Douglas race update

[nitrofa340]

 The bracket racing last year was the main cause of the time delay for the vintage racing. Perry is in a tough position because he needs more entries in the late model racing classes to justify the expense/time involved in setting up the timing system/travel expenses ect that he incurs to run the race. He has told me this himself. That was the main reason he implemented bracket racing,...as a means to increase the number of entries to help off set his expenses. The interest in late model snowmobile drag racing is at an all time low, and this has an effect on the vintage racing as well. Unfortunately the answer is not as simple as eliminating the bracket races. I believe a big help would be to move the vintage race to Saturday as this would help eliminate the time restraints/tension that comes from racing on Sunday afternoon.

[Vintagesleds.com]

[cbohlke]

You all are right . Douglas has been a great place to race .Nitrofa has a point ,it would be best if they could split the vintage from late model sleds.Fri night at Princeton ran for 5 plus hrs. If that many vintage sleds would show at Douglas it would really be bad for both old and new. As for the decline in the new sleds .Not many people can afford $13000 for a sled and another $5000 in the engine just to race it in a class that might only have 2 or 3 sleds in it.

[Yamaha1man]

Amen. I like the track and the people are top notch. I don't blame Perry for looking at #'s I too have talked with him about the entries. I am thankful for what we have and the races we get to go too. See you in Douglas !!!!

[smokin joe]

bracket racing did not clause the prolbem, there was only only 5 runs and it didnt take that long to run, it was just a  bad deal for the vintage guys to sit there all day and be put last and everybody leaving, i hope that we can run the whole show this year and everybody has a good time,bracket racing is for the  guys that dont have the funds to run with the pros, that just my thoughts, keep up the great job down there.

[teamgreen2]

Guys vintage racing we just added a few years back.  Most people that come to the event go to the swap the racing is just a extra we put on. To be honest alot people don't even know half the sleds your guys run.  Most of the classes your run lets be real the sleds are not that fast not that interesting to watch.  Not saying that the 77 SRX's and stuff like that are not fast and fun to watch.  I myself am a huge vintage person.  People that come want to see the new stuff see how fast the stuff is.  The vendors that pay money for the big spots near the track are not selling brand new Ski Daddlers last time I checked.  What wins on sunday sells on monday type a thing.  They pump alot into the sponser ships  not saying the vintage guys dont buy into sponser ships I remember hearing Bill Stulls name over the loud speaker for his business selling Rupp parts.      You guys should be happy we are running you last  gives you time to go through the swap and your the MAIN EVENT.  last time I checked  Metallica didnt come on first. I can see your point wanting to run first.  We can't make everyone happy if we run you first then we have the Pro guys pissing and moaning too that they can't have there cake and eat it to.  Guys trust me every year we have meetings talk about how we can try to please everyone.  We bend over backwards to help make it GREAT for everyone.  Last or first who cares go there enjoy the event all round race your sled. Win or lose everyone is there for one reason and one reason only the LOVE OF SNOWMOBILING. 
   Hearing people cry about not getting there way makes me somedays wanna quit the whole thing.  I work in swap area exporting sleds in and out all day long from sun up to sun down.  I enjoy it most of the time but then you get people that you they bought a sled and theres 10 others waiting for you they want you to drop what your doing and move there stuff not today but yesterday.  It gets frustrating that you dont even have time to take a leak.  They follow you right to the the porta potty thats no lie.  I start at 7am I didnt even get my turkey leg they where sold out by the  time I had time to get one. When I dont get my turkey leg I get crabby lol.  I don't paid a dime to do what I do.  SnoBear (Tom) he doesn't get a dime to put the vintage show on.  He's pulled every direction trying to please everyone. Last year he was pulling his hair out also because things where running late.  People crying about this doesn't  help it makes us feel like crap when we are trying are darnest to make the event great for YOU guys.  The people that live far way and have along drive back we understand that.  Are event is the second to last week in september every year.  Maybe you have to take a day off of work.  I do! I work sunday nights I take sundaynight/monday morning off so you guys can race every year.  Plus I am up all day at the time I normally sleep.  Maybe we should have the races at 2am sunday morning??  That work for you guys??? It works for me! I not here to say its all of you but the few that do. Really makes some of us question why we put the event on it really does.  If you see Perry or Tom tell them thanks at the end of the day for putting on a good show.

[liv4sno]

Pro Drivers? Really!!! that would imply that these guys are getting paid by the manufacturers to race. I'm pretty sure they all have other jobs to pay the bills.  As far as being the " main event" Metallica doesn't play to no audience. Why have Vintage racing on the schedule if we aren't wanted there, even though we outnumber the "Pro drivers" 4 to 1 ?

[nitrofa340]

 "Pro" drivers?? There are currently NO professional drivers involved in grass drag racing that I am aware of. They are simply "enthusiast/hobbyist",....same as the vintage drivers.

