9 cars!

[russell j]

Only 9 modified/sportsman at Thunder Road. That is shameful. To whom this may concern, that is NO way to support your division!  To the men that raced there, I salute you.  The four car battle in the second feature was good stuff to watch.

[pbutter16x]

First problem...

what's a thunder road?

[KB19]

Only 9 modified/sportsman at Thunder Road. That is shameful. To whom this may concern, that is NO way to support your division!  To the men that raced there, I salute you.  The four car battle in the second feature was good stuff to watch.

 

I think we're witnessing the end of dirt modifieds on asphalt. Thunder Road drew a solid field last year, and now only 9 this year. Devil's Bowl only had 11 cars at their opener, Airborne's small block opener only had 14 cars, Evans Mills dropped the class before the start of the year. Mahoning Valley had slowly been building up the car count to average around 10 weekly, and Evergreen in their first stab at running dirt modifieds weekly only the pavement has had car counts of 6, 5, and 4. Hope I'm wrong, but it certainly doesn't look good. 

[groundpounder]

Perfectly simple explanation for the decline - you had Mike Perrotte, now you have Mike Bruno. No need to look any farther than that.  So very sad when you look at what Perrotte had built at Airborne in recent years and realize that Bruno will have made a complete shambles of it in less than half a season.

[ModMan18]

Mike Bruno has actually done more with Devils Bowl than what Perrotte did for Airborne. Look what Bruno had to start with, a track that was dirt under CVRA for years. Been to both, and the show last year was better at Devils Bowl. Are you the same one over on RaceNY that claims the track in Stafford, CT is no good? Go there quite often myself, it is phenomenal what the Arute family produces there on a Friday night, especially when the NASCAR mods are in town.

[groundpounder]

At least I use the same screen name on both boards, Ron. Changing yours doesn't make you any smarter it seems. The dirt was long gone when Bruno took over. He inherited a very successful program built by Mike Perrotte. If you actually believe differently, you must be smoking some really good sh!t.

[BillSmith]

I consider Mike Perrotte a friend so I can't pretend to be objective and I don't have anything against Mike Bruno -- he picked his course at Devil's Bowl and has stuck to it and I think he's been modestly successful. Face it, Devil's Bowl was struggling as a dirt track before Bruce paved it, Bruce struggled with it paved (not going there despite the temptation), Mike has improved the Bowl a lot ... but I think it's safe to say that we're witnessing a rapid deathspiral for the DIRT 358s on pavement.

 

In all fairness, Airborne had started dropping car counts pretty steeply last year -- in the Mods, the trick cars that the top 3-4 teams had drove away most of the lower budget teams, so the track has gone from 25-30 358s weekly 2-3 years ago to barely a dozen now. I don't blame Perrotte -- a couple of teams found some loopholes in the DIRT rulebook and exploited them ... plus the new owners that bought out from Steve Fuller have not been very driver or fan friendly.

 

Bringing in the Sportsman was a GOOD move (and now they draw 20 cars a week), but the 4-cyls, Pure Stocks (Renegades) and Limited Late Models have all struggled, going from 25-30 cars a week 3-4 years ago (and closer to 50 4-cyls in two divisions) to mid- to low-teens.

 

The 2014 schedule which cut back the 358s to basically every other week was the writing on the wall and most of the teams that supported the track since Mike took over a decade ago are sitting home now. They struggle to compete as it is, now they feel like they really aren't wanted or appreciated.

 

To rub salt in the wound, the new owners have added the ACT Late Models as a semi-regular division...so they cut the Mods because they are "too expensive" and bring in a new division that is at least as expensive (yes, they use a crate motor...but the ACT teams are spending a TON of money to race).

 

Combining the Renegades (Pure Stocks) and Limited Late Models (almost a Pro Stock) is causing some growing pains.

 

Airborne basically was dying under the Curley Late Model program when Perrotte took over -- going back to that is clearly the wrong way to go.

 

It is really, really tough to think of how great a job Perrotte did and to see what Airborne has become now.

 

Honestly, I would love to see an owner who really understands the business come in, put down a foot of clay and go back to dirt -- build a solid weekly show back up, have some cross-over events that bring in the Mohawk, Cornwall, Quebec and Capital District cars -- Airborne could thrive with the right promotional team.

[ModMan18]

Bruno got Devils Bowl after Bruce Richards got done with it. I believe the dirt was gone for a year or maybe two. Like Mr. Smith said the field was starting to dwindle long before Perrotte left at Airborne. I witnessed that when I was there a couple times last year. Were you at Airborne or Devils Bowl last year? Or just your opinion from Williamson, NY. I try not to give an opinion, unless I witness something. And I don't appreciate your accusations of name changes, and the foul mouth in your last sentence. However, my question was answered about you being the same groundpounder as on Race NY.

