Any news on if/when Illinois Sprint Week will take place? What tracks will be involved? Also, any news on La Salle hosting sprints? There was some talk a while back but nothing lately.

So far I'm hearing: Tri-City Speedway, Kankakee County Speedway, LaSalle Speedway, & maybe Morgan County Speedway are trying to be apart of Illinois Sprint Week. Not sure what other tracks will be on the schedule.

Does anyone else know anythig abouth the 2010 Illinois Sprint Week or the possibly new Monster Midwest Sprints. Please don't tell me go talk to Don. He might run the Monster Midwest Series for Late Models; but he could use some knowledge of promoting a race track. Farmer City and Lincoln are good tracks just need better promoting Oviously he has funds. Maybe he should take some lessions from some other Friday night Illinois tracks like Kankakee County Speedway & Tri-City Speedway.

farmer city has been around a long time. Lincoln has done ok the last couple of years. If I remember right kankakee went broke and shut down. Maybe other promoters should take advice from hammer.

The IRA has a race there this year.

Nathans1012-I think you need to take a hard look in the mirror before you start calling anyone a moron or asking them what they are smoking. I found this information on just doing a quick search on the internet indicating that just this past summer a press release was sent out indicating that operations were ceased at KCS. Please read for yourself:

JBD Race Promotions Ceases Operations of KCS

June 30, 2009 - Kankakee, IL -

To all race participants, employees, and patrons of Kankakee County Speedway. The Speedway is now closed. We cannot continue to operate the track at such a large weekly loss. The bottom line is the economy is bad and people just are not coming to the track. 6/26 was a benchmark day for us with Farmer City not running and us having a modified special, the weather was perfect, yet we experienced our smallest crowd of the year, and lower car counts. This is strictly a business decision and no one in Kankakee is at fault. We are a little disappointed by certain groups that we feel could have helped keep the track open, but when we expressed our concerns we basically got told they do not care if we run or not. The truth is would anyone keep a business open losing thousands per week.

Drivers, if you still have a check from the closed account, please mail to PO Box 771, Kankakee IL 60901 and all checks will of course be paid. This needs to be done fairly quickly though because the accountants are closing the books. Please do not hold them for 3 months.

Thanks,
Doug Judy

I am aware that this is probably not the same promoter that was running the facility, but this does prove my point that KCS has not been in continual operation over that past several years.

Don Hammer has been the promoter of Farmer City Raceway and Lincoln Speedway now for the past several years. He has not had to take time off in the summer or close down the tracks therefore he must be doing something right. I want to applaud him for at least giving the sprint car owners and drivers in the state of Illinois the opportunity to have a series that they can run with. Everyone says they are going to do this and do that, BUT nothing ever comes of it. For example, all the posts about LaSalle Speedway running a weekly program, that is all we heard about before the holidays. I have noticed there have been several questions asking for an update and they can’t even bother to come back on the board and say nothing has come of it. Also, Don put together the Illinois Sprint Week last summer that I think was a success as they are promoting it again this year.

I will agree with you on one point, Tri-City Speedway is one of the premier racing facilities in the state of Illinois, BUT to put Kankakee Speedway in the same ranks is a joke. Yes I have raced at both facilities and in NO WAY does KCS compare to Tri-City. Early last summer when I raced at KCS you couldn’t even get any food in the pit area. My pit crew had to go to the main concession stand to get food. Also, our feature did not get on the track until after midnight! That is not what most of us would call a premier facility! Also, if you read the press release I copied above you will see that even with Farmer City not running on a Friday night, they had their smallest crowd and lowest car counts!

I guess what I am trying to say is, do your research and know what you are talking about before you start calling people a moron and asking them what they are smoking!

I was told that Lasalle is going to run nonwing sprints once a month just to see if their grandstand improves. Which to me is wise, what good would it do us if they ran us weekly for a month. Just to cut the sprints again. (More negativity)This has happened to nonwing sprints in Illinois every year. No promoter is going to lose money week in and week out. If we could get another track or 2 to pick us up just maybe we could get a fan base. But slamming the only promoter that has committed to running nonwing sprints is not helping our cause. I don’t care if Hammer chooses to promote sprint week and only sprint week, you need to support it. (Dreaming) Just think one weekend in LaSalle and one in Lincoln and another in Quincy. Three nights a month gives you one night to travel to Indiana or Iowa. Or heck should I say take a night off. This also improves our chances for a larger fan base almost covering 1/3rd of the state. And just maybe 3 promoters that would gain fans that would travel to see sprints.


But burning every bridge that has been built is not going to gain anything. Do me a favor get OFF Hammer, last year was a blast with the addition of ILL Sprint Week. Sure would hate to lose any racing. After the loss of Jacksonville and Danville.
Otis Tripplett

The little info I have is that Morgan County wants no part of non wing sprints at all this year....at any time, with anyone....at least for now.

Lasalle has committed to a Sprint Week show and is interested in another show or 2 with the Series. Originally Izzo wanted someone to put up the money to guarantee the first 4 races....evaluate the car counts, crowd etc and then he would put on the rest of the season if all was well. Well no one has stepped up for the first 4.....and that had nothing to do with Don Hammer, he found this out while talking to them about Sprint Week and the Series.
BT 22 has new info on this, so it's looking better.

Sprint Week is going to happen.....it was well noted in a thread a while back put up by Don.....yes Gundakers are running one, Shepps, Lincoln and Farmer City. Danville has no promoter to discuss it with yet. Spiker stepped away, and my dad and I have been investigating what it would take to promote it as it was last year. (Many things learned from that). But I heard today that car builder Bob Pierce has an offer to the fair board. He wants to do about 12 special shows...so more to come on that place.

Manny Rockhold was contacted to help put on a show at Canton, but he has his hands full with his real business, so who knows about that place.

The new promoter at Kankakee is interested in a show also. He has a scedule that is still being "tweaked".

The main thing is, non wing sprint car racing in Illinois isn't dead by a long shot, but there are some details not ironed out yet either.
Bell Helmets pays me to talk on the phone to racers....so if anyone wants to discuss any of this please feel free to call, anytime, 217 766 7889.

Steve

I certainly agree with Tripp and Steve. The options that us non "Wangers" have here in Illinois are few. The fact that Hammer is putting on sprint week again and also his "Monster" series, I say lets all get our asses to these races. He is supporting us so we should support him. As far as Lasalle we will wait and see.

Anyone else think Steve and Al promoting VCS is a great idea like myself!!!!!!!! (LOL). Dont worry Steve I am just kidding. Would love to see it but might be a bit tough for you with your job restrictions.

Come on April!!

Chad Branson
#71