Here in SoCal would be nice just to have 7 tracks within a 150 mile radius LOLLLINNN!!!!!

I go back a long way in the world of IN Sprint Car racing. Having been the promotor at L'burg back in what seems like the Stone Age. If memory serves me right Bloomington was always a Friday night track, the 'Burg and Paragon were Sat night tracks, and Kokomo and Tri State were Sunday tracks. When the 'burg first reopened in the early 70's we tried Stock Cars on a Friday night - staying away from Northern Ky and Tri-County Speedways. That was a disaster as the 'burg had always been a Saturday night sprint car track. So we went to Saturday night sprints, and the rest is history. Many owners (Karl Kinser, Dizz Wilson, Brewer, etc.) towed further from their local tracks to run the 'burg, for many reasons: we paid a good guaranteed purse - we ran even if the weather looked bad and we had a sparse crowd - we made every attempt to treat everybody fairly ( like helping out with gas money when rained out, putting the difference between front gate money and back gate money in the points fund, running rained out features as part of the following weeks show- etc) and we did well considering and knowing that local dirt track racing is not a major league sport. Fast forward to today - the 'Burg is no longer the 1/4 mile bull ring, motors, chassis, tires fuel all cost more and while the purses are substantially higher so are the costs. As far as tracks all running the same night? You gotta do what you gotta do. Maybe only special events is an answer? As a side note with no disrespect to Paragon - in my opinion, Paragon's weekly show is a hobby sprint car class. Guys on a low budget, racing locally and having a good time, while putting on a good show for the fans. Keith Ford has a great template for local racing, and considering how long he has been at the helm, it is working. BTW - Keith raced Sprint Cars with us back in the dark ages.

I agreed on Paragon, Same as Waynesfield. Either people who wouldn't be racing at all or people coming in wanting to learn

For what it is worth, best I recall Paragon was never a Sunday track. Seems like at one time Paragon ran Friday and Bloomington Saturday, then they swapped nights. This was some time ago.

Hate to say it but this is business. It would be great if the tracks cooperated better but unlikely to happen. The promoters who have the best business plan and are most attractive to fans and competitors will survive, the remainder will struggle. The marketplace will decide. While it may hurt car counts it provides options for fans and helps maintain or creates critical mass to keep the sport alive in Indiana.

I don't think, Charles, that Paragon was ever a Sunday track. Haubstadt had Sunday to themselves for years and years, during the 60's, 70' and 80's. Guys would run Bloomington Friday, L'Burg or Paragon Sat. and TSS Sunday. Paragon was notorious for getting done at midnight or later a lot of times.

Thank you Mr. Hamilton for contributing some information based on history and experience, you pretty much summed up the current status of n/w sprints in
Indiana, in the competition for both, sprint cars & fans on sat. nite, Lawrenceburg suffers the most for the reasons you stated, it's a shame for the promoter, who has made such an enormous attempt to draw sprint cars, the facility is first class, the excitement of the bullring is gone, the other sat. tracks seem to have a good car count on regular scheduled races, including Waynesfield in Ohio.

personally, I think the economy (or lack of) is still a negative factor in all auto racing.

Bill May

I push at Paragon every week and I can tell you this that the Sprint Cars always put on a good show and we have an average count of 35 no matter who is running. What Keith does works bc he gives guys a chance to be competitive instead of going elsewhere and get knocked around by big budget teams. I honestly wish more tracks would do this bc it keeps racing alive and gives fans something to look forward to every week.

It would be great if the tracks cooperated better but unlikely to happen. The promoters who have the best business plan and are most attractive to fans and competitors will survive, the remainder will struggle. The marketplace will decide. While it may hurt car counts it provides options for fans and helps maintain or creates critical mass to keep the sport alive in Indiana.[/QUOTE]

100% agree with you. The only two tracks that communicate (for the most part) are LPS and Kokomo. Can't tell you how many times I've seen Joe at Kokomo and the O'connor family does really well at scheduling so schedules don't conflict.

This whole discussion was around car counts, and full fields. Now it's turned into a hobby sprint discussion at Paragon. Who cares weather a racer makes his living behind the wheel or makes a living somewhere else to be able to get behind a wheel. Before Paragon started this year Putnamville was averaging over 30 cars, yes the " Professionals" won, but there was racing all through the pack and on most night 4 full heats, a full B, and great features. Last week for The Clash there was only 25 vs 40 at Paragon. Why? $50 for non qualifiers and getting less than 20 total laps is not as good as $100 min and 35 laps. If you want less than full fields keep doing what some tracks are doing and only rewarding a few, or change the purse structure and pay deeper and the cars will come. Paragon has proven this. Just $50 less for each 20 in the main doubles pay for another 10 cars and gets car counts above 30. In most situations all those "hobbiest" brought 4 or more people with them, so their gate fees are more than payout.

Lots of great points and none of them false fellas but It isn't touching the full meaning of the post.

Waynesfield and LBurg to many of your surprise average the highest car count the last two or three years of all the regular tracks. Waynesfield was solid between 28-40 on any given night with a couple near fifty or more. Lawrenceburg had some down nights in the teens but the three USAC an two BOSS were all close to the 40 range and midget week drew strong on sprints as well. giving it a low 30s average.

Its the weeks where people show up, expecting to see the three or four heats and low and behold. Two tracks that don't run sprints add shows to the four or five already running Saturday Night. It kinda defeats the purpose for both teams and fans. A couple tracks will get the short end and sometimes its a weather thing combined. Hey, Radar shows showers up north, but not moving south or vice versa.

I guess it is what it is and we have to live with it. Was just looking for others views. There is often just as good of racing with less count but until it actually happens. Sometimes the "Is this it?" Especially for a named or special race sticks in the mind.