The Kids are Alright

Finally!

After a few work-related and family duties, I got to take my first trip to see the new Nebraska 360 Sprint Series in action at Butler County Speedway last Saturday.

Twenty sprinters took to the speedway on a hot July night. The track was dry: baked by the heat and a later start time – races kicked off about an hour later than posted – but that’s about the only complaint I have. A nice crowd watched a very high quality of sprint cars own the program, along with the GOTRA Vintage cars, Mod Lites (dwarf) cars and “Outlaw” Street Stocks. Unsanctioned full-sized Modifieds were on the sked, but that was scratched for lack of participation. I’d say running unsanctioned Modifieds against three tracks in the area running full weekly shows with a USMTS race at I-80 probably isn’t the recipe for success.

But I’m not here to pan the track or the program. In fact, quite the opposite. Brent Pick and crew cleaned up a dormant facility that was tidy and looked like they had run each week and not just for specials. Concessions were cheap, the infield was freshly mowed, the old tanks/silos outside of turn one had been removed, and the hideous orange guardrails were painted a normal white. They’ve done a great job.

One of the best parts of the night started before any cars took to the track. It was a pleasure to see Steve Janousek, Dennis Parker, Larry White, and Randy Palmer as officials, and received a hearty welcome from each. And the handshakes, waves and nods from the drivers and crew were welcome too. Obviously, there’s comfort with familiarity.

I noticed something else: everyone was relaxed. It’s a different environment without a packed pit and a tight time schedule. The pit meeting was low-key, a few debates got settled without any heavy-handedness, and everyone just lined up and did their thing – raced.

For all the hand-wringing, rhetoric, and animosity of the past few years at Eagle, this was a refreshing break from the tension. Don’t get me wrong – when the call goes the wrong way, all that goodwill goes out the window. But tonight, it was about a group of guys happy to be where they were. No sideshow, no rush – and yet there was no need to rush. Classes lined up when they needed to, they lined up on the yellow flags without any prodding from officials, and the show ran smooth. I realize that the first show at BCS was about as smooth as sandpaper, but everyone learned their lessons and things went easy.

Cries of doom and gloom (and even my suspicions) have been largely squelched. A reduced schedule, a low-key environment and maybe just the taste of something new have left the Nebraska 360 Sprint Series doing quite well on its own. There’s still uncertainty, the costs and a question if the sponsors will hold on outside the population bases of Lincoln and Omaha. But for now, July 2013, they’re doing just fine. In fact, promoters at several tracks have asked for repeat shows but the series is wisely refraining from hitting the well too often. “Next year…” is the reply.

I’m not sure anyone thought that BOTH series would be holding their own after mid-summer. Eagle’s 305 class is doing well – and has a lot of advantages going for it: location, costs, and – I mean this nicely – good luck can go a long way while people are still feeling their way around. Just like the days of springed-fronts and Firestone Diamond tires in the 360’s infancy.

So can the two continue to exist? There have been a few of the 360 drivers send opting to take their talents to Cass County on Saturdays, and that’s their decision. There may be a few cars opting to run for the increased money of the touring group. This isn’t a debate about one class vs. the other: both classes have moved on. Fans should do the same.

The bonds formed by the heritage of over 30 years of 360 racing keep this crew going for now. While there are plenty of vets in the class, some of the guys behind the wheel are a decade removed from the class’ genesis at Midwest Speedway, but their fathers, families, friends all lived this sport and did a lot of it with the group I had the pleasure to be around Saturday night.

Oh, the racing? Darn good. A spectacular second heat, and drama in the feature as pre-race favorite Jack Dover went a lap-down after an early-race mishap kept everyone tense: Dover was tearing his way through the field until about lap 20 when the bottom finally gave way and the cushion became the only way ‘round. Trevor Grossenbacher earned his second win of the season.

“Thanks for coming” was a familiar greeting.

No. Thank you for having me.

