I want an unlimited budget.
Right now, all I have is a Bert with a bad hip.
And a bad back and bad knees. That is why God created beer, the universal pain killer.
Chuck is right, be careful what you ask for. The Supersportsman/BP class is salty enough, but the twin mods are especially so. Nothing personal here, George, but what do the mod classes have in common with a lawn mower? A hood and grill? Maybe the engine? Mower racing is emulating any other pro racing class in America. The tech and the costs are rising far above what the normal racer can afford. And having said that, I don't feel the racing entertainment value has gone up with the money.
Used to be Nascar fans could identify with what was on the track. And that fan, with proper skills, could actually build what was on the track. Same with Indy. Now, as with pro racing, your typical potential mower racing participant has neither the skill, tools or budget to do what we're doing, and it's killing the sport. Participation is down, and it seems venues are getting harder to come by.
We also have way too many classes. I am honestly unable to tell what all the classes are without checking a rule book. There is no upside to this. BUILD TO AN EXISTING CLASS. There is no need to form a new national class simply because "a bunch of our guys locally race (fill in blank here)."
How about 3 classes? Governed, single cylinder prepared and twin cylinder prepared? Increase class participation, and reduce the rule book content by 50%. Keep all the billet stuff out. No homemade frames. Keep everything looking like a lawn mower.
Just my thoughts, right or wrong. I've been racing mowers since 1991, before we had a national association of any kind. I owned a dirt late model for several years before that. I have been a student of racing forever, and I am no longer a Nascar fan nor an Indy car fan. Those series have been ruined by money and technology. And I have rock-rooted opinions based on my experience in mower racing. I don't see a bright future here, either.
My back hurts now, so I am off to medicate.
Bert