don hawk new silver crown series director
 

Thats cool

https://tjslideways.com/2025/01/06/u...ries-director/

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

So is Tommie Estes moving up or moving out?

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

:deadhorse:

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

“I am honored to join USAC Racing as the Series Director for the Silver Crown Division,” said Hawk. “This series has a rich heritage, incredible talent and dedicated fans. I look forward to working alongside the teams, officials, Technical Director Tommie Estes and everyone in the USAC family to enhance the competition and continue to build the excitement that makes Silver Crown racing so special.:
Looks like he'll stay on as Technical Director. :6:

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

Hawk? The series? Both?

Car counts bumped up a few years ago, but I think like almost all series, there was a dive at times in the last year or so (mostly espcly on pavement)...and who could blame anyone, with the gas prices & high costs for everything...

I’m extremely skeptical of this, but willing to give it a chance. As I posted on Twitter, Nascar background to most of us who’s been fans for decades, that would be a disqualification. However, one of my good friends suggested that maybe he’s got the capability and contacts to bring money to the sport. Let’s hope that’s the case. I remember a Nascar affiliation with the Big Cars that could be described as one of the biggest follies in racing history

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

Pablo Donoso, Pablo Donoso, Pablo Donoso, .........:17:

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

Twitter? Its called X now...;)

Maybe Don will talk them into posting on here again...:47:

He has been out of NASCAR for awhile now; and gather he has no current connections to anyone in the France or operating family...

What does everyone think though, is it time for some sort of an invert or maybe a challenge (bonus $) so the fastest guy doesn't always start on the pole? Idrc, but one of my friends complains about every race he watches...

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

The series. When you look at the health of all of the series, SC is the one that is struggling the most. Within a Niche sport, SC is an even more unique Niche.

I know that many on this board have a large romance with this series, but there is absolutely no growth for this series. It struggles with the dates that it has. There is only one group that sanctions this class. There is zero "outlaw" or "local" racing happening. It does not have a marquee event that is a bucket list event. (Knoxville Nationals, Chili Bowl, etc) It does not have a speed week. There is nothing that it has that generates any interest other than it's long history.

I firmly believe that USAC would be better suited to retire this series and give their dates to the sprint cars and midgets.

:deadhorse:

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

That was the era where I pretty much unhitched my wagon from the Silver Crown truck.

https://i.postimg.cc/2SxmbwLt/Silver.jpg

As I recall, cousin Carl fell for it 3 times

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

Almost ALL the races are marquee events!

THAT Sumar Classic
Toledo, OH Rollie Beale Classic
Winchester, IN Rich Vogler Classic
IRP Hoosier Hundred
Springfield, IL Bettenhausen 100
Du Quoin, IL Ted Horn 100
Rossburg, OH 4-Crown Nationals

Not to mention other races at major tracks like Gateway, Port Royal, Bellville, Kansas State Fairgrounds, Brownsburg & Salem!

This series prepares drivers that do move "up" about running longer events and how a car changes through-out.

Does there need to be something to draw more interest? Likely that is the case for every racing series...

Getting guys like RTJ to run (other thread) could help.

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

anything that runs around the top of Belleville is a marquee event,especially if it does not have a wing

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

Don Hawk revolutionized the racing merch business when he was working for Earnhardt, he worked for Speedway Motorsports for over a decade he is pretty much overqualified for the job.

I’m not sure how revolutionizing merch sales in Nascar equals overqualified in a niche open wheel series, but ok. Like I said in my first post, I’m willing to give him a chance. If he improves things I will stand up and applaud

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

Drivers went from making less on their merch than they were driving the car to making millions on merch alone. Before think about "giving him a chance" you need to do a little research.

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

Will any of these events be sellouts? Will any of these events be the top drawing event at that track? Will any of these events have more than half the stands sold out? For the half mile events, would a USAC sprint car or a WOO sprint car race make more money?

Just because it was a big race 30 years ago does not make it a big race today.

:deadhorse:

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

Since Belleville has come back on the tour, its Silver Crown race has been on par with the WoO races there in the 2010s. The Hutchinson, Kansas race last year, featured the largest crowd at that facility in 40 years. Both had crowds which were 70-90% of capacity. I think this shows that the Silver Crown division is still viable and there are venues out there where the big cars can go and be successful.

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

Everyone is watching on FLO now...;)

"Make" more $? I suspect the WoO sanction fee is larger, so the equation would be different...ya, they would proly sell more tix; but the promoter might make less $ overall...(&, ya, I do suspect the promoters make little or none off some Silver Crown races...which is too bad; but I still think they are marquee races in the historical perspective. & bless the hearts of guys like Bob Sargent holding as many races as he does!).

