This was originally published on Chris Moses' site: www.ovaloperations.com


I had planned this for just after "pothole-gate," but my own procrastination made that irrelevant. Now with "Edwards-gate" I got back to work.

For being the king of American auto racing (right now), I can't stand watching NASCAR. What impetus got me to write out my feelings? Well, yeah, it was the pothole, but more so it was the incessant Facebook NASCAR love-fest I saw on the day of the Daytona 500. I still can't understand why people watch this sh*t. Here's why I don't watch it. 1. Manufactured competition. This series is so regulated, and each "manufacturer's" car is so unlike anything rolling off the lines that it might as well be IROC. If NASCAR could get one maker to spend enough money to be the exclusive name, they would. The problem is the fans are still believing this is a Ford/Chevy/Dodge/Toyota war. Really? The fact is that NONE of those "stock" cars exist in reality. Their is no Ford Fusion rolling off a lot that bears resemblance to the Fusion on the track, save for the bogus headlight decals.

Carburetors? Really? The last time carbs were stock was when "Sylvania beat Sony again!" (look it up kids). Let's let modern muscle race. Ford Mustangs, Chevy Camaros, Dodge Chargers...hell, if you must throw in a Lexus IS, Hyundai Genesis, BMW 3's and Mercedes C's. Let's race REAL equipment. Spaceframes? No, instead of getting with the 20th century, NASCAR just made the tracks give instead of the cars. To top it all off, the aero tweaks are so precise as to keep these cars running around in a deadly pack and calling it "close racing." Want to see when racing is decided by luck and who will push the limit of being dirty? Look at the Edwards incident. For crying out loud, this series has gone almost WWE in how close it lets everyone run. In the WWE, a group of dwarves can compete with the biggest monster in the ring. But scripting will do that. Here...well, the script, in my opinion is a little more fluid. The only reason I don't think it's fixed is because despite all this effort with cars and resetting the point races, one guy has owned the series for the past four years, and is showing all signs #5 is on its way.

2. Fox bills these drivers as the "best drivers and the best racing." Really? Now, I think people who claim "all they do is turn left for 500 miles, I can do that" are naive - and I think they really believe it. To give the drivers credit, it's harder than it looks - just look at the end of the Daytona 500 this year. Not even the best drivers were able to finish 2 laps without two crashes!

How's that for a back-handed compliment? But seriously, if the sponsors and teams would let these guys drive, I think the nay-sayers would be surprised. Ask Michael Schmacher after he was humbled by Jimmie in the Race of Nations? Look at the fact that Tony Stewart is multi-disciplined, including sports cars. And, face it...not too many drivers have won the Indy 500 and Monaco GP like Juan Montoya. There are others. NASCAR has good drivers...let them race at something other than a cookie cutter oval. Which leads me to:

3. 500 miles? It's as much about luck and the crew chief. 500 mile races are their own type of event, but if you want to watch drivers race, let them go for 50, 100, 200 laps at half-mile and mile ovals. THEN you'll see driving. Oh, and mix in a few right turns now and then. Why do we live in a country whose road system is based on the right turn, yet our #1 series is all about turning left? Look, I like oval racing. I grew up around it. But I like a right turn now and then, too - especially from a series billing itself as the best American auto racing has to offer.

By the way...shorter races? Won't happen. Can't sell enough commercials in a 250-mile race! So I guess we'll watch crew chiefs and engineers go at it and NASCAR keeps telling us that "Junior" and "Danica" have the potential to be the next Richard Petty or Cale Yarborough, merely because distance will let the blind squirrel find the nut every so often. Kind of like other one-named wonders like "Cher" and "Sting," both people of moderate talent, elevated to elite status for no other reason than the delusion of fan's praise and marketability. 

4. The arrogance. NASCAR will never admit its own failings. They want to keep things deadly...errr...close, but encourage their little gladiators to go after each other now like a cockfight. Let that go...and get more Edwards/Keselowski.

I can't let the pothole die. While in the end, it was a nuisance, it also was a shining example of NASCAR's arrogance. The track hadn't been paved since Detroit was sending out carburetor equipped cars. No, not at NASCAR's flagship facility, not even during the last decade's free-spending days of subprime and roses, when they signed TV deals worth billions (with a b) could NASCAR find the money to repave the track. Really? Just like they refused to step up safety until its star was killed, and they threw a pioneer like Bill Simpson under the bus, NASCAR refused to pry open its wallet and be PRO-active for once.

But of course, the blind boogityboogityboogity-ites will just laugh that off, and in ten years it will be one of those "y'all remember when" moments.

5. In the end...it's boring. I didn't watch IROC, and that's what this has become. Fan counts are declining, to the point of using multi-colored seats at some tracks to give the illusion of people as the cameras pan by. I can't be the only one thinking this. I like partying, I like racing. I think the party is what keeps fans there but the racing is just awful. Don't tell me that because it's close, it's good. I could line up ten snails and it would be close, but it isn't good either.

Now, off to my local track to watch some racing.

Labels: editorial

Without being any part of the proceedings and reading about it as soon as everyone else did, it appears that attorney and former track owner Craig Kelley helped mediate a deal between Eagle and I-80 over what was going to be a nasty conflict in scheduling.

My thoughts:

- Obviously, as you can see the April 10 date wasn't the only bone of contention. From what I was told outside of the discussions, there were some "retaliatory" moves before the mediation stemming back from conflicts in the past.

- Notice the statement about "give-and-take." THAT is my definition of "working together," not offering specials to guys already coming or doing things that are more investments than compromises. 

- For all the arguments about who got the schedule first, one forgets that Eagle dropped its huge Labor Day Shootout/free ticket special right on I-80's season points finale last year. And they didn't announce it until mid season. You can see that was a big issue as it was mentioned by name. On the other end, a pre-Eagle Nationals ASCS race was scheduled the night before at I-80 until Eagle and Tony Bruce raised objections.

- It's nice to see that after 2010, both are going to hammer out their plans in concert with each other. Calling "shotgun!" when it comes to scheduling is not the answer, and in my eyes is just as (in)valid as the high school, six-people-in-a-four-person-car version. Simply put, Eagle may still be the 800-lb gorilla in the room when it comes to fan count overall, but I-80 and others are working to make moves of their own. As they say, "it's business."

- The big winners in this are the fans in general, and sprint fans in particular. Fact is, that before the uhh...settlement, neither track was going to be hurting for sprints. Of late, ASCS races are generally only 10-15% Eagle cars, and Eagle would have its own weekly contingent. The fans would've been divided between the familiarity of their "home track" and the variety, and recently the competitiveness of the ASCS show.

- In the end, it was nice of Mr. Kelley to step up and use his positive ties with both places to work for the greater good. Props to him and props to Eagle and I-80 management for their work in making it better for the fans.

Labels: editorial

The most expensive part of racing a car is...racing it. In a recent IMCA press release, it was noted that there were 20 shows on tap, at one track, for an economy class this year. The ASCS Midwest series has the potential for over 20 shows this season.

One has to wonder: are we asking too much of the racers? Are we asking for too much fuel money, too much tire money, too much money to fix broken parts? This says nothing of their time? For nearly half the year, the racer is wrapped up in maintenance of the car.

In the course of 10, 20 years, we've expanded from a May-August schedule out to April-September, and even March and October specials mixed in to that.

