Saturday Night Racer - Time to prototype a teen mini-late model?

imracin68j

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Time to prototype a teen mini-late model?
12/18/11 at 7:04pm

Would their be any interest in creating a stepping stone protype racecar for young teens 14-19. Like an affordable mini-latemodel? I was talking to Lee about the stepping stone from mini-dwarfs and many of the kids go on to race micro sprints or some other kind of nice mini-racecars somewhere else leaving the track that groomed them out to lunch. It would be easy to create a cheap late mini-latemodel that's more like an upscaled mini-dwarf that uses a GX390 which is around 17hp-20hp. Maybe a 500 lb car with 1.25 tubing and cheap spec shocks on all 4 corners. I would say the cars would cost a little more than a mini-dwarf but not more.

Maybe like this but a little more limiting in tires and suspension.

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Rick_Coffey LMR Rookie Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 78	Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model? Reply #1 - 12/18/11 at 7:25pm Its called a IMCA Modifed, you can start racing when you are 14.
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imracin68j

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Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model?
Reply #2 - 12/18/11 at 8:44pm

That's too much car for most 14 year olds. It's big jump from 6hp lawn mower engines. This really isn't to stop 14 year olds from getting into mods but keep the kids from leaving into micro sprints and bandalaros when they are 14 which is happening. Once they leave many don't come back. The price between maintaining a mini dwarf and sport mod is night and day.

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JOHNSON MOTORSPORTS 99 LMR God Offline 2007 HOBBY STOCK CHAMPION Posts: 927	Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model? Reply #3 - 12/19/11 at 4:24am Rick_Coffey wrote on 12/18/11 at 7:25pm: Its called a IMCA Modifed, you can start racing when you are 14. i dont think bako allows you in a mod at 14. back east yes but not out here cuz of there insurance i think but may be wrong
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ninjaforce2 LMR Member Offline Dirt Late Models Rule! Posts: 216	Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model? Reply #4 - 12/19/11 at 9:00am its kinda of a cool idea, they let 12 year old kids race legends cars, not much difference, them cars are fast.
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Steve Curtis

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Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model?
Reply #5 - 12/19/11 at 10:48am

At Oakshade they race a Hornet class for 12-18 year olds. gets them into a full size car (well as full sized as a 4 banger can be) and it's an experience based class. I think thats a great place to make a jump up into and with the age and experience restrictions a good place to actually learn to race before jumping from a kart or dwarf car into modifieds.

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car22 LMR Rookie Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 53	Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model? Reply #6 - 12/19/11 at 11:30am billy go on nc chassis web sit look up mine cup cars eric ran these for one year when he was 11.we ran Stockton,roseville,meadera,shasta.the hole time we ran the cars i was thanking how cool thy would be on the dirt.
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Redalert144 LMR Senior Offline IMCA Stock Cars Rule! Posts: 269 Yuma, Az	Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model? Reply #7 - 12/19/11 at 2:59pm mini cup cars
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bakoboss LMR God Offline The West's Fastest 1/3 Mile High Banked Clay Oval Posts: 844	Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model? Reply #8 - 12/19/11 at 8:11pm We've allowed 14 yr olds in mini stock & american stocks for a while now. IMCA does allow 14 yr olds and I'm hearing we have a 14 yr old coming out in sport mods in 2012.
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fan_of_4p LMR God Offline Where's the next race? Posts: 1719	Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model? Reply #9 - 12/19/11 at 9:00pm Billy get ahold of AJ Kirkpatrick, he has a mini late model and has the jig to build them right now. He bought 1 of the 3 cars they built back east. It is run on a stock 1000cc motorcyle engine that are cheap wreaked bikes. He hot lapped it in Merced the last time we were there.
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imracin68j

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Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model?
Reply #10 - 12/19/11 at 10:08pm

When I'm in the stands I often see 13-15 year olds that use to race mini dwarfs. I think some of the parents aren't really into getting junkyard cars after racing these which is why they split to quarter midgets. I think if you asked any teen or mini-dwarf parent what they would rather run, a 1982 hatchback that plows in the corner or a mini-latemodel that is cheaper, easier to work on, handles more like a race car the answer would close to the same. I think the only down side is you'd have 30 year olds bummed they couldn't race in the class.

