Over the years, folks have told me that b*ybacks are not offered at Summit Motorsports Park (Norwalk). I was told this is because their bracket program was/is so well attended that they would never get an event finished if they allowed b*ybacks. Is this still true, even today?

I just find it amazing, if true. And great, also. Take care. Tom Worthington

Absolutely True....No Buybacks in their Program ever...A Specialty Group Renting the Track for a Weekend event conducting there own Race, may have offered BUYBACKS at their discretion , But I cant recall NRP ever doing it in the nearly 50 years we have raced there....400 cars on a Saturday weekly is pretty typical...maybe more...Not a better Track and Operation in the Country...

quote:

Originally posted by S/S Dart:
Absolutely True....No Buybacks in their Program ever...A Specialty Group Renting the Track for a Weekend event conducting there own Race, may have offered BUYBACKS at their discretion , But I cant recall NRP ever doing it in the nearly 50 years we have raced there....400 cars on a Saturday weekly is pretty typical...maybe more...Not a better Track and Operation in the Country...

Wow. Around here, I hear folks say they don't want to go to a bracket race that doesn't have b*ybacks. Reason being, they apparently can't stand the thought of losing in the first round and then being eliminated. If they are consistently getting 400 entries in a single event, I guess the folks in Ohio don't feel that way. Take care. Tom Worthington

quote:

Originally posted by Tom396:
Over the years, folks have told me that b*ybacks are not offered at Summit Motorsports Park (Norwalk). I was told this is because their bracket program was/is so well attended that they would never get an event finished if they allowed b*ybacks. Is this still true, even today?

I just find it amazing, if true. And great, also. Take care. Tom Worthington

Tom, your bucket list should include a trip to the Norwalk facility, especially as a racer.
It's a phenomenal facility, and an atmosphere you'd surely appreciate.
Even if you went to spectate or just tour the facility, it's worth it.

Do they offer a consolation race if you’re put out first round?

quote:

Originally posted by Goob:

Tom, your bucket list should include a trip to the Norwalk facility, especially as a racer.
It's a phenomenal facility, and an atmosphere you'd surely appreciate.
Even if you went to spectate or just tour the facility, it's worth it.

Bucket list? Jeez. As if I didn't feel old already. Take care. Tom Worthington

2 of the 3 closest tracks to me are 1/4 mile and no buybacks for points races.

quote:

Originally posted by Lenny5160:
2 of the 3 closest tracks to me are 1/4 mile and no buybacks for points races.

Say what? I need to get out more. Take care. Tom Worthington

Las Vegas Motor Speedway has no buybacks for the points races. I think we should have them, but no points for the driver after the loss. Anything we can do to help keep the track(s) in business should be done.

Some tracks are not even having a buyback round: you lose, you pay & go to the 2nd round. Sounds like a win...win situation for the track(s) to help stay in business.

2BKING

quote:

Originally posted by B KING:
Las Vegas Motor Speedway has no buybacks for the points races. I think we should have them, but no points for the driver after the loss. Anything we can do to help keep the track(s) in business should be done.

Some tracks are not even having a buyback round: you lose, you pay & go to the 2nd round. Sounds like a win...win situation for the track(s) to help stay in business.

2BKING

Are those places struggling without b*ybacks? Or are they doing well? Take care. Tom Worthington

I like Buy Back races. Why?
1. Because they usually pay more.
2. Because I tend to do better, if I know there is going to have the buy back option I tend to hit the tree harder knowing if I cut it too close I can buy back. I rarely ever have to buy back at those races. I HATE going to a track, spending all the money and going out first round so if there is no buy backs sometimes I am rather conservative first round. Once I get past first round I am more comfortable and look forward to next round.
Running same guy twice because of buy backs? I look at it like if I beat them the first time we both know I can do it again. I am not scared.

Now with that said Buy backs or not is not top priority on choosing where I race. I am not going to tow an extra 2 hours to go to or avoid a buy back race. There are a few tracks that are rough, poorly ran or terrible track prep, buy backs or not I do not want to run there.
I want a well ran, well prepped track and I want them to pay out what they advertise and buy backs or not is not much of a consideration to me.
I would prefer to run 1/4 mile but nobody around here runs 1/4 mile any more........ I know people who would quit racing before they would run 1/4 mile and I know people who quit racing when our local track went to 1/8 mile. To me it is not that big of deal. I prefer 1/4 mile but I am not going to pack up my stuff and quit racing over it.
Basically to me the Buy Backs or not may be about 2% of the decision if I race there. Sounds to me like that is about 99% of if you race there or not. I just think it is not that big of a deal.