Promoters are demanding a lot from the racers and the fans. Are they not essentially tacking on an additional 25% expense by expanding the season the same amount? The fact is even friends and family are not making EVERY show. I'm sure you're the exception and will be there hell or high water.

I'm as die hard as you and maybe more so. Fact is, I made it to...75% of the races I could reasonably expect to attend in terms of distance, money, desire to watch, etc.

So if you have the backgate/same cast of family in the stands - you're diluting your weekly crowd because eventually the schedule is so long, it will run into days where that die-hard fan just can't go. You now have to find more fans to fill those gaps and we see how well some tracks try to get in more fans...lengthen the show.

Why, for all the years of modern economic theory are these people ignoring simple laws of supply and demand ? Why when they complain of dwindling crowds, and dwindling car counts (add another class) do they then INCREASE supply? It makes no sense.

Here's a question: are classes growing because there are more racers or are they growing as racers move from one class to another? Pretty soon one runs out of classes to add.

I suppose demanding a dwindling supply of teams to show up to more and more shows, while paying them less and less is the answer.

If that's the case, thank God I don't understand the question.

Labels: editorial

We're nearing the end of awards banquet season and plenty of pictures of the old "grip-and-grin," with the promoters, owners, etc. smiling handing over the check, trophy, or both finding their ways around the internet.

One thing that got my attention though is how many people look like they just came off of the track.

Guys, your cleanest racing t-shirt is inappropriate attire for any awards banquet. I noticed a photo from one major sanctioning series, and the winner was holding a check for...over $50,000, while his cohorts were dressed in their 'racetrack best," some racing t-shirts, some with the MMA/Ed Hardy wannabe look, etc.

A pair of cheap dress pants cost $30. I'm not talking Armani here. Everyone at least needs that for any occasion when someone's getting married or buried. Eagle says no t-shirt and jeans. I like that. The IMCA banquet requires the champs to wear tuxedos. That might be a little much for a weekly program, but I like the sentiment. I'm not talking about "bar" dressed up, I'm talking about something befitting a banquet. Regardless of how much booze is served afterward, they are two different things.

The same thing applies to the victory lane photos. Yeah, it's hot and it's dirty, but when you come down after the race, at least look decent from the waist up. Wear the suit at least when you come back down. Zip it up. I know IMCA wants the suits (with their sponsor logos) on each photo. The track wouldn't mind it either.

This isn't about being "better than someone," or snobbery, it's about showing a little respect - that you could at least make a little effort to stand out from the pack.

Do this for you, do it for your sponsors and do it for the sport. Dirt track racing already has to fight its image when competing for money against the more "glamourous" stick and ball sports and other entertainment. Don't contribute to the stereotype.

Dollars have to come from outside the "family" now. They can't just go to the usual, auto related businesses. When a track owner is looking for sponsors, you can bet those people are looking at the websites, with the pictures. How would you spend your money if you think it's going to some greaseball? I'm sorry to be so harsh, but I can tell you when I had to hunt down sponsors and sit in on the meetings that was a regular topic of conversation.

Back when I was traveling in the 90's, the talk came up about getting sponsors. One of the top drivers on the circuit said, "I don't understand why a guy goes to a business, with hat in hand asking for money, and that hat is the greasy piece of s**t they wear at the track?"

Now, I'm never going to be penning fashion tips for GQ or Esquire but if anyone is handing me a $50,000 check I'm wearing a suit. At least I'm not going in t-shirt and jeans.

You can talk all you want about how people shouldn't be so shallow. But guess what, they are. Idealism and reality are often two very different things.

Again, it's not about being antiseptic - we all know it's a dirt track. It's about showing effort and respect. You'll benefit from it and the sport will too.

Labels: editorial

As I usually do somewhere around this time, here's my wish list for 2010.


Personally:

- Make it to more races outside of Eagle. That's a given and I plan on making Eagle less than 50% of my total outings. My goal is to follow the ASCS Midwest series this year. I also plan on hitting some Modified events and would like to make a few Late Model races this season as well. When not hitting an ASCS race that week, I plan on getting out to the other tracks in the area.

- More interviews with and more up-close photos of the people involved in the sport. Trust me there will be plenty of track action photos.

Getting to my wishes for the tracks:

- The WoO show is a success at Junction Motor Speedway. Sprint cars have had a unique place in Nebraska auto racing history and it would be a shame to be without what is still the nation's top series making an annual stop in the state. I understand Eagle deciding to pass this year. But a bar has been set - in terms of fan accommodations and in many cases competition on the track, aided by an aggressive promoter during the 35-40 cars heydays of the early 2000's. The on-track action with the Outlaws was arguably I-80's biggest failing under a long-gone management regime, far removed from the current group. Yes, there were some less than memorable shows at Eagle as I've said in previous pieces, but there were more very good shows, especially when the track got just a little dry. In the first half of the decade after a hotly-contested dash, Brad Doty exclaimed, "That's why these races need to be on bullrings!" JMS certainly has the facilities, will the show match on the big track? I hope it does - it can be done. A good car count will go a long way. The question is where the cars come from and how hard will the promoters work to get them?

- Tracks go to the use of one-way radios. Midget racing has been using them for several years, as has the ASCS. Most use what's called a "Raceceiver," essentially a pager-sized, $100 scanner that with form-fitting earphones. It greatly speeds up communication between officials and drivers, eliminating the need for confusing hand signals, saves fuel, is a safety device on the track, and is a relatively low-cost, RE-USABLE piece of equipment. It's 2010 people - we don't have flying cars, but we can get with the program. If places insist on running 5+ classes, at least speed up the show. If $100 is that big a deal to someone who will get probably years out of them, then rent them - it's a money maker for the track, or let go with a payment plan. The other piece is that unlike transponders, these items are nearly universal and can be used at most any track. It amazes me how many people will complain about $100 of useful equipment but spend hundreds, thousands on graphics and wraps that get trashed in the first wreck.

- Again, since class counts seem to be going up, track owners need to do their fans and frankly other racers a favor and do what they can to speed up shows. Examples:

• The aforementioned one-way radios and transponders (along with the proper training to run them)
• Lone Ranger rules: spinout or stop by yourself in a heat or B and bring out the yellow, you're done.
  
• Time limits. There is no reason to run any race one hour. Period. Done. With the exception of red flags, and even then...you'll have a hard time making me think otherwise. I've always thought "a minute a lap, stop the clock on a red" was a good starting point. And, that includes heats. I've seen this at Eagle and elsewhere for the heats: if enough cars drop out that nobody can better their A feature starting position regardless of finish, they throw the checkered right there.
  
• While I'd like to see pit stops ended forever, that won't happen. But...how about a time limit on that and perhaps a number of times a car can pit? C'mon, one pit stop is enough.  
• Intermissions of 15 minutes or less. If you can't sell beer or concessions fast enough, improve your selling (hawkers in the stands, separate beer-only stands, expand your concession area, hire another person).
  
• Starting on time and moving through the show quickly. Lineups need to be ready, and cars for the next race need to be staged - not waiting in the pits. 
• ONE race director, ONE set of rules and follow them. Many times when I've been to shows where the program took too long, I often heard officials arguing with each other and debating the rules over track rules, thus chewing time often while cars are burning fuel on the track. While I believe in democracy, I think auto racing is best governed by a dictator. See NASCAR, F1, etc.
  

