Thursday Night Track?
 

Could Indiana support a Thursday night track? I see this seems to be successful in other parts of the country and was curious. Obviously this would be based on location, start times, # of classes and economy strength. What are your opinions?

Being a native Hoosier I think it's possible to pull off but I think only a few tracks could do it where their in a central location to getting a good car count. If a track ran on Thursday nights they would have to run maybe three classes max. No one wants to sit in the stands or teams in the pits late in the evening when many folks would have to work on Friday. Get the show started and done in a decent time frame so people can get home.

Re: Thursday Night Track?
 

I think a track could do it in the summer time perhaps twice a month; not weekly. Not sure that kind of schedule without big events mixed in would be worth it financially.

My pie in the sky is to build an indoor 1/5-1/4 mile and get the outlaw karts going in the winter with a couple midget shows or so from Dec- end of March.

Lincoln Park had Thursday sprint car program for a short time.

Re: Thursday Night Track?
 

How was the car counts and crowds? I remember this but wasn't able to go based on my work schedule at the time.

Re: Thursday Night Track?
 

On one of those nights there were more cars in the pits than fans in the stands. The experiment ended soon after that. I loved the idea but I guess not too many agreed with me.

You may have answered your own question in regards to crowd

I looked back at May/June 2012 and found 4 nights that they ran plus a couple of rainouts. On the first night, 7 June, they drew 28 cars at LPS with USAC on Eastern Storm. The last two nights drew 12 and 14. I believe that was the end of the experiment. I made a note that they had a decent crowd on 7 June.

Whole country was still in a recession at that time.

Re: Thursday Night Track?
 

I think I sat with you one of those nights Al and counted 16 people in the stands

Re: Thursday Night Track?
 

On one of those nights the temp was 105 and they went thru the stands handing out water..... From memory....


That was a late decision to run on Thursdays. I think if they had gotten the word out in the winter months,maybe it would have been better.

Re: Thursday Night Track?
 

Same night I was talking about AQ.

Re: Thursday Night Track?
 

We had 2 tracks here in MI that ran Thu program, Mt Clemens just off I-94 NE of metro Detroit & Tri City Speedway in small town of Auburn MI just west of Bay City & North of Saginaw;). Crowds were good for Thu, ran a good program & got done so people could get to work the next day:31:. This was yrs ago though, what's the economy like now:15:? will it hurt attendance at other tracks? Bunker Hill just North of Kokomo & near Marion was a nice fast track, but it's a 1/2 mile isn't it? Raced there back in 97? & enjoyed the show:6:

Well,Im glad you counted them.....I ran out of fingers. I'm happy they tried out the concept but I don't think weekdays work very well unless its for special events...Sprint Week etc......

Re: Thursday Night Track?
 

The Kutztown Pa. fairgrounds track has been running Wednesdays for the past few years with mini sprints, and other similar sized classes. From what I can see they do quite well. They are getting some of the best drivers in the area racing for a good purse, and with a short schedule during the summer it seems to draw a good crowd. I enjoyed the USAC midget show during their eastern swing on FLO.

Re: Thursday Night Track?
 

30+ years ago, Dad. My how time flies.

Re: Thursday Night Track?
 

Hey Mike How about the old MSPA/Dick Beebe Wednesday night races? dirt late models racing at Kalamazoo? Yikes I'm an old man too :5:

Re: Thursday Night Track?
 

This is not you fathers dirt track era. No way it would work today.

Re: Thursday Night Track?
 

I think Bunker Hill was 3/8. It may still be for sale but would need alot of work and stands brought in.

Re: Thursday Night Track?
 

The races in Michigan was called something like the "Michigan speedway promoters association" mspa. When I was a kid they had a race every weds night at a different Michigan track every week. It was a point series. At the end of the year they had a champion. It was a late model, stock car series. I can remember Chris Patterson was a champion one year. Gary Fedewa got to race at Michigan International speedway on a nascar weekend for being the last years champ. It was some type of Toyota pro- celebrity race. If I remember it right it had some old school beer company as a series sponsor. Think it was carling black label beer. Once or twice a year my Dad would take me to the close ones to home.