[Jonr]

I am somewhere in the middle. I am 47. I grew up in west Texas where we had a few sprint cars and a little more late models, but most of the time the races were either modifieds or stock cars. I didn't see my first real midget race until I was in me early 30's and instantly fell in love with them. I started trying to see more and more midget races, and I moved a couple of times for my job and each time the areas had good midget racing.

For my 40th birthday, my big gift was a race weekend for the Indy 500. I did all of my research and was excited to go see a bunch of different races at a bunch of new tracks. I was very excited to go watch the SC race at the Indy fairgrounds. It was my first time to see them race, and it was the first time for me to be a mile racetrack. I was going to be able to cross both of these off of my bucket list. As the night went on, I found myself caring less and less about the race. I thought the track was too big, the cars were two spread out, racing action was limited, and I found the cars to be a little boring. This was especially true since I had been going to more and more midget races.

So on the other thread, I stated that unless you grew up with SC races, it is hard to be a fan. Now, you have the background of my comment. I knew dirt track racing, I knew open wheel racing, I had fallen in love with midget racing, and was not impressed with SC races. Thus, when people talk about growing the SC racing, I shake my head. If it is difficult for a SC car to capture my attention, how is it going to capture the attention of someone who has never been before?

[MIracing]

I believe that growing up going to races even if you stop eventually you will get hooked again. It's kind of like church. The saying is that most young adults leave the church at some point but usually seem to find their way back. That doesn't mean that other people don't find the church later in life. I just think people who experienced racing when young will be more likely to go back.

As for the younger crowd, I am 32 and go to as many races as I can. For close to 10 years racing was not a priority and the only reason I attend races is now is because it is a priority.

Think about this. I would say this is a pretty normal trend for people who go to college. They are in college til 22-23. They get married mid to late 20s. They have kids late 20s to early 30s. Then kids life can eat up your time for the next 20 years. Even if they go to races with they are bound to get involved in other stuff as well.

It's really had to commit to anything within those years unless it's a priority and even then it's tough.

So it's not always how do you get kids or young adults involved in something entertainment related like racing. It's can you continue to attract 40+ year olds who are starting to get disposable time and income to attend things such as racing.

I maybe way off but an outside of the box take on it.

[openwheelfan1]

Okay...I'll start by saying I'm old. I'm 61. I went to my first dirt Sprint/Supermodified race in 1964 or 1965 at Tri-State Speedway. I went to my first USAC Sprint race at Salem in 1967 and my first dirt USAC sprint race at Terre Hate in 1969. Since then I've been to at least one sprint car race every year. This year we attended 15 sprint car races, 10 non-wing USAC Sprint car events and 5 WoO events.

While we have attended several Silver Crown events at Terre Haute, ISF and Eldora in the past, the truth is that they just aren't our favorite events to attend. While I agree they are graceful on the miles, the races we have attended have usually been races of attrition or tire saving exercises. I understand that strategy is part of the attraction for some, I just prefer the all out aspect of sprint car racing.

As to some of the comments/concerns regarding the average age of those attending open wheel races, this is something that I've been concerned about for some time, and have posted about on this forum before. I certainly don't have the answer, and I believe some of the causes have been noted in the previous comments. I will say that having attended both winged and non-winged events this year, the average age at winged events APPEARS to be younger than that at the non-winged events we have attended. My perception as to why this occurs is that typically WoO events are better promoted than a typical non-winged event.

[revjimk]

Originally Posted by MIracing I believe that growing up going to races even if you stop eventually you will get hooked again. It's kind of like church. The saying is that most young adults leave the church at some point but usually seem to find their way back. That doesn't mean that other people don't find the church later in life. I just think people who experienced racing when young will be more likely to go back. As for the younger crowd, I am 32 and go to as many races as I can. For close to 10 years racing was not a priority and the only reason I attend races is now is because it is a priority. Think about this. I would say this is a pretty normal trend for people who go to college. They are in college til 22-23. They get married mid to late 20s. They have kids late 20s to early 30s. Then kids life can eat up your time for the next 20 years. Even if they go to races with they are bound to get involved in other stuff as well. It's really had to commit to anything within those years unless it's a priority and even then it's tough. So it's not always how do you get kids or young adults involved in something entertainment related like racing. It's can you continue to attract 40+ year olds who are starting to get expendable time and income to attend things such as racing. I maybe way off but an outside of the box take on it.

Thats kind of what happened to me. I'm 66. In the early 1960s I would bug my father to take me to dirt track "stock car" races in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley (actually "jalopies" or modifieds, which at the time were run whatcha brung hotrod coupes) Loved it. In 1966 we moved back up North & I went to 2 races on pavement, lost all interest. Fast forward 40 some years, I was visiting in Upstate NY, a friend gave me a racing magazine that mentioned big sprint car scene in Central Pa. I was headed to southern Pa. the next day, got on the Net, found a race, was instantly rehooked. Since then (2010?)I discovered wingless & midgets & have been to lots of the big events all over USA (I have summers off) I think I did 14 races this summer.
As to the younger crowd, kids just aren't into cars like they used to be. When I was in HS, a kid could get a part time or summer job, living at home, & save to buy some pretty hot cars. There were HS Auto Shop classes & lots of people knew how to work on cars. Nowadays cars are expensive, efficient, boring & require specialized training to fathom all the electronics. You rarely see a bunch of teenagers working on a car with the hood open in the driveway anymore. They'd rather do video games or yak on their cellphones. What to do? Beats me.... better enjoy it while it lasts....

[Tief]

Originally Posted by sp6967 I think it has to do with birth rates. when I was young the smallest family had 3 kids nowadays people tend to have 2 or less. there are just less young people to get hooked, plus the entertainment dollar has a lot more to choose from.

