OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

I know that many people have a love/hate relationship with the late models, but I have always found them fun to watch. At the beginning of the year, the new XR late model series announced a big money show at the Belleville High Banks.

However, this week it was announced that a joint decision between the drivers, sanction body, and Fair board was made to run the 1/4 low banks instead of the 1/2 high banks.

I loved watching the midgets run the high banks and briefly entertained the idea of going to this show. I know I would have been very disappointed to burn three vacation days for the Belleville Low Banks.

I always had a slimmer of hope that the midgets would go back to the High Banks, but I guess that dream is gone. :47:

So they raced last night. I am under the impression that the SMLR series ran the low banks, XR ran the high banks.

You made me curious, the in-car I found from Chris Ferguson sure looked like the big track.

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

It appears after watching this video the drivers were not informed of the decision to race on the small track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMOYAn2Hz2I

Yeah, so XR ran the big track last night. The decision was made to run the small track tonight.

Based on the video I just watched of last night's feature I'm saying better for everyone.

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

I said the midgets should have ran one night on each for the Bellville instead of totally burning up a motor with multi nights on the big track. But no, They did it till they do it no more.

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

When did you say that, and who did you say it to? Saw that race paid $40,000 to win. I didn't know they had that many seats.

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

On here, several times. Im sure if you search Bellville Midget National threads you will find a few times I said it.

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

2015 and I mention that I mentioned it in 2014

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There's an article in the new Sprint and Midget magazine written by Doug Auld thinking the Belleville race should be run on the 1/4 mile track instead of the big 1/2 mile in order to bring the car count up. He's wanting the Belleville High Banks to ask for peoples opinion?

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2/3/15, 8:11 PM #2
Re: Belleville Midget Nationals
Charles Nungester
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I said it last year. That night one should be on the Quarter and Nationals second night on the Half.

If its hard on midget motors One night is less than two, Right?
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TV. XR's deal is as much about the telecast as it is the in person attendance.

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

My point is, I don't think too many people in the sport rely on message boards for information. The problem with running the small track is, it is not the famous Belleville High Banks. That is the history of the track. The promoters talked about this in an article in SprintCar and Midget.

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

I can still hear Midget George @itch and moan with the thought even moving one night of the Belleville Nationals to the small track.
:5:

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

Sounds like they promoted themselves right out of having a profitable event.

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

Oh I agree, But also think that cutting it back to one night on the Belleville High Banks is still the Belleville high speed highbanks.

Now what do we have? Nothin

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

Would you have went? My guess is no. Thought about it a couple of times. Always super hot, and not many places to stay. I thought they ran Midgets on the small track and Silver Crown on the big track, but lost money. I understand car owners being reluctant to run there. They have been turned down by almost every sanctioning body. Would be a tough sell for fans to travel that far to watch on a track similar to 40 they passed on the way.

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

At least for now, My days of long trips and that includes anything more than a hour and a half or one hundred miles are done. There's some trips that I had planned like Eastern Storm and others tha are on hold both from a financial and family members health standpoint.

Belleville Midgets I don't think ever had a fan problem, The car count just went down and down. It was held during the fair and correct me if Im wrong, But wasn't the fans responsible for the purse being what it was? I know there were some die hards.

Anyway, It's a trophy that most racers wanted in their trophy case

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

I wasn't saying that in a bad way. People like me and you had opportunities for years, and we never made it. Can't see a smaller track enticing us

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

Oh I know, All I was trying to point out is that they could have still have had the event with half the wear on cars. So more might have participated in a fri short track,, saturday big track format.

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

I made the 9 hour trip from Illinois to The Belleville Midget Nationals a half dozen times or more in the years leading up to it's abandonment by the midgets. Glad I did, and wouldn't take a million for the experience and friends I made and at least 2 or 3 of those events were some very good racing. The battle between Christopher Bell and Rico Abeu was nearly epic and immediately comes to mind. I don't ever remember it being oppressively hot and the North Central Kansas Free Fair going on at the same time was a cool deal and further added to the charm of the whole experience. It was nice to have Beloit and Fairbury as preliminary events of sorts leading up to the Nationals

No question the midget engines took a beating on The High Banks but they seemed to hold up satisfactorily. I watched both nights of the late model shows and the guy who won the first night on the High Banks said the car was heating up pretty bad by the end of his heat race. He also said running The High Banks was like driving down the interstate. Just from my distant and unattached perspective the situation had the appearance of the late model teams weren't expecting such a demanding track. Maybe I'm wrong. I don't know all that much about the late model guys besides Larson so I don't remember who is who but one of them said The High Banks is a LOT faster and more demanding than even Eldora.

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

That was Johnathan Davenport who just won a million at Eldora and the pre feature as well. Said the high banks even with the headrest put a big strain on the neck and back. He said they brought the big motor for the big track and didn't know that they changed to the small track for the 40k.

Like someone else said, Think it was more for the Streaming having closer racing than the fan experience of 140mph dirt track cars.

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

I went to Belleville once. From memory they had the All Stars on Thursday,the prelim on Friday and the final on Saturday. Watched Thursday and Friday. Friday night the track took rubber.I decided i wasnt paying good money for Saturday after seeing that.

So on the way back I stopped in Knoxville for the 360 Nationals. In the afternoon I was at the campground talking with friends,got up to hit the mens room, and as I was walking out,I heard someone call my name and turned around and there was Court Grandstaff that used to own the Trop Artic 66 sprint car. He told me to hang on a second as he had something for me.

Years earlier we met when Brooke Tatnell was racing his car. I had asked him if he had any old crew shirts laying around. I had a buddy in Australia that collected them,so I'd often inquire from friends on teams etc. Court said he did,and I gave him my card,and he said he'd send me one. Well he got busy and I never did get a crew shirt from him,until this particular day. Court told me he never forgot he had told me he would send me a shirt. By then he had sold the sprint car stuff off,but he had a BRAND NEW crew shirt that he had been carrying around in hopes of running into me again. I couldnt believe it! So it was an incredible stroke of luck that I had gone to Knoxville instead of staying for the midget nationals. My buddy stopped collecting crew shirts in the meantime,so now it hangs on my living room wall instead.

XR is rumored to be funded by the Smith family from NASCAR. There’s no way they make enough in streaming money to fund these purses with the non existent fans in the stands. There seems to no end of people who are willing to lose their shirts on LM racing. And yet not one for wingless sprints.

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

Not true and forgive me for not knowing his name offhand. But he got the Hangtown going and Husets Usac Nationals and other big usac shows. Also backs a few cars. Also the King of the Hill guy in PA has taken chances on USAC with some success, Others not so much.

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

Matt Woods

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

If you want to know more about XR look up the name Barry Braun on Facebook if you're on the social media platform.

Matt Wood is not running XR.

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

I didn't say he was.
You said no money people are behind anything with USAC NW sprints and I pointed out that there was.

Do you really think that? Are there people who really think that large Late Model events aren't profitable yet continue to happen anyway?

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

XR is not funded by the Smith family…..

Re: OT: XR Late Models running the Belleville Low Banks
 

No matter who is funding it, they are drawing quality fields and looks like the checks aren't bouncing.