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Post by ghostthatneverlies on Nov 24, 2010 17:27:08 GMT -5
The 1051 Afcos can be bought anywhere, so if you dont phase them out, some will be buying them 10 years from now, So what? If guys want to run a shock that is "inferior" then why not let them? The reason is that Tobias doesn't make any money on an Afco 1551 bought from Speedway Motors. I'm sure a bunch of guys like their setups the way that have them. Spending $320 in shocks PLUS the stupid brackets at $20 a pop and coil overs and reconfiguring the ends doesn't interest them right away. But we have to do it by July or we can't race. One of the first rules in the "book" is that you can adjust your car anyway you want it. I guess its really just any way you can and still buy parts from him on a regular basis. The 08 body is a better body than the earlier ones, and I think most people like to see something new now and then. Who are these people? I haven't seen too many of them. I think what teams want in a SPEC division like this is to have the same body to deal with year after year. Hey guess what?? No matter what you do it still looks like a high sided mini modified. Instead of having us pay upwards of $500 plus the labor to hang and letter the stupid body every 5 years can we just pick a style and stay with it? Replace PIECES each year that you bend not entire bodies. The average lettering job is getting up to $500 for a fully done up car. If you aren't handy enough to hang a body that will run you around $150. THE FANS DONT CARE that the hood is a little different or the panels are straighter. Its the same old type of car slamming into each other out there. They aren't going to stop coming just because the bodies are the same year after year. So lets assume a new team has gone out and purchased a "race ready" slingshot over the off season. It has the 05 body, 4 Afco shocks, and a motor with 15 races on it. They bought it for $4000 (you know that is about the average price). In order to race THROUGH the summer which includes July they must do the following: Engine refresh (at minimum a top end) $400+ New Body $500 Hang Body $150 Letter Body $500 4 Bilsteins $320 2 Brackets $40 Coil over kits and the shock end changeovers $150-200 Grand total $2110 of work that needs to go into this car so that it is LEGAL to race. Not to mention the $75 registration and the inspection fee. :Error 404 Affordable Not Found:
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Post by slingster on Nov 24, 2010 21:10:22 GMT -5
And don't forget about a possible $200 for a harness if yours is out of date.....happened to us last year. Like a 5 year old 3" 5 point harness isn't good enough for a 39hp fully caged slinger.
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Post by hammerdownpower on Nov 24, 2010 21:41:46 GMT -5
Lot of good points there. Tough to keep up sometimes. We ended up selling our car and are now putting together another using spares and a body i had to do some barter work for. Luckily we have formed some good friendships over the years that allow us to either borrow rides, parts or money to keep racing. I have alot of ideas to make the division better but its not up to me and things don't get "voted on" or anything so i just keep them to myself and enjoy it as it comes.
Oh and the belts thing isn't a slinger thing. You'll have that in any caged division. Even though its your own life on the line the safety factor is still there. Nobody knows what people do to these belts. Heck some people even leave their cars outside to sit and rot when they aren't racing them. Fabric doesn't take kindly to that so in that sense the rule is a nice precaution i think.
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Post by bobsnyderphoto on Nov 25, 2010 3:21:23 GMT -5
Lot of good points there. Tough to keep up sometimes. We ended up selling our car and are now putting together another using spares and a body i had to do some barter work for. Luckily we have formed some good friendships over the years that allow us to either borrow rides, parts or money to keep racing. I have alot of ideas to make the division better but its not up to me and things don't get "voted on" or anything so i just keep them to myself and enjoy it as it comes. Oh and the belts thing isn't a slinger thing. You'll have that in any caged division. Even though its your own life on the line the safety factor is still there. Nobody knows what people do to these belts. Heck some people even leave their cars outside to sit and rot when they aren't racing them. Fabric doesn't take kindly to that so in that sense the rule is a nice precaution i think. Totaly aggree on the belt issue. A cage on a racecar offers protection only as long as you are strapped in safely. What many people don't know is everything that can compromise the integrity of the belts. As you said the belts can rot from setting out and not drying. The residue from oil, fuel, and dust control addatives used on the racetracks, and even carwash detergents do deteriorate the belts. Before everyone went with the date rule I saw belts break in big cars. Yes it does happen and people are hurt or killed. Never compromise safety for the sake of a couple hundred dollars when it comes to your life.
