Ricky Weiss discusses the droop rule

With direction from Scott Bloomquist, Ricky Weiss came prepared for the first droop rule race

The droop rule was featured in it’s first race on March 16th at the Tri-County Race Track. The new rule for the Southern Nationals Series hooks a chain from the rear end to the chassis on the left rear. It’s designed to limit the suspension and body lift on the rear of the car.

Ricky Weiss climbed out of the box 3rd quickest in qualifying. He went on to finish 2nd in the main event.

You ran the first race with the droop rule. How was it?

“It wasn’t bad. I mean, you could tell what the rule was about and what they were doing with it,” Ricky Weiss told RacingNews.co.

“He [Scott Bloomquist] knew what to do, when to do it and how to do it. I mean, it made it pretty easy on me knowing that he was telling me what to do.”

Ricky Weiss, the multi-time NLRA Late Model champion now pilots a Sweet Bloomquist Chassis. He had help from Bloomquist regarding the setup of the car. Another guy in the pit area told me that Ray Cook explored this idea based off old Scott Bloomquist design. I have yet to be able to confirm that as fact. But, I’ll just leave it here as a little side-note.

So, how much different was the car? The handling of the car?

“I think some people’s would have been quite a bit different. I mean you could feel it a little bit. But, it really wasn’t too big of a difference.”

So, you guys came in prepared. But it could have been a drastic shift for somebody else?

“It could have been, yeah. I haven’t talked to too many people about it to see what their cars were like. But, mine was pretty good.”

Are you in favor of seeing it be implemented across the board?

“I mean, everybody would have to do it. It’s just another series that is different from the others.”

“It’s just a whole nother thing that you gotta have in the trailer and you gotta have ready. So, if everybody were to do it and we were all the same, then I could see it.”

“But, just to be one series on there own — I understand why he’s doing it. But, everybody needs to jump onboard or nobody needs to.”

Ricky Weiss is from Headingly, Manitoba, Canada. He’s been racing for over ten years and has massed 100+ feature wins. In 2015 he claimed the Wissota National Championship.

Ricky Weiss preps tires for the LOLMDS show at Boyd's Speedway
Ricky Weiss preps tires for the LOLMDS show at Boyd’s Speedway
More

Related: Droop rule introduced to dirt late model racing (video)

Related: Southern Nationals Bonus Series results – March 16, 2018

Related: Ray Cook on the droop rule, “It’s got a whole list of positives that goes along with it, after the safety aspect”

Related: Before the droop rule, Ray Cook tested alternative options

Related: Other dirt late model series are intrigued by the droop rule

Related: Mark Richards discusses Aerodynamic, motor, suspension rules

Links

Ricky WeissSouthern Nationals | Shane Walters

Categories

Tags