I was at the one midget race and I have to say I enjoyed watching the Don Moore car drive to victory. I'm a sprint car fan, and that's what draws me to Gas City. If the midgets fail to catch on there I would imagine I'll still walk away from a night at Gas City with a smile on my face.
If midgets are going to be successful there, they have to show up at Gas City now. If it fails, will there ever be another chance?
It sounds like Mel's come around, thanks to Don's efforts. Hopefully word gets out that the purse is where it should be and we get a good turnout. Of course, the bigger the car count, the further back I'm likely to finish but I'm just out here to have fun. I'd rather tag the back of a full field than drive up to a locked pit gate. I agree with Fish; not to get overly dramatic but this could actually be a pivotal week for the future of Midget racing, if not in Indiana, at least at Gas City.
Just checked the Gas City website @ 9:30; lowest payout is now $500 to win for 0-20 cars. A big thank you to Don Moore for working with Mel to make it happen, and thanks to Mel for opening the series up to give anyone who is legal to run Montpelier another place to race.
First thing off the bat we were lucky enough to run a Gas City one time with our 1000cc Midget a few years ago with the AMSA. The track was super and just about the right size to be real racy. If they limit the right rear tire width for the full size a good 1000cc car could sure give the Midget teams a run for their money. If promoters would realize this many more could utilize a midget size car division in their weekly programs.
Lets face it. In the age of $4.00 or $5.00 dollar gasoline for racing to survive it is going to have to take a step backwards into the good old days of local shows. For us to pull up to Gas City from New Albany would cost $300.00 for fuel only. Take into account food pit passes etc it easily becomes a $600.00 investment. Even the most astute businessman when it comes to racing is a little stupid when they are spending money on racing. If he advertises on his race car he can right the expense off as an advertising expenses. In to days economy he has to ask another question and that is can he afford to spend that much money in advertising, and unfortunately today the answer is NO.
The promoter has 3 ways to make a purse. The front gate (best), Advertising (second best) and Back Gate (the least best but most prevalent) in to days world. We as racers or wanabe racers need to help the promoters work on the two better ways of making revenues to support racing. Many of us could buy ads in his programs, maybe bill boards around the track. If we are short on cash why not bring an extra car to the races and park it behind the grand stand with a helper so that kids could have their pictures taken in the race car. We need to work on keeping the local track open for business. Complaining about the purse or lack of it is only going to bring about another closed race track.
Think Local>>>>the day of the 4 hour drive to a race track to race is going to be a thing of the past for the near future. $300.00 to win would be a good starting point for a one or two hour trip, I can justify that to my accountant. What we need to do right now is find one more track up north to go in with Montpelier and Gas City to have a triad that could run Midgets every third week and be within a hundred mile radius of the racers. Then we need to work on finding tracks a little further south.
Putnamville would be a good choice for now. And depending on how it goes the 31st at Brownstown with POWRi, maybe that could be a track in the future too. I'd love to run LPS in my 1000cc car. But I can't tow up to Montpelier very often. It's 3+ hours one way.