P.S. I’ll have some action shots online this week and I plan to be at Eagle this Saturday.

Feeling the urge

This Saturday I plan on heading out to the track again, this time with the Nebraska 360 series in their final visit to the reopened Butler County Speedway. It's been a few years since my last visit and it would only be my second race this season. I had plan to hit a few more but rainouts and business travel in June precluded that.

But it was sitting down today with a copy of Vintage Motorsport that set off a little spark. Not only was it topical with a feature on Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed, but the second of a three-part series on the history of Sprint Car racing. Now don't get me wrong, a simple magazine feature isn't nearly enough to encompass the history of the sport, but after reading it the wheel began rolling....

Out came Bob Mays' book Big Car Thunder. The Joe Scalzo's The American Dirt Track Racer, covering the life and times of the dirt champ cars.

And of all things, today's featured video on Fox Sports with Tony Stewart calling his own teammate Steve Kinser an a--hole got me in the mood.

I need to get back in the dirt.

Now, my life has changed such that without it being an part of my life, such as a job in the industry, I can't devote as much as I used to. Every week is too much right now. But the interest is back...I'm starting to miss it. I'm starting to pay attention to it. I browse results, read Brad Brown's ibracn.com weekly...just starting to feel the urge again.

We'll see what happens this weekend. I'm looking forward to it.      

The New Eagle Raceway

Saturday I took my first trip to the races this season, and visited the weekly show at Eagle. It’s the first season in nearly 20 years where the 360 Sprinters were not part of the weekly program. For people like me who grew up around the Nebraska 360 Scene, it’s a bit jarring when I walked into the pits.

Who are these guys?

Let's go back 16 years. Yeah, that long. 

In 1997 when Craig Cormack took over Eagle from the Beecham family, the track was billed for that first year as “The New Eagle Raceway.” That was the official name of the track for the season. 

It was fitting: the old wood grandstands were being ripped out for concrete and aluminum stadium seating, and a 100,000 watt sound system replaced the monotonic bullhorn speakers. 

There was a definite culture change, a raise in professionalism, and maybe a bit of a high-brow attitude to go along with the polish added to the facility.  

But it was appropriate dress as we sailed into that sea of economic prosperity that closed out the 20^th century. Fans saw the concept of “sports entertainment” being put into action with the sideshow becoming an integral part of the show as a whole. It wasn’t about going to “the races” - it was about going to “Eagle Raceway.” Some decried the “circus” and insisted that the purity of the sport had been somehow compromised. What they didn’t realize was the sport is a circus. 

We heard the howls again in 2006 when Roger Hadan took over Eagle and brought in a different style of entertainment, where the sideshow was bus races and garbage truck jumps.  More affordable classes were brought in to bolster the dwindling car counts of the long-standing 360 Sprint and IMCA Modified classes. The times were changing, and again the setting befitted the state of the nation. 

(I want to make something clear: I’m not looking down my nose at any of this or any of the changes. Frankly, Roger’s hit some home runs that we could’ve only dreamed about before. He reacted to the market and its tastes. I’m not immune. I waxed poetic in this blog about enjoying high-school and early college age kids smack each other chasing a rubber disk on a sheet of ice. The last thing I want when I sit down would be a bleu cheese platter with a glass of Chilean Malbec. I’ll take my domestic beer, thanks.)  

But while the rules stayed the same, the times around us changed and we saw the 360’s car count dwindle to the level we saw when Eagle first brought back the sprint cars to a weekly show, and in some cases – lower.

Long story, debates, internet backbiting, yadda, yadda, yadda...

We enter a new era – the IMCA Racesaver 305’s. Welcome to The NEW Eagle Raceway.

What did I think?

As I said before, they’re different. The sound is what got me first. Not as loud, not that ‘punch in the chest’ when the green flag is dropped. There’s a difference. I noticed it shooting pictures. The cars set in different, the car sets in later, and they don’t have that launch out of the corner.

