IndianaOpenWheel.com Sprint Car & Midget Racing Forum





Register! Forgot Password?
Post Reply
jim goerge (Offline)
  #21 12/23/20 12:20 AM
Non wing sprints need better (higher) paying purses BUT and its a big but, Tracks need MORE fans in the stands. I can understand owners, drivers going winged racing cuz of more money. Saw a post on here couple days ago where Clauson Marshall team (Sunshine"s team) was going to run the All Stars this coming year so there goes another top USAC ride. I"ve taken newbies before and they thought it was great but can"t get them to go like most of us on IOW, Wish I knew how to get people to tracks. I don"t think FREE nights work, most of those people show up cuz of one reason, FREE and then don"t see them till next time its free again. Guys Gals, any idea?
5 Likes: i love dirt track racing, oppweld, PIT CART, tirespinner, Tony74
spicoli (Offline)
  #22 12/23/20 12:54 AM
Originally Posted by jim goerge:
Non wing sprints need better (higher) paying purses BUT and its a big but, Tracks need MORE fans in the stands. I can understand owners, drivers going winged racing cuz of more money. Saw a post on here couple days ago where Clauson Marshall team (Sunshine"s team) was going to run the All Stars this coming year so there goes another top USAC ride. I"ve taken newbies before and they thought it was great but can"t get them to go like most of us on IOW, Wish I knew how to get people to tracks. I don"t think FREE nights work, most of those people show up cuz of one reason, FREE and then don"t see them till next time its free again. Guys Gals, any idea?
I've always said better bathrooms would increase our attendance 50%.
8 Likes: Blackduce, captrat, jim goerge, oppweld, PIT CART, sprinter6, sw1911, tirespinner
Duane Hancock (Offline)
  #23 12/23/20 9:47 AM
So just a few questions for everyone ******** about the new track. 1) How many local Indiana non wing teams can run 4 nights a week? 2) How many local fans can afford to attend 4 nights a week? 3) How many cars would stop supporting their local track, hurting that if they had one more choose to run another night a week? I think its AWESOME they are bringing winged racing to Indiana on a more regular basis. We have established the non wing market in already very saturated so why would a new track wanna add to that? Why not bring a new fans base to the region? Why not avoid crapping on local tracks and trying something new that can help racing in Indiana? Look at how many guys have put wings on lately. Look at how big the crowds are when a winged race happens in Indiana. Its amazing how instantly everyone wants to crap on something new because it don't benefit their 1st thoughts. I LOVE ALL sprint car racing and THIS deal will be a plus for Indiana sprint car racing even if it isn't the state's cardinal rule of it having to be traditional cars
16 Likes: dirt330, Dirtfan, fishnman, i love dirt track racing, interpreter66, mlamb, OnTheHammer, PIT CART, PJ Wright, progressive22, Rcar, sjracer26, spicoli, sprintracer82, tirespinner, TQ97
dsc1600 (Offline)
  #24 12/23/20 9:54 AM
Indiana is a lot like upstate New York is for dirt modifieds. Too many tracks running the same cars. Same struggle at the front gate mitigated by a good back gate.

While the racing is excellent in Indiana, a lot of people who go to a race track are not diehards, don’t like clumps of mud thrown at them and want to see a show. They want decent amenities and a spot to sit comfortably. Some tracks offer this and do pretty well, and some dont.

I think it’ll be good to try winged racing in Indiana as it’ll be something different. Remains to be seen if the large crowds that support a winged sanctioned show once or twice a year will support a weekly program.
3 Likes: jim goerge, sw1911, tirespinner
D Byrd (Offline)
  #25 12/23/20 1:46 PM
it's worth noting that Circle City Raceway is not doing a weekly sprint car program

They will have 11 nights of wing sprint cars - 2 All Stars (May), 2 ASCS (August), and 7 local shows

2 of the 7 local show nights are the Harvest Shootout in October, and 5 of the local shows are the "Thursday Night Thunder" series, though the first of the 2 All-Star races is on Thursday, and all 9 of their 410 wing races will count towards the track championship