Points after Buy Back? I would vote to get points for every round WON and does not matter if it is after buy back or not.

Still that is one of those things that is not a big deal to me I do not care how they do it. As long as they tell us the rules and do not change them during a race or season. Tell us the rules, payout and have ambulance there and lets go.

Our sport is dying I am not going to give up on it because I do not like some little thing.

quote:

Originally posted by Curly1:
Points after Buy Back? I would vote to get points for every round WON and does not matter if it is after buy back or not.

Still that is one of those things that is not a big deal to me I do not care how they do it. As long as they tell us the rules and do not change them during a race or season. Tell us the rules, payout and have ambulance there and lets go.

Our sport is dying I am not going to give up on it because I do not like some little thing.

Seems to be doing OK at Norwalk. Take care. Tom Worthington

quote:

Originally posted by B KING:

Some tracks are not even having a buyback round: you lose, you pay & go to the 2nd round. Sounds like a win...win situation for the track(s) to help stay in business.

2BKING

It would only seem fair then for the guys that won 1st round to be able to buy back into 3rd round.

I'm good with a 1st or 2nd round buybacks, some tracks used to do this; seems like they have gotten away from it now.

2BKING

quote:

Originally posted by Tom396:

quote:

Originally posted by B KING:
Las Vegas Motor Speedway has no buybacks for the points races. I think we should have them, but no points for the driver after the loss. Anything we can do to help keep the track(s) in business should be done.

Some tracks are not even having a buyback round: you lose, you pay & go to the 2nd round. Sounds like a win...win situation for the track(s) to help stay in business.

2BKING

Are those places struggling without b*ybacks? Or are they doing well? Take care. Tom Worthington

I don't know if our track is struggling or not, but our sport is dying a slow death & tracks closing. Something has to change to preserve/prolong bracket racing.

Our track is adapting to pay the bills, but at the cost of giving races/track time for the bracket racers.

2BKING

I'd say Norwalk is certainly the exception to what is happening at tracks across the country. My question is.....why? Is the local population pretty large there? Is there a lack of tracks to compete with them locally? Is there something about their programs that really bring racers from far and wide?

Our local track is with new ownership now and is doing much much better than in previous years. I think we really have all the local racers that aren't traveling to big bucks and who have their cars out regularly. But the numbers are still weak, and not what they were 20 or 30 years ago. Many reasons for that obviously. But is there a secret sauce that will encourage people to drive past another track to come to yours?

I really ask because a great friend is now owning and operating Cordova Dragway. There are obviously some competing tracks there weren't around at one time..Tri State, Cedar falls I think isn't that old. Joliet isn't that old, but is closed for brackets. Maybe there just aren't that many bracket racers within driving distance. Some bracket racers are now small tire racing, which whittles into the population. The big bucks racing eats in a bit as well. The 777's that they have at Cordova are very well attended.
If you were an owner, and cost obviously was a factor, as well as profit, what would you do today for bigger bracket racing car counts?

quote:

Originally posted by Curly1:
Sounds to me like that is about 99% of if you race there or not. I just think it is not that big of a deal.

No. There really aren't any places nearby that have no b*ybacks at all. There is one that does not award points after buying back. So that is the only one that I enter the points at. It's nearly twice as long a drive as the other nearby tracks. Take care. Tom Worthington

I really think we had 5 times more cars / racers in 2000 than we do now.
IIRC we had 19 NHRA tracks in Division four and most had like 200 or more cars trying to make each bracket team. Motorplex ran 23 week schedule and you had to be there most every week and go rounds or you did not make the team. Texas Raceway, Dallas Raceway, North Texas was the same and they all ran on Saturday. There was another track that ran its program on Friday night. Those are just in Dallas/ Fort Worth area. Now I believe we have 9 Tracks in Division 4 some can not even get a full team. Most now you make a couple of races and you are on the team if you want.

Tracks are closing down at an alarming rate. A few new ones have opened up or will but it seems like for every new one we lose 6. With this economy and how racers complain I do not know why anyone would want to invest and build a new track.

I say go out and support your tracks and do not worry if they have Buy Backs or anything minor. To me buy backs or not is simply not any issue and I certainly would not let it run me off one way or the other.