just thinking to myself are late model fans more die hard than sprint fans?
 

after going to twin cities lastnight and seeing the small crowd that was there in the stands(well i thought it was small considering no one else in the state was running) why wasnt the stands packed? was it the threat of rain?gonna be to cold?all winter on this message board all i have read was man can wait to see some sprintcars then the only track in the state running cant get the stands packed with people wanting to see sprints on dirt..i guess what i am getting at is i went to the ice breaker at brownstown last weekend and that place was packed...there was probably a half hour to 45 minute wait to get in the place....yes i know it was a lucas oil race but it was 3 times the price to get in than it was lastnight and a hell of a lot colder too ...just seems to me instead of saying i wanna see a race the fans should have gotten out more and supported the drivers that were there...there was 5 support classes but they would have had the sprint feature ran by 10 if it hadnt been for the flips and the reds...

Re: just thinking to myself are late model fans more die hard than sprint fans?
 

I think you're kinda comparing the world of outlaws, or usac, to a regular show. although, i have to concede that the late models overall, in the midwest, have a stronger following, i think you should be comparing a "regular show" late model race to a "regular show" sprint race in the same area in the same conditions to get more accurate data to answer your question. I know some late model tracks last season were struggling with car counts and crowds at their weekly shows. One late model track promotor, here in our area last season, even called a drivers meeting and told them that if they couldn't get more cars and more people in the stands, he was going to cancel the weekly schedule and run special events only.

Re: just thinking to myself are late model fans more die hard than sprint fans?
 

I also was disappointed by the samll crowd. I image the threat of rain had a huge impact. I was also suprised by the low sprint car count since it was the only track running sprints in the State.

Re: just thinking to myself are late model fans more die hard than sprint fans?
 

i know it was the large chance of rain that kept me away. It would of been just over a 4 hour drive 1 way for me. With the big chance of rain, and getting burnt by that track before when it rained and they messed around 3 hours and then cancelled, no way was i traveling that far with such a chance of rain. If there wasnt a chance of rain, i would of made it. I was still unthawing from Attica Friday night but, we would of made the trip....

Re: just thinking to myself are late model fans more die hard than sprint fans?
 

Wait a minute. The promoter telling the drivers that it's their responsibilty to get more cars and more people? Or am I misreading that? Either way, maybe the promoter just needs to do a little better job of actual promoting??

Re: just thinking to myself are late model fans more die hard than sprint fans?
 

This is why we didn't go.

As far at the flips and reds, you're gonna have those so you have to factor those in. Its like saying the races would have been over sooner if there weren't so many races.

Re: just thinking to myself are late model fans more die hard than sprint fans?
 

I think this is what you are going to see this year with the economic situation the way it is.

Re: just thinking to myself are late model fans more die hard than sprint fans?
 

After being rained out with high gas prices for most of the spring in 2008, I wouldn't drive too far with the threat of rain in the area for a regular show.

So comparing a small weekly non wing sprint car show with a traveling late model series sanctioned large purse show that is held every year for the last 12, isn't going to ever make sense.

Also if you go to 4M.net ever, there is 138,000 posts for late models, and less than 2000 for sprints (winged and non winged combined). I know that many of you only care about non winged shows in Indiana, and only go to this board, so that comparison isn't fair.

My point is that non-winged 410's are really only big in Indiana and California. The casual fan across the country here's the word sprint car, and thinks of Steve Kinser. There is also winged 410's and 360's that run all over the country, with the winged 360's even having a weekly series, and weekly tracks here in Canada. This dilutes the word sprint car over 4-5 types of cars. Also with Sprints, Midgets and Silver Crown cars often sharing 75% of the same drivers, there really isn't that big of a crowd of drivers to choose from.

If you look at the Icebreaker, there is drivers (who attract fans, and bring there crews) from Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Florida, West Virginia, California, Michigan, Illinois, North Carolina, Arkansas and probably a few more. There was also a basketball game, that many of the area locals were going to, which added to the traffic. I live 5 hours from Indy, can only make Saturday night shows, or early Sunday shows, and rarely get to see non-winged sprint cars. Where as I can see late models race 2 nights a week for 6 months out of the year within 2 hours of my house.

If I did live in Indiana, I would love to be able to shoot photos of non winged sprint cars, sometimes 3 nights a week. I also probably wouldn't be married if that was the case. I am envious of some of the great shots I see from all of the dirt tracks.

Sorry to ramble
James

Re: just thinking to myself are late model fans more die hard than sprint fans?
 

When I was going 2 KC for the Night The Stars come out, they would alternate the sprint feature & the late model every yr. When the late model feature was over the late model fans would leave & of course vice versa. I paid to see races & when the last checkered flag falls is when I leave.

Re: just thinking to myself are late model fans more die hard than sprint fans?
 

Last night was a toss-up for me. Kept watching the weather, and it was not looking promising. Talk to Joss Moffatt a couple of times on what the weather was doing in Columbus. His computer is down and I was checking here and giving updates to him. I have had this "LOCAL" show circled on my calendar since it was announced. Joss told me at 3:30 that they were loaded up and headed that way. I guess working at the ski slopes the last couple of years has helped me in analizing radar. I told my wife and son that I figured the rain would hit around 9-9:30. Guess I was off by a bit. I ended up taking my boy to see a movie. Kinda wished I would've went. Now last week was a different story. Weather was great! Left the track at L-burg at 2:00, showered and headed west. Beautiful weather all the way to.......... Lil' Nashville, great Gene Watson concert. Heard I missed a race. Will surely be at N. Vernon next week. And if all caught up on work to be done at the burg, probably go to Anderson on Sunday.
And from what I"ve heard so far, a big :thumb to the Fleetwoods, sounds like they gave their best effort to get the show in.