ALLSTAR: Minimum Weight Rule Announced for 2000

All Star Sprints Announce Weight Rule for 2000 to Contain Costs

PONCE INLET, FL - Bert Emick, president of the All Star Circuit of Champions sprint car series, announced Saturday that the traveling series has adopted a minimum weight rule for the upcoming 2000 season.

All sprint cars competing with the All Stars must weigh a minimum of 1200 pounds, without driver, to compete in an All Star event. No add-on weights or bolt-on ballast will be allowed, so the weight must come from the standard racing configuration of a sprint car. Cars will be weighed right after their time trials.

Emick cited the increased cost of sprint car racing as the major reason for the move. The decision came after a meeting Saturday with All Star owners, drivers and crew members as well as board members Earl Baltes, Jean Lynch and Brigitte Emick. The vote was unanimous in favor of a weight rule.

"No matter what part of the country we race in, we hear over and over that somebody has got to take the lead and do something about the escalating cost of sprint car racing. We don't want to lose car owners because the cost of lightweight parts is often many times that of regular parts. Owners feel they must buy these parts to be competitive. For example, some car owners will spend $10,000 just to save 50 pounds on a lighter engine block.

"After much initial research, we weighed a sufficient number of cars and found the 1200 pound weight should include about 90% of the 410 sprints running today. 1200 pounds could be just the starting point, with the figure growing higher as feedback comes through next season.

"Weighing cars at every race will require extra manpower on our part, but we are willing to make that commitment. Somebody has to take the first step."

A sprint car weight rule has been talked about for the past three seasons among race promoters, car owners and various 410 sprint car sanctioning bodies throughout the United States. The All Stars are proud to be the innovators in being the first traveling 410 series to adopt a weight rule.

"From the positive feedback we've received, we are confident that other sanctioning bodies and race tracks will join in this important effort to contain costs," Emick concluded.

The rule becomes effective with the 2000 All Star opener at Volusia Raceway Park in Florida next February 10. Procedures governing the weight rule will be announced in the near future. For more information, or to comment, contact Emick at the All Star office at 904-756-9225 or via email at emickb@aol.com or visit our web site at www.allstarsprint.com.