Dirt track racing just got better for two California tracks:

Two of California’s premier dirt track facilities have taken another step to improve racing at each track. Over the off season, Bakersfield Speedway and Santa Maria Speedway have met with Electronic Scoring Systems suppliers to see what would be the best option for both track and racer budgets.

Promoters Scott Schweitzer and Chris Kearns have chosen MyLaps/AMB Transponder Systems for their respective facilities and are very pleased with what is to come. The two race tracks were amongst a very short list of Dirt Tracks in California not running an Electronic Timing & Scoring system.

“I think this is the best move by the both of us to install an electronic scoring system at the tracks.  MyLaps/ AMB made it an easy choice for us” remarked Bakersfield Speedway promoter Scott Schweitzer.

Santa Maria Speedway promoter Chris Kearns stated “ We share a lot of mutual racers. I am glad Santa Maria Speedway and Bakersfield Speedway have adapted this system together”.

Transponders can be purchased through each Speedway for $399 plus tax or rented on a nightly basis for $20 per night.
Racers that already own MyLaps/AMB Transponders will be able to use their own at both tracks.

For transponder purchase contact:
Chris Kearns @ 805-714-8538 or chrisk.usa@gmail.com
Scott Schweitzer @ 661-393-3373 or speedway@wildblue.net

That is great news Chris...Glad both tracks make the jump to transponders. It is really nice to see your lap times in hot laps, heat races, etc and see where in the event it occurred..

are we gunna be able to get sheets of our lap times then?

1oldphart wrote on 01/06/12 at 4:27pm:



Do they not have enough juice to send a signal?   According to their site the AMBtrans 160 is good to 160Kph or 99.4 MPH and is used often in karts and quarter midgets.  A 15 second lap on a 1/3 mile track is an average speed of 80mph.  The max height is 2 feet so mounting on the car should be doable at some point on the car.  The price of 160 is still pricey but much cheaper than the 260.

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productdetails.asp?RecID=4639

Did I read this right? Another 20 bucks a night or 400 up front to race at bako or sms? That is bull sh1t. WTF!!! I don't race to make money, but to add an additional expense and get nothing in return is bs.

1 Fast hobby wrote on 01/06/12 at 9:37pm:

AGREED!!!!! Now I am looking at $65 a night just to get through the gate. It appears this is just another source of income for the tracks. Members don't get a break on transponder rental? Extra added expense for the racers with raceivers and now transponders and no break in membership price. This WILL affect car counts. I have already erased the memorial race in SM off my schedule. Bako is fortunate that they are my home track and most of my racing will be there, but now I'm not going to take vacation days on saturdays i have to work in order to race. I will miss 3-4 races at least throughout the year now. I will be even more inclined to support Victorville on off nights as well. WHAT ABOUT PORTERVILLE OPENING??? What happened with that?

now i am the budget racer as much as the next guy... now the way i heard how this is going to work is... you rent it for $20 a night... at the end of the year... you have race say 20 times thats $400 and you will get your transponder given to you... so if you race 10 times then thats $200 and you can either buy it or not for the remaining $200. now this was just what i HEARD so i dont know how much truth is behind it but i think that is definitely fair. if that is the case then there is no extra money going into the track owners pocket. i think for all of as bakersfield we would just like to see a scoreboard update and some new alluminum pit stands... that way we feel like our money is going back to the racer.... its like when you pay all these taxes and our city roads are still messed up... it feels nice when you see nice roads and tax dollars at work... just my opinion....

If your $20 rent fee goes towards the purchase of a transponder, that would be more fair. It's things like this though ($400 transponder/$100 raceiver) that prevent new racers from getting into the sport.

billy you are correct with this statement... when i ran irwindale part of tech was making sure we all had our transponders in the correct location. we all should have to run them and the midplate (or back of block) we all have a down bar right there for the most part...

   Yep, it's an added expense for transponders and/or raceceivers but you just have to face it guys.  They're here to stay, like it or not.  In my opinion you'd be smart to just put it on the plastic and just buy them.
If you do buy get the hard wired transponder, put it in and forget it.  Our's has been on the car for 3 years with no problems.  The chargeable ones don't last as long, cost more and take a long time to charge.  If you forget to charge it until you're loading up to go to the track you're screwed.
 As for where to locate them that's all over the place;  late models are generally, like Sawyer says, on the back of the mid-plate,  WISSOTA has a different spot,  Lakeport Speedway is a few inches from the right front corner, etc.  Our 2 regular haunts require them but don't say where.

Bringing the negativity on here doesn't do anyone any good.  The best thing you can do is contact Amb/Mylaps directly and let them know of your new situation and what you think of their rediculously overpriced product. What could possibly be in that thing that would cost 400 dollars? My Xbox 360 whoops the $hite out of the tech on that thing and only cost 200 buck. lol

http://www.mylaps.com/index.php/us_eng/Websites/corporate/contact