[openwheelfan1]

Tire technology has played a part in the demise of day racing too. Tires in the the old days were the consistency of concrete blocks and would last on a hard, slick, dry track and would last 40 or even 50 laps. You can put on the hardest tire available today and without babying it, it probably wouldn't last for a 30 lap feature.


Time is another factor. We went to Terre Haute, and Eldora for years for day races in the 70's and early 80's. Yes, they were dusty...sometimes terribly so. The track crew watered the track after hot laps, after qualifying, after the heats (sometimes between the heats) and after the semi. Yes, all that watering and running the track in controlled the dust,, but it made the show's run long. It was pretty common for hot laps to start at Noon and the feature to checker at about 6:00-6:30. Yes I know, that isn't much compared to the "12 hrs. of Eldora" 4 Crown event this past Saturday, but it did have its impact on people traveling from distances to the events.

IMO, no one factor "killed" daytime racing, but certainly dust, heat, tire costs, the popularity of NASCAR (even if it has waned) and many other factors have all contributed.