Originally Posted by Mud Packer:
Spridge,
Lincoln Park drew mid 20's last Saturday night for a USAC show. 1/2 an hour from Indianapolis. What would make you think that Knoxville, IA,10+ or - hours away would draw a huge car count? Pay out is about the same and if the locals here in Indiana don't support shows here, I doubt they would haul that far away to race. Remember, this is a SUNDAY night show as well.
The economy isn't any better and the racers here can't seem to afford 3 nights per weekend in Indiana. Also, many folks have already used up much if not all of their vacation and free time during sprint week and midget week. It certainly doesn't surprise me.
Indiana is a hot bed for 410 traditional sprint car racing. How many other states even have non-wing races weekly? I guess I was more surprised that only 101 410 sprint cars are pre-registered on the wing side. That count is down somewhat from years past as well. USAC certainly isn't the drawing card it once was.
The low count in Indiana is not surprising. It was after Sprintweek, had races against it, and some guys are just not a fan of Putnamville yet. If you look at last year's car counts at Knoxville and Oskaloosa, it proves that guys want to make the trip.
This trip is a destination for a lot of guys. People will take a weekend off from racing to prepare themselves to head west. Car count is not my concern for this race - PLENTY of guys have told me that they will be making the trip to Knoxville & Oskaloosa.
The problem is the lack of seeing the big picture in Sprint Car Racing right now. The Outlaws are seeing bigger crowds than ever simply by spreading themselves over more markets. People ask me all the time why there aren't USAC or traditional Sprint Car races in certain states or areas. The answer isn't a lack of interest. The answer is that there are very few who aspire to be more than a weekend/hobby Sprint Car racer in our arena right now. I feel like that tide is turning somewhat, but racing three times a weekend in Indiana does nothing but hurt payouts, crowds, and car counts here in our home state.
I've always laughed at people on this message board who whine about not having any USAC Sprint Car races in this area from Sprintweek until September. Well yeah, that's because no one will show up.
Just to be clear, my post was only to point out that drivers, teams, and fans need to support these shows if they ever want better things for Sprint Car racers. If you want Dave Darland to make more money, or young drivers to be content racing Sprint Cars, or to see your favorite race cars on TV again, the answer is to think more big-picture as to what is good for the whole of Sprint Car racing...Knoxville pays a million dollars to the Knoxville Nationals participants this year. They pay something like $20,000+ to the USAC crowd. Making excuses or blaming the track will get us nowhere. Knoxville, and just about anywhere else in the country, is willing to pay out...if it's worth it!