[gytgpx]

I agree, their are no pro drivers and all the sleds they race are over 5 years old!!!!
So its not like your seeing the newest stuff out racing any way. It's the same old 03 - 05 sh--

[YamahaDoo]

Sno Bear and Team Green2.  First I would like to thank you for all your time and effort for putting on this event.  Most do not realize how much time it takes. Second I enjoy vintage racing and plan on building a resto sled for next year. But when it comes to the races nothing compares to the new big prostocks and mods. That's what people want to see. The biggest and baddest.  Again I like vintage but 75% of the people at these events were not even born when the vintage sleds where in there hayday. It's just like NHRA the stands are half full until the Nitro cars run. 
It's difficult to run both vintage and new on the same day. Good luck.... 

[NASAkid]

Teamgreen2,

My responses are below:

Solution:
Vintage Racing Saturday (The Pros; we build, test, and drive) 
Late Model Racing Sunday (The Amateurs, focus mainly on matching apparel, and mechanix gloves…their picnic tents are always in the way as well)

“Most people that come to the event go to the swap the racing is just a extra we put on”…If this is true, you would be a fool to only run this show one day…and not two or three….

“To be honest alot people don't even know half the sleds your guys run. Most of the classes your run lets be real the sleds are not that fast not that interesting to watch. Not saying that the 77 SRX's and stuff like that are not fast and fun to watch. I myself am a huge vintage person.”……This explains a large part of the problem down there. Why would someone involved in the Douglas show make this kind of a statement?

“What wins on sunday sells on monday type a thing.”…..False, this is an antiquated sales maxim that is irrelevant….as it pertains to the automobile industry….

“You guys should be happy we are running you last gives you time to go through the swap and your the MAIN EVENT. last time I checked Metallica didnt come on first. I can see your point wanting to run first. We can't make everyone happy if we run you first then we have the Pro guys peeing and moaning too that they can't have there cake and eat it to.”…..I don’t think we have people pissing and moaning, we just want to work towards a common solution, another suggestion is to run vintage first on even years and late model running first on odd years….Is this not a huge part of kindergarten…along with naps, I’m not much for cake either. 

The second paragraph explains itself…The spelling errors were left in your post as well.

P.S. I think it is a good show and I have raced there the last 4 years, but I also feel that showing up supports the problem… 

[sno bear]

Hey Guys Thanks for the support, all we want to do is make people happy by running a great event. We started racing vintage back in 2006 with Tracy Kruger running the show, after his unfortunate passing Brian Sutton came aboard to run the 07 vintage races. After a scheduling conflict Brian couldn't make it for the 08 races, Perry told me vintage racing is here to stay so he took over.
Last years WAS a HUGE mistake & no matter what people think we hire Perry to run our races so that is what he did. Perry's a professional & we respect him, we trust him & after the races start it's all his show. Maybe our club doesn't have the nads to get in his face & tell him how he will run his race like some have said. The main problem he has is his starting time, we ask him to start racing by 10:30 but he has been slipping a bit with a much later start. I talked to Perry, he knows he needs to start earlier to get the whole show in by 4:oo/4:30 so I have trust that he's a man of his word. So if you want to race at Douglas Great! I can't wait to see you... if not sorry, but the vintage races at Douglas are hear to stay.
PS. Our event is a 1 day event so there's a snowball chance in h3!! the Snow Bears would ever do another 2 day event ever. Sad but true.

[Yamaha1man]

See you at the track sno bear !!!

[teamgreen2]

Touch on a few things  I didnt say vintage wasn't wanted.  I am saying you have to look at the real picture here.  I know a lot of people that own sleds have never even heard of a RUPP Magnum or a Speed Way Blue Max.
 Yes there are pro racers anyone that gets money, sleds, discounts and support from the big 4 is a Pro driver.  I also think they get money for 1 st 2nds and 3rds from some of the brands they race.  I dont know about last year that too many of the big name drivers where there compared to years past.  I didnt get over to help with the races till it was just about over.
   About my statement that some of the vintage racing is boring.  If your running a johnson skee horse and big black Mercury sleds.  It takes half the day for them to get down the track.  People want speed thats what they come for is something to be a blur going by.  Ever wonder why we dont use the clay starting line half the time for the vintage??  Most of them don't have enough power to get off the line with out killing because it bogs them down.   We put the show on for everyone not just the vintage sleds.  I am not saying there boring to me but to other people it is.  I am a vintage guy  I am telling you guys the feed back on WHY we do what we DO.

[SnowAttitude]

I know it will never happen,,,
But
It would be neat to have Sat. night vintage races....

after everyone leaves Austin Swap, head over there and watch the races Sat night

Just remember whether its Princeton, Haydays, Douglas..People spend a lot of there own time to put these on for us, raise money for the clubs/trails.....
It sucks when you work so hard, just to have people whine about every little thing... just look at the threads about all three events, no one is happy......
Like they say.. you spend your time volunteering to work these events, show them how its done..

[Tom Priebe]

All this talk of Douglas, and yet not one word mentioned about any 1 AM visits to the pumpkin patch in search of the GREAT PUMPKIN!  I miss that.