32 Years was a Heck of a Run

On June 30, Eagle Raceway owner Roger Hadan announced to the remaining sprint car drivers (and the rest of the gathered audience) that this would be the last year of the 360 Sprint Car class. Next season’s sprint car class would consist of IMCA/Racesaver 305-cubic inch cars. The Racesaver motor is a tightly-spec’ed engine, built to minimal cost and requiring to be sealed by a track tech-inspector. Prices vary - but several used engines are selling in the $4000-6000 range. New motors could be built to top spec for $10K. The 360’s could run in 2013, with restrictors (presumably injectors), but in 2014 - only Racesaver-spec motors would be allowed.

Let me get this clear first: I don’t like that this happened. I grew up around this class from its genesis at Midwest Speedway - where I feel is THE birthplace of 360 sprints - and spent two and a half decades of summers around people who may be displaced by the rules change. This class has been running, fundamentally unchanged (but with minor, and noticeable changes) for 32 years in the Lincoln area. It’s a sad day for Eagle’s sprint car clan.

But I think it needed to happen, if only for survival of sprint car racing at Eagle. I’ll explain as a series of responses to issues I’ve heard about and read about over the past few years.

Somebody had to do somethin’ and nobody was doin’ nothin’! Grammatically incorrect, it conveys the message nonetheless. Last year Roger offered up the idea of running a piece on the wing (the so-called COS - Chunk of Sh*t adapter) to reduce downforce, and thus take it easier on tires and reduce the advantage of motors. That was shot down quickly by the teams claiming issues with handling, and effects on their being ready for Eagle’s ASCS shows. I admit that I also needed proof that it would work. But, the idea was abandoned.

In response, the Eagle Sprint Car Committee busted tail and secured a generous point fund that would encourage racers to stick it out the entire season. Hadan agreed to raise the purse, provided a minimum car count was met. Despite the well-intentioned efforts, the car count declined, and despite the initial promise to do so, Hadan kept the purse at the elevated level for the remainder of the season.

My theory has always been the most expensive part of racing is the act of racing. Parts, maintenance, towing, etc. are the most significant costs. The average, middle-class hobby racer can no longer keep up with maintaining these machines. There aren’t enough people or sponsors to keep up with what has become rapidly escalating costs for motors, and parts.

The economy is to blame for the most part. At least I think it's what drove the nail in the coffin. But it is ridiculous to ask a business owner to wait the economy out when there is opportunity in front of them. And if it “comes back,” what does it come back to? The debt-to-earnings ratio of the average American in the mid 2000’s was at a level unseen since the late 1920’s. You know...right before the Great Depression. The average American has less overall wealth than they did in the 1990’s. If you know when the next boom is coming, send me an email so I can buy stock.

The days of subprime and roses are gone. The free flowing credit won’t come back in our lifetime. That means not just loans and credit cards, but loans for business to grow and pay wages that allow the kind of disposable income and sponsorship money to pay for this hobby. The economic comeback will be that of people being able to afford their de-valued house, maybe feeding their family, and paying for gas that’s TRIPLED in price to get to the job that will be paying less. Where does the money for $30-40K motors come from?

The cost of doing business had to be lowered.

The class was fundamentally unchanged for 30 years. That’s the problem.

A steel 360, top wing and spec tire. Really, the class is the same as when it was a revolutionary new way to race, when it received a text & photo spread in a 1982 issue of Open Wheel titled "Save money, go fast at Midwest." The thought of old cars, with a tight rules package and a tightly restricted motor was a novelty in the heydays of “Run Whatcha Brung” during the World of Outlaws formative years.

But the incremental changes were unchecked and allowed the costs to climb. Four-bar suspensions could now run a wing. Fuel Injection was allowed. Aluminum heads (though I agree they were easier to fix), and what I thought was killer: the 25-Square foot wing. Now, there was power to be found, and it could be hooked up. Technology advances allowed for CNC machining to the nth degree, and the law of diminishing returns found every little microscopic advantage in engines, parts, tires...all this with not so microscopic raises in costs. Motors built in your garage? Now motors in some cases are nearing $40,000, albeit rare. A new 360 will run you over 20 grand.

The gap between haves and have-nots is starting to show, even at the ASCS regional level. And now, the “second tier” of sprint cars is being filled with professional racers - with professional equipment.

What it also did was take cars out of the builders, and put them into the hands of the few that could afford the processes to make the parts. No longer could pieces be built, they had to be bought. And, they weren’t repairable...they’re consumable. There was no such thing as innovation to give you cheap competitive advantages. Why waste money on a small purse at a track, when you could instead SELL the part? And now...everyone’s gotta have it. For a price, of course.

Keep adding to the bill.

