I want to let those who are interested know that we are still waiting to see the 2008 schedules of Bradenton Motorsports Park, and Orlando Speed World Dragway, before deciding to go-ahead with a Corvette Challenge Series at Lakeland Motorsports Park:
BMP has announced Summit Points Series dates of January 12, February 2, and February 23, while OSW has scheduled their Points races for January 19, February 9 (not February 8th, as previously posted ) and February 16 (all races at both tracks on Saturdays ), but neither track has announced schedules from March onward yet.

(it seems OSW has retained their preference of racing on the 2nd & 3rd Saturday of the month, with the 3rd Saturday being an 1/8-mile race )

The last time I spoke with LMP Management in early-December, they still were receptive to letting us run our-own deal, as-often as we'd like, similar to the Series they hosted in early '06, before the track closed for re-organization.

I, along with Fuzzy Yak and Beach Dude, have tried drumming-up support at LMP amongst the MoPar, Mustang, and F-body crowd, hoping to have 4 Series run in-conjunction with each-other:
I have also posted this on a few F-body and Mustang-themed Forums, with very-little (read as NONE! ) feed-back.


I am hoping/relying upon QuikZilver to get the local MoPar enthusiasts involved via his connections when he is able:
I personally don't have a problem with the MoPar class being open to ALL MoPars, but some Chevelle/Nova racers at LMP have given me grief, saying I am 'catering-to' the MoPar crowd because they can run a 'Cuda, a Neon, or a 'Lil Red Truck, but they (Chevelles/Novas ) are excluded from competing with us, proving the age-old adage that "some people aren't happy unless they are bitchin' about SOMETHIN' " .....


If anybody has any advice/suggestions/help, please feel-free to offer it!

 

Talking about Lakeland.. I'm planning on Test&Tuning there tomorrow with the '68.. I fixed some issues and want to see if it'll run ok now..

 

I just got off the phone with Lakeland and they are having a year end bracket race this coming Sunday..$15 to get in and $25 to race in the Sportsman class...they are paying back 100% of the tech card money...

Gates open at 8 AM and they plan to begin time shots about 9 AM...I have decided to make this my last race with the vette...

 

Maybe I'll take my C4 there on Sunday!!

 

Fixed it for ya...

 

I'm working on the Modern Mopar group...trying to get the Central Florida LX Club (Charger, 300C, Magnum) to help spur some additional interest. Have a list going on lxforums.com. I'm going to sign up onto some additional non-LX body boards to try to generate additional interest.

 

Thanks for your help, QZ!


If you supply links to the MoPar threads in this thread, maybe we can join those Forums, and 'cross-pollinate' to generate interest in racing with us at LMP:
feel-free to supply them with this link, so they can see what we are discussing here, too.

 

Glen,
While I admire your efforts to get a Challenge race going in central Florida, the only way you're going to realistically get one is to do one of the following:

Sponsor the race series yourself (or with a group of investors), putting up the purses and essentially paying for it out of pocket.

OR

Find somebody that can do that for you (a shop, whatever).

The rub with either option is the ROI (or lack of it). Sponsors want a return on their investment.


You're already finding out the hard part about promoting... I admire your determination.

 

RX70CC, I don't think it is so-much that we need an investor or a sponsor (but that'd be nice! ):
LMP has agreed to let us run as-many (or as-few ) races as we'd like, whenever we'd like (before the regular Saturday evening program, as BMP allowed us to-do, or during the evening program ), with as-many or as-few cars as show-up, and they will give us 100% of the Tech Card fees back (including 1st Round welfare applications/buy-backs ), for us to distribute however we want in Winnings/purses.

When a few of us tried this at OSW last year, their Track Manager said he didn't care about car-counts at a Series if we started one (but OSW would keep all entry/Tech Card fees, and we'd have-to supply any purses ):
we'd had a solid-core of 10-15 Corvette-owners show-up for several once-a-month informal gatherings at OSW, but once we tried organize a 'scheduled' Series, many bailed-out, leaving just a few who'd commit to racing
(I had decided I'd not-compete, and instead act as liason between the Corvette-racers and OSW Staff at the track on race-day, subtracting yet-another racer from our mix )

When we realized that we'd have just 4 racers showing-up at each event, we put our plans on-hold (with OSW's blessing and the word that OSW would be willing to host a Series in the future, if we try again ) until we had more dedicated and commited racers:
with the number of Corvettes in the area, just 4 racers showing-up to race isn't a 'class', it is a 'cult'.....


As at OSW, I have agreed to not-compete at LMP, and over-see the race-day operations (determine pairings and odd-lot bye-runs, explain rules & rulings, give advice to beginners, write stories, take pictures, etc. ), so I got no dog in this fight:
I'm trying this to further Corvette-racing in the local area.


"IF" we can get enough Corvette-owners who'll commit to racing at LMP 10-12 times a year, we'll go-ahead (regardless of what the Mustang/MoPar/F-body tribe do ) once we have the schedules at the surrounding tracks, scheduling opposite their Points races:
if Corvette-owners in this area would rather wax their cars in the parking-lot of a HOOTERS, wearing a toupee and listening to doo-wop, instead-of using them for their intended-purpose, that is their choosing.....

 

Already ahead of you. Link to here was posted on those boards so they can come and see what it is all about here just before you posted this. Great minds think alike.

 

Robert...LMP is different than other tracks in central florida...as stated, Roy (owner) will allow us to payout 100% of the tech card money to our series racers...he keeps the entry fee and whatever snack bar sakes he can get from us...oh yeah, if we have buy backs we get to keep 100% of that money too...

