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This has been an interesting read. Thank you for allowing us some input into your NASTE club Bill. I personally have really enjoyed the racing and the socializing. This past year has been very enjoyable because I wasn't stressed about race totals, points, winning, qualifying, yadda, yadda, yadda, but was still able to race those wonderful cars at each track that the owners had prepared for us. Fickle Fiats. LOL I started coming to NASTE races because Terry was having fun and he thought I might too. Then I not only got to race, but I got to start experimenting with different sweet treats and had plenty of willing testers to try out those experiments. I'm not sure how many people were racing each race before I started coming to them, but it seems like we still have about 20 racers and maybe a half dozen extra people who just come to socialize. That seems like a lot of people to me, but if you take away the social/fun side of the races, I think you'll lose some of them. Like Victoria. I would miss having conversations with her and would hope she'd still come to a race at our house.

"The cost of racing is of major concern, and the cars we race still reflect that concern. Our goal is to make our racing inexpensive, with the main focus on FUN!"

I really liked this posted on the NASTE site and I thought it was great that it wasn't centered around so much seriousness and having to purchase so many cars just to have fun racing. I actually don't own any cars, don't know how to build/work on them and I love the IROC format. It's a great set up and it allows for other people to actually come racing with the group and not have to own their own cars. Plus, since everyone had to drive every car, it really was a race about your driving skill. Like Stan said, "The IROC or "Driver's Championship" format allowed those people to be competitive in at least one class, because their driving was the deciding factor, not money or skill at preparation. It was a very enjoyable format, and people who wouldn't ordinarily reach a podium actually did so on occasion."

I'm not sure who the NASTE regulars Chris is alluding to are, (I actually thought I WAS a NASTE regular because I show up at all NASTE races), but I'm not sure I agree with his statement that they aren't responsible to "ensure that those who don't have the inclination to research what classes/cars to purchase and how to tune them have a competitive ride for any given night." Are odd Thursday races NASTE? There are several people who don't come to regular NASTE races, but they show up at your place Bill on Thursdays because they can race their own cars instead of just testing their driving skills on cars we all have to drive. That's just too serious for me and too expensive for Terry to keep buying more and more cars for more and more classes, so I stopped going with Terry to those. I understand that some people like to be that competitive and serious and that's fine for them, but for those who read this on the NASTE site "So, check out our cars and tracks." would be very discouraged in even coming back for a second time if they didn't feel welcomed the first time they showed up.

Thank you Rico for your insight too. I agree with almost everything you said. This is very true. "I feel this situation need not be so complicated with qualification, using the top qualifiers cars, points for fast qualifier, moving Points Championship to Odd Thursdays. I like having the IROC and Odd Thursdays separated and prepare for each differently. I like the K.I.S.S. method (I think we all know what this is) and all this just seems overly complicated and to what end? There are still going to be those who are more serious about racing than others and I’m not sure any amount of legislation/rule/format changes is ever going to change this fact." This too is important. "I am also afraid that ramping up the level of competition a notch on Thursdays with points could lead to a loss in the level of camaraderie that currently exists." It did seem on Thursdays that there was plenty serious competition already and if you're already competing, adding lap totals and seeing who the winner is, being serious racers with your own built cars, would giving points out really make all that big of a difference? You could keep your point series that way because all of your serious racers would be there racing and competing to see who the winner will be.

I have no right to speak about using your own cars while racing since I don't own any, but I agree with Stan that "5. I think the rules should be rules, not guidelines. They should be clear and concise and consistent across classes. (By consistent, I mean everything should be in millimeters or decimal inches or fractional inches or fathoms, but it should be the same everywhere.
   A. If there are universal rules, i.e. all cars in all classes must have a uniform ground clearance; then there should be a "universal rule" section that contains all the universal rules."
I have been to a few odd Thursday night races and even though you have those 'rules' of yours for classes, there is always someone who will see if they can bend them as far as possible just to get an edge. I don't think you'll ever get that completely taken care of though as there will always be someone who thinks the rules don't apply to them. Bill said "I'm fine with going back to the original format types where we raced our own cars in the point series, however we will have to have better enforcement of the rules!" So true if you want to keep it honest, but who is really going to want to be the bad guy who enforces those rules?

Guess I'm done. I have more I could say, but I think I've said more than my two cents worth. Thank you Bill for all of the good previous years of racing, all of the concessions you have made trying to make everyone happy (You're NOT going to make everyone happy) and for just being such an all around nice guy. If you want to keep your point series, then you should keep it! Making yourself happy should be job one, after making Diane happy of course.

It has truly been a pleasure getting to know you over the years and I hope that even if I stop coming to the new NASTE races, we'll still keep in contact through Terry.

WOW! Sorry. I didn't realize how long this was until I posted it. I didn't mean to write a long boring novel.

Thanks Bill. No, Dana didn't do the music.

You two just crack me up. Thanks for the laughs. Looks like you weren't having too much trouble Monte and at least you were smiling most of the day. Glad you like the eats.

Thanks again to everyone who came over to race our little cars. Great job keeping them running Terry.

I also wanted to thank Victoria and Tracy for the chips, Al for the donuts, Amanda, Nick and Bob for all of their help and my good friend Dorothy for that terrific salad.

Here are the photos I took. As always, video will be later. I will get time to work on the videos eventually.

http://s737.photobucket.com/user/SlotCa … 022%202016

You're welcome. It was great to see so many of you come over for a fun afternoon of racing. Hope you all had as much fun as we did. Thanks too for eating most of the food as it means Terry and I don't have leftovers for days on end.
Internet service here just came back on so haven't had time to get photos uploaded. Will try to get them done in a few minutes or maybe not until tomorrow.

Sounds like a great day. Sorry to have missed it, but I just wasn't feeling up to it. Maybe next time.

That was fun to watch. Thanks Rico!

Thank you Al for hosting such a fine race for your first NASTE. Really like the long straight on there. Thanks for the chair to sit in too. Needed it. Here are the photos Terry and I took. Terry got some video too, but it will be later.

NASTE Al's Rippin' Ridin' Raceway.

http://s737.photobucket.com/user/SlotCa … amp;page=1

Thanks for hosting the NASTE race Bill. We had a good time. It was great to see so many people there, but you always get a good turnout on your track. Maybe cause it's so fun to race on!!

Upwords game. Thanks Victoria for bringing it. Great job on the new HIGH score! 796! WhooHoo! Thanks to Monte for adding up the correct total.

Here are the pictures I took of the race. Some Terry took too. Got some video also, but you know how slow I am at getting them all put together.

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

http://s737.photobucket.com/user/SlotCa … 019%202015

Sounds like a great race Bill. I'm sorry we missed it, but we've been sick for over a week now and looks like there is no end in sight. We just didn't want to pass it on to any one else as it's been awful. Really missed racing on your track though.

Nice Job! You are already ahead of schedule! I think Terry finished my funny car yesterday and only needs to tweak on his car, so he's ahead of schedule too! Let the fun begin!

I'll be making some sweet treats and some roll ups to bring. Looking forward to seeing all the inventive ideas people have for cars this year!

You're welcome Bill. Thanks for taking the time to go watch. Here are the final two videos from the 2015 season. Yes, it does mean that I will now get the season on a disc and should have it for you at the Halloween race.

Bill NASTE 4-12-15
https://youtu.be/qVDWTvmtXHg

Monte NASTE 5-2-15
https://youtu.be/I1ZC2NWWtz8