I've said enough. Happy birthday to this site and such.

- Jason

Labels: editorial

One of the other things I'm wanting to do is take my photography to the next level. After some feedback from professional sports photographers, one comment is that I need to focus more on the human element. To do that I need to specialize a bit...I also need to spend time off the track, and thus missing some classes. Speaking of photography, I need to improve order fulfillment dramatically. But I also believe in editing images and not dumping the entire memory card online. To do that I need to spend more time working on images and less on editing press releases and such. Therefore it will be my best work, fully edited and available to order online in 2010. Click and buy, from the printer straight to you - ASAP. And possibly, I'll include gift items in that as well.

So does that mean "Heartland Race NEWS" isn't so much that - if it only covers certain classes? Maybe, but a name change is likely anyway. In fact I've already purchased the domain name I plan to relaunch under. I'll announce it soon, continue posting here until it's ready and cross post between the two sites shortly after the release.

It's been an enjoyable four seasons and I think this new approach will keep me going for several more.

Jason

Labels: editorial, Site news

Labels: editorial

This should be the last part of what's become a rather lengthy series.

Labels: editorial

My original plan was to talk more about support classes and new series, but the release of the World of Outlaws 2010 schedule changed that.

-Unless changes are made, for the first time in 26 seasons, Eagle Raceway will not be hosting the World of Outlaws sprint cars. For that period, the Eagle Nationals were the track's showcase event, and one of the top stops on the tour, especially in the 90's and early 2000's. In that period, the WoO would make two stops annually. But now, with costs rising and ticket sales slowing the once premier show has become a burden to the promoters. Traditionally a two-day program, the show dwindled to a single-day, co-promoted venture. This season's cold, wet and troublesome program, with both support class races being called, and the feature being a single lane, bottom of the race track contest that looked more like an F1 parade, was a coincidentally sad back story to how far the show had regressed. 2009 marked the first year in as many as I can remember when a full field of 24 didn't take the green flag. Other races in recent years have been marked by rubber-down, single lane enduros where he with the most tire remaining won.

I can tell you that from my period working for Eagle that the World of Outlaws stops were often make or break for the season. At times, crowds were tremendous. It was the biggest show of the year and in most cases, the most financially rewarding. But, toward the end of my tenure (2005), it was an albatross around Craig Cormack's neck. I can remember trashing thousands of WoO tickets afterwards. Not pretty.

Not all was bad. Not even most of it. Perhaps some of the greatest races I've watched out at Eagle occurred during the WoO's run. Haudenschild's September Sweep, Schatz's eighth-row to first record run...there were some awesome shows. Even uneventful races still had all the pomp and circumstance to make it worthwhile. Plenty of stories abound about drivers partying with the locals afterward, WoO staff socializing with the Eagle crew - it was a festive atmosphere that usually complimented the bullring excitement, but survived any level of show on the track.

To be fair, 2009 saw the tightest points battle in series history. Also, word is that WoO, to reduce travel expenses, asked tracks to pony up for multi-day shows, and the 2010 sked reflects this.Totally understandable.

According to someone close to the track's management, the word was that Eagle would be allowed a one-day show, but Roger chose not to. All history aside, to borrow from Doug Wolfgang, "today you're a hero, tomorrow you're zero." It seems from Eagle's perspective, there have been too many zeros (and sub-zeros) to make up for all that history.

That said, while I understand the reasons, I hate to see the WoO go. I've made several friends in the Outlaws, and had a blast being part of the new organization when Cormack was the VP of Race Operations with the series. I think the series is trying to move forward. The switch to Goodyear tires will ultimately be wise in my opinion. I think it will help make it more competitive. I also think the WoO care about putting on a better race program. They're one of the most efficient in the business. But it's hard to sell a $30-40 ticket these days at a dirt track.

And, in many places the WoO is THE show, with huge crowds. I think at Eagle times have changed. With the addition of new classes, and the drop-off in numbers and competitiveness in the sprints, I think the general crowd has moved away from its sprint-centric past and diversified. I still believe that the crowd is mostly sprint, but the numbers are far fewer than before. With that comes less interest, less die-hards, and less friends of them to come out for the big event. I also believe that the interest in the event dwindled with the advent of Baseball and Hockey, and the near exclusivity of a Nebraska Football ticket. The WoO aren't one of the "big shows" around Lincoln anymore.

Perhaps most of all, I think that the average fan has gravitated to endless, mindnumbing what-did-Jimmie-eat-for-lunch coverage of Na...Nas....Nasss....(I can't say it)....NASCAR for their racing fix, and that a short drive to Kansas Speedway for the annual Sprint Cup show (with its expensive ticket packages) now supplants the dirt track as the "vacation race," and the local scene means little to them.

In 2010, Junction Motor Speedway will do the same as it did with the USAC Midgets and pick up Eagle's forsaken WoO show. A change of scene might do everyone some good, but trying to pull enough fans to make it pay off, being 60 miles from the half-million population base that couldn't sustain the show at Eagle (or I-80) will be a challenge. You can't just jam this with back-gate support classes and hope to make money. However, a creative effort could make this a success. 

Ostensibly, Eagle's summer showcase event will be a two-day Lucas Oil ASCS National 360 Sprint event with Tony Bruce Jr. going all Terry McCarl with driving/owning/promoting duties. As far as racing goes, if the Nebraska Cup, the ASCS Specials at I-80 and BCM are any indication, race wise it should be a humdinger. Will it pull in best of times-Outlaw crowds? Probably not - but it doesn't have to. A 3-4000 ticket show will be plenty. There could be more fan interest as the locals will go toe-to-toe with the touring stars at what should be a much easier on the wallet ticket price. As Roger Hadan showed with his Labor Day giveaway and Ed Kosiski showed with the Late Model/Sprint combo and Nitro Circus show this season, it doesn't require the Outlaws to hit a revenue home-run anymore. 

Part IV coming soon

Labels: editorial

- Longtime sprint car owner/sponsor Ivan Tracy floated the idea of a limited, 'bare-bones' 360(ish) wingless sprint class, with the idea of complementing existing racing and keeping costs low to promoters and teams. It was promoted in the spirit of the creation of the original "Modified" sprint at Midwest Speedway in the 1980's. For more on the birth of the 360 Sprint, visit Ryan Tunks' Midwest Speedway Preservation Society website.

As nice as it may seem, I'll borrow from the words of the late firearms Guru, Marine Colonel and Historian Jeff Cooper: it's an "ingenious solution to a non-existent problem." Cooper was not talking about racing but rather semi-automatic pistol development, feeling that there was no need for complex modifications of an existing design were needed when with proper use, and mindset, the existing design worked just fine.

But I see the development of yet another class as the same thing. Here's why:

- I don't see any pent-up demand for limited, limited wingless sprint car racing. There have been plenty of calls across the grandstands, pits and message boards for wingless sprint cars but they have all centered on the "real deal:" wingless 410 racing as you see at I-80 each August, and across the Midwest on the USAC trail. The 2007 experiment of wingless 360 racing at Eagle was certainly a 'no harm, no foul' deal, but nobody seemed to care there were no shows in 2008 save for a less than noteworthy WDRL support show. Remember, when the 360's started at Midwest, there was no real sprint racing on a weekly basis. Most of the Nebraska crews were running Knoxville regularly. This filled a niche, and if you've read any of Bob Mays' books, a hole in the SE Nebraska racing community, where sprints/supermodifieds were not just popular, but a part of local culture.

