Off Topic - Kokomo ???
 

I know this is Off Topic for many of you.

I asked and posted here because this is likely the best place to ask any questions regarding Kokomo Speedway.....

I know this is most sprint car folks on here, but I love all types of racing, and I noticed something earlier today while looking at the Kokomo schedule.

The XR Super Series Late Model race that was scheduled for Monday, September 2nd a few days before Eldora's World 100 weekend has been dropped and rescheduled for the Saturday portion of the Kokomo Klash. Does anyone have any word on this or is this news to all?

My biggest question is if this is the case where in the heck where they fit the giant late model haulers that are likely to show up with the UMP Modifieds, Street Stocks, & 4 Cyl. Hornets?

I've heard that the Reece has been taking down trees on the back (west) side of the pit area by the train tracks since about the middle of June. I wonder if it was to help expand parking for this 2-day show which isn't a bad idea since the pit area is usually pack and overflows into the parking lot areas.


Screen shot of the Kokomo Schedule (If you enlarge the picture, you can see it better).
https://i.imgur.com/tRKBpzG.jpeg

In all honesty, it’s probably a smart move for XR series and Kokomo to drop that September date. The previous XR shows during the midweek hasn’t been great turnouts at the gate. Put it with another scheduled event for better turn out at the gate and less days Kokomo have to worry about track prep for another event.

Klash is usually pretty well attended anyway, throw in XR and you’re correct Nate, it should be big. Maybe 16j has some info on this as he seems pretty well informed on the going’s on there.

My guess is the drainage pit in the back stretch parking lot has been filled in, graded and graveled. It was used as a golf cart parking over the weekend and had heavy equipment parked there when i pulled out with the camper Sunday afternoon. I can confirm the over flow camping along the rail road tracks were in very nice shape and could definitely be used if needed. And yes, there’s a gate that can be opened in the back of the pits if anyone is wondering.

Re: Off Topic - Kokomo ???
 

Looking at DirtonDirt website. Good spot to look for all things Late Models shows all remaining XRSS shows have been canceled. So not sure the late models for Klash is sanctioned by them.

Re: Off Topic - Kokomo ???
 

Well, looks like I am wrong....Justin Fiedler just said the Klash was being promoted as a XRSS race...we will see

XR website has Kokomo Klash October 12 on their schedule. To win 💰is TBA

XR cancels more races than they actually run.

Re: Off Topic - Kokomo ???
 

They paid out alot of money last year. Good crowds and good car counts, but the money paid out was equivalent to 2 and 3 day shows. I will be the first to admit, I did not attend or subscribe to there events. So I am not sure if they had enough sponsors to cover all that got paid out. There were alot of questions swirling in the LM world about the series. It is obvious the checks were clearing as the same big drivers are still showing up.

Good topic Nathans, I did not know the change until you posted it. Your always spot on with info like that and I appreciate it and your time. Love your slogan too!! With that said, here we go...and yeah long read so for some of you if you can't handle it, just back out or keep scrolling, I could care less.

Many things that have already been said on this thread are true or partially true. We all have to realize that this is not LM Country. The Spring XRSS LM race and Modified race this year in 2024 was such d*mn good racing. Sprint Car Fans Only don't like hearing that, but it was some of the best racing in the tracks history. However, it was not very well attended at all. Week day, school night, work night, blah blah blah b*llshit excuses, the race was over and it wasnt even dark yet.

This isn't LM Country and they were just coming off a long weekend at Eldora with big money. Also the Spring LM race at Kokomo was only $10K-$15K. That's low for those drivers and those cars. Last year one of the XRSS races at Kokomo was $50K-$100K that makes a huge difference on car count and fans and with it being Nonwing Country.

The Fall race this year 2024 would be almost in the exact same predicament so from a business decision and move, in which The O'Connor Family is very smart and intelligent with business decisons, it probably is a good idea to cancel it and toss it in with Night #2 of The Kokomo Klash...boost up Night #2 as you lose alot of fans from the night before bc there are no Sprint Cars.