They are different.

I didn’t say bad. I said different.

Hotlaps were impressive. The sprint cars were the fastest thing out there. But as we hit the heats, I saw a definite a gap between top and bottom in equipment and skill. It still was entertaining. I watched the A feature from the road as I sneaked out early in fear that the oncoming storms would catch me in a Cass County quagmire.

The race was decent. Mike Boston provided the drama, and Clint Benson took the checkers. Shayle Bade can wheel a race car. Her second place finish is only a sign of things to come and for the first time, Eagle will have a ‘winged woman’ holding the first place check. It will be soon.

In the first year of a class, gaps between first and last are bound to happen, and most have never driven a sprint car competitively. I'm sure it happened when the "modified sprints" took to Midwest Speedway in the early 80's, but as eager fans and participants we didn't see it. This will change, and I likened it to when Eagle ran the wingless 360’s in 2008. The drivers were tentative until the final night of racing when they finally started figuring it out. Problem was, fans didn't really care. I think this time, the fans will embrace it.

The learning curve will be shorter for the 305’s. And the class is on solid footing. Getting 17 to show up three nights into the season isn’t shabby. The overall speeds and competitiveness will improve. It will become more refined (and yes, expensive), but maybe it’s more manageable than the 360’s that left. While the class has been given the title as the ‘main event’ by the promoter, it will earn it on its own soon enough.

Outside of that, the A mods are still the best show out there. About anyone who starts that A feature has a legitimate chance of winning. But if you want to see the future of modified racing, look no further than the gaggle of SportModifieds owning the pits. 47 of them last week. It’s accessible and competitive. Laini Schwartz topped the field, and hats off to her. Wins are earned when you have that deep of a field.

While I’ve had mixed feelings about the SportMod class, one thing I’ve seen is that it is now becoming the entry point for racing at Eagle. It’s a trend I like. I’m not sure of the future of the Hobby Stock. Are we going to start seeing Ford Fusions and Toyota Camrys being converted to a frame for a small-block V8? I don’t know how you even pull it off. Maybe there are more RWD relics out there, but how long does this last? And I think the compacts are still a great way to get under the lights, but as we’ve seen, the FWD cars may not be the best point to learn techniques for the big machines.

Eagle has changed in its 50 years. The track that hosted Hall of Famers is a different racetrack than the one I grew up at. That track’s different than the one I worked for. And this new Eagle Raceway is different than the track Roger took over in 2006.

It's unfair to make any comparison. I haven’t seen anything like it before.

-Jason

Thoughts on the Eagle RaceSaver Sprint Meeting

I wanted to, but was unable to attend the RaceSaver meeting this past weekend, but Eagle Raceway did a good job of summarizing the events, enough for me to draw an opinion.


- Surprised to see the 360’s running restricted motors not being able to run for track points. I totally understand regional/national IMCA points, but I think that participation may be improved if they could run for a title. On the other hand, there would be a lot of red faces if a restricted 360 won the track title.


- The purse structure is a lot more egalitarian, and I like that. I’ve argued for this before, and I think it will help reduce some of the mid-season broke grumbles.


- Here’s one thing that surprised me...in light of our recent presidential election, I noticed that some of the more vocal people in favor of limited government, and vehemently against various “redistribution” plans seem to have no problem demanding that “The Man,” in this case the promoter of a certain track should be forking out more of his money for their hobby. Capitalism for the racer’s wallet...socialism for the promoter’s? Regardless of one's political views, the contradiction is obvious.


Now, it’s been that way forever in all forms of racing, but don’t discount the role of self-interest in the demise of the 360’s at Eagle, and CART, IMCA, and IndyCAR (well, not yet), etc. etc.


- To the point above, the racer and promoter are in two different situations, at least when the track is privately owned. If you can’t afford to race, you don’t go. If the owner can’t pay the bills, there’s no track. The racer has more flexibility. Oh, and if you have to race to pay the bills to get the car going...that’s your problem, not the track’s.