- Again, while it's not designed to compete with the winged 360 class, why wouldn't it? I still feel that these sub-classes draw from the "upper" class, creating mediocre fields in both and experience shows this especially in late models and modifieds. Why, with sprint counts being at a 10-year low, would we want to fracture the class now?

By the way - 305's anyone?

The silence is deafening.

Look, I recognize costs are escalating in 360 racing. A top of the line 360 motor can run as much as a top of the line 410 motor did ten years ago. I get it. But this isn't the solution.

- To that point: If as Ivan said, there are cars sitting idle, why can't they be raced now? Really, since Gambler brought out the downtube car in the late 80's how much has the sprint car really changed? Why, couldn't one get one of these frames and start adding to it? If the car is too old, why race it now under any rules? I don't know how many times I have to say this, but why do people confuse "affordable" with "being able to afford the point champ's equipment?" I have tremendous respect for a guy like Josh LaPage, who, scrounged, scrimped and put a car on the track and ran it against "the big boys." Yeah, he's still green and finding his way, but damn...racing around here could use more of him. This is going to come off as confrontational and maybe it is, especially if the question isn't being answered honestly: how much of the effort to contain cost is a true concern about saving money and how much of it is really just an effort to bring costs to a level where once top ten teams can NOW afford to be able to outspend/outequip everyone else? I'm dead serious about that. Maybe it's my cynical nature, but I rarely believe this is a campaign for the greater good but instead to lower the bar and make the good "great."

- To THAT point: the existent problem in my opinion is not so much money, it's that the field isn't being replenished. In the 80's and 90's the typical path was often race mini sprints at Waverly or Hastings, then get in the big car at Midwest and Eagle. I'm going to miss a TON of names, but here's a few: Divis, Boston, Lowery, Alley, Dover, etc., etc., etc. I'm not even CLOSE to naming half. But you get the point. But consider, especially in the case of Billy Alley and Jack Dover. They didn't stick around long. Enough time to get the feel of the bigger car and then moving on to potentially greener pastures. Before that, the upgrade generally meant they became the permanent veterans of the local field. But in this age of making the big time before 25, most talent doesn't see weekly racing as a long term goal. Many are looking to become the professional racer, not a weekend warrior. Contrary to the time after Jeff Gordon, the dirt track was an acceptable settling point as it was for many names. Champ cars, sprint cars, midgets were perfectly fine ways to "race to live." In a MotorSport magazine (the BEST racing magazine out there) article, Mario Andretti recalls his dirt car days with fondness, even racing them as late as 1974, where he won the USAC championship - five years AFTER his Indy 500 victory, three years after winning the '71 South African Grand Prix for Ferrari, and only one year before departing full time to Formula One!  But it's not that way anymore, and the success of dirt track stars in NASCAR has made it arguably worse for dirt track racing as its stars depart quickly, which in turn, leaves fields smaller and smaller as veterans retire. (Sound familiar, local sprint fans?)

The thing is, I don't see the "farm system" of the 80's and 90's coming back. So for that, we head to the "Everything old is new again" department

- I believe with about 70% certainty that given the economy we'll see the 360 class go the way of the Super Late Models at I-80. While I have NOTHING to back this up, my gut says that most of the sprint races future teams will compete in will be run under the ASCS banner at regional tracks, with - like the SLMR series, several stops at the old "home" track. But, I believe that ASCS purses have to go up (particularly at the back end), and instead of the state fair races of old, there are more big money shows like the $5000 to win Nebraska Cup and $2000 to win 9/11 Tribute at Butler County mixed in. My other feeling is that supply and demand will take over, with less of a supply of sprint races, demand increases with potentially bigger crowds (and bigger front gate takes to build up the purse).

- I forsee, like the late models have been for quite some time, the growth of the 'semi-professional' racer: the person or teams not necessarily racing to eat - but can make time to essentially race at will, at least locally. I'm thinking currently of Billy Alley, Chad Humston, Ryan Roberts and Jack Dover as examples, but many race teams can do that already. Look at how many modified teams hit 2, 3 nights a week regularly? It's not out of the question for many of the race teams out there. If not a personal career, one could certainly make a decent "racing career" as a so-called regional outlaw.

- And as much as I used to say that the ASCS regional series was irrelevant with Eagle's strong show back in the early 2000's (and I still think I was right then), I think the times have changed such that the regional series is the future, with the increase in number of shows rumored for 2010. I believe it so much, that I'm hitching my wagon to that and will devote most of my time to it next year. And before anyone I debated with in the early 2000's says "I told you so," take it easy. You had nothing to back it up and the reason I think this has more to do with the Bear-Stearns collapse or closer to home the collapse of local 410 racing than your insight. I could say Nebraska will win the Big XII this year, and if I lucked into being right, that doesn't entitle me to a place on ESPN, OK?

Having just spent the last page discounting the wingless idea, I'm not writing it off completely.

Part III - coming soon.

Labels: editorial

Thank goodness I'm a football fan or I'd be bored during the off-season. Come February, I'm in a sporting funk. NBA basketball doesn't do it for me, and I quit watching NASCAR after they threw Bill Simpson under the bus following Earnhardt's death. I never felt any need to return to a series that has less flavor and is tougher to digest than a piece of microwaved butt steak. I laughed when NASCAR's bogus "Chase for the championship" registered a colossal FAIL this year for the same reason it was created in the first place - the fact that the other teams can't compete with one driver.

(insert sound of grinding gears here)

While I am born and bred to bleed Husker Red, I'm not as big a college football fan. My interests in college football extend to how it affects Nebraska. Outside of that, it's good for when nothing else is on and the worst college football beats the best of baseball any time. My football interest actually lies with the NFL. I'm a fool for the NFL (though I'm not a fantasy football guy) I read the wires daily; "Every day is like Sunday" and while I'm sure Morrissey had no visions of the pigskin when he penned the song, he seemed to have no problem cashing the check for the NFL Network commercial.

Speaking of money, don't give me any bullsh*t about college football being for the "love of the game." It's about money. Just stand next to Tom's palace at the terminus of Vine Street in Lincoln and tell me it isn't about money. When you see college teams with better facilities than the pros (save for Jerry's World in Dallas), you're damn right it's about money.

Update: the WAC hired a PR firm to make the case for a Boise State BCS trip. I'm sure it was all about school pride...

But I have no beef with that. Just admit what it is. So, it doesn't mean I'm not a Husker fan, it's just I don't buy the NCAA's "amateur" whitewash. At least the NFL admits its cash DNA. You want love-of-the game football? Then go watch a Div III or NAIA game.

But this isn't a rant about college athletics, or the merit of one sport over another. But let me draw some parallels.

Money. Racing wouldn't exist without it.

And, money is the reason the promoters are in the business of even putting these events on.

I'm not the only one to decry back gate promoting. Back gate promoting gave birth to the "support class." And it gave birth to more classes. Pretty soon, a track owner found out it was easier to just add more classes to the program than try to get an increasingly picky audience to come in to the grandstand. Sanctioning bodies found that if their own rules failed to control costs to where there wasn't growth in a class, just add another class, with just a little more restriction. You've created infinite growth, right? Something for everyone!