“We have too much money invested. Any rules change will leave us with obsolete parts!”

I blame the track for part of this. By refusing to confront this long ago, and standardizing to ASCS rules, you left guys building outside the rules, and leaving them with expensive parts, like heads that leave them out on an island as far as the rules go.

But that’s my problem, if you were out on an island when you wanted a competitive advantage, why do you have a problem with being left on an island now with a new rules package? If you didn’t do this and you’re ASCS legal, then aren’t there all those ASCS sprints there eagerly waiting for a used parts deal? 

Or...are there? Is there no used market?

Then it goes back to the original problem - not enough cars. The problem has always been that a class needs not to be affordable but sustainable. The sport mods or stock cars...they can sell the car on the used market and give a new racer something to start with. Can’t they do that with sprint cars? It seems like either the items can’t be sold, or there’s nobody to buy them, be it from lack of demand, or lack of people even able to afford used parts.

In that case, you’ve always been on an island...a more expensive one.

The fan base has changed, but it demands the same

Call it what you want, and deride them all you want, but the average attendance has grown at Eagle since Hadan took over. Whether it be the free nights, whether it be the increase in classes - whatever, the fan base has changed, and it isn’t so skewed to the sprints.

However, Roger has stated many times that he needs sprint cars at the track. But what he also said (indirectly) was: he doesn’t need THESE sprint cars out there. The hardcore fan and the others who are die-hard, come cloudy day or shine, come every week are the dwindling minority. But many like the sprint cars, but are not passionate.

If Roger wanted to get rid of “sprint cars” he would have. Not 360’s, not 305s. None. Instead what he believes he’s doing is satisfying the need of the casual sprint car fan. And those cars need to only fill three criteria: 1. Not start life as a grocery getter 2. have a wing (we saw that in 2008), and 3. be the fastest car out there. Albeit 1-2 seconds slower...all criteria are satisfied. The casual fan will not know the difference.

People are right, Eagle fans expect sprint cars. Roger looks into the pits and sees few. There’s no sign more will come the way things are going. This way, the entry point is lowered and Roger has said, he’d buy cars to fill a field. That price to subsidize the class got cheaper. Can the egos handle being another notch down under the 360’s? Sometimes I think that’s the biggest issue. But remember, some people still don’t think 360’s are “real” sprint cars.

There will still be sprint cars at Eagle.

This isn’t about tradition. It’s about the product.

Old personal bonds, history, that takes a back seat to business. Always has. It did in 1976, the year sprint cars died at Eagle. The product put to the fans in the stands counts. In the world of back-gate promoting, car counts matter. We haven’t seen sprint cars die, but the path they’re going down is NOT certain. Throwing money at it with more purse wasn’t going to make a difference, especially when you have cars traveling to places like Albion and racing for a fraction of the current purse or if rumored offers to race for free tickets were true. It will never be enough money, and soon, it wasn’t going to offset the number of people needing to fill the stands to replace that extra money Roger spent. If sprint cars weren’t delivering, he wasn’t putting out the promised product. The sprints don’t have the luxury of a “sprint car guy” at the helm anymore.

The local heroes are gone along with the legends and the unique machines, it’s simply about loud, fast cars going around in circles.

Everything old will never be new again

The days of 40-car counts in the sprints was the anomaly. It was the result of a convergence after one group left in 2000 then rejoined those who stayed, combined with those who traveled from S. Dakota, IA and MN and those who came over from I-80's defunct class the previous season at Eagle. It didn’t last more than a couple of years (but what years!) and car counts declined ever since. Old timers remembered the days of Opperman, Beckman, Rager, Shuman. But it was quality over quantity then. Car counts were in the teens, and the fan base was more patient. We won’t see those days either.

Mid 20’s car counts was the norm and the goal is to bring just the normal back.

A risk

In the end, Roger is taking a huge gamble here. If you read the message board posts, he’s taking what’s left and sending it down the road. However, he’s stated that he has new blood waiting to get into the new class. This has to work for him. Eagle won’t die, but I think it will suffer if it doesn’t work.

I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. I don’t think everyone will go their separate ways, and I don’t think he will have so much new blood that he won’t have to subsidize some of the car count, either outright providing them with cars or motors.

I think the timing was unfortunate; having some seriously bad tracks early this year didn’t help the cause, nor did lowering the purse. The message could’ve been delivered differently, and I would’ve considered grandfathering the 360s for two years. 

And, most importantly it ain't my money. But what's being spent on tires hooked to state-of-the art 360s? What's being spent on heads and motors? What expense now couldn't be diverted to a competitive 305? 

As Einstein said, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Roger could pay a dear price for this.

But the cost of inaction was greater. 

-Jason