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Gulf Coast Modifieds bring uncertainty to Ocala Speedway
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Location: Blogs Running Wide Open |
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| Posted by: Joe VanHoose |
4/13/2007 3:48 PM |
Ocala Speedway Open Wheel Modified drivers will guard their territory this evening when the Gulf Coast Modified Series invades their home track. The series brings along different cars, different engines, and a different set of rules that could mix up the typical results by night's end.
"It's early in the year, so you never really know how many cars you'll have," said Gulf Coast Modifieds Director Rick Hall. "We'll have some running with the series, and I'm sure we'll have some that just run at Ocala."
But therein lies the problem. Gulf Coast Modifieds race smaller motors that create less horsepower than the frontrunners at Ocala Speedway who race open motors. To even the playing field, Ocala Speedway regulars must add weight to their cars to match the power-to-weight ratio of the visiting series.
Some Ocala racers say that adding weight to their cars will hurt their chances of running well.
"Anytime you add weight to the car, you have to figure out a new setup to get back what you had," said Ocalan Kevin Terry, who races regularly at Ocala Speedway. "Fortunately for us, we don't have to add that much weight.
"There'll be some others out there who'll probably have to add more, and that will definitely hurt them."
All modifieds start with a 350-cubic-inch engine, and for Gulf Coast cars, that's it. But Ocala Speedway cars can change several engine parts to push the size of the engines upward of 400 cubic inches that generate a lot more horsepower.
"It's cubic inches and cubic dollars," said Dave Barber, a Gulf Coast Modified car owner. "Gulf Coast was designed for small $6,000 engines, whereas some guys got $30,000 in big motors.
"It prices me right out of having fun anymore."
But cheaper costs do not necessarily mean bigger car counts. FASCAR, the largest auto racing sanctioning body in the state, took over the Gulf Coast series beginning this year and changed several rules leading up to the first race in February. Only 19 cars showed up, and FASCAR officials decided to change the rules once again.
The sanctioning body split the series into the Gulf Coast Modified Series for racecars with small engines and the Xtreme Modified Series, an open engine class. But the move is yet to show positive results as only 12 cars raced in the Xtreme Modified Series opener.
"They chopped the series in half and killed us, we went from 16 scheduled races to only seven," said Joe Smith, who owns a Gulf Coast Modified that will not be racing in Ocala this weekend. "They keep changing rules and it costs a lot of money and time to keep up.
"You can make more money and keep your sanity running at your local track than running the series now."
While FASCAR officials will be praying for a good turnout this evening from its drivers, Ocala Speedway regulars will try to figure out a better way to get around the track with a little more weight. Some local drivers feel confident that they can take a win from the FASCAR traveling circus, though no one seems to know how large that circus will be.
"They'll probably bring 10 or 15 more cars than we usually have, so it will be a good show," said Ocala Speedway frontrunner Troy Robinson. "It won't be anything too extravagant for us though. We'll be ready."
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