Jacksonville and Granite City for sure. They have proved that they have the skill and the will to put on excellent non-wing shows. From another post, it looks like Indiana Midget Week might be the second week of June. I agree, however, that earlier in the season is better. If it is Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I agree with moving toward Indiana so the teams can get to Kokomo on Sunday night without too long a tow. Danville, Farmer City, Fairbury or Kankakee would do that. Does Lincoln have enough stands to support a big purse without a high ticket/pit pass price? Don't know, just asking. Macon would seem to be a bit wee.

I love the idea. Right now Jacksonville is the only thing which open-wheel fans have and more would certainly be nice.

Frank Daigh

Maybe the early June start would work and how about Jacksonville thursday night on to Farmer City on Friday night and Saturday night at Danville or Lincoln then the guys will be ready for Kokomo on Sunday night.
If this works out good then later this summer how about running Canton thursday , Granite City friday night and then on to Flora on saturday and finish the weekend up at Haubstadt or if they do anything there this year at Red Hill.
This would give you two short speedweeks for IL. and space them out for the non-wings run only two classes and the format like they do at Haubstadt everyone draws and for the support class there heat races are timed and they run last feature and can take has long has they want to then.

If you want it to be a successful Sprint Week you need to have USAC run it. You will be able to bring guys in from the West Coast. You will get 2 or 3 cars just from Cory Kruseman. PLus you will bring USAC's normal group of cars chasing National Points. You would double your car count just by adding USAC's name...

I would say run it in the beginning of the year. Early June.. .:usacfan

Now all you USAC bashers may begin to tear me up about how USAC would hurt it..

:USAC would not hurt it other than not being affordable to tracks that are typically not sprint car tracks. You cant expect them to be willing to pay that kind of Sanction for such a new idea. Thats why I think MSCS would be a great way to go because they have a nice group of travelers with plenty of hot shots showing up from time to time. Plus give some of the pretty darn good Illinois drivers some credit, they did pretty well at Jacksonvilles big show in september against some of the best.

Just hoping it happens and goes of well for those involved.

Justin,
You're exactly right, but I don't think they're looking for something on the level of Indiana's Sprintweek. Something with a smaller purse that draws good regional racers (and can attract the MSCS-like 40ish cars) can work out for those tracks in Illinois. Really, most of them cannot support a USAC-size event, and USAC really does not need to be spending their time trying to cultivate a week like this in a region they already saturate.

I hope this goes over. It would be good for sprint car racing in Illinois, and it could provide four or five decent-paying shows for those guys who just race sprint cars, while maybe USAC is off somewhere else, preferably with midgets or champ cars, maybe even pavement.

Excellent idea! Why not two "mini-weeks"? I like this a lot. I also agree that a USAC sanction is not what is needed, both from the standpoint of the expense to the tracks and the needs of USAC. Great thread. Thanks for starting it.

Frank Daigh

I'd still like to see a USAC Sprint/POWRi Midget show on Friday@ Granite City, Saturday at I-55 Pevely, and Champ Cars at Gateway on Sunday afternoon.....:thumb

There is no need to have a usac sanction on this deal here in IL. save your money and if you want a group to work with then use the mscs series that will give you good car count to start off with and just go from there.Has for the comment of usac being oversaturated here with the sprints in the midwest is such a line of bs.The dates they have for the dirt is so way below what they should be doing around here and waiting to see what there 2009 schedule is.

If non-Sprintweek USAC sprint car races in the Midwest got great crowds, then I would agree with you. But a USAC race at Jacksonville, or Farmer City, or whatever, does nothing for the USAC brand. A weekend swing at facilities such as Granite City, Pevely, Lake Ozark, Lucas Oil, etc. would be good for the USAC brand. That's the difference...

Before USAC adds a bunch more dirt races (and continues to put the strain on their teams to follow the series), they need to strengthen the dates they do have, and continue to pursue making it a true two-surface series, because the pavement has been dwindling....

Maybe a good time for Il sprint week would be when USAC is out east. The top traveling teams would be gone, but there would be plenty of good cars to support it. An MSCS sanction would guarantee a good car count. I would really love to see it happen.