We are happy to finally release the long-awaited 2024-B season announcement. So without further ado, let's jump into it.
Mach-1 Performance Renews, Next Gen Cup Returns on Mondays
Mach-1 Performance has renewed their contract and will continue to be the title sponsor of the next gen cup series. The Mach-1 Performance Cup Series will continue as expected. Same car, race lengths, all the usual settings, although we will be reducing the stages by one as we will discuss below. With the removal of a stage, the series will also lose 1 set of tires to use during the events.We are also happy to announce that the charter fee for the series will remain at $25 for season B. We’ve seen some great signs of growth in the series and that has allowed us to continue to offer lower fees while allowing us to continue to source the high quality race broadcasts from LSRTV and as well as provide larger payouts this year.
SimRacingPoints.com Returns With the Trucks on Wednesdays
Much like the cup series, the Truck Series returns with title sponsor SimRacingPoints.com. The series will have its familiar feel with similar race lengths and a schedule mainly made up of the official iRacing schedule. This series will also return to 1 stage break. With this change, the series will also see a reduction in sets of tires by 1. We are happy to have both the trucks and SimRacingPoints.com back on for another season. With the sponsorship from SRP and Brandon, we are happy to confirm that the $15 charter fee will return for season B. We have had decent numbers in the series (still could use more drivers), but overall are happy with where we are to be able to continue it at this level for season B.
*New* Victory Fuel Gen 6 Cup Series Debuts on Thursdays
We have a new(ish) kid on the block at FTSR. Victory Fuel is officially coming on board to sponsor a series. Introducing the Victory Fuel Gen 6 Cup Series. The series will utilize the Gen 6 Cup car on iracing and will run fixed (iracing default) setups on Thursdays at 9pm EST. There will be no charter fee or entry fee for the series and no broadcasts or payouts provided currently, although if interest is there, we hope to see this series going that route soon. The series will feature NO STAGES and 50% races. The series will follow the iracing schedule most of the time, but will also visit some other fun and competitive tracks when available. The deal with Victory Fuel came together very late (literally this morning actually) and we are excited to finally have them on in an official role. We hope our members will take the time to come out on Thursdays, have some fun in a more relaxed environment and see if the series is a good fit for you while you enjoy your Victory Fuel.
Two Cup Series?
I can already feel the question being asked. How is this gonna work? Will it take away from the Monday night series? What's the deal? Well to be quite frank, I know there are a fair amount of drivers unhappy with the current state of the next gen and, while the Gen 6 is far from perfect, it does provide a more predictable experience on track. With that being said though, our focus is to make EVERY series the most successful possible. The Next Gen Series will continue to be our top tier series where drivers will find the most competition. We feel that we can balance both as there are many differences in the series, such as setup options, car feel, rules and even schedule at a few points. Our Next Gen series will more closely follow the real world and iRacing whereas the Gen 6 cup series will have more flexibility. We look forward to having more options for fun and competitive racing on more nights.
Late Model Series Paused, Possible Winter Series
As we discussed with the late model drivers, it was clear that the series could not continue on Saturdays. We explored other options but found that many drivers were just unavailable or uninterested in a change to a different night. Not enough interest plus the summer months lying ahead led us to scrap plans for a series right now, but revisit the series in a winter or off-season setting where we could have more flexibility and hopefully more interest.
Truck & Next-Gen Return To 1 Stage Break Per Event
We explored the possibility of multiple stages during the 2024-A season and while not a complete failure, we have decided to return to 1 stage break per even for 2024-B. We feel that the races are better balanced with one slightly longer stage as opposed to multiple stages. We also feel that the points shake out more evenly with a single stage. This awards stage points for a lightly longer stage but more importantly to us, it seems to balance the amount of points awarded better and makes the end of the race more important as it should be. We generally feel that this move was a direction the drivers wanted to go and we agree.
LSRTV to Continue Broadcasting Trucks, Next-Gen
LSRTV will continue to be the home of the FTSR Next Gen Cup Series as well as the Truck Series. In fact, we have signed a deal to have them onboard at least through the end of 2024. We are excited to be able to retain the high quality broadcasting and talented people at LSRTV for 2024 and are excited to continue to call LSRTV home.
Registration is Open, New Charter Renewal Process Is Live
Registration is now open for all series. Remember, for returning teams and drivers, the new renewal process is now live. This should make life a lot easier for new seasons. Simply go to “manage team” on the dashboard for the new series, click to renew the driver contract (it will show as expired for the new series) and that's it. No need for drivers to reapply or to sign another contract. However, if you wish to change the contract terms or anything pertaining to the charter, simply click “release driver” and/or delete the charter. If you haven’t renewed the charter, deleting the charter does not cost you any money. As always, if you run into issues or questions, feel free to reach out.
Thank You!
Lastly, I want to speak to the current members at FTSR. You guys are phenomenal. The level of competition and quality of tracing is unmatched out there and it's all because of the talented people who race here. I want to personally thank you guys for once again making this league what it is and continuing to provide a quality racing home for the guys who race here. I cannot thank you guys enough but you guys make it all worth it. Kudos to each and every one of you.
We are excited to be able to kick off yet another great racing season here at FTSR. New sponsors, new series and we are sure to see some new faces this season. Good luck to everyone and I hope everyone has an enjoyable season of racing. Make sure to take a peek at the images attached for individual series schedules, race lengths and more and as always, check the website for a more detailed breakdown of each series. Good luck and we will see you out there on the track.
