Question about Sprint Cars on mile tracks.
 

Why don't dirt sprint cars race on mile tracks when the smaller midgets do? Saftey reasons? My father told me the Outlaws use to run on the Indy Fairgrounds back in the 80's. Just wondering.
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Re: Question about Sprint Cars on mile tracks
 

They used to run on the Indy mile, especially in May. There were some spectacular crashes, notably Mark Alderson who wound up near the barns in turn one and James McElreath took a hard ride in the same event in July of 1977.
Jeff Thickstun was fatally injured in a sprint car on the Indy mile, in 1983, I believe. Sprint cars seem to be less stable than midgets on the mile. I don't believe midgets have run on a mile since Danny Drinan's crash at Springield.

I witnessed first hand Cliff Johns and Doc Dawson each die on the Springfield mile in non wing sprint cars. The biggest factor against it is that most of participants compete and bang around on 1/4-3/8 size tracks weekly, so when the mile shows came around, stuff would break or fall off, and the drivers were just totally unprepared for the speeds they incur. Guys like Bill Utz, Jerry Blundy and the ones who used to run IMCA or USAC would be more prepared because about all they would run was 1/2 miles. Sprints of any kind is just a bad idea for several reasons.
Steve
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Re: Question about Sprint Cars on mile tracks
 

John,

I'm surprised I didn't mention the Cliff Johns incident. He was from Evansville and was a TSS regular.