Or there could be no race at all. How does that sound?

My employer can not let me off either Thursday or Friday so it makes no difference to me anyway (3 hrs. drive away and I get off work between 5:00 - 5:30).

Up until a couple years ago, I had seen every Hoosier Hundred since 1958. Ugh...

I'm sure USAC and Sarge thoroughly examined the ramifications, good and bad, of the move to Thursday evening.

Are we angry over it? Not really. Are we saddened? Sure we are. It will be nearly impossible for our group of 6 to attend the Hoosier Hundred as we've done for many years, at least when it didn't rain.

This is a double whammy for our bunch because we always stopped at Terre Haute for the Hulman Classic Thursday night on the way to Indy. This won't be possible for our group either since that race is alleged to be now run on Wednesday.

I'm sure there will be some folks who will attend both races that normally wouldn't due to the date changes to offset those of us who can't but we're sure gonna' miss being at both.

I just checked my calendar and it, in fact, reads JANUARY 8th....

Come on guys, refusing to change or to recognize that racing has changed since its heydays of the 60's has caught USAC off guard on many occasions. You really are getting upset about something scheduled for a Thusday in May? I don't know what I am doing in an hour, much less planning out my May...

Give Bob Sargent and USAC a chance here and see what happens. They only have FOUR MONTHS to get it all ready.....

Just like they did with the Improved Silver Crown Pavement Cars & with Ignite Fuel.

I'll still be at Terre Haute, The Fairgrounds, LPS or Lawrenceburg, IMS & Kokomo or Haubstadt. Friday Night will be a first ever visit to Gas City.

Now is the @#*&%^& weather will cooperate!

steiny

I'm guessing the move was made so there is no competition from 2 or 3 other sprint car tracks and to have a rain date. I hope Friday could also be the rain date for Terre Haute as long as they get Thursday in. That would make sense to me.The week days actually fit my schedule better but I suppose that's not typical of most people.If anything, it could hurt the crowd at Terre Haute more, but without any local competition hopefully the local fans will suck it up and attend a weekday race. If they really want to improve attendance they should start with track prep to provide some actual racing!

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Hello All...Im a brand new member and wanted to say hi to all the dirt trackers in this room I've been around the dirt tracks of the Midwest for most of my 50+ years on this earth...and hopefully by the time Im done, I can say Ive seen a bunch more of them ! Im usac fan since the mid 60's as I boy I watched guys like 'Tat' and Mel at Hales, later on it was Carruthers and Olivero, heros from the Midget days... then later on, guys like, 'Smoke', Hines and Tyler.

On the date changes. I guess it'll be a bunch of random thoughts that I'll try to go somewhere with and try to stay on topic lol
I really hope it works for usac and but more importantly Sargent because anyone who puts their sack on the line for ANY SC race, has to be respected. Not a very easy job especially these days. Its not but a few years ago, when there was a massive car count. The ill advised speedway crown car killed that. So I understand the addition of the mods for that race. But srsly, who goes for the ( as my buddies and I call it ) Kenny Schrader Benefit?? Without the mods and the low car count for the SC's, your on your way back home before its dark outside. But with the additional division racing, you have to cover the purses. That leaves the grandstand seating pretty expensive. 6-R did a great job, imo, when they were running it...not too pricey and they got the show in if at all possible...remember the thunder roadster race with Big Al and Parnelli in the rain?? LOL
Anytime you mess with a traditional date, you run the risk of having less people. Its just the way it usually works out. People get used to a certain date and when changed, they find something else to do. Plus looking at it, its not a 'better' date, it seems to be a sideways move at best. We've attended every Carb Day since the move to friday and have never had a problem getting to the "'Grounds in time to see the water truck finishing up. So I sorta dont buy that argument. Maybe its the fact that Sargent cant afford to have another race go cancelled for the foreseeable future so that would be a big consideration
The Hut, IMO, will lose out. Thats early in the week and Anderson runs the winged sprints that night also. Plus, your never sure what your going to get when you actually get there as far as the track prep goes.
So all emotion aside, heres my reality if you will.
Wed is always a long day..couple hours of sleep, the drive from WI to Indy, set up camp then Community Day leaves this no so young kid rather beat. Add the factors above and it kinda leaves me cool on the idea of seeing the Hut this year. The Fairgrounds date change doesnt affect us much,we'll still be there.( in the infield, me playing railbird between turns 1 and 2 )
I've always wanted to see a race at Gas City, from reading the forums I know to stay away from the grandstand there lol but I think a road trip from IMS up 69 might be in order.
Echoing a couple other posters, the race of the weekend for me is the Lil 5. Damndest race Ive ever seen anywhere, anytime! Ive been to 12 of them now and each year, walking in and sitting down, its like that first one all over again
..oh ya, I need to add Im a stickler for plans and planning ahead LOL...laying it all out for May already!
I hope my ramblings make sense, and I look forward to any comments yall got!
TC and hey, we on the downhill side now till opening days on the clays!!

Whats wrong with Saturdays?

I stated this in another post a while back but here it is again. I sat with Bob Sargeant while eating lunch at the IMIS show. He told me about the Thur race. Yes, some people can make it to the fairgrounds from IMS with no problem on Fri. Plenty of others stay for concerts, have intentions of going but find they have had too much to drink and say screw it. He had to take a chance. He had a sponsor lined up but they wouldn't do it if the race was on Fri because of all the activities at IMS. It also gave the race a raindate. I applaud the effort and the risk he is taking. The stands are not full. People need to realize that. He has to try something. Most people are wanting a weeks worth of racing at one time. I know it's hard on some people, but now you've got racing Wed through Sunday. I'm sure a lot of people that are normally racing Fri night will look forward to going to the race Thur. Let's give Bob every chance we can and hope the Crown series grows. He's trying to make the race better. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't. But I will credit someone when they are putting forth the effort to make it better.

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In Sargent's defense, he's not the one who added all the sand to the surface making it very difficult to put on a good race. However, there is not that problem at Du Quoin yet he preps it the same way there. I'm just saying as long as he wants to try something different, start with trying to have two grooves. The best race I've seen at the Fairgrounds since I've been going was when 6R had it and it rained before but they used the Crown cars to pack it instead of the heavy equipment like Sargent does and there was a big cushion for all 100 laps. Parsons almost won in the 43 car right on the cush. I'd pay triple admission for that again!

USAC has the midgets at Clermont on Sat night.