Creating a Schedule

DirtTrackTherapy16J · 1/28/24, 6:55 PM

I am going to start out by saying this is not a bashing of USAC, nor is this negative, complaining, or criticism. In fact I would like to applaud and say thank you to all those who put in the time, text, calls, and emails to work out a schedule. Yes there is racing, yes tracks are not closed. It's simply more then that and these are facts that just dont make alot of sense to me and many other people who either don't speak up or have no forms of social media including but not limited to IOW.

With that said, this is about the USAC Sprint Car Racing schedule. In my opinion, it is the most heavily followed, watched of the 3 divisions. We have 4 seasons if you will. Winter (December, January, February). Spring (March, April, May). Summer (June, July, August). Fall (September, October, November).

In February there is the week of Florida which has been boosted up this year. I like to call it Florida sprint week. After that though, racing season is basically April 1st-October 31st here in the Midwest. 214 day season. In those 214 days we have 25 Sprint Car races in Indiana with 1 TBA on Friday April 12th. That's approximately 12% of the time during that stretch there is a race in Indiana. Even more astonishing is from the 8 tracks that USAC races from, they average 3.125 races per track during a 214 day stretch. Not very good numbers in my opinion along with many others.

-The Breakdown
*Circle City/Indy - 4 dates, 4 races for 3 overall shows.
*The Burg - 4 dates, 4 races, 3 overall shows.
*Kokomo - 4 dates, 4 races, 2 overall shows.
*Terre Haute - 3 dates, 3 races, 3 overall shows.
*Haubstadt - 3 dates, 3 races, 3 overall shows.
*Lincoln Park - 3 dates, 3 races, 2 overall shows.
*Bloomington - 2 dates, 2 races, 2 overall shows.
*Gas City - 2 dates, 2 races, 2 overall shows.
*TBA Friday April 12th.
*No dates or shows for Paragon, Montpelier, Shady Hill, or any other dirt tracks in Indiana.

To add to this...Kokomo, Gas City, Lincoln Park has no Spring show. The only 2 with Summer shows (outside of Indiana Sprint Week) is Lincoln Park with a 2 day show around the 4th of July and Kokomo with a 3 day Smackdown show late August. No Fall dates or shows for Kokomo, Lincoln Park, Bloomington, or Terre Haute. TH use to have a Fall date and show and it was moved to Kokomo for 1 year and that date and show just completely disappeared. Take away the 4th of July show and Smackdown and all Kokomo and Lincoln Park has is a date for Indiana Sprint Week. Take away Indiana Sprint Week and Bloomington and Gas City get 1 date and 1 show for 2 of the best tracks in Indiana and the Country that doesnt have walls and heavily favored and well liked by many.

Add to this the first week of September there are 3 dates in Texas and Arkansas. What happens in the South during late Summer and early Fall? Hurricane Season. How big of a chance are those 3 for rainouts? How about the first few weeks of April? How many of those dates get rained out, snowed out, cold outed? Seems to me that some flip flopping there would be beneficial to drivers, teams, and fans?

No you can't control the weather, but it's not a big secret that weather patterns have changed all over the Country and in the Midwest winters start later, they are shorter overall, but do last longer into Spring then in previous years. Some of the dates and race locations are set up for failure before the time even gets here.

Finally...USAC's home base is Indiana, Indy area. Most full time USAC drivers and teams are based somewhere in Indiana. The few that aren't, are states nearby bordering Indiana. Even the part time drivers and teams and/or non regulars are generally in Indiana or nearby bordering states. Yeah you have the fixtures and likes of Eldora, Knoxville, Wisconsin, Eastern Storm - PA sprint week as some call it. Just seems to be alot of unnecessary travel, times that rainouts and/or cancellations are more certain then having the race, and definitely not many races in Indiana considering 8-11 tracks over a 214 day period. Just wouldn't see this as a great way to get new people into the sport, families into the sport, and/or younger generations into the sport as most hope happens. Seems a good way to have more people tune into Flo as most of those people can't hardly afford to drive out of town much less travel out of state so frequently. End in the end, not good news for owners, promoters, and these said tracks or the state of Indiana which is said by many to be Nonwing Country.

EldoraMark · 1/29/24, 2:10 PM

U got way to much time on your hand. Lol

brown11b · 1/29/24, 2:43 PM

USAC is going to schedule where the money is.

Paragon has elected to not host USAC Sprints or Midgets the last couple of years and has even run weekly shows against USAC Sprint Week. That is their choice.

Shady Hill doesn't have a sprint car race on the schedule until they have steel block sprints on Sept 28 so it seems there isnt much interest in open wheel there.

As for Montpelier Speedway goes I am not going to comment because I have no clue what their plan is.

USAC doesn't just show up to tracks for free, they, like the rest of the traveling series, go where the money is. If you want USAC at a certain track call the track and let them know they need more open wheel, or in the case of Paragon, tell them you think they would make more money on the season with USAC there.

Kart#51 · 1/29/24, 6:20 PM

Are you saying the don't race in Indiana enough or too much? Not sure which way you are leaning in this debate?

kendirt · 1/29/24, 8:29 PM

I'd submit that USAC's biggest hurdle to creating a coherent schedule is that they're running three series with largely the same core group of drivers and officials.

