Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Cowtown Speedway in Kennedale, Tx (Fort Worth) Very fast high banked 1/4 mile. It was the first track that I ever saw that had a separate lane between the crowd and the track on the front stretch for the cars to enter the track. As they entered the track, you could really see the range of emotions on the drivers. Some trying to relax, some trying to get excited. They had a couple POWRi midget shows that some people may have seen.

Indoor midget race at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. There are still micro/mini sprint guys complaining about not getting paid. They have since remodeled Kemper and turned it into a multi use facility. There is no way a race could come back with the current configuration.

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Originally Posted by speedracer40:
Belle-Claire

C'mon, plenty of us have been there, even tho I live probably 900 miles away..... cool track! :)
& I have to thank good ole Funkmeister again for recommending it! POWRI midgets, perfect for a tiny track :6:
I got there by an interesting route, too..... after seeing a race at Farmington, MO. the nite before, I was wondering if there was a smaller bridge or ferry across the mighty Mississippi, had crossed on I-70 many times before. So I did some research (Old school MAP!) & talked to my "seat neighbor" at Farmington, & took the St. Genevieve Ferry to Illinois, then North up along the river, where I also got to tour an old French fort from back in the 1800s (1700s?) I was the only car on the ferry, which was a barge pulled by a tugboat, capable of holding 9 cars! Pretty "down home" too.... sign said "Flash your lights" or "Honk horn"? if the Ferry is on the other side. Maybe I can figure out how to post a photo...:31:

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Can't figure it out... anybody know how to post a JPG file from your hard drive? :11:

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Quater mile dirt track at Mitchell, Indiana .

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Originally Posted by TQ29m:
Little Salem, as it is known, and Osgood?

I was there for the race at Osgood, maybe mid-late 2000's? I remember that I was still in high school.
Talk about a one off race, that was back when the track was still good(before the horse racing debacle). Talk about a track that was really to small for sprint cars. Now I feel like TQ's/mini sprints/Midgets would do well there if they'd ever actually use the track(Same can be said for Greensburg too)

I ran a 410 wing show at Scottsburg Fairgrounds in Scottsburg Indiana in the early nineties. I had Bill and AJ Felker turning the wrenches that night.

I was there that night at the Dome to watch the sprint cars race. No offense, but wasnt much fun to watch.

I was also at the Midget race run during PRI in 2015. The track was way too small. Only way to pass was to bump someone out of the way. Lots of cautions for spins. The fire department kept having the racing stopped to let fumes out of the building. I remember at least one stop of 30 minutes. I have a pic on my phone with 20 cars, so must have been the start of the feature. My phone shows it was 1235am. I remember we left during one of the race stops about 130am.

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Originally Posted by racefanindy:
I was there that night at the Dome to watch the sprint cars race. No offense, but wasnt much fun to watch.

I was also at the Midget race run during PRI in 2015. The track was way too small. Only way to pass was to bump someone out of the way. Lots of cautions for spins. The fire department kept having the racing stopped to let fumes out of the building. I remember at least one stop of 30 minutes. I have a pic on my phone with 20 cars, so must have been the start of the feature. My phone shows it was 1235am. I remember we left during one of the race stops about 130am.

I was at both of those races and I agree, not much fun. We laughingly refer to the race at the fieldhouse as the worst race in history.

Mc Henry ky. Looked like sprint cars racing on a roller coaster.

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Originally Posted by revjimk:
Can't figure it out... anybody know how to post a JPG file from your hard drive? :11:

PM sent, Jim.

After Warsaw closed , we raced weekly at shady hill. We ran most of the time without wings. This went on for about a year and half. The stock car fans hated us because we replaced the late models there. Usually had a good car count and generally it was a lot of fun.

Sweetwater Speedway, Rock Springs, WY.

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Onekama Mi, Midgets, Manzanita, Devils bowl. Showtime speedway.

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Friendship Speedway

Elkin, NC

?

Originally Posted by Jonr:
Cowtown Speedway in Kennedale, Tx (Fort Worth) Very fast high banked 1/4 mile. It was the first track that I ever saw that had a separate lane between the crowd and the track on the front stretch for the cars to enter the track. As they entered the track, you could really see the range of emotions on the drivers. Some trying to relax, some trying to get excited. They had a couple POWRi midget shows that some people may have seen.

Indoor midget race at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. There are still micro/mini sprint guys complaining about not getting paid. They have since remodeled Kemper and turned it into a multi use facility. There is no way a race could come back with the current configuration.

Is this the one Promoted by Lasoski?

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Anyone remember Catarct (maybe Cataract Falls) Speedway in W. Central IN? I think it only ran for 2-3 years. Went there for a race and it rained out before a lap was turned. Looked like a wicked little short 1/4 with very high banks.