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

In regards to the Silver Crown races at Belleville, I've attended every one that ever has been run there travelling all the way from north central Illinois specifically for those events. I will vouch for what Bobcat47 says 100%. There was a near capacity crowd at both events since they've made their return to The Highbanks a couple years ago and we certainly got our money's worth. It was great to see, for sure. I would say, given the team participation and fan support it could easily qualify as a "marquee event".


Why some of the other venue's lack in spectator support (specifically the two remaining 1 mile dirt tracks)? I have a totally unscientific theory on that which will remain a subject for another day but it absolutely cannot be for the lack of good racing, especially over the past decade or more. Absolutely no one can say those races have not been very entertaining over that time span.

God bless Bob Sargent!!:27:

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

So, what other tracks / venues are you suggesting that can put on races and be successful? And most of all be profitable for the tracks and race teams. You'd think we'd have seen these tracks added to the SC schedule by now, over the last few years.

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

How about a $50,000 to win / $8000 to start, race sponsored by FLO? Any track, anywhere.

The real question is where is the Flo money for any USAC division? Seems to improve the purse for others. Is Flo racing and HL one and the same with just different names?

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

Why would Flo produce this show when any $10,000 to win Lucas Oil Late Model or $10,000 to win High Limit show would have better viewership ratings that the SC show?

I still go back to the fact that no one else is trying to run this class of cars. We have sanctioning groups and outlaw promoters that will sanction anything and will race anything but yet both groups stay away from this class of cars.

Playboy Magazine, Blockbusters and Sears are all Historic names. It takes more than a historic name to survive.

:deadhorse:

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

Cool to see Ricky Thorton Junior coming to THAT

And if weather cooperates, you'll see a good crowd that day

I mean tell me if I'm wrong, but didn't every dirt race last year have cars that DNQ'd?

Actually, I feel like the press releases said more than one race last year had it's biggest field in twenty years.

Leave it to IOW to advocate pulling the plug on a series that's seeing a resurgence.

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

How is it IOW's fault?

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

Most dirt races did have more than 24 cars, but not all. Only 19 were at Salt City last year. The pavement side was much worse. Only once did they have a full field of 24 cars, and four events did not make it out of the teens with Madison being the smallest at 15 cars.

https://dirtrackr.com/analytics/results/silvercrown

I should have said that one guy on IOW.

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

So you researched that he ran merch sales for the most popular driver in NASCAR. Theresa was the one to teach Dale to trademark his signature. This guy sold lots of tees with that on it. I would not say that translates into the Usac guys becoming more financially fortunate. If marketing is this guys strong suit then hopefully he is successful in bringing more money to these guys. My independent research shows that the top 3 Usac divisions do not run for enough money. So I in turn will “give him a chance” to prove me wrong.

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

An interesting Silver Crown retro watch from 2006 at Kentucky Speedway. Days gone past, thank God.

~45 minutes in length.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy2aT_8YbB4

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

Well I'd say his resume is better than about anyone in USAC. At least this time you might have done some research. With that being said i'm not sure if they care if you or me or anyone else is willing to "give him a chance". They went out and hired the best man they could find and thats that

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

. They went out and hired the best man they could find and thats that.

Ok if you say so. The subject is dropped as you have spoken. I hope this overqualified hire is the best thing to happen at Usac in decades.

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

Ok who did you want to be hired?

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

I'll cast my vote for flagboy55.

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

I was hoping for Gene Simmons...

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

Double D

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

USAC needs someone who can be on the phones six days a week, pay teams and tracks a visit now and then. invite em to USAC functions etc. and just shows they care about them and it

You throw the revolutionized merch in Nascar. That's all great and it was a different time also when you had the Intmidator vs Wonder Kid. As recently as 2020 Larson said he made more on Merch at a PA sprintweek race than he did the whole season in Nascar. Someone's getting the $$$ in Nascar. It's not the drivers. (Probably depends on the teams contract with em)

As far as tracks, There's a lot to work on. Milwaukee, Dover if you could work it with a Nascar weekend. Volusia? Vegas

As far as the two dirt miles. I think daytime hurts it. A fairground don't get hoppin till about 5pm anyway. and yes, A CONCERT with any decent name is going to draw more.

We'll see, Ive come to like the Silvercrown a lot more than I used too.

Good Luck Don.

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

I cannot find it on the internet anywhere but I remember vividly when he was on Wind Tunnel and being interviewed by Dave Despain. The crescendo that nearly brought Dave to tears as he was chuckling was when Gene declared that the IRL needed more American drivers - like Paul Tracy.

Re: don hawk new silver crown series director
 

I've attended the Horn Memorial prior to lights being installed and every race held under the lights as well as the past couple of years when the race was pre-empted by rap artists and held during the afternoon. The difference in attendance numbers is negligible, at best. In reference to the Bettenhausen Memorial we, of course, have no night race to compare it to.