OT: 16 ARCA Cars entered for Springfield
 

I know this is off topic at IOW, but I would be interested to hear a lot of guys thoughts and ideas on this. And if the mods need to pull it, I get it

Some years back, ARCA would bring easily 35+ to DuQuoin and Springfield. There was a season when they were bringing a larger # of entries than the champ car division. Speaking of which, super thankful to see 40 entered for Saturday. But here's the question, if ARCA can't bring 20 cars to the dirt miles, what does Track Enterprises do? What other class or series of cars could make a great show at the Illinois state fairs on the dirt mile?

Re: OT: 16 ARCA Cars entered for Springfield
 

NASCAR, has run the series into the ground. There use to be lots of, small teams for the short track races. They basically, are killing the series off. Have you watched any of the races? The Gibb Cars, are basically NASCAR teams. A few other, teams are nothing but young ride buyers. The days, of small teams having a car and run a couple races a year have disappeared.
The Silver Crown mess a few years ago, the truck series is not much better.

Re: OT: 16 ARCA Cars entered for Springfield
 

I'm no expert on stock car racing, although as a racing junkie, I follow it more than most people.

Anyways... I think it comes down to the fact that back when ARCA was drawing those huge fields to the dirt miles, all the cars were old, used NASCAR Cup cars. That formula enabled a large number of small business owners to field a car. Today, I don't believe the rules allow for that. I am sure that the current ARCA car differs from a Cup car in engines and bodywork, but not sure what else is incongruent. That takes the small-businessman out of the equation as the prep work for a car is more intensive and better suited to professional race teams.

All those small guys are in the K&N series these days, which is a shame, because those guys loved to one-off at places like Michigan and Pocono with drivers who never would've got the opportunity to run a superspeedway, otherwise.

Time to replace ARCA. I would suggest any of the 3 top NASCAR series or SRX or WoO late models.

SRX would be cool on a dirt mile 🏁🏁

Re: OT: 16 ARCA Cars entered for Springfield
 

I'm not a big modified fan but I think they would get a pretty big field and many fans, that makes promoters happy. The ARCA deal is a shame but there were always a couple of teams ahead of the rest. Late models would be interesting, not sure if I've heard of a dirt late model race on a mile recently but I bet it would get some attention. As long as the place stays open to auto racing:6:
Sorry but this was supposed to be a reply to throwback racing and a nascar series involvement.

Re: OT: 16 ARCA Cars entered for Springfield
 

Don't think Springfield would fit in the SRX TV slot of Saturday night with no lights. Doubt if late models would draw a ton of cars either. The old ARCA dirt cars are used up, and there aren't really any hand me downs any more from NASCAR.

Yeah, it’s hard to think of another series that would work in the place of ARCA

Wish it could be the nascar trucks

I posted a similar reply to a fb post...granted Bob Keselowski won the first one that I can remember...Mom and Dad have seen every show since 77...so we've seen the rise and the fall. Don't want it to go away for sentimental reasons. Know it's a deep and complex problem to fix it.

But the attitude by the "bloggers" was "how do you fix it" and "if you don't have an idea to fix it, then quit complaining."

They don't see a problem. And I was told that all the veterans that I named off that used to make the show...and give these young guys someone to go beat to show they actually had the pedigree to move up the ladder...meh...they're retired...yawn.

All true I guess...but if it continues on the current path...the ticket buyers will stop buying tickets.

Re: OT: 16 ARCA Cars entered for Springfield
 

Only 20 cars entered for Michigan International Speedway tomorrow night (live on MAV TV at 6pm). Composite bodies and the Ilmor sealed engine makes up the current car on the old pre-"Car of Tomorrow" ex-Cup and Busch chassis. Pretty much spec cars, the top 4 or 5 teams all have Nascar ties/technology, the young drivers seem to be content to dump the guy ahead of them instead of passing them (granted, it's tough with essentially "spec" cars and limited horsepower). The mandatory cautions (like 5 minute yellow pit stops) twice a race really destroy any flow or stategy to the event. Used to be some great racing, pretty painful to watch these days...

Re: OT: 16 ARCA Cars entered for Springfield
 

ASA was a solid series for a long time. Wish there was still a place for a midwestern based tour like that.

Re: OT: 16 ARCA Cars entered for Springfield
 

ARCA Midwest Tour is the closest to the old ASA. Gregg McKarns does a great job with that deal - you might recognize him as the new guy at Angell Park...

The CRA guys are pretty solid also...similar body style and mentality.

What happened to ASA? I'm not a fender guy but didn't even realize it went away.

It's been gone probably 15+ years. It was sold to a guy with big plans but questionable financial resources. They had a race at Charlotte NASCAR track and he was unable to pay the purse. The track ownership stepped up and paid it, but that was the end...at least that's how I remember it.

Re: OT: 16 ARCA Cars entered for Springfield
 

Dave Argabright has a great book on Rex Robbins, the founder of ASA, called Let's Go Racing. Well worth reading. A big part of the ASA demise was TNN being sold. The new owners changed the brand, and racing was no longer needed. ASA had sponsor deals based on the TV contract. That pretty much did them in.

Re: OT: 16 ARCA Cars entered for Springfield
 

If you go back far in time. ASA promoted sprint car racing and the little 500. ASA was like the woo, was run by one guy. Rex Robbins and his family. He got old, sold off the sanctioning body. With some bad timing, bad management. The club went down hill. Also a lot of the stars of asa got old, stopped racing. Mike Eddy, Dick Trickle, Butch Miller, Bob Senneker. Also had a few young guns that I don't remember what ever happened to them, Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace.
Growing up in Michigan, the club was the bench mark for pavement racing in the area. They set the rules that others followed. Like the woo does now. Having an ASA race at your local track back then was like having an WOO, Usac come to your local track now. Big crowds and a lot of good drivers.
Sorry to get off track from where this post started. My Neighbor was crew chief for ASA and ARCA back then. He like to chat about the good old days. lol ASA was like the allstars now, some middle level teams stayed there, others moved up ARCA, like some teams move up to WOO. Johnny Benson is an example of someone that did that.

One of my best friends was an ASA crew chief when the TV deal went away. Most of that team's sponsorship was based on views. No TV voided their sponsorship contracts. The real money was gone, poof. Prior to that there were a lot of guys making a good living ASA racing.

Re: OT: 16 ARCA Cars entered for Springfield
 

What about the ARCA Midwest Tour or CRA Super Series Late Models

Kind of like the Usac midgets.....

I just watched ARCA highlights?? From Michigan. Those clowns were wrecking each other on the FIRST LAP! Nothing that I would call racing going on there. Holding your line appears to be illegal in that series, because no one did it. Yet that garbage has a TV deal.

Re: OT: 16 ARCA Cars entered for Springfield
 

Both are good, and I wish they got the attention the old ASA series got with a TV deal in the 90’s. TNN and SPEED were wonderful, but I think streaming services have diminished the importance of TV deals.

I’m not sure how the cars would adapt to running on the dirt miles. It would be interesting to try, especially as an ARCA/CRA co-sanctioned event. They already have a couple shared events (Flyover States 150, All-American 400).

Re: OT: 16 ARCA Cars entered for Springfield
 

Big block modifies would be great, alas, they are a northeastern type of car and I doubt many would tow west.