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Penn National, Reading, Allentown.

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Originally Posted by Stevensville Mike:
PM sent, Jim.

Thanks
I tried to reply to your PM, not sure if it went thru
Thats how much of a dinosaur I am! :5:

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Originally Posted by openwheelfan1:
Anyone remember Catarct (maybe Cataract Falls) Speedway in W. Central IN? I think it only ran for 2-3 years. Went there for a race and it rained out before a lap was turned. Looked like a wicked little short 1/4 with very high banks.

I planned to go to Cataract once but the weather was iffy so I didn’t chance it. I think it was in '97. Probably the same day you got rained out.

A buddy mine saw a race there. They ran sprint cars (non-wing). I think the time he was there, Dickie Gaines won. Not many cars. Maybe 9? He mentioned the steep banks and how their water truck could only navigate around the top of the track and let the water roll downhill. And I guess their “concession stand” was one food truck that moved back and forth between the grandstands and the pits. Every time the truck started to make its way over to the grandstand side, the crowd would cheer. He got a real kick out of that.

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Not as big a traveler as some, but I've seen sprints at Skyline and Oakshade in Ohio which are both Late Model tracks and rarely run open wheelers. Also years ago they had midget races at the Nutter Center in Dayton/ Fairborn Ohio, it was onr of Kenny Irwin's first wins.

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Paducah, KY - WoO and All-Stars
Bolivar, Mo. - April '90, USAC

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Santa Fe Speedway (Southwest side of Chicago) Saw both WOO & USAC races there
Kankakee Speeway In Illinois for the IRA Sprints around 2010 / 2011.


Crown Point Speedway in Crown Point, Indiana. Track was known as Southlake Speedway and Broadway Speedway for a a number of years before the name change around 2000. Saw a GLOSS (Great Lakes Outlaw Sprint Series) show there I believe it was 2001 / 2002 also saw a S.O.D. (Sprints On Dirt) there in 2005. They had the the old AMSA Mini Sprints (American Mini Sprint Association) there a few times in 2001 & 2002.

They never ran very many open wheel l races there but I was lucky enough to see a few sprint car races at my home track. The track closed in February 2006. Miss that track like crazy. National Dirt Late Model Hall Of Famer Dick Potts was stated in saying that track had the best Clay I have ever raced on Dick passed away in 2014 after doctors told him to retire from racing at age 78.

-

I will end this in saying PLEASE go out and support you local tracks before their gone. If you truly love racing in general you would be there. The team I’m with has already hit one race this year at the Talledega Short Track in Alabama with are 604 Crate Late Model and made the feature for the Ice Bowl in early January. Meeting NASCAR Hall Of Famer Red Farmer was a weekend Highlight.


All 3 tracks where primarily stock car tracks.

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Originally Posted by oppweld:
Is this the one Promoted by Lasoski?

So, I am just a bleacher creacher, so my memory may not be 100% accurate. What I remember is there was someone in the KC area that was trying to do promote midget races in the area. I believe that he did the US-36 races on Sunday night during the Belleville High Banks midget week. He started to fill better and better about his promoting skills when he took on the Kemper deal. At some point, he decided he needed help to make Kemper a success. This is when he asked Lasoski to help him co-promote. The way it was explained back in the day was the the original guy was the money guy and Lasoski was there to help with publicity.

There were a lot of other stories going around like they went to the Lucas family to help fund some of the purse, and that the promoter was over extending himself comping hotel rooms for some of the teams.

It was a two day show and Friday was really bad. Saturday was marginally better, but still a sh1t show. Almost as soon as the races were over there was complaining about the purses being paid. What I remember was the midgets eventually got paid but the minis and micros did not.

If anyone can confirm/correct any of this, please do. Most of this is going off what was said on the RacinBoys forum pages and the RacinBoys radio show.

The really unfortunate thing about this is that it killed the Sunday show at US-36 during the midwest tour. Midgets are absolutely made for US 36.

Originally Posted by Jonr:
So, I am just a bleacher creacher, so my memory may not be 100% accurate. What I remember is there was someone in the KC area that was trying to do promote midget races in the area. I believe that he did the US-36 races on Sunday night during the Belleville High Banks midget week. He started to fill better and better about his promoting skills when he took on the Kemper deal. At some point, he decided he needed help to make Kemper a success. This is when he asked Lasoski to help him co-promote. The way it was explained back in the day was the the original guy was the money guy and Lasoski was there to help with publicity.

There were a lot of other stories going around like they went to the Lucas family to help fund some of the purse, and that the promoter was over extending himself comping hotel rooms for some of the teams.

It was a two day show and Friday was really bad. Saturday was marginally better, but still a sh1t show. Almost as soon as the races were over there was complaining about the purses being paid. What I remember was the midgets eventually got paid but the minis and micros did not.