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fromthegrandstands LMR God Offline A REAL Pain in the A$$ Posts: 1230 Santa Maria, CA	Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model? Reply #11 - 12/19/11 at 11:52pm I think the only down side is you'd have 30 year olds bummed they couldn't race in the class. Jr. Late Models SENIOR DIVISION - 30 yrs and UP! haha
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miniguru27 LMR God Offline Dirt Late Models Rule! Posts: 652	Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model? Reply #12 - 12/20/11 at 2:33pm Mini cup motorsports uses the mini cup car on pavemement and on dirt.On dirt there called Cyclone dirt late models.A couple of years ago a guy brought two of them to sms and Doug Thorton and Steve Vogt drove them around the speedway.
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Slip LMR Rookie Offline Dirt Late Models Rule! Posts: 20	Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model? Reply #13 - 12/20/11 at 4:55pm Or 600cc Mod-lites.....they could be called Mod-lite-lites!!!
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hoosierdaddy LMR Member Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 232	Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model? Reply #14 - 12/21/11 at 6:59pm what about a restricted dwarf class? I dont know much about them but seems like u can pick old ones up fairly cheap.
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imracin68j

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Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model?
Reply #15 - 12/21/11 at 7:13pm

The only real way to restrict them is to get serious about the motors which can reach 1500. With the teen class the rule should simple out of the gate. Honda 390 or 650 STOCK. Winner yanks the engine and swaps it with a pill pull position.... every night no questions asked. This would eliminate the spending craziness. It's hard to do this now because most of the racers have money in their motors. Other than that there's not much different from an older kart and a newer one other than the new ones might be a little lighter.

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jrtracing LMR God Offline Posts: 1709 CA	Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model? Reply #16 - 12/21/11 at 8:32pm I think he's talking about restricting a full size dwarf car down some. On the surface that seems like a good idea, but classes that get started because you can buy old parts cheap, rarely stay that way.
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sbracing

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Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model?
Reply #17 - 12/23/11 at 4:14pm

I think the junior midget class that Ventura Raceway has in place is a great stepping stone for the 10-14 olds who are ready to take the next step after mini dwarfs. They run a sealed Briggs and Stratton 15 or so HP electric start motor, and the car has a pretty nice suspension to it, which the kids coming out of the mini's really appreciate.

Many of the kids are too big for this class by 14. At Ventura they can run the 600 modlites, restricted focus midget class, or sport compacts. Some of them stepped up to the CDCRA dwarf car ranks, which does allow 14 year olds to race. The 5-6 under 16 kids who raced this season were surprisingly good, and having raced for many years already taught them some great racing etiquette that many adults could learn from!

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imracin68j

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Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model?
Reply #18 - 12/23/11 at 4:21pm

It would be nice to have something with fenders so the flips are reduced. The mini-dwarfs are good for at least a flip a night. I also think they should be simple and cheap. Like a larger mini-dwarf so parents don't get discouraged and we don't see 15,000 mini-lates. With an engine rule like winner pulls motor every race and swaps with random driver that finishes on the lead lap the class can actually be cheaper and faster and more door to door than the mini-dwarfs.

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Jeremy Queener

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Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model?
Reply #19 - 12/23/11 at 6:26pm

imracin68j wrote on 12/23/11 at 4:21pm:

It would be nice to have something with fenders so the flips are reduced. The mini-dwarfs are good for at least a flip a night. I also think they should be simple and cheap. Like a larger mini-dwarf so parents don't get discouraged and we don't see 15,000 mini-lates. With an engine rule like winner pulls motor every race and swaps with random driver that finishes on the lead lap the class can actually be cheaper and faster and more door to door than the mini-dwarfs.

Agree on all of this but mostly on the engine swap. It would work for a division of this stature.

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LANEY5L LMR Member Offline WHEN IN DOUBT, THROTTLE IT OUT! Posts: 118	Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model? Reply #20 - 12/23/11 at 9:31pm i dont think many people would swap their engine with somebody elses.
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jrtracing LMR God Offline Posts: 1709 CA	Re: Time to prototype a teen mini-late model? Reply #21 - 12/23/11 at 10:23pm I think as long as its done right from the start, it's a great concept.
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