(Press release from the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series)
Best Five of Six Races To Be Counted Towards Championship; Registrations Open For New Season
Tri Track Open Modified Series officials announced on Wednesday the point standings structure that will be used for the 2020 season.
As part of six events, drivers will tally points in each feature. In 2020, the champion will be decided by taking the best five out of six point totals a driver receives. Drivers will no longer be required to attend all six events to score the championship, but with a drop race factored into the totals, the new format allows for a driver to have a miscue, while still being in contention for the title.
“This will give drivers a bit more of a buffer in case something goes wrong at one of the races,” Wayne Darling, one of two Managing Partners of the Tri Track Open Modified Series, said. “This is just one of many announcements we will have over the next few months. We’re looking forward to getting the season underway in May.”
The entire point fund for the season totals $15,000 in prize money, with the top 15 spots in the final standings set to earn a bonus.
The series also announced that registrations for the season are open and rules have been posted to the website. Teams can register and see rules by visiting the all-new Tri Track Open Modified Series website, tritrackmods.com, and visiting the team info page.
If race teams complete the registration for the full season between January 16 and March 31, the charge is just $450 for six events.
Any full season registrations made after March 31 will be $550. For those competitors interested in just registering for one event, the cost is $150 per event. Teams can send registration payment to the Tri Track PayPal account, [email protected], through the website.
After just a few days, more than a handful of teams have already entered. Owner Stan Mertz has entered with Woody Pitkat set to return behind the wheel, while upcoming racers Ryan Doucette and Dylan Izzo are also on the list. Joey Cipriano, a regular in Stafford Motor Speedway’s SK Modified division joins them, along with others. The list is growing daily.
The 2020 schedule begins on Saturday, May 2, when drivers will take to the high-banks of Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H., to open the year. After that, a stop at Claremont Speedway on Memorial Day weekend (May 24), is followed by the annual Open Wheel Wednesday at Seekonk Speedway, the only mid-week show, on Wednesday, July 1. The final three races include the annual SBM 125 at Star Speedway (July 25), Monadnock Speedway (August 15) and the annual Haunted Hundred at Seekonk Speedway (October 24), where the champion will be crowned.
Any teams with questions ahead of the season can reach Managing Partner Ed Bennett at 732-278-6200 or Technical Inspector Director Greg Felton at 413-695-2272.
Follow the series on social media via Facebook, Twitter and our new Instagram page, to find out more.
Points suck. I don’t really see the need for a six race series. I also don’t see the need for points at Thompson to have points for a six event season. Similar situations. Obviously Thompson could save a few $$ by not having points or an end of season banquet. I’d say just run for the money but in the Big T’s case, they stopped paying money. Maybe race for beer or something.
In many case, points are great, both for the racers and the fans. The racers have a chance for additional recognition and prize money at the end of the season. If also helps the field for each race because all the teams chasing points will be there. That gives the fan a similar field of teams for each race and favorites to root for. Then there are the teams that may be at only some of the races added to the field, along with the teams that might only go to the events local to them. I think the “5 out of 6” point format is good as well. If you have that “bad day” or a commitment you have to fulfill, you still have a good chance in the overall points finish. GREAT JOB TRITRACK!!!
“As part of six events, drivers will tally points in each feature. In 2020, the champion will be decided by taking the best five out of six point totals a driver receives. Drivers will no longer be required to attend all six events to score the championship, but with a drop race factored into the totals, the new format allows for a driver to have a miscue, while still being in contention for the title”.
The best 5 of 6 I don’t have an issue with as long as they attend all 6 events. A miscue is not being able or required to attend a race, it is an accident, mechanical failure or DNQ that knocks you out of the race in my estimation. I don’t think it is a fair way to do this as the drivers should have to attend all 6 races to qualify for the championship points not cherry pick.
I admire and commend TriTrack for everything they have done and continue to do for the competitors however this particular rule is not one of their greatest moments in my opinion.
Well, if this is points racing, it is no longer open racing.
Too bad. This was a good series that had the aura of the old days of open racing.
Each race should be a standalone race. Pay it all out at each race. Make the money paid out at each race be the incentive to show up at each race. This way, the racers race to win, not to survive and get points.
Points racing sucks.
The Mulligan idea is bad.
“The entire point fund for the season totals $15,000 in prize money, with the top 15 spots in the final standings set to earn a bonus”.
There will be a separate purse paid for each individual race and the championship point fund will be paid out to the top 15 at the end of the season as a bonus. Pretty simple to me.
This is why the two people who started this division bailed out. This is no longer Open Racing. Its just another series which it was never meant to be.
I would bet there will still be the same purse up for grabs at the events, which will entice teams to run for the money, whether they are chasing point or not. That’s what got them established to begin with, so I would think that won’t change. I don’t think too many teams will ride around mid-pack for points if they have a car that can take a $6-10K win… and STILL get the points!
Todd,
The two people that started the series crowned a series champion every year, long before anyone else joined them in management of the series. If it was never meant to be a “series” then why did they always crown a “series champion”?
I would think why not win as many races as you can, collect the big bucks then win the championship and collect the bonus $$$$$? Sounds like a win/win to me!
I agree with Earl, on his position that although they only count the best five finishes, in order to be eligible for point money racers should have to race all six races. I think the promoters came up with this system, so that if a competitor has a bad night, it doesn’t take them out of contention for the championship. Many times drivers have lost championships due to something like a blown motor, or a wreck in practice. This gives every driver a Mulligan. Drivers should also have to compete in the same car for all six events.
That’s surprising. The insistence on being at all the races. What’s wrong with missing one? You still have to overcome the points lost by not being at the one race.