So the 2nd night of The Klash is all stock cars. This year, LMs, Mods, Street Stocks, Hornets. The backstretch becomes part of the Pits, always has. There is no parking in the backstretch nor sitting in those bleachers unless you buy a pit pass. This allows for much more room for rigs and race cars. However, they have always put a limit on the numbers bc they only have so much property. Again, Nathans is usually pretty good at finding that info when it becomes available. When they do this, it's first come first serve. You want to race, you get signed up quickly. If you miss out, your just out. Maybe they allow more LMs and Mods and less Street Stocks and Hornets, who knows, maybe not, only time will tell that answer.

As for some of the comments on the parking/camping on the backstretch. The O'Connor Family and The Ortman Family (owners of Kokomo Grain) have a very very strong good working relationship. Most people don't realize it, but most of the gravel drive going back to the backstretch is KG property. All the camping at Smackdown on the outside of the fence including but not limited to along the railroad tracks, that's all KG property. The first 2 gravel rows on the East side of the big grain building also is KG property. What the 2 families and businesses work out is unknown to me and I'm not going to ask it's none of my business, but those are facts. The extra area where the little pit/little drainage area was that has since been remodeled and cleaned up, did create some extra parking and was a very nice touch for golf carts at Smackdown especially people who don't do well walking or have disabilities but that will be obsolete on Night #2 of The Klash bc it will be Pits. It will allow for a few more rigs in that new area, but not very many when you consider the size of rigs now days. They also direct the parking in the Pits to stop wasted space. They also move the extra track equipment onto KG's property to allow for more Pits.

As far as the track prep, I've said it many times...Reece takes a ton of pride in he and his family's track and business. He and Rowdy work on it quite often. Even during the week when there is no racing coming up. Kokomo Speedway is not a track that only gets worked on a day or so before a race. If anyone has ever noticed, some don't bc they leave the stands when the checkered is flying, but as soon as the final race is over, Reece and Rowdy are on the track working it.

All in all, hopefully nice good Fall racing weather, The Kokomo Klash should be an awesome time and awesome ending to another great season at The Kokomo Speedway on BOTH nights, not just Night #1.

If you read this whole read, please remember to not only be respectful of The O'Connor Family, their business, their employees, their property, but also the neighboring properties bc they allow for more parking and more people to be in the bleachers and watch racing and all work together to make their businesses go which is tough in today's world!!

PS: Big thank you to Mike and Brian for working your tails off in the heat for 5 straight nights/days picking up all the garbage and trash and stuff left behind, filling approximately 6 dumpsters/dump trailers of trash for a 3 night show!! Sunday afternoon it looked like Woodstock, and by Tuesday afternoon, never even looks like a race happened in 90+ heat!! Great job guys, it's an honor for my business to be on your push trucks!!!!

Re: Off Topic - Kokomo ???
 

Payout comes mostly from XR Streaming subscriptions and some small sponsors. Not having the race has nothing to do with $money$.

Also, only reason many of the September races where dropped is so Barry Braun (XR Boss) can get the old Pennsboro Speedway in West Virginia up and going again. They have been working on it since late last year.

P.S. Barry is one who puts his money where his mouth is. He is running a number of $100,000 to win dirt races this year, in a number of different divisions include a race this week at 300 Raceway in Farley, Iowa for dirt Stock Cars "XR Stock Car Rampage" https://www.facebook.com/stockcarrampage. He has a few more $100K to win races to run this year for 604 Crate Late Models and a few other divisions. He promoted a $100K to win Modified race back in early May at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Wisconsin.

Not including the super late models here are the huge events Barry Braun in promoting this year.
The Big Deal Modifieds (100K to win) (May 29th - June 1st) at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Wisconsin
XR Stock Car Rampage - ($100K to win (August 27th-31st) at 300 Raceway in Farley, Iowa - https://www.facebook.com/stockcarrampage
XR 604 Nationals ($100K to win) (December 11th-14th) at Golden Isles Speedway in Georgia - https://www.facebook.com/604nationals
XR 602 Nationals ($50k to win) (October 18th-19th) at Ultimate Motorsports Park in North Carolina - https://www.facebook.com/602nationals

Re: Off Topic - Kokomo ???
 

