ooops sorry

How does the IL state fair put on a good race most years?

Anybody that was there has every right to say everything and anything they want. It was a total mess and facts are facts. No need to restate all has been said. I knew when I left the house, chances were that it wouldn't be the best race I have seen this year (thought I would at least see a race though). I did get to take my little boy to the infield which is really the only reason I still went. He loved watching the cars (you could actually see them in quals and practice) so that was the ONLY thing that was good. He had a great day.

Here is what I don't like after the whole deal: GIVE PEOPLE THEIR MONEY BACK IF THEY WANT IT BACK (I didn't re-read this whole post, just going by what was announced at the track...so if something changed I haven't seen it). I understand business and why tracks want you to just use your ticket again. I normally have no issue with that. In this case, I think you should be able to mail your tickets in for a refund. Don't MAKE people go back if they don't want to. USAC f-ed up IMO so they should man up and give people their money back if that's how someone wants to handle it. Eldora gave you that choice and I think that is only fair with what happened.

Finally, don't blame THAT. THAT is a thing. Things can't make decisions, people do. THAT could be a great track every time out if the right person was grooming it. I love THAT and just wish somebody (whoever that somebody is) with the fair board would get their head out of their ASS and give THAT a chance to be great. I GUARANTEE if the O'Connor's or Tommy H (people that have worked the track before) would have been prepping the track, there would have been racing. Can't convince me otherwise.

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Thanks for the pictures and video's.

I agree totally with the statement if the Silver Crown division is the paramount series within the organization, they sure run it like the Keystone Cops.

I did not go to Terre Haute, as I knew a day race would be a total fiasco.

I hope they fix it, but I rather doubt it. A real shame, half miles are all but gone......

Does anyone actually know who was in charge of "track prep"? I know we all heard about various people from Bubby Jones to Tom Helfrich to the O'Connells...but was it ever announced on who was in charge or maintaining the track?

Tim Wolffrum aka Cowboy

over 20 thousand hits on this thread....that has to be close or maybe even is a record on IOW

As I left the grandstand before show was canceled, I looked at the ticket booth for a refund. The note on the window said "No Refunds" and 7 Sheriffs were stationed in front of booth..........USAC had done deposited their loot for the day.....Kind of like a hold-up........isn't it?

I haven't heard anybody complain about the food... Well besides that a corndog was $3.50! The reason i say this is because the fair board member i talk to said that is the reason they picked usac. They had already signed a multi-year contract for the concessions and could not get out of it.... Lets just hope they get somebody in there that can do the job. It looked to me like jason smith was the one making the calls and i would never let that happen again!!! I still had a good day although sunburnt. It was great talking with and seeing old friends. They should pit them there for every race and let the fans walk through before the racing starts. The teams i talked to liked it so they could still work out of the trailers and sell more t-shirts. Can't wait for sprint week!!!

The polish sausage was bad and very overpriced.It was tough and dry.

I was at THAT yesterday and have slept on my opinion of what I witnessed.

As was the case with many others I drove a long way (410 round trip) and made a fairly substantial monetary commitment of discretionary funds to attend the Sumar. I am not going to berate any further the people who were responsible for the decision making in regards to the race. That has been justifiably done ad nauseam and I wish not to pile on. I am pretty sure the people who are responsible know what happened and why and I'm sure they feel terrible. At least I think they probably do.

What pains me the most is that these Silver Crown cars and the races they compete in are a passion for me. And most everybody posting here are passionate about them or they wouldn't be posting about it. I'll take my lumps time and money wise but the cumulative damage to this genre of racing I fear may be too much for it to survive in the long term. That is my deepest concern.

Also, I am embarrassed by the unprofessionalism of how this wonderful class of racing is sometimes run. Could I do any better? Maybe, maybe not. I am embarrassed by the rainouts which have no plan in place for that possible eventuality at stalwart venues like the 3 dirt 1 mile tracks which are the anchor of the division. I was personally embarrassed to have asked a good friend to choose to go with me to this deal instead of many other, more enjoyable I might add, activities he could have done on a holiday weekend to make the drive all the way to THAT only to see what we saw. He's an avid dirt late model fan and I just about guarantee he won't ever bother going to another Silver Crown race if not another USAC race, period. There was a really good crowd on hand for the Sumar and it could have been something very positive to build on but instead it became a glaring negative.

Well enough of this, but in closing I would implore USAC to please, please figure this stuff out before these races are just one more memory for us to pour over in conversation and on message boards. Please find a way for this type of racing to exist. No, not merely to exist but to flourish into the extended future. Once again this racing is dear to all of us or we wouldn't be here writing about it. I will continue to attend these races as long as they exist and as long as I can see my way clear to them, but not everybody feels as I do which is the crux of the problem.