- Eagle’s running a two-day IMCA RaceSaver Nationals at the end of the season, my guess is it replaces the Nebraska Cup. (Update: Eagle Raceway has the Nebraska Cup - for 360 sprints - on schedule for 9/8/13.) If you can tie this in pre- or post- Boone Supernationals, and if just 10% of the alleged 600 RaceSaver sprints show up, you could have a back-gate bonanza. My preference would be for the week after Knoxville, prior to football season, if possible. (RaceSaver Nationals are tentatively scheduled for 8/31 and 9/1 2013, likely replacing the Labor Day Shootout)


- I do like the fact that Eagle stated the sprints will be the ‘featured class.’ I think it’s good to establish the pecking order of this class, and leave no doubt as to where they are going forward.


“Where was Roger before?!?!” He was there for seven seasons. OK, six and a half since after July, the 360’s were a ‘dead class rolling.’ If it can’t work after that time, when does it work? The point of diminishing returns had been met. The biggest killer was the economy, and if Roger was able to bring back the jobs and credit that supported this expensive class all these years, he would be president. He’s not. He’s a business owner of a racetrack. That’s all.

Nebraska Cup Thoughts

This Sunday I attended my last race of the season, the 2012 Nebraska Cup. With the fate of the 360’s sealed as a weekly show (done), I felt that I needed to make it out to the race. A nice afternoon with a cool evening led to a fast track and racy track with good races as Jason Johnson three-peated and walked out with not only the winner’s share of $5,000 but every cent of the lap leader money as he mastered all 30 circuits starting from the pole position. It was a good show all around. Some unfortunate accidents as both Don Droud Jr. and Tige Jensen broke axles sending them on rough tumbles. Jensen was dominating his heat race before his crash. Mike Boston got on his head on the opening lap of the A in a nowhere-to-go accident resulting from chaos down the front stretch.

But Johnson put on the proverbial clinic, with Jack Dover taking another Ford-powered sprinter to second, briefly challenging on a late-race restart.

Some thoughts in and around the track:

- Not sure if it’s the last Nebraska Cup featuring the 360 Sprints. I’ve heard that there will be a few 360 sprint races at Eagle, but under the ASCS Midwest banner. The annual Eagle Nationals is also expected to return, probably as another ASCS National Tour event.

- The “50th Anniversary” 305-cubic inch sprinter made several circuits of the track during intermission. While certainly no slouch, and the car will still be the fastest thing on Saturday nights, the difference was evident. Some over the radio made derisive comments mocking the “not a real sprint car” sentiment and stated “I beg anyone to tell the difference!” I could, easily. It was not subtle. They were noticeably quieter and slower. A sprint car, yes. But different. After several months away during the offseason a casual fan may not be able to tell next year, but that night it was very evident. The hype from the paid employees was damped a little when they folks upstairs refused to put the car’s lap times on the scoreboard. But I understand given the speeds set during the heats, which included some of the fastest 360’s in the country, combined with the 305 not in ‘race mode,’ maybe the similarities were best left to speculation. No need to fan any flames.

- That said, I wish the 305’s success next year. I also wish the 360 group success as well, with maybe a little more enthusiasm than II had before. Not being privy to all the details, but meetings with representatives from the ASCS Midwest are pointing to a partnership with the sanctioning body as opposed to a separate touring series. There will be some distinctions and group-only incentives. We’ll find out more.

- I tip my hat to the Hobby Stock and Sport Mod groups. Particularly the Hobbies. They put on a very clean show. For all the bumpin’ and grindin’ they do on the track, they find a way to keep the cars straight come feature time. With Eagle being more of a “rhythm” track, the Hobby Stocks have a NASCAR on the super-speedway quality to them. And generally, that race isn’t decided until the late laps. The Sport Mods have gone past their infancy looking like dogs on linoleum to produce some clean racing of their own. But the pegging rev limiters is something I can’t get used to.