And hey, it's a hell of a lot easier to just add another class than to take the grief of drivers and owners bitching, much less having to actually drum up fan support, right?

Enough already. I'm not that old, but I'm old enough to remember two classes of stock car: the late model - looking more like today's Pro-Am and the "Street Stock" - like the hobby stocks of today. I'm all for creating classes out of necessity: the 360's and 410 sprints are a good example. The costs between the two were just TOO far apart. I'd argue the same about "Super" and "Limited" or "Grand National" late models. Same reason.

But the one that gets me is the SportMod. The IMCA SportMod, and you know they'll never admit it, is the IMCA's answer to its failure to control costs with the original plan for the IMCA Modified's creation in the 1970's.

Let's go back to the original plan. Wasn't the paltry out of pocket expense of a motor claim supposed to keep other teams from building up motors? Weren't the draconian limits on tires/chassis/suspension supposed to keep those motors from hooking up to the track, if the claim failed, or wasn't enforced due to fears of retribution?  Problem is, that's precisely what happened. 

It didn't work, and IMCA recognized that they might as well make the class more of a race car than a car that raced (to explain the difference, look up the Sport Compact rules) and opened up the rulebook to make the class more like "late model lite" than the original design. Personally, I LIKE the 'new' modified - far from the original creations that took to Eagle in 1985 that often resembled dogs scurrying on linoleum more than racing.

However, now came the inevitable escalation in costs. The SportMod is an attempt to get the cost containment plan right. Instead of a claim, racers can opt to install a claim-free crate motor instead. Other rules keep things in check. It's a good idea.

But...

My first experience with SportMods was as a support class at I-80. I have to confess, I found them, well, tedious. The sound of a pegging rev-limiter just doesn't do it for me. Worse than restrictor plate racing. But that was the big track. Seeing them this year on the 1/3 miles of Butler County and Eagle changed my opinion. Especially the Eagle go-round where a full field of 30+ took the track. These guys moved, throwing it into the corners, sliding out, just like the big brothers that followed them later.

"Which ones are these?" came the question from one of the Eagle officials after the SportMods finished their warmups and the "A" Mods came to the track. The answer back was that one could tell the difference because the SportMods had a spoiler.

The spoiler. That's the difference. SportMod drivers should take that as a compliment. Now, obviously there's a lot more, and the seasoned fan/observer will be able to tell the difference. But the casual fan? It's just more modifieds. That could be good or bad, depending on your preferences.

I've said before, I don't like similar classes running on the same card. I'll summarize:
- it dilutes the field, taking from the "A" group
- one could get into an "A" level modified, for the costs of buying a sport mod (I DIDN'T say you could buy Dylan Smith's or Jordan Grabouski's Modified, I said you could buy a legal A-mod)
- disincentive to move up into the classes, that, in the end are what draws fans that are more than friends and family of drivers. I have yet to see a flow upward to the A mod ranks.
- fan confusion: those few casual fans can't / don't care about the differences as they're too subtle on the outside. Even diehards don't care.

It seems, that Eagle will be running SportMods in 2010 as part of its Saturday night show. I'm not keen on that for the reasons I've listed above, especially as I feel it may dilute what is arguably the most competitive Modified show in the country.

RUMOR has it, from a credible source, that IMCA offered Eagle a monetary incentive to run the "fastest growing class." Even without incentive, 20-25 sport mods at $20/crew person are a quick way to make money...a lot more than the $20 per sprint car crew with a lot more purse payout.

Eagle, which makes concerted effort to speed the program along, has enough time trying to make the 10:30 end time goal as is. The Sprint drivers and fans (and I) have complained that starting first and ending last leaves too much time in the middle. This won't help. So...what's the reasoning here if there's no incentive or if it isn't about money?

Or...is some other change is coming? Maybe I'll figure out why I started talking about the NFL later.

Labels: editorial

Well, finally I've gotten around to writing another editorial, and it will be maybe a personal "letting out" a more frank, biased and perhaps a lot more pointed set of pieces than I have been writing.

Let's get to the point: I like sprint car racing more than any other form of dirt track racing. And, I'm not ashamed to admit it.

It's the trendy thing to do to slam sprints and their fans. Some try to do it from the lofty perch of extended bleacher time while claiming “they like every class.” Some of it is deserved, some of it is just lame piling on or worse, some attempt to grandstand their way to status as the champion of “the common man.”

The fact is I've met VERY few people who say that don't have a bias toward or against one class, and of those...I can count on one hand the number of people that aren't full of it. We all have our biases, our likes and dislikes – it's what makes us human.

I started going to races as a kid in the late 70's being a fan of the late models – not the wedges on wheels of today, but real late model cars, vehicles that would be “pro-ams” or open street stocks today.

When I moved to Lincoln in 1980, the following summer I was introduced to the class of cars that grew to be a big part of my life: sprint cars. Midwest Speedway birthed what was to become the dominant class of sprint racing: the 360 cubic-inch sprinter. The “modified sprints” as they were known were in ways, similar to the sport mods of today: limited motors, limited suspensions, often they were second and third-hand cars. Indeed, some cars had bolt on roll cages.

My dad hooked up with Dennis Diekmann's bunch and painted, worked on then later became part owner of the team. A few years later, he followed in the footsteps of his father, owning a race team for the next 16 seasons. During that time he also served as president of the Nebraska Sprint Car Association, briefly ran a sprint-oriented parts business, ran a true 410 “Outlaw” team and later joined Craig Cormack in the purchase/operation of Eagle Raceway. I was along for that time, and even later after he left Eagle in 1999.

So reason one: Sprint cars have been a major part of my life, and I'm not going to make any concessions or apologies for them. Fact is, sprints are the fastest thing on dirt, and that's been told time and again. But speed is not all of it. They are much more than that to me.

Reason two: sprint cars are and always were pure race cars. They NEVER started their lives as a grocery getter, the family hauler, and certainly not as an “econobox.” A street legal sprint car is a novelty – street legality is a stock car's heritage, hence the name! Yes, I realize that there is nothing stock about today's NASCAR racers, today's late models, and very little even for the modern day “spec” racer: the IMCA modified.

Reason three: I enjoy the simplicity of a sprint car. Suspensions are simpler, and at the upper echelon, the tricks are known to everyone. It's the driver, it's the crew chief, and it's that simple four wheels, frame and a motor. Yes, I'm oversimplifying, small deviations and errors show up big when everyone's matched up. But a lot of what you see is what you get. Tire choice and bar choice aside, there aren't many secrets. No need to cover up the back suspensions, hide the motor, it's all out there.

That brings me to reason four. You see the driver. Wingless fans will point to that as one of their favorite parts of that niche. I would agree that lack of the hunk of metal makes it much more a human vs. machine experience. That said, I don't see it's presence that much of a deterrent. But either way, you SEE the person behind the wheel. I guess that's why I have a soft spot for topless mods, too. Go look at some of the old pictures, especially in the pre-cage days. Like a bucking cowboy, these guys are wrestling their own mechanical bulls, and for a lot longer than eight seconds.

Five: if tires lasted, the fastest way around a corner is by drifting it. Even asphalt cars drift slightly, the goal to be just enough not to oversteer. Long before The Fast and the Furious, dirt trackers, especially sprint cars and midgets were drifting without style points and judges. The only judge was the checkered flag. A sprint car in a slide is a hell of a sight, much more than the front wheels turned in, bank-off-the-other-guy understeer of a stock car or worse – the left rear end floating of a compact as the front end is digging into the ground. Sorry – it's not my thing. And by the way – I DO enjoy today's modified and late model as they do much the same thing. That, to me is what real race cars do. The car goes its fastest because it was made to, not in spite of what it was made to do.

