Chili Bowl attendance in dead of winter for midgets in Oklahoma has nearly 20,000 fans, sold out months in advance. a few hundred entries from coast to coast.

Also glad to see the Silver Crown car counts on the rise as well as level of competition. Doesn't matter the series, you are always going to have a couple of teams that are the favorites, but I think the level of competition and good cars has really increased the past couple of years.

The lure of SC cars, for me at least, has a few points as outlined below:

1). With the length of the races usually being 100 laps the strategy necessary to succeed becomes more important than other forms of USAC racing. Now you have to strategize about tire wear for a much longer period of time, you have to strategize about considerable fuel load changes causing considerable handling change, you have to strategize about considerable track changes through the course of the race for a much longer period causing different lines being faster at different points in the race. There are more but these stand out as the additional challenges this type of racing necessitates.

2). Again, with the race length endurance and stamina enter into the equation. It's one thing to have the stamina to handle 30 laps in a sprint car, but it's another to do the same for 100 laps. To be able to have the endurance to think as clearly on the 95th lap as you did on the 25th lap without just wishing it was over so you could get out of the car and rest is, again, another additional challenge these cars present.

3). SC racing presents, to me, the perfect combination of sprint car racing and long races. While I believe races are won in the pits it's the preparation and planning done before the race that is key. Once the car is on the track it's up to the driver to complete the task. If you have to pit you're usually out of the running for the win (although not all the time). One of the things I don't like about NASCAR and INDY Car racing is that much of the strategy revolves around the timing and quickness of pit stops. Call me a purist but I believe that races should be won on the race track, not in the pits with a faster pit stop. I was a fan of the original NASCAR truck series because they had scheduled pit stops, usually one per race, where the fuel/tires/adjustments were changed, then they went back to the track and raced for the win.

4). And, yes, I'm still a fan of the tradition and prestige these cars represent. I can still remember a time when, to be champion, you had to be versed on the dirt as well as the pavement. But, then again, I'm more of a beer and pretzels kind of guy versus the wine and cheese set.

So, there you have it. While I don't propose to speak for all SC fans I think most would agree with what I've said.

Tim Simmons

Being well under 20 I suppose then my opinion may be stupid, uninformed or I may be just out of my mind, but each car to me has it's own unique things that make it fun to watch.

Come talk to me in person. You may be surprised at what the young, stupid, uneducated and deplorable fan knows about motorsports.

Believe me your a special young fan.
Sorry you consider yourself stupid, uneducated and deplorable.
I stated that most young fans don't want to be educated about midgets and SC not that they are uneducated. the stupid, deplorable words I never mentioned.

I guess the intended sarcasm wasn't understood by your kind. Exactly what makes me special?

The special part was actually a compliment, that you enjoy having knowledge of many aspects of racing. Its the same answer I would answer the pm you sent me.
I'm trying to keep it nice, my kind sometimes has a problem with that, but I'm much better then I used to be at it.

Tim, I agree with your points but one question, did you mean mental stamina? Cause the past couple years there have been some real VETERANS in the SC series on the big tracks that probably wouldn't want any part of a 30 lapper at Kokomo

You tend to use yourself up doesn't matter if it's a long or short race.
I'm just as exhausted after a 60 second speedway race then I am running 20 minute motos in mx.
I'd imagine its the same in auto racing ?

If you have a discussion about Richie's gonads, you have to also mention The Hills

I was actually thinking of both mental and physical stamina. What I found, when I was in the cockpit some years back, was when I got tired physically my mental sharpness dulled to some point. While I agree that 30 laps at Kokomo or any number of other tracks can be just as exhausting I believe adrenaline helps for the relatively short duration of the sprint events. Adrenaline, however, is only available temporarily and is more likely depleted well before the end of a SC race, bringing the driver's stamina (again both physical and mental) back into focus.

This is what I was referring to.

Tim Simmons