Bottoz wrote:
I don't want to miss a race... but I just had to plop down 800 on a new engine. Equal-Cheap Racing... right? An additional $185 isn't cheap.
No $185 for one day is not cheap. That is why I think it should made valuable for racers to spend that money.
Their are many many reasons for a racer to spend that $$$ to use the full track on a Friday.
In general most of us don't run at Miller to often so basic track knowledge is limited. Given the track is 4.5 miles it takes at least 3 times the laps at a 1.5 mile track to "learn". A single 20 minute run session is not enough to really learn the track. So it is ideal to have a test day. I am driving a long way to race at Miller and spend a fair level of $$$ just to get there. I don't mind an extra 185 for Friday if I can use it to prepare for Sat & Sunday. I would consider it money well spent for a track I have never raced on. Now I will say that even if the track is split up I can still learn something, but ideal for me and I figure most racers is the full 4.5 mile track as it will be used Sat & Sunday.
Again if it means ditching the 944 Friday race to run the full track I say ditch the friday race. The nice thing about a full test day is you have all day to drive and consider the track and your set-up. You can tweak sway bars or try all kind of lines around the track. In a race you can't really test lines as you a racing and lines pretty much go out the window. Sure racing is fun, but IMHO part of the fun of racing is being able to prepare for the race. On a 3 day weekend like this that is what the Friday is for.