Six: history. Hell, I could write pages about that. Bob Mays wrote entire books . They hit me emotionally, and that's all I need to say.

That's but a few of the reasons – not to mention the personal relationships and experiences I've had while being part of the sprint car community.

You could have your own opinions: you could point out how sprints have annoying tendencies to flip, spin out and take so long to push start. You could say sprint car guys bitch a lot (but I could argue the other side as well – need I do a dirtdrivers.com message board tally)?

You could probably write as much against sprints as I did for them. That's your opinion and you're entitled to it. If you drive one of the cars I spoke against, I don't dislike you – in fact I've made several friends outside the sprint ranks. I don't even hate your form of racing. In fact I'll tell you that IMCA “A” Modifieds are my second favorite cars on dirt tracks.

But I do have a favorite, a clear favorite and I refuse to make apologies.

Labels: editorial

I'm going to kick off a run of editorials here. Well, maybe a "few" more than a run. I'm starting with a look back at what was one of the biggest weekends for sprint car racing in Nebraska.

Unfortunately, the 9/11 tribute race at Butler County Motorplex got off to a wet start. I, along with several others read the message boards in disbelief when the track reported only recieving sprinkles after a line of storms went through the vicinity. But, upon arriving at the track the reports were true as we kicked up dust in the pits. The news wasn't good, as I and others stared at their smart-phones watching the impending storm moving closer. The sky darkened, drizzle, then a slow soaking rain fell on the track. BCM promoter Jacy Todd was adamant about outlasting the storm, but practicality set in and the race was postponed to Sunday afternoon.

The $5000 to win Nebraska Cup greeted 52 sprinters, with a stellar field. To give an idea of the competition: the A feature was stocked with at least 15 A feature winners/championship winners/series winners in 2009 that I could name off the top of my head. Despite the actual number being iffy - the fact that the field was packed with talent is not. Here's another tidbit, ASCS N. Plains (and soon Midwest) champion Jason Danley, four-time track champ Mike Boston, former ASCS 360 Nationals, Eagle and Knoxville track champ Billy Alley and ASCS National Tour winner and 2008 NE Cup champ Jack Dover all had to qualify through B features! Nobody "lucked" into the A.

What I love about 360's, especially the likes of Eagle and BCM is that a dry track doesn't mean lock-down to the bottom. The surface was very racy and the slide-fest back and forth battle between eventual winner Tony Bruce, Jr. and Jesse Hockett left fans agape at the action. There was plenty of action throughout the field. Like this, and this, and this, and...well, as Bruce said, "What a race, if anybody here didn't like that one, then you're not gonna like any kind of racing."

THIS event showcased what 360's are capable of on the short track and harkened back to the halcyon days of the early 2000's with 40 cars and a dozen feature winners. Yes Virgina, Santa can run a wing. More on this later.

Let it be known, I'm not just sprint-centric. The Modified feature, as it usually is at Eagle, was pretty darn good too.

Butler County didn't disappoint. A PERFECT day greeted fans and racers, a 180 from Friday. A somber tribute to 9/11 victims and first responders was brightened by the "Husker Copter" owned by Midwest Medical Transport bringing in the trophies, and a flyover by vintage aircraft. Twenty-nine strong sprints were on hand. A dry track remained racy with the sprint heats coming off without major incident.

Topless Modifieds were on hand for a $911 winner's share. I like today's IMCA Modified. But I wish they'd always run without the lid, though according to some, the setup is quite different.

Unfortunately, things were delayed after a NASTY crash in turn four when a chain of sport compacts crashed into a stopped car on the track. The wreckage took some time to clear up.

Kyle Berck took out most of the front runners at Eagle Saturday with a rare mistake, he made up for it by pulling away to take the modified feature.

The A once again, saw a dry but racy track. Much like Saturday the action was furious throughout. Chad Humston dueled pole-sitter Brian Brown briefly until establishing a comfortable lead. The show was watching Brown and Mike Boston put slide after slide on each other dueling for the runner up spot. Tony Bruce, Jr. had to qualify from the B but worked his way up the field and finished fifth.

It was some of the most intense action I'd witnessed all season.

Thumbs up:

- Roger Hadan and Jacy Todd, let's not forget: without their willingness to "go big" this weekend wouldn't have happened. Both were willing to take a risk.

- The Nebraska Cup committee, headed by Lori Dover who worked hard to generate interest in the two shows. A bounty of contingency prizes awaited drivers, many of whom came as a result of committee encouragement. The first "Miss Nebraska Cup" contest elicited huge response from the fans.

- The BCM tribute to the soldiers, fallen, and first-responders was very fitting and well done.

- The drivers and teams who decided to forgo races closer to home to make the trip up to Eagle and face the competition. Tony and Chad took the money, but the fans were the winners this week.

- Well, the fans - a late arriving crowd turned an iffy count into a respectable one at Eagle, with a solid group making the trip to the cornfields of Butler County on a Sunday night. Good attendance both nights.

- The quick-responding Butler County safety crew. They were quite literally, on top of every incident within seconds of it happening.

- Jason Danley - claiming the Midwest Region championship along with his Northern Plains title. What's impressive is that unlike a lot of "touring" series, the Midwest region had 13 of 15 scheduled events. That's a full season at some tracks.

- The push trucks. Getting a 52-car show rolling like it did is no small feat. BCM races were kicked off in no time. The bunch that pushes off in Nebraska is one of the best anywhere and they do it with only a handful of trucks.

- The decision to go topless with the Modifieds. I really like those things. Each track running mods needs to do it once. It's great to see the driver work.

- What can be done with good competition. I tire of criticism of winged sprint cars. Yes, you can get lock-down nights like the World of Outlaws. But, seeing what a strong field can do on a multi-groove track like this weekend and the earlier races at I-80 should remind fans what these are capable of, and they race like NO other class on dirt. It also confirms my preference for a dry track come feature time.

- Tony Bruce Jr. just seems like one of the most amiable, friendly but tough as nails behind the wheel kind of guys out there. Count me as a fan.

- Chad Humston and Mark Burch putting the Banana Wagon at the forefront of 360 racing again.

Thumbs down (oh come on, you expect me to be nothing but sunshine?):

- Unnecessary delays. The Miss NE Cup competition was the chunk of a 47-minute Eagle intermission. The 40+ minute Butler County break was unnecessarily long, especially since the show got started late and was started early due to the Sunday night reschedule. I understand the unforeseen delays with the opening ceremony, and the compact wreck afterward was certainly beyond control. But, the intermission was something that should have been cut given the circumstances - 10 minutes to water the track then get going. While listening to the radio I could tell 26 compacts in the A at Butler were too much and it seemed to overwhelm the scorers at times causing delays. Maybe I care too much about that stuff - but it's my site.

- Accusations of "fixing" the aforementioned pageant. The bellyaching afterward was just silly and doesn't merit any further comm....

- Sprint drivers demanding tow money. I'm sorry, but NO 360 driver merits tow money.

Labels: editorial

- The worst words to start a dirtdrivers.com message board topic or include in the message are: "Need input from..."

