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A New Look is coming to LAMOT in '12
The LAMOT Board of Directors met on December 4th for their second and final off-season meeting of the year before heading into 2012. Topics brought up at the October 28th meeting were expanded on which included; rules, the upcoming 15 race schedule along with the 50 lap events that Holland has scheduled in June and August, and a review of prospective board member applications. Just as in 2007, when the division was being created, the long term aspect needed to be factored in as best as possible. Almost 5 years later, with LAMOT being the only weekly asphalt late model division in the area the board was confident that some enhancements to the division could be made to build upon the progress made. No major changes will be made to the division in 2012 or in the foreseeable future. With the minor enhancements made some were in an effort to move closer in line with other rulebooks by prohibiting a few items, while others were to try to save teams money. As planned, the foundation of the rule book, with the 602 crate engine, bilstein shocks, and goodyear tires remain intact. The most noticeable change to the division for the fans in the stands will come with the additional body styles. The Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang, two models currently used by teams in the Nascar Nationwide Series, will be eligible in LAMOT for 2012. The new look will add some diversity to the aftermarket template style bodies currently in the field. Two amendments, one each to the engine and carburetor rule were made in an effort to lower the start up costs for teams. Starting in 2012 the engine rule allows any Charger team competing at Holland that has their 602 crate engine certified by the track’s technical director to also use their engine in the late model division. The provision increases the marketability of the engine in both divisions and makes it easier for a charger team to move up. The affordable ($3,500) and durable (zero blown LAMOT engines in four seasons) engine has proven to be the cost-effective measure it was introduced for. The required carburetor will be expanded to include the same 650 cfm Holley Box Stock 4777 4-barrels used in the Dirt Sportsman and Pro Stock divisions. The measure creates an additional option in an effort to lower costs for new LAMOT teams by approximately $200. The same 4150 carburetor used for the past 4 years in LAMOT and commonly used with late model asphalt crate engines will remain an option as well. No ultra performance carburetors will be permitted. The total minimum allowable weight after the race has been reduced by 50lbs to 2,850lbs. The reduction, equivalent to approximately 7 gallons of fuel, moves the division closer in line with other contemporary asphalt late model divisions in the US and Canada. Some divisions run as low as 2,650lbs with their 602 crate engine package but the board felt a reduction to such an extreme level would put most teams out of competition, unable to reduce their ballast weight to that mark. Another change to the rule book includes lowering virtually all claimer costs on specific parts. Although it is rare that the claimer rules are put to use by competitors, claims can be made by management as well. The board felt the costs should best reflect the price of quality products, not necessarily higher end products. This requires an annual review of current market prices for certain parts. Every effort is made to consider what is best for the entire division and in order to measure the success of the current state of the changes made for 2012, feedback from the competing teams will be essential. For anyone looking to provide input from home a form is always available at http://www.lamotracing.com/feedbackform.htm.The updated rulebooks will be added to the rules page before the end of the year. Sponsorship commitments to support the 50 lap events have been made and more will continue to be pursued. LAMOT recognizes that drivers and teams in any division look forward to special races and the prestige that goes along with them. To clarify, the goal of LAMOT is to not create one single, big-payout race, but rather to ease the teams into extra distance events with the added bonus of some extra pay for each race. The division is geared towards the weekly racer, where regular participation is fostered, but there are some teams who want to compete on a limited basis. The 3 extra distance events will reward both the weekly and part-time race for their commitment, and give the opportunity to those who may run into unforeseen trouble in one extra distance race, to get another chance to do well in another extra distance race within the same season. During this past race season the division saw one of their drivers receive a broken wrist in a chain reaction incident. The decision was made to allow the car involved to use a substitute driver for two extra races past the two races allowed to each team in the rulebook and for that team to keep earning points. The decision was due to the fact that the driver was absent due to a physical injury from an on-track incident, not a damaged race car, or non-racing related obligations. Two board members who also compete, were in favor of the decision, even with the understanding that it could have an impact on where they finish in the point standings. The division was notified as soon as the decision was made and the board received little feedback from the entire group of drivers. This decision was an exceptional and unique case. After the season concluded, after the substitute driver performed well and gained positions in the standings, a few drivers began to question the exception. Another unique situation, this time involving a different team was whether to allow a team that suffered severe damage, which resulted in the team falling one race shy of the requirement to start 80% of the races to receive point money. Due to the hard work and dedication the team displayed in getting their car back into competition before the season ended an exception was made, the point money, raised exclusively by the board, was rewarded to the team. The board would also like to note that this team did not request the point fund money.As with the two cases detailed, not every situation in racing is common, and no decision will garner 100% support, however the board makes every effort to evaluate non-technical matters from all angles. To clarify, no one on the board has any authority to decide anything technical during competition, those matters, along with race officiating and post-season division awards continue to be governed by the track. The next board meeting is scheduled for January 15th, 2012. The division looks forward to their 5th year of competition with the added feature of extra distance races with additional funding for our teams. Topics for the next meeting will include but are not limited to; adding additional board members, sponsorships, and off-season events. Happy Holidays from everyone in LAMOT.
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