[Stevensville Mike]

Lost amongst the weekend festivities, races, and memorials, we were at Butler Speedway Saturday night for the weekly show.

Continuing their torturing of the fans, the modifieds, once again, went first followed by stocks and then sprints. This ensures a long night for all.

However, after about 20 cautions in the first ten laps of the mod feature for cars stopping, cars spinning, cars going over the berm and waiting for the yellow flag before coming back on, we could slightly hear over the PA system the words "30 minutes".

Next thing you know, green and white flags waved and next lap checkered! They called it on TIME! The crowd rejoiced! Even the modified fans were celebrating.

Heck, if they only let the mods run for 30 minutes each week, I'll get home and hour and half earlier!

We are now all invited over to fish's house for another dance around his living room.

[Rich Mersereau]

Been going there sense 1980, nothing i mean nothing changes at Butler. Love the place.

[chop]

Well I feel old. I have been going to the track starting in 1970.I have not been there more then once or twice a year for a few years now. It seem like when they moved the pit to the outside of the tracks things slowed way down. In the old days they had stock cars and the Mods (pre Hank Lower getting a real sprint car) Back then they had a 30 intermission, let the fans and kids into the pits and you still got out of the place at a early time. My wife does not go with me on the trips to Butler anymore. Long running show and the really bad bathrooms is more then she wants to deal with on a sat night.

[fish]

There was a time that Michigan was an a hour ahead of Indiana. I had times in the 80s where I watched Butler features and flew back to Indiana and caught a feature there.

Now it's the other way around. I have watched the features at Angola & headed to Butler and caught the features many times in the last few years. (For those that don't know, if you take the road in front of Angola Speedway to the north, it's almost a straight shot to Butler.) The racing I've saw there this year has been great, barring the "modified mayhem" and the stands have been packed.

Anyway, I grew up at Butler and actually helped build the car that was Hank Lower's last pre-sprint car (by the way, he's restoring it right now).

I'd hate for them to speed the program up too much, I might not get to go to two tracks in the same night!

[VSneader2]

Grew up going to Butler. Last time I went a few years ago and it was the exact same other then all the pits were outside the track now. I miss seeing the cars in the pits as well as the east coast style modifieds.

[team3521]

Mike,
I've been going to Butler since the days when Denny was racing there, not promoting it. Back when Jerry Slade won just about every modified feature. The other Slades ran their sprints. Charlie Heath with his 6 cylinder, etc...let's say early 80's
I went there for the fireworks show last year with my 4 year old son. When I left, I swore I'd never go back and I really meant it. I'm still of that opinion. Worst ran, worst maintained dirt race track I've ever been to. I'll drive 2 more hours south to see a real dirt sprint car race if I'm going to see that kind of a race.
I left after the Sprint feature which was horrible because of the ruts in turn one. It was close to 2am. The modified feature was around an hour long. For 30 laps?
Never again!

[jsfan]

How was the sprint feature? I heard it had 17 cautions!

[Stevensville Mike]

Originally Posted by jsfan How was the sprint feature? I heard it had 17 cautions!

I can't recall how many there were in that one, but 17 is not even close. There was a red early on for a rollover in Turn 3 - Kyle Patrick, a.k.a. the Tilbury Tornado, as TJ used to call him when he was the play-by-play man for SOD.

But how many yellows......? Not enough that sticks out in my memory.

Chad Blonde was just way too god for anyone else that night.

I can remember a night a few years back where they called the Sprint Feature on time. It was so long ago, the scoreboard in the infield was working. The lap counter changed to a running clock. I thought that was odd that night for the feature was not really dragging on. I just think it was because it was nearly breakfast time.

No, Butler has to get a handle on their modified class. It has gotten out of hand how long some of the heats and mains can go now. I would like to see a rules for heats as if you cause a yellow flag, you go straight to the B Main or tail end of the A Main, as applicable for car count. Cause a yellow in the B, you are out for the night. Two yellows in the A Main.... done. These guys will keep their cars running and rolling if you start enforcing rules of the sort.

[griffithracing]

Sounds like a good reason for me to not venture north with my modified lol

[Rich Mersereau]

Mike,

i can tell you're a seasoned race fan. Butler is a promoters dream and a fans night-mere, no matter what we think needs to change it really has no impact on the amount of people they have. After 50 years of tradition a race track has built up a following that cannot be run away. Love Butler, but rarely go up there its just too much for my old nerves.

Rich M