Why no USAC sprint tour?
 

Usac does an annual east coast tour . As in the east coast storm. I love it. My question is why doesn’t Usac try the same kind of tour in Ohio? Yes I know the go to Eldora, but couldn’t they try some other tracks like Fremont, Waynesfield, Attica, Limaland, or Sharon, etc. Has this been tried in the past and not gone well? Also , a side question. With what sadly looks like Grandview closing, what track do you think will pick up that Usac race? I would like to see Lernerville get it. I have gone to several Boss shows there. I enjoyed every one.

Re: Why no USAC sprint tour?
 

Originally Posted by The bubs:
Usac does an annual east coast tour . As in the east coast storm. I love it. My question is why doesn’t Usac try the same kind of tour in Ohio? Yes I know the go to Eldora, but couldn’t they try some other tracks like Fremont, Waynesfield, Attica, Limaland, or Sharon, etc. Has this been tried in the past and not gone well? Also , a side question. With what sadly looks like Grandview closing, what track do you think will pick up that Usac race? I would like to see Lernerville get it. I have gone to several Boss shows there. I enjoyed every one.

USAC ran a small tour through Ohio in June from 2002 to 2006?. It was called the Buckeye Nationals. Originally, the tracks were Attica, Fremont, Lima and Eldora. I went to all of them the first two years. The shows featured both USAC Sprint Cars and USAC Midgets. I thought the crowds were great in the beginning. Toward the end, I think the crowds had fallen off. Attica and Fremont had pulled out and only two tracks, Lima and Eldora, were left.

I went to some of the Buckeye Nationals events. Would like to see them run Attica and Fremont for sure. When Earl had Eldora there was always at least a couple dates for USAC sprints as the headliner plus the 4 crown. Unfortunately, the current owner seems to prefer wings.

Re: Why no USAC sprint tour?
 

A couple of items. There is so many weekend shows available. Any Speed Week will need two weekends to be the book ends. If you look at the three USAC schedules, there is not that many open slots.

Also, USAC goes where the promoters want them. If the Ohio tracks prefer All Stars and WOO, the promoters will book more of those shows.

Re: Why no USAC sprint tour?
 

I was thinking the spot in the Usac schedule for it would be between the end of July and the end of August before they go to Kokomo. As we all know the beginning of August is Knoxville Nationals time, so a lot of the wing guys will be there. So why not try something like a 4 to 5 race non wing Ohio tour during this time of the year? This is just a pipe dream I would like to see for myself. As I have mentioned I am in the east coast and so this would be less travel time for me. I am older in age and have back issues, so less car time is easier for me. I think between the Usac regulars and some of the Boss racers I think the potential for some great shows is there. Thanks for your response to my post.

Re: Why no USAC sprint tour?
 

Originally Posted by ThrowbackRacingTeam:
I went to some of the Buckeye Nationals events. Would like to see them run Attica and Fremont for sure. When Earl had Eldora there was always at least a couple dates for USAC sprints as the headliner plus the 4 crown. Unfortunately, the current owner seems to prefer wings.

He only runs his own series once and that is combined in a USAC four crown.

Re: Why no USAC sprint tour?
 

I would like to see Illinois Tour ....Farmer City, Spoon, Jax, and FALS.....the sanctioning body to be determined....just my wish

If not a sprint week, how about a series of 4 doubleheaders: Charleston-Granite City, Lincoln-Fals, Jacksonville-Canton, Farmer City-Peoria!

Re: Why no USAC sprint tour?
 

I would have to come out to see some of those .

Re: Why no USAC sprint tour?
 

Originally Posted by oppweld:
If not a sprint week, how about a series of 4 doubleheaders: Charleston-Granite City, Lincoln-Fals, Jacksonville-Canton, Farmer City-Peoria!

Add a 5th double-header at Kankakee & Macon.

I'd love to see a USAC Sprint race at Kankakee County Speedway. The new promoter there this year Billy Knippenberg has done a great job and turns 1 & 2 are now enclosed just like they were from the time the track opened thru the late 1990's. Kankakee now look and races kind of like a big Fairbury. Billy did say a few weeks ago in a Facebook live video that he wants to get a fence up in turns 1 & 2 before he schedules any sprint shows and is looking for sponsors and help the make that happen.

As far as races in Pennsylvania what about a race at Path Valley?

Re: Why no USAC sprint tour?
 

Most of the USAC team (race director, corner workers, etc.) work midgets, Sprint Cars, and Silver Crown Cars. Starting at the Bloomington/Haubstadt weekend at the end of April USAC is pretty wide open until early August. Week of Indy, Midget Week, Eastern Storm, Husets, midwest midget week, and Indiana Sprint week. Sprinkle in Lets race two, some one off Champ Car races, and special weekends with the sprint cars and midgets there is zero time off for the people who work in the series and drivers. The mid August gap gives everyone a few weeks including USAC to maintenance equipment and get ready for the rest of the year. Then from then on out you have Smackdown through the west coast swing.

On the team side I would say it is pretty tapped out. The difference between a lot of USAC teams and the Outlaws is the amount of teams that are able to hire more than one full time guy. Four or so teams are able to do this. A lot of other teams are either volunteer or guys that have regular jobs and make some extra money on the weekend. Right now most people that have a few weeks of vacation can make it work. I've had people help us during sprint week that raced all night with us and went to work the next day on repeat for the week.

To go to Ohio more than USAC already does is tough. You would have to replace something on the schedule. Where do you do this? USAC has a good relationship with Pennsylvania tracks and fans. This is also a pretty good money maker on the t-shirt sales side for teams from what everyone tells me which is an added bonus. The races pay better also and you can race in a pretty tight area similar to here. Midwest Midget week makes sense that gets USAC in between most midget hot beds. Right now the Atomic weekend could be rotated around Ohio a bit and maybe a night added eventually but again then the teams that follow the series find an added night to race and have to figure out how to logistically swing it in an already tight window.

There are a lot of variables here that would have to work out to make it happen. You would most likely have local support from the Boss teams which is a plus. Something would still most likely have to give. You could make the PA Swing less and hit a few on the way out or whatever but then where do you pull races from?

Re: Why no USAC sprint tour?
 

Originally Posted by JJMooney:
USAC ran a small tour through Ohio in June from 2002 to 2006?. It was called the Buckeye Nationals. Originally, the tracks were Attica, Fremont, Lima and Eldora. I went to all of them the first two years. The shows featured both USAC Sprint Cars and USAC Midgets. I thought the crowds were great in the beginning. Toward the end, I think the crowds had fallen off. Attica and Fremont had pulled out and only two tracks, Lima and Eldora, were left.

Sprints & Midgets both? Pretty sad that wasn't a success :(
Since USAC dropped their Eastern Midget tour, how about combining Midgets & Sprints for Eastern Storm? I would want to hit every race! :23:
But midgets are better in bullrings, & there are mostly 1/2 miles in Eastern Storm tour... who knows?