep the cars at their track only. End of visiting cars, end of going to other tracks on a off night and end of good car counts.
I am all for putting anything and anyone on the 1/4 mile track but in its current layout it could get ugly quickly. The corners and straights are pretty narrow. I ran my mini sprint on the 1/4 mile for 50 plus laps. I would hate to see what would happen if you lost control in the corners. With no barrier you're looking at space shuttle time. And its going to hurt when you land. I am looking forward to the meeting on Jan 8th to get the real skinny has to what Mark has in mind. See ya there.
I have not seen the track. With that said, I am in favor of a wide track. It gives the bigger cars room to race, promotes more passing and gives you more room to avoid wrecks. Also the tracks I have raced at are about 50/50 with and without walls in the corners. I have tore up way more cars and taken some hard hits because there is nowhere to go when something happens with a wall. No wall gives you room to avoid an accident or reel your car back in after you misjudge the track surface and haul it in way to hot. A dirt track changes so much during a race night, its never the same as it was earlier, ie. hot laps, or heat race. You never really know how your car is going to react the first time you hit that corner at full speed. Make no mistake about it, there is going to be a lot more carnage on dirt than on asphalt, mostly because the learning curve is so steep and new guys will drive way over their heads. Thats just my opinion. Glad to see other people posting their thoughts too.
I am glad to finally see a dirt track come to Idaho for the full size cars i moved from Idaho to Colorado because of no dirt tracks i run a 76 Camero nothing special in it and i will be moving back to Idaho if you can run a somewhat mid to low budget class in the full size car i have always run 3/8 oval dirt i started in Alaska be lieve it or not they seem to me to be the best size for my Cameros but i would love to try the 1/4 mile..
Racedog I have watched dirt races all my life at everything from a very small 1/4 mile all the way to 1 mile dirt tracks (not counting cart tracks). The best racing is on 1/4 to 3/8 tracks.... Any bigger than that and its all about horse power and who ever has the most will walk away from everyone else. Very boring! Watched winged 410 sprinters on a mile track doing 165mph down the straights, still not a good race. Hopefully they can overcome the people/legal issues that are in the way and make this track a reality.
I have a dirt mod that I am just finnishing putting together and would love to come turn a few laps to test out the new track and help out in what ever way I can.
Thanks for your interest USAFRACER. You should call Mark @ 941-7504. We do have a Mini Bullring event scheduled for the 15th. May be a good time to come out.
I will see what I can do to make it out there at least to check the track out. We have a family BBQ that weekend but I should be able to pull away for a few.
Is there any one else here that had a dirt mod? I am thinking about heading to the other side of the state to do some racing and any info would be great.
