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Post by FrankTheTank on Jan 14, 2009 12:21:46 GMT 12
What are people's thoughts? After a few season's of frustrated spectating, I can no longer see the need for the Superstock class. Sure, Superstock Teams Champs is still the consistently the best meeting on the Speedway calendar, but who knows how long that event is sustainable for. With the growth in Stockcars, I can see that class's Teams Champs taking over as number one in the next few years.
Superstocks have bumpers for a reason, and a large majority of drivers have forgotten that. People will get on hear and say "get a car and see how it feels" etc, but I am entitled to an opinion as a paying spectator, who won't be paying to watch big Superstock meetings much longer. Why have Superstocks if they just race round and round? Why do those drivers persist with Superstocks and not another class like Sprintcars or Super Saloons?
If they are too fast to hit without causing injury, slow them down! The excitement provided by one class should be much bigger than the actions of one driver (Rees). With all the talk of getting Speedway onto TV, who is going to want to watch Superstocks go round and round on TV? Non-Speedway people expect them to use their bumpers. One of the saleable products of Speedway is the contact side of it, which is unique compared to most other forms of motorsport. Without contact, there is no unique product.
I don't expect people getting wound off the straight each lap, but a few wallings and some blocking would at least provide some excitement.
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Post by King James on Jan 14, 2009 12:39:33 GMT 12
Personally, I dont really hold to many expectations.
Superstocks are the class I have majorly followed since birth & always will continue to do so.
I like to go along and support my favourite drivers from all over the country. The man thing for me is travelling around and seeing my mates from out of town and meeting new people. This would'nt happen as much for me personally, If I didnt follow the superstock class.
Stockcars are an awesome action attraction, I love them as I always have, but Superstocks are still home for me
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Post by steeldog on Jan 14, 2009 12:42:55 GMT 12
I wonder what it would be like to have psuedo teams super stock racing? Nights where super stocks were paired for the night and points were awarded to both on the highest ranking finisher. The pairs could be pre-arranged for a series or marble draw on the night to mix it up more. The only thing is that there would have to be someway for everyone to know who was paired with who - Coloured flags maybe? Just a brainstorm  (or maybe explosion  ) |
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Post by knownotmuch on Jan 14, 2009 12:47:21 GMT 12
While drivers still drive them and people still flock to watch them,(will be standing room only in Rotorua this Saturday), I guess they still have a place.
Having said that we now only travel to watch the stockcar class and sometimes saloons. Superstocks just don't hold the same attraction for Jill and I as Stockcars.
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Post by FrankTheTank on Jan 14, 2009 12:50:07 GMT 12
Personally, I dont really hold to many expectations. Superstocks are the class I have majorly followed since birth & always will continue to do so. I like to go along and support my favourite drivers from all over the country. The man thing for me is travelling around and seeing my mates from out of town and meeting new people. This would'nt happen as much for me personally, If I didnt follow the superstock class. Stockcars are an awesome action attraction, I love them as I always have, but Superstocks are still home for me Some good points, and I agree with you regarding following favourite drivers etc. I want to see Speedway grow, and any new people coming along are going to be disappointed and question the need for Superstocks due to the lack of bumper work. Alot of people perceive Speedway to be the "Stockcars" and to them they hit each other. Speedway is a marketable product, but is nowhere near it's potential for these reasons (and others). I can see Stockcars going down the same path as Superstocks too with less contact. |
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Post by FrankTheTank on Jan 14, 2009 12:53:45 GMT 12
While drivers still drive them and people still flock to watch them,(will be standing room only in Rotorua this Saturday), I guess they still have a place. Having said that we now only travel to watch the stockcar class and sometimes saloons. Superstocks just don't hold the same attraction for Jill and I as Stockcars. Sure, people still watch them, but for how much longer? Is it the chance of some action? I know that is one reason I was following them. But you can only give them so many chances. It should be "Superstocks: Action Guaranteed". There would be a whole lot more people through the gate at an average meeting if there was some action other than the flag racing variety. |
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Post by MadMarty13B on Jan 14, 2009 12:56:02 GMT 12
I ve seen a lot of stockcar races where there has been little or no bumper work especially at your track frank the tank in palmy
I would be more worried about your name,most tanks these days want to flag race now thats an ugly sight
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Post by joedirt on Jan 14, 2009 12:57:19 GMT 12
No need for a Superstock class? Interesting, I bet a lot of people in the South Island beg to differ. Im sure the recent happenings in the 2 major meetings so far have surely put a lot of life back into the class down here. The crowd in Nelson was close to full house which can only be a good thing.
Sure there wasn't race after race of walling or blocking but the racing was top quality and value for money. We can't expect these guys to go out and do that race after race, you can almost guarantee that instead of high number high quality fields we would end up with barely enough cars to race at club meetings and the like due to the damage bill and time needed to repair the damage being to much, which in turn means less crowd numbers, less money for clubs and it snowballs from there.
In my opinion Standard Stocks are boring, it all seems slow motion to me and i just cant get into watching them but thats just me. Superstocks are what I go to see, whether it be teams or individual meetings. Don't get me wrong, i like it as much as the next guy when someone decides to stir it up a little bit but realistically we can't expect it week in week out.
Personally im happy with where they are at and i enjoy seeing a pack of cars battling it out side by side, using the bumper, rubbing and squeezing to get that little bit extra to make the pass. It is still a unique sport and will be for a long time yet.
