[BrentTFunk]

Originally Posted by superstock30 I would like to see ISW expanded! Through in Paragon, Bownstown, Plymouth, Montpellier, Chandler, North Vernon, etc... Let's hit as many indiana tracks as we can in a two week period.

That is a neat idea, but doubt you would find too many teams interested. I thought the crowds at Kokomo, and Bloomington were great. With the small crowd at Gas City that tells me that people can't afford more races. I hit all but Haubstadt, which from the video was great race. Gas City was the best of the ones I saw. Kokomo and Lawrenceburg were kind of runaways, but Leary and T Mez were exciting to watch. As usual Haubstadt had a big crowd, contrary to naysayers.

[ISF]

Originally Posted by Simon_says17 They still have 10 more $10,000 to win shows than ISW has... But to me, the Summer National Tour is just a high paying mini-schedule. 32 races that pay 5-10 grand a show. I say if they can do it, and it's profitable (which it most certainly is), then more power to em'.

It really doesn't matter how how profitable or how many $10,000 to win shows are on the SN schedule. The fact remains that the whole SN deal has become so diluted that much of it's relevance has disappeared to both competitors and spectators, alike. The relevance has disappeared due in no small part to over scheduling. Our group once attended 10 or 12 SN events every summer. These days I generally attend just one (this year being an exception, I attended 2) and the only reason I go to that one is because it's the only 100 lapper on the schedule. We live less than 2 hours from a half dozen of the best SN venues on the schedule.

[BrentTFunk]

How many cars run the whole SN tour?

[ThePurple73]

The only thing I would change is put Terre Haute on a Saturday night.

[Nate]

Originally Posted by BrentTFunk How many cars run the whole SN tour?

I think I read a post somewhere saying they had 5 or 6 LMs compete in every event they got in

[flagboy55]

Purple 73, they need to put Terre Haute under a dome!

[nathans1012]

Sprint Week Tracks
Gas City, Kokomo, Lincoln Park, Lawrenceburg, Bloomington, Terre Haute, & Tri-State

What about having Indiana's Version of Ohio Sprint Week and have 410 Non-Wing Sprints on the card each night. Twin $3,000 or $4,000 races each night.
Just a thought
I.E. "Indiana 410 Nationals Week"
Bowell, Plymouth, Montpelier, Route 44, Twin Cities, Brownstown, Paragon, Chandler

[Simon_says17]

Originally Posted by ISF It really doesn't matter how how profitable or how many $10,000 to win shows are on the SN schedule. The fact remains that the whole SN deal has become so diluted that much of it's relevance has disappeared to both competitors and spectators, alike. The relevance has disappeared due in no small part to over scheduling. Our group once attended 10 or 12 SN events every summer. These days I generally attend just one (this year being an exception, I attended 2) and the only reason I go to that one is because it's the only 100 lapper on the schedule. We live less than 2 hours from a half dozen of the best SN venues on the schedule.

I hear you. I just disagree. What in your mind justifies relevance? Do I personally care much if any for the SN tour? No not really but I just love racing in general. I too used to go to a handful a summer (back when I was 12-17 and was thirsty for any racing I could get my hands on) but now it's normally just 1 or 2 for me. It brings me back to reality and reminds me why I love sprint cars so much.

You say the profibility for the promoters and the purse money doesn't matter to the drivers but I don't see how it can't. The SN tour consistently gets over 30 cars a night. The points champion walks away with $25,000 at the end of it and there is decent money to be had throughout the points so the guys have plenty of incentive to travel more than they usually would. Do guys like Pierce go to every race on the schedule? No, but guys like him don't have to.

You say it's lost its relevance to competitors and fans alike but at the 2 races I've attended this summer, there were good car counts and the stands were jam-packed. The SN tour has had over 250 different drivers compete in their mini-series this summer thus far. I think it's doing just fine.

It's relevance, in my opinion at least, is the same as it was 10-15 years ago. But I'm sure compared to most race fans, I'm still a young fan and I don't know exactly what time period in the SN tour you're referencing. Could be before my time.

[ISF]

Not sure what point you're attempting to make here. The original premise was one of doubling, or more, the size of ISW. It's not a knock on the poster but vastly expanding ISW might have a feel of diminishing the charm and excitement of how it's been scheduled for the past 30 years as has happened with the SN series.

At the beginning of the SN's (1988) I was deeply involved with a late model team that raced at all of the events on the SN schedule at that time. We as a team ran all the races up until the mid 1990's and every event was like a mini World 100 with guys like Bloomer, Moyer, Freddy Smith, Bob Pierce and Donnie Moran showing up for most, if not all, of the events.

These days very few of the top DLM guys even bother with the SN's. The prestige and relevance of being SN champion is vastly diminished compared to the early 1990's. Had the schedule stayed shorter and more intense I firmly believe the aura would still be present as it is with ISW. A vast expansion of ISW could easily have the same effect.

We live smack in the middle of the most hard core DLM territory and I can say with confidence that the SN's are not nearly as important or relevant to the hardest core DLM fans, whose numbers are legion in this part of the country. Car counts and profitability have little bearing on the relevance to the folks in our area.

[flagboy55]

I get your point but back when those guys hit a lot of SN they didn't have as much series commitment to the Lucas Oil Series, or the WOO LMS, that they do today. I would say if deals like that weren't around, you would see more big names more often on the SN trail.
Back to sprint cars, I have never gotten to do the whole sprint week so I can't say for sure but the 2 day break doesn't seem to fit well to me. I think maybe one less race with no break would be better. Just a thought