USAC has initiated a three race pilot program for pavement sprint cars to run a Regional series akin to the succesful Regional midgets. Story and schedule here: http://www.usacracing.com/USAC/416PR1.html

:confused:Are these considered special shows or will the HANS be required?

regretfully i predict this to be a bust...

6-7 cars maybe?

I would not be so dire in my predictions although I do have questions. First off remember that none of the divisions that compete on Regional nights have an abundance of cars. Regional midgets and Kenyon midgets are usually in the 13 to 18 range. Ford Focus has been in the 10 to 12 area. So don't look for a full field of Regional sprints, either. And it is new and will take some time to build up. The only cars I would look for from the National series are those belonging to the least experienced drivers looking to get track time. And, since both tracks (Illiana & Plymouth) are in the northern part of the state I think that USAC might be banking on a few cars from the AVSS/HOSS pool. Again those cars with younger drivers looking to get track time. Additionally there may be a few appearances by National teams simply using these races as a test date. The first race at Illiana on May 28th is just two weeks before the Winchester/Shady Bowl doubleheader. The next, June 18th at Plymouth, is little more than a week before Richmond. The last, August 6th at Illiana, is right in the middle of Midget Week and might be hurting for cars. I think that USAC is on the right track in trying to help the pavement side of their touring series. I hope that the teams and fans support the idea. I will make the first two races to have a look.

Nice of USAC to have a couple of shows up in the northern area, as I am only an hour away from Plymouth or Illiana. I talked to an AVSS driver about the USAC regional deal, and he didn't expect that their group would support it due to the payout being so low. They have actually changed their shedule quite a bit this year to save on travel expenses. Not to mention, most of the Auto Value guys are seasoned veterans, some nearing 70 years old.

The HOSS series seems to have quite a few younger guys, and they typically get about 24-26 cars, so maybe they'll help fill the field. I do hope that it works out, it's a great idea.