(Press Release from Stafford Motor Speedway)
Stafford Speedway has released its 2019 rules for the Late Model division.
The only change from the 2018 rules are the cold air box is no longer permitted. The air filter housing assembly part numbers AllStar #25900 or AFCO #80550 must be used.
The full rules are listed here: 2019 Stafford Speedway Late Model rules
Stay tuned for the release of the 2019 SK Modified® rules next week.
For more information, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
I guess that track management thinks the fans enjoy 30 lap Late Model feature events with 10 cars. I personally find them to be VERY boring.
And the point of taking cold air boxes away is???
Seems to me that SMS is trying very hard to kill off the Late Model division, as well as the Limited Late Models.
Don’t understand why they took away the air box. Fearn had a definite horsepower advantage with it, and will have a definite horsepower advantage without it. Just another way to make the teams spend money, as they say their trying to cut the cost of racing. Typical SMS thinking.
Just like their cost savings shock rule. Those Koni shocks suck. They’re not rebuildable and to run competitively you must change them often. Should have just put price cap, and let the teams choose their shocks. Again typical SMS thinking
Tom Fearn’s dominance of the LM division this year at SMS has nothing to do with the current rules. His dominance is a combination of Tom’s driving talent as well as the teams preparation of the car week to week. If SMS hopes to get higher car counts they need to go to an ACT type car. Nobody is going to spend the money it takes to build a front running car, to only be able to run one track with it. Don’t forget Tom originally purchased the car in 2010 or 11 either way it’s an older car, as are most in the field. Something must be done or soon there will be no LM division at SMS
What the heck Rob. This one change sets you off?
Checking out the cold air housing that is hundreds of dollars vs the housing part now authorized that is sixty or seventy dollars what’s the big deal. Existing teams have to obsolete a part, sell it on Ebay, whatever. The cost of the new part is insignificant.
So you’re sitting in the garage in January putting your car together for 2019. Sure you have to go through everything to make it ship shape and refreshing the motor is always a huge expense. But the rules change costs you under $100 dollars. What’s the beef?
And the important thing is new teams don’t have to spend the hundreds to get a part that provides fractional horsepower advantages.
Sure the LLM’s and LM’s have problems we’ve all harped on for Stafford to address. The air filter housing change is not one in my view.
Doug, what new cars? Anyone who builds a Stafford late model new is insane. Plus it’s the point they change the rules to save money, yet always ends up costing money. And a new team could probly pick up the air box at a swap meet cheaper than the spec filter housing costs. And if your going to make teams run an open air cleaner, why specify which one they need to buy? Why can’t they use a moroso, or other brand? Why this specific brand?
Agreed on your first sentence but that can’t be an assumption for any rule change. The cooling deal is literally hundreds of dollars and I can’t help but wonder if at speed there is any data on how much added horsepower it generates. I guess we’ll see with next years lap times. Bet it is zilch.
The cost is small potatoes as far as I can see but maybe a participant will weigh in on how they feel.
Bren has the only car I know that was built to move up but the insanity reference to building any LLM or LM purpose built chassis now just rings through so true. And since the rules are Stafford own designer label you can’t even use a used chassis from the region without some ungodly changes. It’s all so futile.