- An observation made by push truck driver, friend and fellow wise-cracker Mike Peterson was very astute: what may have relieved the tensions between the Eagle teams and management was...a rainout. Or a couple of them. Let the misery of the past week die off. But each (hot) weekend, the tempers and bad blood continued to maintain their heat. It was an interesting take because three people, from three different teams said something similar - and unsolicited from me. The constant weekly schedule took a toll on their wallets, their personal lives, their desire to be there. Couple this with the back-gate promoter mentality of needing to have the doors open every week to the pit-pass-paying masses or to the premier class drawing the front gate and you have a grind that takes out even the most serious racer. Another reason I dislike the concept of the back gate nature of the sport. I’m looking at you RPM. I’ve always thought a break would help. It’s getting a promoter willing to turn off that money spigot that’s the problem. On the other hand, burn ‘em out and that well runs dry.

- More talk, but under-the-breath statements suggest there may be more than a few of the local 360 guys willing to run with the 305’s at Eagle, either with restrictors, or going to purchase a 305 motor entirely. In some cases the thought of rebuilding a 360 vs. buying a new 305 is leaning in the 305’s favor. I’m not expecting a mass defection, but there may be more familiar faces at the track than we are led to believe next season. The factor most often cited - and the trump card in Roger’s hand is: they get to race close to home (and their sponsors). We’ll see how it turns out. 

Until the next time. 

-Jason

The Case Against Parity

I used to believe that parity in racing was a good thing. That is, until I talked one day to a former Eagle track champion. He said, "we talk about 11 winners in 11 weeks - but does that mean they're all good? Or are they just average?" Of course, I won't say who because it may come off as disparaging.

But they could be all good, they could be all mediocre. Doesn't really matter.

I've railed on before about too many classes and how racing has become too niched and too egalitarian. Sub classes of subclasses pollute the track with half-filled features...or in the worst case: packed fields so evenly matched that picking the winner could just be a matter of random chance.

The champ followed up: "what this place (Eagle) needs is a bad guy." You can't manufacture bad, you can't claim "bad" (no amount of skull graphic wraps and black will work). It has to be bestowed upon you.

What this sport needs and lacks is a real feud. The man in black against the rest of the world. "The Intimidator" or his nemesis Jeff Gordon. Schumacher versus Hakkinen. And that's just history in my world. Racing lore is packed with stories of rivalry.

But the stories are from the past... We haven't just lost a man in black...the sport has lost a lot of its color. And again, no fluorescent-colored wraps or loud graphics gives that back. Feuds now are between one guy and the guy who claimed him. Maybe it was the guy who took him out. It's lost on the rest of us.

Color was seeing one J.J. Riggins pull in front of the stands after a win at Midwest Speedway to a chorus of boos and middle-finger salutes. It was people wearing 'Anybody but Riggins' T-shirts, ironically supplied (in secret) by the villain himself.  It was a grandstand that rocked so hard the video camera replay shook as Don Maxwell battled Riggins for the lead coming out of turn four.

The color, the feuds, the villainy and heroism came from winning. One guy was dominant. One guy was always up front. Maybe there were heroic challengers who often won one for the 'good guys,' but there was always a black hat among them. 

Maybe that's not what the fans want anymore (though the WWE seems to run with it). But unlike the WWE, that kind of dominance is hard to manufacture in classes so tightly regulated, so cost conscious and egalitarian that part-time racers all have the same gear and all have the same (lack of) experience. There are no differentiators.

These 'spec' classes are the worst. The playing field is leveled down with laser-like precision. It's not a good thing.

Vanilla. And not the good kind. More like ice-milk vanilla (lowercase v).

