Hi, Tank -
We raced Bandos here in Minnesota on two tracks last year. It was our first year in racing EVER. At Elko Speedway, the bandos run on the smaller inside track (the outer is a 5/8, I believe). So speed comparisons there would not mean much. At Raceway Park, both cars run on the same track, and the bandos tended to run 1-1.5 seconds slower than the Legends (just a casual observation, since the bandos don't use transponders). On our tracks, the bando drivers are pretty much kept to 9-14 years old. Our field was about 10 cars when full. The youngest driver last year had a serious wreck in practice (not physically ready to handle the machine, IMHO), and once the kids get bigger/better there are two issues: If they are big kids, the weight keeps them slower, if they are smaller kids, they tend to run away from the field & no real competition. Also, there was no *serious* aggression out there, which was fine with me.
Regarding the underdog status. Yah, it's annoying. I think a lot has to do with the fact that the drivers are too young for Nascar licenses, which means they can only run as an exhibition class, with no pit access. Not always a bad thing. Their practices and heats are done before most of the crowd arrives, and their feature is either before or right after the opening ceremonies. That said, I think we gained a lot of fans last year. The races are cool, and everyone is cheering for all of the kids. Keeping them restricted also keeps them safer, and keeps the cost down. I was a bit blind-sided when we handed over almost two grand in pit and membership fees for just one track for the 2012 season. Only paid entrance fees for the bandos, and the cars were pitted where the public had access & it was a very 'family' atmosphere.
OK, I'll shut up!
Have a great year, and good luck with your 1/2 scale.
Regards,
Kathy H.
www.facebook.com/Hough68Racing