- Congratulations to Mike Boston on his 2009 Eagle Sprint Championship. What? Do the math...Mike would have to get hit by a bus, kidnapped by pirates or vanish into a black hole - THIS WEEK, to not win. A green flag in the A feature anytime in the last three races guarantees it. Taking a green in a heat only would require a miracle to beat him. Second place Nick Clifford must win the last three A features, in a row (his first three to boot) to even have that minuscule chance if Boston takes a green and runs dead last in a 24 car 360 Sprint A (which hasn't taken place in recent memory) or fails to make the A. Don't talk about mathematical possibility, I'll take Boston over your mathematical possibilities and give you 10 to 1. I'll give you 1000 to 1... Stick a fork in it, it's done.

- With that in mind, will Boston forgo this week's racing for the possibility of a Knoxville 360 Nationals title? Probably not as he said during his post-race interview that their luck on big tracks left something to be desired. I don't know if he'll finish out the season at Eagle, but I've always had respect for drivers who still give it their all (or at least show up) even when they have the title locked up.

- I-80 Speedway, according to a quote in the Lincoln Journal Star is having its best year ever under the current ownership. I have no reason to think otherwise, with specials such as the free admission night, Nitro Circus and Midwest Tri-Fecta adding plenty to the track's coffers. Interesting how in these down times, the realization that there's some good entertainment out there for cheap is bringing the fans in. Who would think that (last paragraph)?

- Earlier this week I made the trip out to Junction Motor Speedway for the "alphabet soup-" sanctioned Cornhusker Midget Classic. Most of the big dogs were in attendance as Brady Bacon dueled with Brad Loyet throughout the latter half of the A feature with Bacon finally pulling away by just enough as the Loyet's high line faded away. It was an unseasonably cool night and any plans I had for Wednesday's finale were squashed by a splitting, cold-related headache that I still have remnants of even this week. Brad Kuhn of Avon, IL topped the field on Wednesday to take home the Crystal & Chrome trophy.

- The fact that so many sanctions teamed up together for the show is a great example of cooperation. It's also a great example of necessity. The Belleville Midget Nationals, once the premier Midget event saw car counts under 40 on the final night. The scary-fast 5/8 mile oval has been criticized for being just too much on motors. I agree. Midget purists and those who hold the speedway dear will violently disagree, but the race is an anachronism. The biggest midget race, in cars and crowd is the January Chili Bowl in Tulsa, OK, and has been for quite some time. Numbers don't lie.

The (outdoor) midget nationals need to be moved up north - any of the three tracks in SE Nebraska along or near I-80 will do, the track off Hwy 77 will do as well. You could include Butler County if they had a couple thousand more seats (to seat ticket buying people to pay for the show), bigger parking and pits, a paved road to HWY 81 and more hotel space in Columbus. These aren't digs on anyone, just facts. But the racing at BCM has been great.

- You never pick on Eagle! Oh bulls**t. But in case you don't want to click on the archives, here goes: I agree with the message board posters: please, please, please...the Bootlegger's Run has been rescheduled. The rescheduled date is on your own website. Please change the opening news item to something like...the Nebraska Cup?

- I hope the Nebraska Cup is a smashing success and becomes Eagle's showcase event. Why? The once semi-prestigious "Eagle Nationals featuring the World of Outlaws" ^{® TM, etc.} have become merely another race on the World of Outlaws infinite schedule and really means nothing. Crowds are "good" at best. If Roger dropped it, I wouldn't like it, I'd miss it, but I'd could give him the benefit of the doubt for letting it go. But, I would like to see a show that features a class, synonymous with many of Nebraska racing legends - that is - Sprint Cars. Yeah, I like sprint cars, so what? I spent my summers around them for 20 years! Anyone that would spend all their formative years around something either likes it a lot, or never wants to see it again. This site alone should tell you how I feel.

I would like to see a race that means something to a still vocal and loyal group of race fans around here. It may end up being a $5000 payday to some ASCS hotshot, but I think the locals have more than a fighting chance - unlike the June Eagle "Nationals." All told, I hope that the support is more than recent iterations of the Neb. Cup, or the short-lived Backrow Challenge. I think though that the late-season, BIG money nature of the show will be a bigger draw...it has done well in before, especially during less affluent times when bang for the buck counted. I-80 seems to have something with their Alphabet Soup - essentially a local show with outside flavor mixed in since most of the racers also make regular if not weekly appearances there. JMS is starting to build a foundation on its Cornhusker Classic Midget show (though it isn't local) and it's "Cool McCool 100" (local). Eagle needs a new signature event.

- Nicey nice time. What can be said about Rhonda Bryan's kid's night promotion that hasn't been said already? Look at the stands to see what can be accomplished by the racing participants, fans and tracks when they band together in a common effort. Yeah, maybe there were people there only hoping to get free bikes - but they paid their $10 bucks and maybe you had more than a few converted fans in the process.

Props to the crew spearheaded by Lori Dover to promote and raise some public interest in the upcoming ASCS 9/11 tribute race at Butler Co. and the NE Cup. It could be a great weekend for Sprint fans and ANOTHER good example of what the racing community can do to promote itself.

- I'm likely home-bound this weekend. With temps forecast to be in the upper 90's...can't say I mind, but I had given my wife the idea I was staying home last week and went out to test drive the new camera. Given the upcoming flurry of events in the next few weeks, I'm planning to bank some good karma at home.

- The future! I'm starting to get plans together to change this site up a bit if not move on to something different. In the past few weeks I've done some soul-searching, some discussion and some analysis and determined that trying to be all things to all people maybe isn't the best solution. As the saying goes, "if you try to please everyone, nobody will like it." Things will remain status quo for the time being - but I'm about 85% sure that my focus will change for 2010.

Labels: editorial

- Racing was better back then. Racing is better now.
It's just different. 20,000 fans aren't going to pack a state fair grandstand for 18 cars, 3 heats and a feature anymore - but what a group of 18 it was! The only way you pull that off is something like the Prelude to the Dream at Eldora. On the other hand, there's probably more racers in about any class you could want. There are MANY ways to get into racing these days - probably more than ever. For the racefan or the aspiring racer, there's no better time to get into the program and something for everyone.

Labels: editorial

The other day I watched an episode of The Simpsons, called "22 Short Films about Springfield,*" a collection of random snippets about the town, not focused on the main characters. It gave me the idea for this. I'll start with 1-11, and post 12-22 later.

Before anyone takes this too literally, this isn't true in every single case, it isn't an attack on any person, track, group, class, anything. Just general opinions - some just gut feelings, and like they say - everyone's got one. Here's mine. That's it. I don't expect you to agree nor do I expect anyone to do anything about it nor do they have to.

Labels: editorial

The big talk this week is about the Free Admission special at I-80 this Sunday. That's right - grandstand admission is free. No buy one, get one, no coupon, no card...walk in the door and sit down.

I can't think of a time when I've seen this. But these times (I wouldn't say 'desperate') call for those measures. And by that, I mean things that haven't been seen before.

Now, let's get something clear. With all apologies to my 8-and-under readers (yeah), there's no such thing as Santa Claus at Christmas and he ain't there in the summer either. Despite all the terms used for similar promotions in the past: "Fan Appreciation," "Family Appreciation," "Salute to the Fan," and whatnot, this has nothing to do with giving back to the fan. Your contributions in the past are appreciated, but your continued help in the future is even more appreciated!