If anyone can confirm/correct any of this, please do. Most of this is going off what was said on the RacinBoys forum pages and the RacinBoys radio show.

The really unfortunate thing about this is that it killed the Sunday show at US-36 during the midwest tour. Midgets are absolutely made for US 36.

I'd like to see a US-36,Sweet Springs Double XX Speedway midget weekend USAC or Powri.

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

I went to a race at the old Bunker Hill Speedway one Friday night. This was a paved stock car track, that had been covered in dirt. This was before Gas City existed, so we went. They only had like 9 sprints. There were several guys there, who went on to have big careers. Terry Shepard, Tony Elliott, Steve Butler, Robbie Stanley, and Dave Darland were there. Kind of hard to believe.

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Ky. Lake Motor Speedway........WoO

Old Burg

The old track wasn't exactly parallel with the stands and you had to watch your eyes were following the correct line!

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Think there have been like Ten Sprint car races at Florence ky speedway since the late 80s. First one I seen there was Jeff Gordon's first USAC win which was Winged and well attended both car and fan wise. The track is a LM track. But MSCS ran there a couple years 2012-13? Good shows.

Also seen a cora midget race there on what was a quarter mile they built inside the main track that was mostly used for figure eights..

This year, BOSS runs FLORENCE. May 27th

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Whitewater Raceway in Liberty, Indiana hosted USAC/CRA challenge back about 35 yrs. ago. Not sure how long since sprinters have been there but they put on a show that night with lots of big names.

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

One of the times we were in Alaska we saw 360 winged sprints run at Mitchell Speedway in the Anchorage area and Capital Speedway in Willow, Alaska. Wasn't really anything to write home about but it was neat to see sprint car racing in the Last Frontier none the less.

Bruce and Pat Eckel

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Originally Posted by openwheelfan1:
Anyone remember Catarct (maybe Cataract Falls) Speedway in W. Central IN? I think it only ran for 2-3 years. Went there for a race and it rained out before a lap was turned. Looked like a wicked little short 1/4 with very high banks.

Tried to visit there one year before we moved here and we got rained out also!! Never got to see a race there.


Bruce Eckel :7:

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Originally Posted by erich45:
Penn National, Reading, Allentown.

Used to live in Western New Jersey and went to Penn National and Reading many times but never got to see a race at Allentown. One of my biggest regrets in my years of going to the races.


Bruce Eckel :42::

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Originally Posted by racefan20:
I was at both of those races and I agree, not much fun. We laughingly refer to the race at the fieldhouse as the worst race in history.

Or as our group of two guys from Wisconsin & my wife and myself like to say what talking about bad races, "But was it worse than Indy indoors." The benchmark for a poor race.


Bruce Eckel :24:

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

forgot about Calvert City, Ky. - besides the rocks, that was a showplace. Sad it's not still around
Saw the outlaws there a few times

Rapid Rick it was at whitewater valley speedway that USAC midget were supposed to run the USAC car owners said it was not safe a lot of them left .Some stayed Steve buck water was loaded and ready decided to stay won the money they ran sprint cars that nite to I think only 9 stayed

Originally Posted by Charles Nungester:
Think there have been like Ten Sprint car races at Florence ky speedway since the late 80s. First one I seen there was Jeff Gordon's first USAC win which was Winged and well attended both car and fan wise. The track is a LM track. But MSCS ran there a couple years 2012-13? Good shows.

Also seen a cora midget race there on what was a quarter mile they built inside the main track that was mostly used for figure eights..

This year, BOSS runs FLORENCE. May 27th

Chuck I too was at the USAC winged show Jeff Gordon won. Been so long ago they still pitted inside the track then. I watched pitside on top of Eric Gordon’s trailer with good friend Tony Epperson.

BTW Chuck thanks for starting this thread.
Been a neat stroll down memory lane.

Saw sprints run at chandler in. Track now closed for several years

I remember that track, we ran tqs at Florence several times, we first ran a temporary track in the same area, just off turn 2, on the back stretch, those scamps told us they built that just for us! Big rooster tails getting back up to the pit area.

Re: Something different. Sprint races at tracks most never
 

Originally Posted by snowdrift:
Rapid Rick it was at whitewater valley speedway that USAC midget were supposed to run the USAC car owners said it was not safe a lot of them left .Some stayed Steve buck water was loaded and ready decided to stay won the money they ran sprint cars that nite to I think only 9 stayed

I do recall this happening but much later than this USAC/CRA race. Back in the 80's the big names from out west came in to run with USAC for about two weeks. Eldora, Terre Haute, can't remember others but one year Whitewater Valley was on the trip. Wish I could remember more specifics but a good field of cars I do remember.