A sponsor would be nice for trophies only which would not be that much money for the entire year...think about this: if 14 cars show up that would be $280 in the kitty..if 4 buy back that is another $40 at 10bucks per...the pot would be $320...figure at least $200 to the winner and that is a nice little pop for a 5 round event or 4 rounds if you got a bye...

The sponsor gets his name on the trophy and a mention all during the event...also the track might mention them during their test n tune nights...not to bad for the cost of trophies only...

p.s. LMP does not even get involved with the tech cards or fees for this series...you would pay the entry fee at the gate and they would give you your tech card...you fill it out and turn it in to whoever is designated from our series along with the tech fee...same for buy backs...the track never even sees the money...

 

Here are my thoughts, Glen...if car counts are the most important thing maybe we should consider opening it up to all chevy's...I know this might pizz off a few Firebird folks but how many of them are there, really..more Camaro's I would think...

The only thing with opening it up is the loss of exclusivity...a lot of the vette guys like the idea of only racing against other vette's....there would be the possibility of cannabilizing some racers from the regular saturday night brackets but I don't think that would be an issue...the regular racers in the evening bracket event might race both but I seriously doubt they would race our series and then forego the evening event..

Most likely they would race both since the majority of serious racers love the idea of doubling up...they get TWO events for the same entry fee and travelling expenses...

When I suggest "chevy only" I mean any year chevy car or truck...I would not include any vehicle which simply had a chevy motor in it...the super chevy folks allow that and I always thought it was stupid...

 

Dan, I thought a Tech Card @ LMP was $25, not $20 as mentioned above.....

either-way, the night LMP re-opened this November, they had 17 cars in Foot-Brake, with 4 welfare applicants (17 + 4 = 21 x $25 = $525 ), and the last 3 cars agreed the split the purse ($175 each ), and run-off for bragging-rights.....

that's a Helluva-lot better deal than we ever got from another track that shall remain nameless.....


If enough Corvette-racers don't object to opening the class up to all Chevrolet bodied/powered cars, I don't have a problem with that, but from what we've been told by LMP, they don't care about car-counts (like another track that shall remain nameless..... ):
LMP is content with $10 a scalp + selling concessions for our events (that's all they get from their-own races anyhow..... ).


My concern was that 'Corvette-guys', usually being a 'special-breed', would be more-likely to particiapte if they could compete against their-own kind, and less-likely to begin racing if they'd have-to compete against more purpose-built Camaros, Chevelles, Novas, etc.:
after-all, this IS being considered by Corvette-racers who no-longer have a place to race, after losing their ability to race at a track who shall remain nameless.....

I'd think once we and the MoPars begin racing, enough Firebirds & Camaros will hear about what we are doing, and form their-own portion of our events, and probably be followed by the Mustang-contingent:
if we can keep the 4 headed-monster intact (specific-classes for Corvettes, MoPars, F-bodies, and Mustangs ), we have a built-in number, allowing us to have run-offs after each individual class is finished, to determine an over-all Winner, but this is just 'my' thinking on the matter.


This is the place to discuss the guidelines of any Series at LMP for anybody who is interested:
Tracy, who graciously sponsored the Series for several years, and Craig, who helped him run the races and is the defending Champion, as-well-as Kevin, Candace, Ollie, etc., should offer any and all ideas they have, if they want.

 

The problem with it being a Corvette only series is the fact that MOST Corvette owners are the "doo-wop waxer" crowd and wouldn't think of "beating on their baby" like that... (sad but true). My personal thinking is that a Corvette is (gasp! ), just a car. A car that can be raced like any other. A lot of us here in this folder are like minded, and a minority in the Corvette community as a whole.

Making it a multi-brand shootout is difficult, simply because it's then just another footbrake race (which the track already has for the most part). You've got to come up with an idea that's a little outside the box.

 

I have the same concerns for allowing any/all Chevrolets to compete.

 

I share this same concern..if car count is not an issue then let's try to do the vette challenge and, if another brand steps up, fine and dandy...

Glen...the tech card fee is whatever we want it to be...the track does not care or participate in our tech card process...I used 20 and 10 since that's what we used last time...I know the "scalp" fee is $15 for Sunday's race...I was told it may be that way for all events...we will have to double check that info....

 

What are the rules/requirements for tech at an 1/8 mi track?

Just curious
John

 

Glen or Fuzzy, shoot me a PM when you get a chance

 

Generally-speaking, 1/8-mile racing ET is factored-at .64 of 1/4-mile ET:
10.00 x .64 = 6.40 ET in the 1/8-mile.

I'm not-sure what rules/requirements you want/need, but Lakeland is an unsanctioned track, so their rules interpretation can be 'liberal'


I'll shoot you an e-mail, VM9368.

 

Hi guys merry Christmas. I've been away for awhile so I'm just picking up on this thread. It sounds like the momentum is moving away from a true corvette challenge into some kind of hybrid footbrake/vette challenge with the addition of other cars being "non corvette". I like the idea though in the sense that the track would give us a dedicated place & time to race as opposed to being thrown in with the mix of the usual race night events (which always seem to take forever to complete, thats my beef) My thought: I always liked the concept of match ups like the "Vette / Viper shootout" as it narrowed down certain groups into a bragging rights showdowns. Perhaps we can toss that idea out like a Vette/Camaro shootout or Vette / Mopar shootout, Mopar/Camaro, oh I forgot Mustangs, etc..Since the reality of many Vette owners unwilling to punish thier cars as previously stated than a mixed field would probably draw more racers and the purse would go up which in MHO would generate more interest in competing. Also since LMP is not asking for anything more than entrance fees why can't we all donate $5.00 to go towards the cost of a trophy for the winner of the event. I don't know how much a trophy costs these days but its just a thought.
The biggest challenge is getting the word out and generating interest ($$) ...Promoting isn't my forte.