Not meaning to be critical here, as we got to see a very entertaining feature. But USAC's invert format needs to be tweaked when they have relatively short fields like they had last night. I don't want to suggest that anyone was gaming the system, but it sure seemed like a number of drivers were taking it kind of easy in their heats or the semi, knowing they would get their times back. The semi was a total formality, and one could tell most of the drivers weren't taking any chances, knowing they would get their times back. And why spend the better part of a half-hour debating whether or not to run the semi? You only had 26 cars sign in, just go ahead and start everyone. I know they wanted to give Hendrick and Gulick time to get their cars put together after their flips. Fine, but rather than tick off the fans in the stands by making them wait 30 minutes wondering why the !@#$ the semi still isn't in the push off chute, go ahead and announce to everyone that's the plan, and have the announcer fill some time.

One more thing about the format: They really need to do a better job of explaining to casual fans about the invert and giving times back. I understand the setup, but I've got to think there's a lot of casual fans wondering how drivers who run near the back of their heat race start up near the front of the semi, and drivers who come out of the semi start the feature ahead of ones who transferred out of the heats.

Now, all that said, we ultimately got to see a pretty darn good main event.

and we were in the covered grandstand in the 1st section on the 4th turn side, sounds like we just missed ya.

John...I didn't get there til almost 5...being a senile old man I forgot about the I-70 construction backups...got to see Bob & Monica, Eldora Mark, Dirt Chaser Dave, Kevin & Pam, Charles Nungester and Spridge's dad Jim though...Bob, Dave, Mark and I solved a few of the worlds problems though over a couple of cold ones!!! We need to plan an early afternoon get together at the 4 Crown.

Tim Wolffrum aka Cowboy

I'll bring the maid-rites

Frank saw on Facebook Cone's was caused by a broken bleeder. Flats put an end to some good runs. Track was great all night.

Since I don't go to races and only talk about em. I'll talk about this one of the TWO events I seen last night as I *In my mind mozzied over to Puttnamville after THAT and seen complete features of the Mod and Sprints.

THAT

Got there about three in the afternoon with a storm cloud hanging over and around the track. Couple sprinkles fell but nothing to worry about. Saw several people I knew and walked over to see the old cars over by turn one. Many were still in their trailers, So I walked back over when they brought em out up to the main grandstand. Several nice pieces of Equipment. including someones homemade replica of a Watson Roadster. So good in fact I had to ask where he got it from and know that several people have mega bucks tied up in the real existing ones that are out there..

Races.
I really don't know how to read THAT as when I looked at it at 4 it looked like it might be kinda hard. Boy was I wrong. That track was perfect and I only seen one little spoof of dust all night very low in 3/4. Most weren't running there anyway in Qualifying and they put to rest anything that might even show trouble before it ever happened.

Qualifying was a blast. When Tracy and Gullick hit within a tenth second of the record. I swore it was going down last night. Just gotta say, Qualifying at THAT is a total joy to watch. One man, one car and the track and all the little things that they have to do right to be that fast.

Heats were ok,

Heat 1
I was cheering for JJ as he started up front. The kid can run, Down a bit on motor so his QT didn't show his tallent. He was passed by Hendicks but Hendricks got upside down in 3/4 a couple laps later. Damion got him later on in the heat but he transfered and looked good

I was loving heat two and was darn near standing when Gulick went from sixth to fourth out of two in a no guts, no glory outside move that was GLORIOUS to watch followed by him getting a run on Fitz going down the front stretch. I didn't see what happened but someone said Fitz' car jumped a bit sideways and Gulick had nowhere to go but over him. Hard flip. Bad enough he was done for the night.
Also in heat two and this was the only example of POSSIBLY LAYING DOWN A BIT I seen all night. Windom and Cottle were racy for the lead, HOWEVER this is not the time to make a move that could take either out and they knew it!

Track was perfect, In fact so perfect that doing the same thing everyone else was doing would get you nowhere. Like Gulick going in high in 1-2 and passing two cars coming off it. Or Coons hauling it in forty yards deeper going into one and making it stick. This was the way to go forward. This is what makes the ACTION TRACK to me, TOTALLY unique as the moves made to make the pass on which the cushion is the fast way around. Are BREATHTAKING! as in, HOW'D they do that and make it work? type moves.

Feature, Windom had em covered but I learned to watch Terre in a different way, Keep track of the leaders and when they are close to each other, Pay attention but watch the pack as great runs are made all through it. Coons was very fast, I watched him put a slider on Bloom in three that would have had me cleaning my shorts if I was Bloom. That happened again later by Levi to Bloom. WOW is all i can say.

Levi's run from 17th to second, Worth every penny of traveling 200 miles and all the expenses that go with it. 80 bucks in gas to get there for a 20 dollar race thats better than any 200 dollar Napcar ticket I've ever seen.

Glad all are safe including Damion who in two of the six races I've seen there in the last three years hit the wall in 3-4 pretty hard. Hope he's ok. as I've seen him run to five as well and win one I wasn't at there.

THAT is the place to race, A sprint only show and worth every bit of effort to see.

This also completed my goal of seeing all tracks that hold a sprint race in Indiana on dirt in the same year. Sans Lawrenceburg Everyone of them are over 100 miles to see. Several I hit two or three times including my second trip over to Puttnamville after the USAC show 7 mile detour on the drive home to see 125 laps of feature racing. PRICELESS!

The front row was the 12 and 14 qualifiers because the B cars did not get their times back. If they did that on purpose they are either genuises, or extreme risk takers. I thought the show was run off pretty quick considering the amount of reds, and the time it takes to restart cars on a half mile. After the Gulick crash, I would have been very surprised if he would have ran even if the car was ready, as he took a couple of pretty good shots. I thought it was a pretty good night.

Others have summed it up better than I could have. Just a couple of comments. First of all, a big round of needs to go out to Reece O'Connor & Bob Sargent for another excellent track prep job. If this doesn't tell the world that it CAN BE DONE, I don't know what will. How many promoters has Terre Haute had and none of them can figure out how to make that place racey. Well Reece & Bob sure have.

If this was the last race of the season at THAT, I certainly hope that the fairboard will take the time to get this place in the right hands to promote. We don't need a revolving door on promoters year in and year out. Make the right decision and let's go forward.

Great night. I thought the racing was even better than some have described. A near perfect night that doesn't require any complaining. My thanks to Jason McCord and the other guys for providing an awefully good surface. Gardner is very lucky, his down-tube was broke in two from contact with the wall when he snap rolled on top of it. I wish someone would put a guard rail back in or remove the upper row of cement blocks and install a foam cushion of some sort on top of the remaining wall. USAC is a perfectly fine promoter and the current track crew is great. I see many local supporters still helping out and we are anxiously looking forward look forward to next year.