They have an Indiana Midget Week race (with MSCS traditional sprints in support). They also have a USAC National Sprint race

if one was inclined to run only the Circle City Raceway Thursday Night Thunder series (skipping the All-Star race in May), there are 2 in July, 2 in August, and one in September. someone who runs Paragon or Kokomo or Lincoln Park or Lawrenceburg or Gas City could occasionally strap on a wing and run Thursday night at CCR and also run their local, weekly show

one can only imagine the backlash against the track if they started up a weekly traditional sprint car program. all can probably rest assured that most of the tracks in Indiana that run traditional sprints are relieved that they are not going the route of a regular traditional sprint car program.
11 Likes: addictedtodirt, i love dirt track racing, interpreter66, OnTheHammer, opnwhlmnd, PJ Wright, progressive22, rick42, sjracer26, spicoli, tirespinner
Stevensville Mike (Offline)
  #26 12/23/20 2:03 PM
Originally Posted by jim goerge:
Non wing sprints need better (higher) paying purses BUT and its a big but, Tracks need MORE fans in the stands. I can understand owners, drivers going winged racing cuz of more money. Saw a post on here couple days ago where Clauson Marshall team (Sunshine"s team) was going to run the All Stars this coming year so there goes another top USAC ride. I"ve taken newbies before and they thought it was great but can"t get them to go like most of us on IOW, Wish I knew how to get people to tracks. I don"t think FREE nights work, most of those people show up cuz of one reason, FREE and then don"t see them till next time its free again. Guys Gals, any idea?
Give the fans a free sheet of paper with the car numbers and drivers. Then either beef up the existing track speakers so you can hear the announcer while they are putting heat in the engines pre-hot laps or have a specific time in between wherein the announcer explains the format - quals, heats, B Main, Feature, inverts, etc. I have sat in the stands at tracks before explaining formats to "new" fans and at times they have looked at me like I have lost my mind, or something.

Make it simple - explain it.

Chiming in live from the West Coast of Michigan.... Mike
12 Likes: addictedtodirt, Blackduce, dirt330, duel, i love dirt track racing, jim goerge, Longtime sprinter, luckybuc97, mc/rider, OnTheHammer, sc17x, sw1911
opnwhlmnd (Offline)
  #27 12/24/20 12:23 AM
People complain the the non-wing guys need more purse and same said people complain when admission is $25. Promotors could charge $35-$37 like an average Outlaw show at tracks not named Knoxville or Eldora and pay more but they would never hear the end of it.

Also as long as the larger funded teams keep showing up at a $1000 to win local weekly show they are never going to race for more money.

Find a purpose in life ..... Be a bad example
6 Likes: duel, jim goerge, Longtime sprinter, nathans1012, PIT CART, tirespinner
i love dirt track racing (Offline)
  #28 12/27/20 1:19 PM
Our racing families will be in the house and support the great things that we all love. Have fun and enjoy the great things that we all love. God bless America and everyone be safe and careful. Thanks. Hell we might even get aq to come out for a visit to a new track. LOL. Thanks.
3 Likes: Hustlin-Hoosier, jim goerge, racenut69
flagboy55 (Online)
  #29 12/27/20 11:17 PM
Actually, just to clarify what I tried to do in an earlier post, any criticism towards it was the association with Thursday Night Thunder. I think many of us remember what that meant to USAC racing back in the day. Live racing on a national cable network. Saturday Night Thunder as well. One could argue that greats like Gordon and Stewart to name just two, might never have been discovered had it not been for the exposure gained on Thunder. Therefore it was upsetting to here it was wings when they are already on MavTv regularly and also on CBS Sports too. At least from my vantage, this would’ve been much less controversial had another title been used. That said, I don’t have a better one. Again best of luck, we’ll be watching
5 Likes: jim goerge, racenut69, rick42, spicoli, tirespinner
Post Reply