Originally Posted by flagboy55:
If you search what made the dinosaur extinct, you’ll find a theory about an asteroid hitting the earth as a possible cause to their elimination. Thankfully, I haven’t heard anything about an asteroid heading our way anytime soon, but it’s starting to look like half mile tracks could be going the way of the Triceratops. I saw it mentioned before last night, but if you watched the High Limit show from I-70 you heard about the plan’s to shorten yet another big track. A couple other recent occurrence’s of this nature that come to mind is Hartford Michigan, and Joliet Illinois, two big tracks that were cut down to smaller ovals. I’m old enough to remember when the United States Auto Club only ran half miles or bigger. I don’t remember exactly when they started running smaller tracks, but I thought it was a cool change of pace on the bullrings, a different style of racing. But now I find myself longing for the big tracks again after watching mostly something smaller than a half for a long time now. I’m not saying I have anything against the smaller tracks, I love ‘em, just miss that speed sometimes. I know everyone has excuses why we can’t run a big track, but in actuality, motor’s blow and people crash on all size race tracks. And racing ain’t cheap, regardless. I don’t know about you, but unlike T-Rex, I’m going to miss the big tracks if they leave
Same deal down here in Texas. Not many half miles to begin with. Lonestar, up in Kilgore was a high banked half. Never got to a race there in that configuration. I have shot a couple of races up there at the shortened (3/8 mile) track. Pretty racy, but the old turns 1 and 2 are (or were) still there beyond the shortened track, teasing with what might have been. I think that, like so many Texas tracks, it has shut down now.