Yes you are right. Looking at the business model, it is clear the Super late model races did not pan out as expected last year. He would have done them again. Instead, he downsized many of those races this year. Who could blame him? His event schedule is very interesting for this year. He is embracing smaller classes. Will this increase the streaming revenue? It has a good chance to. Plus as you already see this week, drivers stepping down to chase the money. Pennsboro is going to be interesting.

Re: Off Topic - Kokomo ???
 

As you said the timing was not good. If you look at the Castrol night in America races, they have realized they need to be 1 or 2 days BEFORE a big race. When they do there stand alone shows, the crowd is not there. I think it is easier for the traveling fans to justify 1 more day. Even when they run at a track 1 or 2 hours away, that will detour several fans. They want to camp in one place. Only 1 set up and tear down. I get that.

Man you are right the late models put on one heck of a show. I honestly never expected them to run as well as they do. Cudos to the track for being able to prepare as well as they do. Its going to take LO or WOO to come in on a weekend and do a decent size show. #1 this area is not starved for great racing. Heck the locals see it week in week out. So they are not going to go out of there way. School, work, weather, ect.. will always detour these people. Now you run that same style of event on a Saturday night, I think the fans will pour in. It pains me to say this.... but I think I would rather go watch a 100 lap race at Kokomo than at Brownstown. The Jackson 100 is a big race. Brings in alot of cars. Make a guy wonder if LO could have another great race on Sunday night here. This weekend they go from Portsmith Speedway to Tyler County Speedway, 3hours 13min drive. Brownstown to Kokomo is only 2 hours 22min.

Re: Off Topic - Kokomo ???
 

They did almost exactly that in 2019. Kokomo was scheduled on the night before the Jackson 100, which was a Friday night instead of Sunday. Really good crowd and a good race that was won by Tyler Erb. Unfortunately, it hasn’t appeared on the Lucas Oil series schedule since then.

Re: Off Topic - Kokomo ???
 

I think that is about the time Brownstown expanded to 2 days. When they wanted all "crown Jewel" events to be weekend events. Did the late models run good then? Tracks and cars evolve over time. 5 years does not seem like alot, but the LM have changed a ton in 5 years.

Re: Off Topic - Kokomo ???
 

The year they opened Circle City had WoO late models and Hell Tour. The crowd was larger than USAC sprint week. No major series LM's since. I'm really surprised they havent scheduled them again.

Re: Off Topic - Kokomo ???
 

The Klash includes The Bob Darland Memorial (Darland Classic) this year! :8::8::22::22::9::9:

Re: Off Topic - Kokomo ???
 

Completely different owners now. I know they have atleast 1 $10,000 to win Late Model race. They have strategically scheduled it to pull some names. 2023 Josh rice won it. 5/17 They ran it this year. 1. Thorton 2. Tyler Erb, 3. Josh Rice, 4. Tanner English, 5. James rice. They had 26 cars.

So, I guess I'm late to this post but have been reading it all along. Why is Kokomo not racing tonight, Sunday night? They've raced Sunday night before Labor Day for years. Was it because they had the late model show scheduled for tomorrow, Monday night? I don't get it. Kokomo is supposed to be Indiana's baddest bullring. Yet they probably have raced the fewest dates ever this year. And never even rescheduled the BC IN Double, which seems troubling. Just keep the trophy for next year> Have times gotten that tough for Kokomo Speedway? It's sunny, 80 degrees. Most don't work tomorrow. 59,000 people live in Kokomo. Can't find 1,500 people to attend racing tonight? Maybe next year.

Re: Off Topic - Kokomo ???
 

Fairly certain that IBBR's next-door neighbor, DirtTrackTherapy16J, should have the answer to this question. :6:

Okay I’ll bite, l believe the reason for no Labor Day weekend race is as follows: before the cancellation of Monday to have a race on Sunday would have been 5 races in 10 days. That is a lot to ask of your staff and workers. Secondly a lot of people spent a lot of money during Smackdown and they may have feared a light crowd in this current economic climate. These are just a few things that might have played into the scheduling. Just one man’s opinion.

Re: Off Topic - Kokomo ???
 

I have noticed the last few years fewer tracks are having specials or even weekly races on holiday weekends. I have had a promoter say that with all the family activities and other big races on holiday weekends it is hard to compete for teams and fans on holiday weekends and can be a money loser for tracks.