[BrentTFunk]

If fans and teams do not support bigger shows, there will be no market for them. Smackdown is the closest thing to a nationals type show.

[dirt in ur beer]

I would attend the Smackdown if it was held at lawrenceburg . As I see it Indiana is "home" to nonwing sprint car racing. A "nationals" type show would have to b in Indiana and, you only have 1facility anywhere near capable of holding such an event. The Burg!

[gtownplowboy]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I say try it before you make a judgement. I saw in an earlier post you had only been to kokomo once during midget week.if I remember correctly they could not prep the track until the afternoon of the race because of the weather.Hope you come and see the best three days of racing og the year according to quite of few people. J.m.o.

[Jerry Shaw]

Koonzee and Brent were spot on. We already have the framework to make as big of an event as we want to. I say show up and support Smackdown in droves. Both fans and race teams. When they're turning people away at that event, then we can possibly discuss other venues. That would be a good problem for the O'Connor's to have. I'm sure they would figure something out, if it got to that point.

Jerry

[dirt in ur beer]

You are exactly right . I have only been to Kokomo once. And as I said I was going to give them a pass on the track conditions( everybody can miss the mark once in a while). I promise you that I will return to Kokomo again someday. Unless they find a way to make me a little more comfortable in the stands I wouldn't consider sitting in them for 3 nights in a row. I don't have to have flashy n new like the burg. But I was comfortable at LPS , and Bloomington and those r far from new. Kokomo is tiny and cramped. Maybe instead of banning drinks and coolers they should ban those stadium chairs at Kokomo. I will b back to Kokomo but not for 3 days. Just my opinion and I'm sorry if I offended you.

[gtownplowboy]

no offense taken at all. Just think that the quality of racing that we see at Kokomo far outweighs the stands and carry in policy. To each his own as long as we are still going to the races and enjoying them. Hope to see you at the races.

[Nate]

I believe Kokomo runs a better program than most. For one you're always out of there early yet you never leave without seeing some great racing and two, they do a fantastic job with track prep even if weather becomes an issue. I'm sure many of us remember the Smackdown last year, I dont think it was less than 90 degrees any one of the three days yet that track was well prepared and tacky all three nights.

I had my tickets for this years event 1-2 days after they went on sale, people always complain about this or that but Gas City is a good reminder about what can happen when you dont get out and support your local track. The Smackdown is a great event, if more people get out and support it maybe someday the payouts will get larger, more cars will come and Indiana too will have a "Nationals" type event.

[dustbowl]

The problem with bigger shows in indiana is it seems the bigger the purse the fewer the race cars. After the mopar million eldora had a few non wing races that paid a substantial purse and had 30-40 cars and it lasted two years. I think the mopar thunder paid 50,000 to win. Osky was the same way, the purse slowly dropped, car support was around 20 last year so he dropped it. Knoxville had a new idea for a non wing race to take place on the Saturday night of the 360 nationals in 2012 and usac declined because they would be a support show for the 360s. In my opinion that was a mistake. Would have had a lot of fans and exposure. The 10,000 win shows at haubstadt and lawrenceburg aren't supported anywhere near where they need to be. As a promoter it's dumb to pay more money when you can run for 1200 and get more cars. The competitive spirit in non wing cars is low. The racers have done this to themselves. The smack down support was definitely lower in year two than in year one. Time will tell what happens this year. Hopefully it's supported more. No reason that 60 cars don't show, but unlikely. Plenty of indiana cars go out west to run at the end of the year, but the support from those guys here is at a minimum. Sprint week races should have bigger purses, that is one deal where car and fan support is always high, but I've heard everytime usac brings up raising the purses the tracks get together and claim they will have their own sprint week so the purses stay at a standard usac purse. When promoters do go out on a limb, like with the smack down, racers and fans need to support it.

[oldfan49]

There used to be a 3 day traditional sprint car race that drew the best drivers from the west coast all the way to the east coast.
It was the Ron Shuman Classic and was held at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City Kansas. It was the traditional ending of the SCRA Non Wing World Championchips. Coco Cola even bought out the Thursday night stands some years making that a free night for the fans.
The Pedal Car trophy was one of the most coveted there was and this was the event where we first saw Jesse Hocket start his traditional sprint car career
A few Years the Fire Marshall shut off the sale of tickets due to the size of the crowds i have been told.
The Sprint Bandits continued it until the folded but other sanctioning bodies started to schedule against it limiting who came to run it.
Of all the races that are gone this is the one I miss the most

[mscs20]

I miss the Gold Crown Nationals at Tri City when they ran non wing sprints 3 nights with Powri/usac midgets. Great track and great show.