Objections to a points fund and watering down the openess of the race objected to as well. If it’s about money it’s all good if the sum total of the purse and points fund exceeds that which has ever been paid out I would think is what the teams would conclude. Some had misgivings that under the new management payouts would shrink so we’ll see.
Speaking of Big Money there’s a debate raging about who is the best modified driver of the decade, Hirschman or Coby. It’s a trick question because the best driver is clearly Preece since he is where he is and these two aren’t. If however the choice is between the two then it’s clearly Hirschman and in my view it’s not even close. He’s his own tour. Not some princess that shows up on race day and drives a great car funded with huge money and prepared by a brilliant crew chief. He manages his own career and works on the cars he drives. Different cars and owners, dipping into SK’s on occasion. Racing and winning with not the latest and greatest creation from LFR. Wrecking at New Snyrna last year, thinking of going home, working all night to fix it then coming back to dominate. Knows setups and makes decisions on them. Appears all over the place, inevitably does well even in the NWMT. Who would you rather see pull through the gate at an open if you could only have one, Hirschman or Coby? For me it’s Hirschman by a mile. Then there is the professionalism factor. Yes he did did go off the rails literally and figuratively recently but otherwise he’s been a pretty straight arrow saying all the right things at the right time. As opposed to Coby who frequently tries to spin a foul mouth and shoot first then aim attitude as some kind of unfettered noble passion for the sport.
So you say Hirschman is greedy and runs around snapping up the big bucks depriving other teams. Pish posh I say. If it was so easy and lucrative others would do it. They can’t and least of all Coby. No one has the skill set Hirschman does. Very Richie Evans like.
Maybe tritrack should give something like 10 or 15 bonus points if a team makes all 6 races. A little more incentive to not miss one, unless you really have to. It would also help some mid pack teams who will go to all 6 be rewarded for their efforts in the final points tally.
The race you miss is your mulligan. There are no points you have to overcome because the points for that race you missed (0) are thrown out. Read the article, best 5 finishes out of 6 races are used to determine the championship.
Great idea Fast, I agree, loyalty should mean something as well.
I stand corrected!
Somebody is going to find a way to abuse the Mulligan. Just wait. I wonder who?
So the goal is to incentivise teams to come to all the races. The new system may do that.
In 6 events last year Andy J. made 5 and finished 3, no show, 3, 5,20 and 4. Under the new system the no show is dropped but he’s saddled with the 20th DNF. Tommy Barrett made all 6 coming in 4,6,22,18,2 and 8. Loyalty is rewarded by allowing him to drop the 22nd place finish that was a DNF.
The 25 went 3,1,2,2 then a DNF at 19 in the 5th race so there’s no way he’s staying home for the haunted 100. Silk opened with a 23 DNF so you know he’s a lock for the rest of the events if points matter to the 50S. Hirschman went 1,4,4,1 then the no show. Now I suppose if he made the 5th race and finished at or better the average and big money meant nothing to him he could take Seekonk off. But he did miss the race and if he knew a second would mean a championship or at least more money would he still have done what he did to Silk?
What if you have a bad night and don’t make the feature? Go to all six and you’re golden. Miss a race and you carry that albatross to the final standings.
I think it’s a statistics thing and Eddie’s bonus is a great idea but already built in. . Going to all 6 events and dropping the the bad race that most teams have is always a huge advantage over the team that can’t shed the clinker.
“the new format allows for a driver to have a miscue, while still being in contention for the title”
That’s underselling the mulligan. It benefits not just the teams vying for the title it benefits everyone to a greater of lesser degree and incorporates a measure of “strategery” and drama as the season wears on.
I think it actually puts pressure on teams to show up as the season wears on as they look at their competition in the window they compete and see what race is being dropped by whom and what it could mean moving forward.
I guess my next question is are the points applied to the driver? If so I guess it does not matter what car he drives to obtain the points?
And yes I am sure someone will maneuver the mulligan to their benefit in an attempt to win the championship.
I still stand by my previous statement that attendance is mandatory at all 6 events to be eligible for the championship.
The next big point of clarification: Owner points? Driver points? Team points? I think it would make the most sense to be owner points. For the most part if not the whole part, it’s their money making the race team a reality to begin with.
Everybody has brought up some good, and bad points here, but isn’t that what debatings about. Fast Eddie, like your idea of awarding bonus points to those who attend all six races. But at the same time I agree with Earl, that in order to be eligible for point fund money you must run all six races. To go one step further, you should also have to race all six races in the same car(team). Doug, I’d have to agree with you, when it comes to best driver (Hirshman or Coby) I too would go with Hirshman. But, let’s not forget about Ronnie Williams, who is one of the best up and coming drivers out there. 2020 looks to be a busy year for Ronnie, which hopefully an upcoming press release will reveil. I do agree though Hirshman does just as good if not better than Coby, with allot less in terms of equipment. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Coby, and if he can remain successful should he end up driving for an “average” team. Just my opinion
Tri-track will be owner points
One potential benefit I see coming from the mulligan: it might enhance the on-track action at the front of the field in each race. For example, without the mulligan concept, a driver sitting in 2nd/3rd/4th place on the track might be content to sit there for points purposes. But knowing that there’s less downside to trying to move up a spot (“if I try for the win and spin/wreck, it’s a mulligan, not the end of the world”) will somewhat negate “stroking.”
Andrew, you brought up a good point. But let’s not forget, racing is full of karma. If you pull a bonehead move, and wreck yourself and the leader, you might find yourself in the wrong end of a bumper the following race, therefore erasing your Mulligan and creating a defesit. Just my opinion.
I’m going to take a wild guess and say EB3 is Ed Bennett. Thank-you for clarifying the points will be with the owners.