2013 Promotions to "Pro"

[VMS Motorsports]

Here is the link for the drivers that INEX has moved up to the "pro" division...I still don't think I belong on it

http://www.uslegendcars.com/documents/promotion_to_pro_class_12_12_12.pdf

[IraceLegends77]

Just go to Masters.......

[VMS Motorsports]

Not old enough 

[slack11]

How does this even work?  I signed up two years ago as a semi pro, and just for something different this past year I checked the pro box, and was a pro........ Didn't do anything to "graduate" there, and really could care less about the classifications, but why the hoopla about graduating to a pro, all they have to do is pay the same money, and check a different box on the form......

[IraceLegends77]

Go to a national event and you find out the difference.

[slack11]

Not trying to be cynical, just don't understand how they are graduating, or being promoted.  I do congratulate those on a season like those on the list, and understand probably some classes are quicker than others, but how or what  makes a graduation necessary when all you have to do is check a box?

[IraceLegends77]

It has typically been done in the past by the number of wins that you had in your given class. I think the old number used to be four in one year but USLC backed off that rule and looked at different criteria. I think now they look at SP and how long you have been there + the number of wins. YL class is anyone's guess but I'm sure Dennis will have some incite to this. Most people like to win so they will stay at the lowest class that USLC will allow them to run. If your just running a weekly show and all class run together then you class really makes no difference unless you are running for a state class championship. If you are planning on going to a national event then it would be prudent to stay within the appropriate class for you own sake. I'm old and I'm staying with the rest of my Old Masters.......

[Earnst85]

Looks like if your 8th or better in national points, you got promoted.  I think its funny to get promoted. Jake Feltch and I (Chad Earnst) just started racing legends this year. Because we raced 20+ races and ended up in the top 10 in points,  we now are "promoted" to a higher class. Here's hoping that dirt nationals don't come back to the East coast because I know it will be a waste of time to try to compete in the pro class.  We race combined classes every week in PA, but it is very rare to finish ahead of those who have chosen to declare themselves as pro or masters.

[knoxracing]

Honestly, if anyone does not feel you can compete with the pros on a national level at this point in your legends career I  would call John Hagan and voice my opinion until you are placed where you belong. I DO NOT mean this as an insult, but one day you may decide to go race somewhaere because it just sounds fun, the next thing you know your racing a bunch of pro's that raced 50 races and you feel you do not have a chance, to me thats not what this is all about. The first year they put me in pro I hated it, I was lucky enough to step up my game, I will tell you I was GLAD when i turned 40, lol!

[Earnst85]

I completely agree with what your saying Dennis. Like I said before, I raced 29 dirt races total in my rookie season and was in the top 5 on track only once, and in top 10 on track only ten times. I was thinking of going to Charlotte to run the road course just for fun, but if I would have to run the pro class, I will just stay home. I would be an on-track pylon in semi-pro as I have little to no road course experience. My thought is that they should have contacted the people on the list to invite them to be moved up. By posting the list on the website as they did, if I contact John Hagan to remain in semi-pro, any future accomplishments in semi-pro will give me a label of "He should have been in pro, I recognize his name from the list of promotions".  It will seem unfair to those in semi-pro, despite the fact that is the division I belong in.

[VMS Motorsports]

I talked to Mr Haggan months before the list came out. He said that I was having a good season and have been in semi-pro long enough (5 years).
In that 5 years I have 1 heat race win, no feature wins, and 3 top 5 feature finishes...in 5 years. I spend my time selling parts and helping others, for me, the racing is just something fun to do, I'd be at the track anyway.
For me, the issue is the guys they allow in semi-pro that shouldn't be. We have a guy that ran dirt modifieds for 10 years before buying a Legends car, had more class wins than me, 6 top 5's this season, and 4 heat wins, and he's not forced to move up. We also have a guy that still races midgets (has been for over 5 years) that runs semi-pro, and also a guy that has been racing everything from 4 cylinders to late models for 20 years in semi-pro.

It doesnt really matter, as I race dirt, so unless I go to Nationals we all run at the same time, just think the rationale is silly.

Who knows, maybe I will actually spend some time on my car this year 

[Team Zero]

When they moved me up five years ago they did so because the Pro division was way down on numbers, they have to keep moving people out of semi-pro or most would stay there to be the bigger fish. Last year I went from Masters to Pro again so I would stop getting run over for 3 National points, lol! It's a good thing to step up to a highr division, now I do agree that your past experience should be considered for the semi-pro rank. The Wisconsin Dirt Pro division has a strong group which makes it fun, it makes everyone better!!

[VMS Motorsports]

I suppose, if having a "P" on my fender makes me work at improving, it's worth it.
Either way, a top 10 in WI on the dirt is an accomplishment most nights with the current Pro's and Masters we have.
Thanks Brian, I feel a bit better now, you can move back to Masters
 

[slack11]

With the possibility of the asphalt nationals coming north this coming year, I have thought about going.... By moving myself to pro, am I stuck there, or can I just recheck the box as semi pro on this year's application?

[Earnst85]

Ok, so I did some number crunching....
Using my finishes from this year, here's how I stacked up in the 3 national divisions and actually on track (29 races):

Semi-Pro- 3.79 Avg SP finish out of 6.17 Avg SP cars-  6th National Points

Pro-          4.30 Avg P finish out of 5.03 Avg P cars-  17th National Points

Masters-  4.06 Avg M finish out of 5.69 Avg M cars- 15th National Points

Actual on track- 12.65 Avg finish out of 19.75 Avg total cars-  4th in Central PA points

Looking at the numbers, I am mid pack locally in Semi-pro and futher back in the higher divisions as well as actually on track. Like I said before, just because I ran enough races to finish 6th nationally in a flawed system, shouldn't determine that I have to move up. It makes nationals and specialty events (road course) not worth my time, but also dangerous to put me out there in a class that I am so off pace.