Sometimes I think the sprint cars were the last bastion of that - at least on a night to night basis there was a guy who was just head and shoulders above the rest. There's good racing, and there's just the guy who's leading on the last lap (NASCAR's worst problem). I think we have too much of the latter.

But I think I'm the last of a dying breed. Maybe it isn't about that anymore. Maybe the generation that's just 'happy to be there' Facebooking, Instagramming and tweeting about how much fun they're having is what it's about. Maybe it's always been that way.

It's just not my scene, man.

Perhaps I'm as outdated as that last phrase.

-Jason

Goodbye to a Friend (no, not that sappy)

A couple weeks ago I said goodbye to a racing friend: my Nikon D300 digital camera (I sold it). For the better part of three years, it was a pro-grade machine that I felt may have been an important catalyst in improving my photography skills at the track. It still holds its own in any sporting arena, despite the advent of some incredible new technology. 

But this isn’t about photography or cameras. It’s symbolic. You see, for as much as Photography has been a part of my life, not just as a practitioner and also a student of the history and the art as well as a technological expert (though my attitude may suggest otherwise, I don’t often call myself an ‘expert’ often) I didn’t use the D300 much for anything but racing. Smaller, lighter, though less advanced cameras dominate my personal work.

The point is this: each year despite being a full-time photographer – at least as an avocation – the most advanced weapon in my arsenal sits idle in the off-season. To sell this camera without reservation was not an indicator of my financial state but the willingness to part with what has become a regular racing companion.

My interest in the sport isn't what it was six or even 10 years ago. It’s amazing how a family changes the way you look at things. There are other reasons and I’ll talk about those in future pieces. But, I knew that if I were to let go of what I thought was vital equipment, then my sentiments are much more deeply rooted than simply needing a break.

This weekend, I’ll be at the Nebraska Cup, shooting with an older camera – the one I replaced with the D300. But looking back through old photos, I was surprised by the amount of decent work I did with much less equipment. Maybe the improvement wasn’t about the gear – but it was about improving personally since I started shooting regularly 6 years ago.

Perhaps I not only had enthusiasm for the art, but what was unfolding in front of me. I was more careful with what I did. I was more of…a fan. Not full-blooded fanatic, but the traces of fandom still ran through me. How do I know? Because for the first time in over 20 years I know what being a fan feels like again. I’ll talk about that next time.

P.S. - and for those saying here's another one of  your "retirement speeches," well maybe. But I'll have some salient points about what I feel is the state of the sport soon. 

Requiem

This Saturday marks the end of an era at Eagle Raceway as the 360 Sprints will take to the track for the final time in a weekly points show. While the non-points Eagle Shootout and Nebraska Cup will run in September, this is the final show for the class at the track.

For 29 seasons, the 360’s consistently ran at Eagle. But rising costs cited as reason for declining car counts through Roger Hadan’s seven seasons of ownership forced Hadan to end what had become Eagle’s signature series in favor of ostensibly lower-costs and more tightly regulated IMCA Racesaver 305’s. While some fans had held hope that reconciliation could be met, the final nail had been driven when Eagle Raceway announced the 2013 Sprint Rules package - of the 305 spec - this week. 360’s can run, with restriction - but this will be a 305 series now. To those who ask how Eagle can pull it off with a dozen or so possible cars, I respond...about as well as he’s doing with the dozen cars now.

With less than a dozen cars competing the last two nights - the lowest car counts in the history of the series - there is no fanfare, and a 70% forecast for rain for Saturday would seem almost a “go figure” kind of end to the final season (not to mention ironic during this drought year).

Mike Boston leads Trevor Grossenbacher by 88 points going into the final show. Given there’s too large of a point spread for Grossenbacher to make up, lest a miracle 24 cars show for a B feature and Boston fails to qualify, Boston will seal up his sixth track title, tying John Gerloff (sprints), Mike Meyer (IMCA Modified), and Kevin Larkins (IMCA Modified) for most titles in one class in the track’s history.

