[Jonr]

I hope that it returns and that it finds a good date. Also remember, IF POWRi and USAC can work together and make this a "Crown Jewel" event and POWRi doesn't schedule on top of it, you would get some more midgets.

Everyone should remember that the Chili Bowl was a money loser the first time it was held and had to work to find the best weekend for it.

[ThrowbackRacingTeam]

Gonna be tough if not impossible for this event to succeed. It’s just too far away from its car and fan base. I was shocked when I saw this race announced. Hopefully the guy didn’t loose too much money.

[richie]

Originally Posted by yeleyfan76 To the staff at Husets for showing everyone how to run an efficient show. Two full programs each nite with little down time and over early. I hope the group from Speedway took notes. A quick tite program can be run every nite if the group in charge wants to.

Just to clarify here, since this is an incorrect take. USAC's National officials (the group from Speedway) ran & directed all three nights of the Huset's program.

Yes, it was definitely a well run show, and it takes everyone working in concert to make it happen from the USAC officials to the push truck crews, ambulance crews, etc. All did a fantastic job.

I can attest to how USAC National programs are consistently run in an efficient manner. I've seen it night in, night out for the past seven years. Never is there any wasting of time.

[Charles Nungester]

The event, Venue and racing were spectacular. The only thing that would improve that is car count. And Matt Wood, USAC and all involved need a big congrats.

I have no idea what the attendance was. I've heard from decent crowd to under a thousand. It looked simular to last weekends Power Sprints attendance.

Even Sprint week, at least half the fans are local. I Applaud them for trying something new. Thanks Matt Wood.

[ISF]

The wife & I had planned on attending and meeting up with a buddy from Kansas while up there. It didn't happen for a variety of reasons concerning job obligations and an earlier fall farming season than in recent years. If this event carries on next year we'll be there, for sure.

Like many other comparisons, it never ceases to amaze how different other divisions are supported. With us being in hard core Illinois dirt late model country and just over 1/2 hour from Fairbury, Illlinois we see the solid and widespread support for almost every late model show at Fairbury. Don't get me wrong, Fairbury is a very good facility run by competent people but FALS is no Huset's. The quality of racing over this past weekend at Huset's was top notch and the organization and efficiency was second to none but not many were there to enjoy it. Yet scores of dirt late model fans fly into Illinois to attend events at lil' ol' FALS. They drive from 4 or 5 states away. Camping areas are jammed beyond belief. The bottom line is dirt late model fans support their favorite division and wingless fans don't. At least, it seems, not outside of their immediate area.

And yet, a high paying and superb midget and sprint car show goes vastly unsupported. It's been said here in this thread that this Huset's event can't possibly continue because USAC fans refuse to leave their immediate area to watch very good racing. Sadly, that seems also to be the case with the dirt mile Silver Crown events.

It's a bit baffling.

The promoter of the Huset's event should be highly commended for his effort to competently plan, organize and take some chances on people showing up to watch some of the best racing of the season.

I am not nearly smart enough to figure out how to change the direction of this trend, or if it's possible to do so, but if it is I sure wish someone who is, would.

[ISF]

Originally Posted by richie I can attest to how USAC National programs are consistently run in an efficient manner. I've seen it night in, night out for the past seven years. Never is there any wasting of time.

I'm sure it was the exception rather than the rule but we attended a USAC National Midget show at Route 66 dirt track near Joliet, Illinois during the 2019 season that was so ill organized and strung out that we left at just before midnight not having seen the USAC Midget A-main. I e-mailed the promoter to express our disappointment and they were sincerely apologetic and was informed that the overwhelming percentage of blame was with the sanctions for how badly the show was run. There were a lot of local fans who were as unhappy as we were. The fact that USAC Sprint & Midget racing is quite rare in Illinois may be a result of show's such as the one I speak of. Not saying, just saying.

[Charles Nungester]

Originally Posted by ISF I'm sure it was the exception rather than the rule but we attended a USAC National Midget show at Route 66 dirt track near Joliet, Illinois during the 2019 season that was so ill organized and strung out that we left at just before midnight not having seen the USAC Midget A-main. I e-mailed the promoter to express our disappointment and they were sincerely apologetic and was informed that the sanction was responsible for how the show was run. There were a lot of local fans who were as unhappy as we were. The fact that USAC Sprint & Midget racing is quite rare in Illinois may be a result of show's such as the one I speak of. Not saying, just saying.

Is that the one they waited for Larson to arrive for?

[okie]

I bought 4 tickets and made a 8 1/2 drive out.Was disappointed with the car count but it was a good show.I have drove the same distance a lot of times to Indiana just to a USAC show so to be able to go somewhere and see sprint and midgets together in one trip for 3 days was priceless.I want to THANK Matt Wood for putting on the show and USAC for running a program that was over in decent time all 3 nights.Huset in a nice track but there are not many good seats above the general admission section. The concession stand in the middle of the stands blocks the view of the front straight and the railing also blocks the view if you move up higher.I didnt go up to the top 2 or 3 rows that had people in them but the seats between them and GA seat that I sat in my opinion were worthless.That may have something to do with local crowd.You could not see the cars cross the finish line from where I was seated and on Friday night in the GA section the dust was real bad but not on Saturday or Sunday

[openwheelfan1]

We weren't in attendance at Husets, but judging from the Flo broadcast, the racing was spectacular, especially the midgets! That track seemed ideal for the midgets. I would agree with a prior comment that the Saturday midget race length of 100 laps was maybe a little much. I am not a fan of "pit stops" (breaks, fuel stops, call it what you will) so whatever the lap limit is based on the fuel, the feature should be within that.

IF the event continues next year, we will probably try to attend. I do wish these multi day events were a little more spread out, i. e., the BC 39, the Kokomo Smackdown, the USAC Nationals and the Eldora 4 Crown will all occur within 5 weeks of each other.

[Pitdad]

Originally Posted by ThrowbackRacingTeam Gonna be tough if not impossible for this event to succeed. It’s just too far away from its car and fan base. I was shocked when I saw this race announced. Hopefully the guy didn’t loose too much money.

I don't disagree that the current fan base and cars are far from South Dakota. But back to Jonr's comment about the Chili Bowl initially losing money, realize that in 1987, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and for that matter anywhere between the Mississippi River and the west coast (save the RMMRA) could be construed as "midget country". The old Southwest Invitational Midget Series (SWIMS) would roll through once a year in mid-80's and race the fair, but other than that, there hadn't been ANY midgets in that area since the 50's. Now open wheel fans, we were thick with them. But I recall asking a college buddy who was CONSUMED by the World of Outlaws if he was going to the SWIMS show at the Fairgrounds (Oklahoma City) and he said "He!! no, why would I want to listen to a bunch of Volkswagens buzz around all night?" But through perseverance and PROMOTING, the Chili Bowl is now the iconic, must see event that it is. And accordingly, 1/3rd of the drivers in Tulsa, come January, will be from Oklahoma.
Midget racing, because of the Chili Bowl and POWRi (and now USAC) has a fan base in Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, and Kansas.

Nothing says that wingless sprint cars can't catch on outside of Indiana. But you've got to be willing to let it happen. These things take time and commitment. And you've got to get really lucky...