I guess there is quite a simple solution to it, if they aren't giving you what they want then dont attend the meetings but I know im happy and will be for a long time yet
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Post by FrankTheTank on Jan 14, 2009 12:59:55 GMT 12
I ve seen a lot of stockcar races where there has been little or no bumper work especially at your track frank the tank in palmy I would be more worried about your name,most tanks these days want to flag race now thats an ugly sight The same problem is beginning to appear in Stockcars, and will kill crowds for good. I was dissappointed at Meanee on Saturday night to see two of the top three point scorers after two heats not get any attention in heat three. And as for flag racing tanks, what's the point? If you want to flag race all of the time, there are some more effective chassis types for that. |
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Post by FrankTheTank on Jan 14, 2009 13:06:43 GMT 12
No need for a Superstock class? Interesting, I bet a lot of people in the South Island beg to differ. Im sure the recent happenings in the 2 major meetings so far have surely put a lot of life back into the class down here. The crowd in Nelson was close to full house which can only be a good thing. Sure there wasn't race after race of walling or blocking but the racing was top quality and value for money. We can't expect these guys to go out and do that race after race, you can almost guarantee that instead of high number high quality fields we would end up with barely enough cars to race at club meetings and the like due to the damage bill and time needed to repair the damage being to much, which in turn means less crowd numbers, less money for clubs and it snowballs from there. In my opinion Standard Stocks are boring, it all seems slow motion to me and i just cant get into watching them but thats just me. Superstocks are what I go to see, whether it be teams or individual meetings. Don't get me wrong, i like it as much as the next guy when someone decides to stir it up a little bit but realistically we can't expect it week in week out. Personally im happy with where they are at and i enjoy seeing a pack of cars battling it out side by side, using the bumper, rubbing and squeezing to get that little bit extra to make the pass. It is still a unique sport and will be for a long time yet. I guess there is quite a simple solution to it, if they aren't giving you what they want then dont attend the meetings but I know im happy and will be for a long time yet Maybe it is the novelty of seeing big fields of high quality that attracted the numbers? A more common site in the North Island than the South. Some of the guys in the class never hit! What is the excuse for that? Seems they are in the wrong class. I would rather watch a small field of guys who hit, than watch a large field of flag racers. I can get flag racing from other classes. I am going to stop travelling to watch them. It is a hard call after over twenty years of following them. I would rather it hadn't got to this, hence the posts. |
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Post by sonic33 on Jan 14, 2009 13:18:32 GMT 12
I mentioned something similiar on the 240's thread.
I share your thoughts Frank the Tank. (not all people do tho). I don't expect teams racing type hits. I am meaning spinning or blocking, actually using the bumpers to influence the outcome of a championship. A change of attitutude from those well out of contention still flag racing and those with flat tyres circulating and not getting invloved whilst getting lapped every couple of laps by the leaders.
I would of expected Ngahihi to have replied, but he may be busy trying to organise my ride in the 2 seater in vegas :-)
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Post by MadMarty13B on Jan 14, 2009 13:20:41 GMT 12
They need to put stirrers money up
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Post by King James on Jan 14, 2009 13:52:24 GMT 12
You are right Frank!
It is a marketable product, sometimes I feel that if it was packaged like a wrestling event eg showcasing the stars, showcasing the rivalries, working with drivers to provide action, extra prize money to the guys putting body and car on the line etc... (all these things have been talked over before of course)
You only have to look back at advertising in the 70's & 80's to see that they used to make stockcars slap you in the face and you had to go to catch the action... well so my elders have told me lol
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Post by azza007 on Jan 14, 2009 13:52:41 GMT 12
Not being a driver I'm sure there will be things I don't understand, but I'm thinking that it's a bit of a Catch 22 really, where we would love to see more hitting but we also don't want the first race of the meeting being the only one with numbers, then the rest of the meeting being whatever cars survived the carnage of the first race. I know the drivers are more than aware of that and also think of the fact that it can be damaging to the drivers themselves to hit big in those cars. But after being at the GP in Nelson then the Open Club Champs at Eastern States it was pretty obvious that hitting isn't really a big part of the racing now outside of teams racing. Still enjoyed watching, but missed the big hits that the Std Stocks were putting in when they raced. Just my 2 cents worth as a spectator ;D
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2009 14:12:51 GMT 12
I argee I cant stand watching superstocks theres more contact in super saloons they have bumpers use them.
Codi 91H
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Post by thejoker on Jan 14, 2009 14:14:39 GMT 12
Agree with Joe dirt on this one.
Some stirrers money needs to be offered too.
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Post by MadMarty13B on Jan 14, 2009 14:19:13 GMT 12
I argee I cant stand watching superstocks theres more contact in super saloons they have bumpers use them. Codi 91H then get one and do something about it but i know your reply i cant afford one,or if i get one i cant afford to race it get the point till money is put up for stirring and I mean decent money then less contact you will see from most drivers,also dont forget many drivers dont own their own cars and are under instructions from owners another thought to think of. |
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Post by woodart on Jan 14, 2009 14:41:59 GMT 12
like super saloons and super modifieds, super stocks are a class on the way down. its not a nice truth , but with less tracks running these classes regulaly, they may all have to run a travelling series like steve williams saloon series to survive and attract sponsorship and media coverage.
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Post by Bulletfan on Jan 14, 2009 14:50:50 GMT 12
sorry there non superstock fans but if there was no superstocks i would say there would be no speedway ..... it is the class that get more butts on seats then any other class so get over it....
if there was teams meeting every week there would be not many superstock drivers left ..... its got to be hard on the body for just 1 meeting in palmy .....
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Post by percy on Jan 14, 2009 14:58:10 GMT 12
Just because they don't bash each other into oblivion doesn't mean the class is past it. Superstock racing has matured into a more English style and I don't see anything wrong with that. The class still requires effective bumper work and if you look at the top guys coming through the field they will use their bumpers effectively to move other cars out the way to make room for a pass.
And I don't think the class is in demise either. I would say it's in a holding pattern at the moment with consistent numbers in relation to previous years.
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(or maybe explosion 
) 