Weather permitting (or maybe regardless) I plan to be there for the final go-round. With the exception of my tour with the NCRA Outlaws in 1996 and taking out time for the family this year, Eagle Raceway and sprint cars have been a part of my summer life for this entire period.

While I’m in agreement that Roger had to make a change, I’m not happy about it. Yes, there will be Sprint Cars in the academic sense, and to the fan that may be enough, but there is a culture which is leaving. Granted, it’s not a complete break, but many of the names and faces I’ve grown familiar with, in some cases became friends with, will not be part of the fabric at Eagle next year. And while current owners and fans are working to create a new series with the current Eagle regulars at its core, the shows out of town just don’t have the same attachment. Place and people were linked.

I plan on being there with my camera (which I've already sold - but will use for one last time), pen and paper and a single focus. Saturday - it isn’t about the other classes on the track for me. It’s about this group...who happen to race Sprint cars. After that...who knows?

So for me, this Saturday is a requiem of sorts. Saying goodbye to the class that spoke for Eagle Raceway for nearly 30 years.

Thoughts on this past Weekend's Races at Eagle

Took another trip to Eagle this week. Despite the heat, it was nice to see quite a few people and get some feedback on the piece I wrote regarding the 360/305 change at Eagle. (I didn’t realize later it got posted on Hoseheads.com, and other places until I checked my site traffic stats).

A few observations:

1. There’s a concern among some teams that a vocal minority is speaking on behalf of the current sprint car contingent. Not saying that they’re not in agreement on many things - but the approach taken has caused concern that this minority and its attitude is weighing heavily on Roger Hadan’s actions. The answer for this is to speak to Roger directly, on behalf of themselves and if needed, publicly state that these few are not speaking for the group.

2. The decision to go to 305’s is not cast in stone, but the mold has been set. My prediction is we’ll see the 305’s next season, but a concerted effort from a NEW group of representatives and a new way of thinking may change that. I would say this - if the 360s are willing to compromise on engine (such as injector restrictions), tires or wing size/configuration, and if the changes were such that ‘the little guy’ could keep up, there could be a change of heart. It’s looking like the 305 announcement was more of Eagle's answer to the question “...or else what, Roger?” But make no mistake, the gauntlet has been thrown down and I fully believe Roger will follow through.

3. Running the sprints first makes sense, and produced a good feature on a decent track. I don’t mind dry tracks - with big wings, it often leaves you with great racing as long as the track doesn’t take rubber. But - the rest of the night seemed a bit empty to me. Until the final race, leading me to...

4. The ‘A’ Mods still put on a fantastic show, and if you have to close with something other than the sprints, they’re the ones to do it. A fine piece of driving and strategy gave Chris Alcorn the win on the final lap.

5. The myth of the crowd pouring out after the sprints run is busted. Now, I did notice people leaving, but certainly not in droves. Maybe a hundred or so, if that. The crowd dwindled slightly as each feature ended, but it certainly wasn’t empty by the final feature, and the typical line down the road was there after the show. I think this: the sprints are liked, being without them would have a significant impact, but they aren’t the entire show and don’t hold nearly the sway as they did during the Cormack/early Hadan years.

6. I was impressed, barring the after-race figure 8 program, the show was done shortly after 10. I can live with that.

7. That said, the ‘A’ Modified car count was down to just 22 cars - all running in the A. Yes, we see car counts drop in July as heat, vacations and most importantly budgets take their toll. But 22 is a noticeable low for a normally strong weekly show. It’s seasonal. BUT I think that in terms of attrition due to costs, A mods are next on the list, especially when you can run a sport mod on the same track. The question will be: if their car counts drop below 20 for a length of time...does Roger put the ultimatum on them, like he did the sprints?

My plans lie elsewhere this weekend, I’ll likely be out at Eagle for the USAC show. Otherwise, despite the heat, it was a pleasant trip.

But those chicken poppers - they need some improvement.

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