ThrowbackRacingTeam · 1/29/24, 11:24 PM

Famous words, “I’m not USAC bashing”…….But I’m about to bash the **** out of USAC. Here’s what you do, call USAC and tell them you got $30-40 grand burning a hole in your pocket and want to book a sprint car race in Paragon Indiana. Problem solved.

jdull99 · 1/30/24, 1:23 AM

Somebody please try the Winnebago County Fairgrounds in Pecatonica, IL! I'll help hang up posters!

Bill Angel · 1/30/24, 9:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brown11b

USAC is going to schedule where the money is.

Paragon has elected to not host USAC Sprints or Midgets the last couple of years and has even run weekly shows against USAC Sprint Week. That is their choice.

Shady Hill doesn't have a sprint car race on the schedule until they have steel block sprints on Sept 28 so it seems there isnt much interest in open wheel there.

As for Montpelier Speedway goes I am not going to comment because I have no clue what their plan is.

USAC doesn't just show up to tracks for free, they, like the rest of the traveling series, go where the money is. If you want USAC at a certain track call the track and let them know they need more open wheel, or in the case of Paragon, tell them you think they would make more money on the season with USAC there.

Are you sure Paragon has elected to not host USAC sprints?

markd · 1/30/24, 9:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdull99

Somebody please try the Winnebago County Fairgrounds in Pecatonica, IL! I'll help hang up posters!

Went there once

If it wasn't for the catch fence in 4, I think Nick Lundgren would still be flipping

Rpracing1 · 1/30/24, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtTrackTherapy16J

I am going to start out by saying this is not a bashing of USAC, nor is this negative, complaining, or criticism. In fact I would like to applaud and say thank you to all those who put in the time, text, calls, and emails to work out a schedule. Yes there is racing, yes tracks are not closed. It's simply more then that and these are facts that just dont make alot of sense to me and many other people who either don't speak up or have no forms of social media including but not limited to IOW.

With that said, this is about the USAC Sprint Car Racing schedule. In my opinion, it is the most heavily followed, watched of the 3 divisions. We have 4 seasons if you will. Winter (December, January, February). Spring (March, April, May). Summer (June, July, August). Fall (September, October, November).

In February there is the week of Florida which has been boosted up this year. I like to call it Florida sprint week. After that though, racing season is basically April 1st-October 31st here in the Midwest. 214 day season. In those 214 days we have 25 Sprint Car races in Indiana with 1 TBA on Friday April 12th. That's approximately 12% of the time during that stretch there is a race in Indiana. Even more astonishing is from the 8 tracks that USAC races from, they average 3.125 races per track during a 214 day stretch. Not very good numbers in my opinion along with many others.

-The Breakdown
*Circle City/Indy - 4 dates, 4 races for 3 overall shows.
*The Burg - 4 dates, 4 races, 3 overall shows.
*Kokomo - 4 dates, 4 races, 2 overall shows.
*Terre Haute - 3 dates, 3 races, 3 overall shows.
*Haubstadt - 3 dates, 3 races, 3 overall shows.
*Lincoln Park - 3 dates, 3 races, 2 overall shows.
*Bloomington - 2 dates, 2 races, 2 overall shows.
*Gas City - 2 dates, 2 races, 2 overall shows.
*TBA Friday April 12th.
*No dates or shows for Paragon, Montpelier, Shady Hill, or any other dirt tracks in Indiana.

To add to this...Kokomo, Gas City, Lincoln Park has no Spring show. The only 2 with Summer shows (outside of Indiana Sprint Week) is Lincoln Park with a 2 day show around the 4th of July and Kokomo with a 3 day Smackdown show late August. No Fall dates or shows for Kokomo, Lincoln Park, Bloomington, or Terre Haute. TH use to have a Fall date and show and it was moved to Kokomo for 1 year and that date and show just completely disappeared. Take away the 4th of July show and Smackdown and all Kokomo and Lincoln Park has is a date for Indiana Sprint Week. Take away Indiana Sprint Week and Bloomington and Gas City get 1 date and 1 show for 2 of the best tracks in Indiana and the Country that doesnt have walls and heavily favored and well liked by many.

Add to this the first week of September there are 3 dates in Texas and Arkansas. What happens in the South during late Summer and early Fall? Hurricane Season. How big of a chance are those 3 for rainouts? How about the first few weeks of April? How many of those dates get rained out, snowed out, cold outed? Seems to me that some flip flopping there would be beneficial to drivers, teams, and fans?

No you can't control the weather, but it's not a big secret that weather patterns have changed all over the Country and in the Midwest winters start later, they are shorter overall, but do last longer into Spring then in previous years. Some of the dates and race locations are set up for failure before the time even gets here.

Finally...USAC's home base is Indiana, Indy area. Most full time USAC drivers and teams are based somewhere in Indiana. The few that aren't, are states nearby bordering Indiana. Even the part time drivers and teams and/or non regulars are generally in Indiana or nearby bordering states. Yeah you have the fixtures and likes of Eldora, Knoxville, Wisconsin, Eastern Storm - PA sprint week as some call it. Just seems to be alot of unnecessary travel, times that rainouts and/or cancellations are more certain then having the race, and definitely not many races in Indiana considering 8-11 tracks over a 214 day period. Just wouldn't see this as a great way to get new people into the sport, families into the sport, and/or younger generations into the sport as most hope happens. Seems a good way to have more people tune into Flo as most of those people can't hardly afford to drive out of town much less travel out of state so frequently. End in the end, not good news for owners, promoters, and these said tracks or the state of Indiana which is said by many to be Nonwing Country.

Can someone translate this post to me?

I get we have 4 seasons a year....................