This is and extremely astute observation and I think has a lot to do with it. In 1980 the Under 18 age group made up 28.1% of the population and the 45-64 group made up 19.6% (according to the U.S. Census). By 2010, that had shifted to 24.2% under 18 and 26.1% 45-64. That trend isn't slowing down. We are just getting older as a society and it shows up in many places.

I have also told many people in my life that I felt there was a "racing gene". I am a fan because my father was a fan. He was a fan because my grandfather was. My son is a fan because I am. I honestly don't know a whole lot of race fans whose parents weren't also fans. And I think this is true for racing way more than for any other sport. So when you stop taking your kids to races, you are giving the gene a chance to die out. And once it's gone, it's difficult for it to regenerate.

[ISF]

Originally Posted by Jonr I am somewhere in the middle. I am 47. I grew up in west Texas where we had a few sprint cars and a little more late models, but most of the time the races were either modifieds or stock cars. I didn't see my first real midget race until I was in me early 30's and instantly fell in love with them. I started trying to see more and more midget races, and I moved a couple of times for my job and each time the areas had good midget racing. For my 40th birthday, my big gift was a race weekend for the Indy 500. I did all of my research and was excited to go see a bunch of different races at a bunch of new tracks. I was very excited to go watch the SC race at the Indy fairgrounds. It was my first time to see them race, and it was the first time for me to be a mile racetrack. I was going to be able to cross both of these off of my bucket list. As the night went on, I found myself caring less and less about the race. I thought the track was too big, the cars were two spread out, racing action was limited, and I found the cars to be a little boring. This was especially true since I had been going to more and more midget races. So on the other thread, I stated that unless you grew up with SC races, it is hard to be a fan. Now, you have the background of my comment. I knew dirt track racing, I knew open wheel racing, I had fallen in love with midget racing, and was not impressed with SC races. Thus, when people talk about growing the SC racing, I shake my head. If it is difficult for a SC car to capture my attention, how is it going to capture the attention of someone who has never been before?

It is obvious that you didn't attend the Hoosier Hundred the past couple of years and definitely not the last 3 or 4 Ted Horn Memorial races at Du Quoin. Those races were as entertaining and exciting as any racing we attended all season. We attend several midget and sprint car (winged and wingless) races along with the Silver Crown races at Indy, Springfield, Du Quoin and Terre Haute. The Silver Crown races I mention hold their own in comparison to any we attend all season.

If wheel clacking bump and grind midgets or sprint cars on a 1/5 mile such as Macon is your only cup of tea then the mile races probably won't be as enticing. You won't see much of that in the longer races on the longer tracks, and for good reason. The Silver Crown cars are entering the corners at around 140 MPH in some cases and wheel clacking and bumping and grinding can easily get someone hurt. The mile tracks are a thinking man's finesse/momentum tracks.

The differences, obviously, are night and day. What many of us enjoy about the Silver Crown races, especially on the mile dirt tracks, is there is a myriad of things going on all at once. The 100 milers have a driver managing the lessening fuel load, changing track conditions, right rear tire management and adapting to the fast racing lines changing throughout the course of the 100 miles. All the time running as hard as tire wear and track conditions will allow and stoutly competing against the other drivers who are managing the same things. The bullrings are more mash the gas and contact, which is fine and exciting in it's own right.

It takes a degree of understanding and appreciation of all those things to fully enjoy most Silver Crown races. Slam bang bull ring racing is great and as enjoyable as any but the big cars on the big tracks are nuanced in completely different ways and to some, just as exciting.

[davidm]

I'm in that mid 50's range and have been attending races since I was 3 so I've got 50+ years of attending races.

When I first started going with my Mom and Dad to our hometown track we were watching Bugs or 30x90 race with the Semi Lates. Winged Super Sprints soon replaced the Bugs and became the head line division in our area. The Sprints were dropped from my local track when I was about 10 and my dad stopped going. It was not until I got my own car at 17 did I get back to the track. By then Late Models and Stock cars were the only thing to watch at out track. The following year I started venturing north up into Central PA to see the Winged Sprinter at Williams Grove and that became my Friday night home through the 80's into the mid 90's.

I've always been a history buff and read as much as I could find about racing. When USAC came to Williams Grove with the Midgets and Silver Crown cars in the early 80's I was there. It was my first introduction to wingless racing and I ate it up. I really fell in love with the Champ Cars after that first race at the Grove. Been a big fan of them ever since. It was a big thrill for me when they came back to the Grove this summer.

I try and travel to as many different tracks and types of racing as I can get to. I'll go to an SCCA Road race during the day and then drive 90 miles north to see Sprints or Super Sportsman race on dirt later that night. Even with all the different types of racing I've seen a Silver Crown car still ranks up very high, they’re in my top three favorite type of race car.

[Tumey's 55]

I think you captured well why SC racing is a niche within a niche sport. Any time nuance is mentioned that means only those with deep knowledge and fandom will truly get it. Not bad mouthing, what you said is true and likely why there aren't as many fans.

[CTtoPA]

I'm 33 and I love the Silver Crown series. First saw them in 2006 at that terrible Sumar Classic. Have since seen them at Syracuse twice, IRP, Williams Grove, and the Indiana State Fairgrounds. I'm also obsessed with 50s and 60s USAC so I'm in the vast minority for my age group.

[bvall24]

I think all of the stated reasons/causes of the aged fan base are accurate. I am 51 and now have the time and disposable income to attend as many races as I want to (20+ this year) and all types sprints, midgets, mods, late models even silver crown. I was an avid nascar fan for many years, now I gave no interest there. I do attend the truck racecst Eldora though. My son (26) would love to attend as many races as I do but 50-60 hour work weeks routinely get in his way. I tell him I'll have to keep his seat warm until he can get there.