[TQ29m]

Wonder if Kokomo would agree, and change their Sunday date, just sayin! Bob

[Backitin]

They're running a 300 lap big block race on a temporary dirt track on top of the concrete at Oswego NY this October.
Pretty sure this will be a daylight race and pretty dusty.
Most likely will be pretty epic if your into that sorta thing.

[TQ29m]

I think you can blame Thomas Edison for it, not long after he invented the light bulb, daytime racing began to disappear, or global weather change, or the suns proximity to the earth, or just about anything, hay fever, whatever, I always liked the day races, as well as the night races, maybe it's because there are too many race cars, and it takes too long, about anything can be blamed for something other than what is really the cause! Beats me, we used to do it a lot, just one of them things! Bob

[openwheelfan1]

Tire technology has played a part in the demise of day racing too. Tires in the the old days were the consistency of concrete blocks and would last on a hard, slick, dry track and would last 40 or even 50 laps. You can put on the hardest tire available today and without babying it, it probably wouldn't last for a 30 lap feature.


Time is another factor. We went to Terre Haute, and Eldora for years for day races in the 70's and early 80's. Yes, they were dusty...sometimes terribly so. The track crew watered the track after hot laps, after qualifying, after the heats (sometimes between the heats) and after the semi. Yes, all that watering and running the track in controlled the dust,, but it made the show's run long. It was pretty common for hot laps to start at Noon and the feature to checker at about 6:00-6:30. Yes I know, that isn't much compared to the "12 hrs. of Eldora" 4 Crown event this past Saturday, but it did have its impact on people traveling from distances to the events.

IMO, no one factor "killed" daytime racing, but certainly dust, heat, tire costs, the popularity of NASCAR (even if it has waned) and many other factors have all contributed.

[Pushtruck]

Another reason Terre Haute held only day races "back in the day" was they did not have lighting. The THAT Racing Group led by the late Bill Hopton added lighting to the track in May, 1993.

[Backitin]

I used to love racing at night till I got old. Now I wish all our races were daytime, when I'm still half awake.
Our last speedway race of the year is in October during the day and it's usually the most fun.
Of course dust isn't near the issue that it is with cars.
I just noticed my avatar photo was taken during the daytime race a couple years ago.