These events are a tool. One that has more in common with drug dealing - the first hit's free - than it does with charity.

The goal of course is to try to hook someone onto racing who have been held back by the admission price. Hopefully removing this hurdle gives the potential fan, or the part-time fan a reason to finally go.

It's advertising and marketing pure and simple. For the expense of the die-hard's front gate money, like buying an ad, they're spending that money on trying to bring in more people. As the saying goes, it doesn't cost anything to give away an empty seat. And the more empty the seats (again, I'm not saying it's 'empty'), the less the risk.

But, this isn't a bad thing! Applied judiciously this can be an effective marketing tool. Ideally, the increased fan count gives you that captive audience that is receptive to your other promotions. It can be very effective. And, if you hook them, you have a diehard happy to pay the $8-10 to get in each week. And contrary to some people's belief, you want the promoter to make money so say...rent, taxes, repairs, purse, payroll, upgrades, etc. get paid. What a concept.

As always, though there are those who ask, "why not do this every week?" Well, read above again and you'll see why not. You don't "make it up in beer and hotdogs." C'mon - do the math. Even if you made $2 per beer, it would take 5 beers/person to make that $10 lost at the front gate up, not to mention the extra labor to sell all that extra beer. Perhaps you brought a friend, but you still need to get to drinkin', remember you started $10 in the hole. And you better hope it isn't a cold night, or you need to roll out the Starbucks cart...and even a coffee-holic like me can't drink enough lattes to make up for that.

Another reason: you devalue the show. Why go on the $10 night when the $5 night is next week? Contrary to some fans' belief, the average attendee at any track that isn't pulling in just the friends and family of the racers is only there twice a month. If you went twice a month, do you go on the two weeks at $10 or one at 10 one at 5?

No track paying its own rent can afford that. Nor can they use backgate only revenue to bring you the big shows, with the big purses. And, as the back gate becomes the source of the money, who pays? The racers. Have you seen how many more races come with 'entry fees?' With that often comes more support classes paying less and less purse for the same amount of pit fee...sound familiar?

The REAL race fan will not whine for more of these discounts, they'll pack in as many people as they can to get them coming back out each week. The sport depends on it. Think of it as a stimulus package. But like the current attempt by the government, it comes at a price. The well can't be tapped too often.

Ideally, you would have to do this kind of promotion ONCE. Because once you have the demand why do it again? Why turn away the money? In the real world, you'd run it just enough to give those on the fence a kick off it and to your track, and nothing more.

Once the demand is there, you don't need more incentive.

Want an example of what demand for a good product does? What kind of discount do loyal customers get on the new iPhone? Zero. Because they'll buy it anyway.

And is Apple running off customers? The line outside the Apple store isn't the one going out.

-Jason

Labels: editorial

Memorial Day weekend has become THE weekend for auto racing around the world. From the Grandaddy of them all, the Indy 500, NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, the Grand Prix of Monaco…all the way to the local dirt tracks.

This weekend I visited three venues. I traveled to I-80 and Junction on behalf of the ASCS and took to Eagle on Saturday. As much as I wanted to attend the Alphabet Soup race at I-80 and the Bootlegger’s Run at Eagle the following two days, plans for the holiday and being gone three nights in a row sets my priorities…if you get my drift.

But I'll talk about what I did attend. First up the ASCS at I-80. On the card were Pro-Ams and NASCAR Late Models. Despite their best efforts, the big tires sealed up the track and it went dry and dusty. Makes for impossible picture-taking conditions, but what it did allow was me to watch some fantastic A features. Matt Boucher fought with Rick Negrete for what appeared to be second place as Jeff Joldersman cruised to the checkers. Joldersma’s DQ for weight gave the win to an ecstatic Boucher. Billy Koons swiped the Late Model lead late in the race to take his first Late Model win.

The sprint feature was the topper though as Chad Humston sliced and diced his way from the sixth row to take the lead and eventually the win, with Brian Brown and Don Droud Jr. putting on a “slide” show of their own. Racing throughout was furious – but then I’d be driving like mad if I were racing toward I-80’s victory lane reception too.

One thing I’ve noticed watching sprints at I-80, if the track goes to the top, the racing usually ends up fantastic. I’ll take a dry track there over a lock-down to the bottom tacky one any day. Hey, if there isn’t dust in the beer it ain’t racin’, right?

If you haven’t been to the recent sprint races at I-80, you’re really missing out.

Next day: JMS. Like Thursday it was above average temps with a breeze and a nice crowd visiting for what came to be a lovely late spring evening. Delmar Friesen has a knack of producing surprising tracks in the midst of the unfavorable conditions. The initial dust kicked up by the GOTRA hot laps scared me a bit, but they managed pretty well, with the occasional spritzing in between classes.

The respectable field of GOTRA vintage racers were a fitting backdrop to pre-race chats with historian Bob Mays, Wayne Dake, Joe Orth and others reminiscing about the past and discussing Bob’s new book, Big Car Thunder, Vol. II – which I’m reviewing for this site. I’ve really developed a soft spot for the GOTRA cars, I just wished they could really race ‘em.

Some tracks would tell a field of three cars, “sorry boys, load ‘em” but Delmar ran the show and I have to remember the fact that the poor compact count wasn’t the fault of the people who showed up, including winner Troy Hoffman. But the Vintage Lites (‘dwarf’ cars) brought a thick field with David Rafurty taking the feature going away – with visor up throughout most of the race!

A strong field of 26 sprints made up the field. Brian Brown’s turn four wheelie kicked off the 20-car Sprint A, Shane Stewart made his way up front quickly to  take the lead from Ryan Roberts, while Brown, Don Droud Jr and Gregg Bakker tried to out-muscle each other around the big 3/8 mile. Brown popped a right rear late in the contest, as did April I-80 winner Jonathan Cornell. Stewart cruised to the win, with Roberts rolling four bald tires across the line in second. Despite the abrasive A feature surface, it was a decent feature and once again, JMS kept the show rolling, (the stoppages were nothing worse than normal) and the facility continues to be one of the best around.

Eagle’s first fan appreciation night brought in a strong crowd at $5/head. The Beatrice move to Fridays has really raised the competition bar in the hobbies and modifieds with the southern drivers giving the Eagle boys more than a run. But with parity we often get a little too much pushin’ and shovin’ resulting in spun cars and banged up metal between talented, competitive and determined drivers. The hobbies had the threat of the clock calling an early end to their race, but fortunately they straightened out long enough for Rob Brown to take his first win since ‘06.

Chris Abelson raced down from Sioux City after a Park Jefferson rainout with no concern about the Beatrice / Eagle rivalry as he snatched the win in the Modifieds. Dave Tadlock became the fourth winner in four races in the compacts.

On the other hand, the sprints had their major incident occur when rookie Ian Eastman spun at the front of the pack, Eastman’s mishap resulted in four other cars coming to a stop in various states of disarray. Veteran Tadd Holliman consoled Eastman in the infield; it was obvious that the young rookie really wished he could have that one back. After a lengthy red-flag stop Mike Boston checked out from the field on the dry, fast-lane-up-top track with Jeff Griffis scrambling from the back of the field to run second.

My legs hurt, and I was glad to take it easy for the next two days. A great weekend.

Labels: editorial