Comments like this are why non wing open wheel does not have the big money events. Hate me for saying it all you want, but your not putting 35,000 fans in Tulsa.

To Joe's comment about timing. I don't think its as much about the teams as the drivers. Many of the dirt late model drivers do not run with their own teams at the dome. B-Shep drove his own car this year and won. If the top drivers car owners are not going, they find rides. If the top open wheel drivers are not able to do the same thing, that tells you exactly what shape the sport is in. There are a ton of midgets that go to the chili bowl that do not even have a chance to make the a main. Several of those cars could run top 5 at StL.

I have never herd and drivers comment about t-shirt sells at chili bowl. Tyler Carpenter said that he sold over $60,000 in merch last year. I'm hearing the top drivers are breaking the 6 figure mark. That may sound crazy, but all of those guys had 6 to 8 people working the booth.

In interviews both Ricky Thorton and Nick Hoffman both advocated to bring midgets back. The commentator's made multiple comments each day. I won't post anymore, but is sure seems like the open wheel world is missing out on something big.

To provide some context, I was talking to a big LM fan the other day about the Dome, and he brought up midgets being there and said a lot of fans don’t want them there. He said they got their Chili Bowl, and we got this. I said it’s almost tribal? He said yes. And I’m ok with that. I would go to the dome if we were getting the top 60 or 80 best midgets in the country, but I still haven’t been to the Dome for LM’s and mod’s.
On the other hand, we don’t know how many people would go to the Chili Bowl. If it had twice the capacity, I think it could be done. It’s sold out every year, so what more can you ask? International streaming, right? There’s a waiting list for tickets?
Comparing the 2 is apple’s and oranges. Late Model fans out number midget fans enormously. Heck I even have friends that are Sprint Car fans that are indifferent to midgets. I seriously doubt you could fill the Dome with midget fans

I'd go so far as to say RTJ, Bobby Pierce, and Brandon Sheppard by themselves put more fans in the stands than an entire Midget field would.

I would argue that, but I get your point

Just invite the LM and Mods and Non Wing sprints to Chili Bowl lmao. Then all you open wheel people should be happy .

They were there, they didn’t enhance the late model program, which is the focus, and now they are gone. They are not coming back to Gateway. Du Quoin has a powri show running Dec. 14 and in a 3000 seat capacity bleachers about 1500 - maybe 1800 crowd will show. The demand outside of Tulsa isn’t really busting at the seams.

I would like them to reserve the dome another week and have a High Limit/WoO show. Have micros as a support class to aid with the promotors expenses. Micros bring like the whole family to the pits with them and race for next to nothing most of the time.

Fans would pack the place like the cab car fans do now.

Why would the inclusion of midgets as a support class to a novelty LM event grow the sport? The Chili Bowl gets as much if not more attention than the Dome event and still midgets as an overall class are not doing well.

That last statement couldn't be truer. Probably 500 midgets out there and I doubt a hundred of them run more than just the Chili Bowl. Sprints as well. Probably two thirds of them can't run a normal tracks weekly schedule.

Until this sport comes back to some sort of production based power train. It's not going to sustain itself.