[russell j]

Mike Perrotte quit and walked away, a month and a half before the season was to open, that's not Mike Bruno's fault.  Letting Troyer in the house with that tricked up dragster, also not his fault.  So making Bruno the villain is ridiculous.

[bababuoy]

I consider Mike Perrotte a friend so I can't pretend to be objective and I don't have anything against Mike Bruno -- he picked his course at Devil's Bowl and has stuck to it and I think he's been modestly successful. Face it, Devil's Bowl was struggling as a dirt track before Bruce paved it, Bruce struggled with it paved (not going there despite the temptation), Mike has improved the Bowl a lot ... but I think it's safe to say that we're witnessing a rapid deathspiral for the DIRT 358s on pavement.

 

In all fairness, Airborne had started dropping car counts pretty steeply last year -- in the Mods, the trick cars that the top 3-4 teams had drove away most of the lower budget teams, so the track has gone from 25-30 358s weekly 2-3 years ago to barely a dozen now. I don't blame Perrotte -- a couple of teams found some loopholes in the DIRT rulebook and exploited them ... plus the new owners that bought out from Steve Fuller have not been very driver or fan friendly.

 

Bringing in the Sportsman was a GOOD move (and now they draw 20 cars a week), but the 4-cyls, Pure Stocks (Renegades) and Limited Late Models have all struggled, going from 25-30 cars a week 3-4 years ago (and closer to 50 4-cyls in two divisions) to mid- to low-teens.

 

The 2014 schedule which cut back the 358s to basically every other week was the writing on the wall and most of the teams that supported the track since Mike took over a decade ago are sitting home now. They struggle to compete as it is, now they feel like they really aren't wanted or appreciated.

 

To rub salt in the wound, the new owners have added the ACT Late Models as a semi-regular division...so they cut the Mods because they are "too expensive" and bring in a new division that is at least as expensive (yes, they use a crate motor...but the ACT teams are spending a TON of money to race).

 

Combining the Renegades (Pure Stocks) and Limited Late Models (almost a Pro Stock) is causing some growing pains.

 

Airborne basically was dying under the Curley Late Model program when Perrotte took over -- going back to that is clearly the wrong way to go.

 

It is really, really tough to think of how great a job Perrotte did and to see what Airborne has become now.

 

Honestly, I would love to see an owner who really understands the business come in, put down a foot of clay and go back to dirt -- build a solid weekly show back up, have some cross-over events that bring in the Mohawk, Cornwall, Quebec and Capital District cars -- Airborne could thrive with the right promotional team.

You are absolutely correct in  these statements !! once clay is put down the place will have all the same problems as Malta . not enough parking or seating,,Mr. Fuller is still the owner of the track and a pretty smart buisness man. I think once the second payment is missed you will see the change. imo

[bababuoy]

Mike Perrotte quit and walked away, a month and a half before the season was to open, that's not Mike Bruno's fault.  Letting Troyer in the house with that tricked up dragster, also not his fault.  So making Bruno the villain is ridiculous.

Don't realley have all the info on this do you

[russell j]

The info is just this, Mike Perrotte is no more at airborne, good or bad it doesn't matter. Time to support Devils Bowl, Airborne and the Northern Modified Challenge series (Mike Bruno). If not, it's going to be skinny 8" tire Late Model heaven. 

[KB19]

Perrotte's dirt modified promotion at Autodrome St-Eustache drew 11 cars to their opener last week. They've got 2 more race scheduled for this summer. 

[RJO]

That's not so bad how about The New Evergreen Speedway the other week it had Sport Mods as the top class for the show and they only had 3 cars show up. They also run dirt mods there also and the normal count for cars that show up is 5 or 6.

[BillSmith]

My understanding is that there was a new owner effective beginning of last year by the last name of Atkins.

 

I have not met or spoken to him personally so I can't judge for myself, but I have heard numerous complaints about the approach of the new track owners from many, many people in the area.

 

The reduction in fan attendance speaks for itself.

[bababuoy]

My understanding is that there was a new owner effective beginning of last year by the last name of Atkins.

 

I have not met or spoken to him personally so I can't judge for myself, but I have heard numerous complaints about the approach of the new track owners from many, many people in the area.

 

The reduction in fan attendance speaks for itself.

I wonder who holds the deed

[PatsJags14]

bruno has done a great job at devils bowl and given some time i think he can get things were they were just a couple years ago at airborne. The troyers did A LOT of damage to the dirt mods on pavement. The issue bruno is going to run into at airborne is that he is not the owner. I think if bruno had ownership and full control of the speedway they could have a great modified program between airborne and devils bowl. 

[MaltaFan]

Speaking of Thunder Road, congrats to Hunter Bates on winning the Sportsman Feature at Malta last Friday!  Pretty good for a guy who has been running primarily on pavement over the past few years.  I wish more guys (and girls) would try both.  It wasn't that unusual during the "glory days" of short track racing,