[openwheelfan1]

In the 60's 70's and early 80's Eldora, Winchester and some of the local tracks would run twin features for the last race of the season. The top 6 or 8 qualifiers would automatically move to the feature to start inverted, the remaining cars would race in heat races and a "B" main and would start the first feature. Finishers 1-6 in the first feature would be inverted for the start of the second feature. Anyone who didn't qualify for the first feature would be eligible to start the second feature as an alternate.

Just curious...why did this format fall out of favor? You could see some BIG point swings, and the format made it something "special" instead of just a big money race. Once again, I'm just curious why none of the promotors utilize this format anymore. And YES, I know LPS did it Saturday night, but that was a fluke due to a rainout...it wasn't a planned event.

Steve

[ronmil]

Originally Posted by openwheelfan1 In the 60's 70's and early 80's Eldora, Winchester and some of the local tracks would run twin features for the last race of the season. The top 6 or 8 qualifiers would automatically move to the feature to start inverted, the remaining cars would race in heat races and a "B" main and would start the first feature. Finishers 1-6 in the first feature would be inverted for the start of the second feature. Anyone who didn't qualify for the first feature would be eligible to start the second feature as an alternate. Just curious...why did this format fall out of favor? You could see some BIG point swings, and the format made it something "special" instead of just a big money race. Once again, I'm just curious why none of the promotors utilize this format anymore. And YES, I know LPS did it Saturday night, but that was a fluke due to a rainout...it wasn't a planned event. Steve

USAC used to run twin fifties on Sunday afternoons in October at Salem, Winchester and Eldora. James McElreath crashed and died during one of those programs at Winchester on Oct. 16, 1977. I don't know when USAC stopped having them, but they were very popular back in the seventies.

[sp6967]

was it also double purse?

[speed bump]

I would much rather see twin 50`s than a single 100 lapper ......

[PAW]

Triple 33s Winchester was the best.

[openwheelfan1]

Originally Posted by ronmil USAC used to run twin fifties on Sunday afternoons in October at Salem, Winchester and Eldora. James McElreath crashed and died during one of those programs at Winchester on Oct. 16, 1977. I don't know when USAC stopped having them, but they were very popular back in the seventies.

We were at the Winchester race when James lost his life. We had become friends with Jamrs and his family over the course of the 1977 sprint season. My wife and I had been married the day before James lost his life, and had not planned to go to Winchester. We decided to go at the last minute and we were sitting with Jame's sister Shirley and his girlfriend when he went over the turn 1 wall. A sad day that my wife and I will never forget, coming immediately after the happiest day of our life.

Steve

[openwheelfan1]

Originally Posted by sp6967 was it also double purse?

I honestly don't remember if the purse was double. I think the combined payout was more than a single feature, but not double. It was typically one less heat race and a shorter "B" main. USUALLY everyone ended up running one or the other feature as enough cars would be unable to make the call for the second feature all of the alternates got in.

Steve

[captrat]

Why we don't have these anymore: 1. midget tanks on sprinters 2. soft tires that barely last 30 laps on a quarter mile. These were Twin 50's whether at Eldora or Winchester. Hell, a standard USAC feature was 40 laps and they never ran tracks less than a half-mile. Yes, there were some that barely qualified as halfs, but there were certainly no quarters. Not knocking bullrings, just a historical perspective.