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Post by Kurt Bettler 2B on Nov 25, 2010 11:28:45 GMT -5
Yeah cars sitting outside... the belts get bad, things rust, car gets nasty... I once saw a car in Atlantic City that got on the gas and leaves went all over the surface, dirt and so on... I cant believe some people who cant even put a tarp over the cars... This is what tobias is trying to weed out, the junky looking cars, the rusted and the dangerous....
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Post by gennemo on Nov 26, 2010 7:04:21 GMT -5
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
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Post by slingster on Nov 26, 2010 9:25:10 GMT -5
I don't see why they can't just test and recertify the belts though. But anyway, you would have to be an idiot to let one of these things sit outside uncovered for the off season. Ours sits on the trailer under the car port whenever its not at the track. In fact, its never been off the trailer at home - not even once.
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Post by jgarcia on Nov 26, 2010 13:33:27 GMT -5
I dont care what tobias tells me I have to do. Im going to run off all my afco shocks, and current tires. Helmet?? Joke. Im buying a new one anyways because mines beat up over a 4 year span, Othwewise it just arrogant. Other than that, I may show up at tracks in PA (non-tour races)with my current equipment. The only thing that will be new is a red sealed motor and 2011 body. I will still have the old tires, and afco shocks. When the times comes to replace my old equipment then yes, I will. But other then that tobias needs to calm down with trying to make money off all of us.
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Post by slinger7 on Nov 26, 2010 13:41:59 GMT -5
The belts are not a Tobias rule that's mandated by the state in Pa it's 5 years and N.J. it's 2 years other states I'm not sure.
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Post by slinger7 on Nov 26, 2010 13:52:48 GMT -5
jgarcia;All I can say is if you show up at a track and get DQ don"t complain because you where informed of the rule changes.It does'nt matter if its a tour race or not the rules are what they are.
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Post by slingster on Nov 26, 2010 15:50:19 GMT -5
Yeah, the guy on a motorcycle with 200hp can go bombing down the road with no helmet on but a guy in a racecar with a lawnmower engine and a big steel cage around him has to have everything up to date. This state has its priorities all fukked up.
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Post by Kurt Bettler 2B on Nov 26, 2010 18:35:03 GMT -5
Would you rather the insurance rates go up for local tracks forcing them to higher pit pass rates due to helmets and belts? No...
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Post by slingster on Nov 26, 2010 20:18:23 GMT -5
Thats a good point. The prices are already crazy. Alot of money just between the driver and one crew guy for like 10-15 minutes of racing. But we have alot of fun. Probably won't be as much fun without you at the track though Kurt.
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Post by jgarcia on Nov 27, 2010 22:37:42 GMT -5
jgarcia;All I can say is if you show up at a track and get DQ don"t complain because you where informed of the rule changes.It does'nt matter if its a tour race or not the rules are what they are. I wasn't aware that it was for all tracks that didnt include tours and nationals.. Oh well, It is what it is. Rules are rules. We will all learn to adjust to them. What we all need to remember is that eventhough rules require us to spend, I can only imagine how much money thoes SPEEDSTRS, modifieds, and sprint car owners are putting into THEIR cars. How much does an engine cost for a 358 modified?? as oppose to a $2000 slingshot engine. That alone makes me happy to be racing in this division
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Post by slingster on Nov 28, 2010 8:05:04 GMT -5
jgarcia;All I can say is if you show up at a track and get DQ don"t complain because you where informed of the rule changes.It does'nt matter if its a tour race or not the rules are what they are. I wasn't aware that it was for all tracks that didnt include tours and nationals.. Oh well, It is what it is. Rules are rules. We will all learn to adjust to them. What we all need to remember is that eventhough rules require us to spend, I can only imagine how much money thoes SPEEDSTRS, modifieds, and sprint car owners are putting into THEIR cars. How much does an engine cost for a 358 modified?? as oppose to a $2000 slingshot engine. That alone makes me happy to be racing in this division Thats the thing I guess we all have to remember. The whole reason most of us got into slingshot racing to begin with. Cheapest thrill in racing but its still racing and racing will never be "cheap". Affordable maybe, but never cheap.
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