Summernationals trending down...

[thexfactor0210]

Man after listening to Feger on last nights DoD Videocast it sounds like the tour is not going to have one regular. He said neither he, Babb, Shirley, or Heckenast are happy with the schedule and I cannot blame them. They are scheduled against a monster week at I80 and other high dollar races. They seriously need to go back to 4 weeks and a tighter schedule.

[golddirt]

I agree, 27 races in 30 days.

[james777777]

And without these bigger name drivers, fans won't be packing the stands. I for one refuse to pay the SN admission prices to see what amounts to a weekly show.

[BirkyTime15B]

And 5K to win is laughable also...

[Pennsboro32]

Why ruin a good thing?

[Action10]

Why ruin a good thing?WRG views the Summernationals (and all of what used to be UMP) as their minor league. It has gradually happened since the sale of UMP to them, but this is where we are today.

[LM1]

PPV is where the money is at, this longer schedule will prompt many to pay an extra $39 for another month of Dirtvision; could be another $200-$400K for WRG.

[NeedforLM$peed]

And without these bigger name drivers, fans won't be packing the stands. I for one refuse to pay the SN admission prices to see what amounts to a weekly show.

Maybe at certain events. Guys are just going to pick and choose what works for them.

[Highside Hustler25]

And 5K to win is laughable also...

Most certainly is. Show me a SN race that doesn't pack the house. Fan attendance has been going up every year. Parking lots don't lie. Every race should be 10g minimum.

[Josh Bayko]

The summernats are a bloated mess and have been for years. It started off as 10 races in 12 days or whatever it was. They need to get back to that.

[reid boys]

Last year they said they hated the break. Then they do the same thing this year. The drivers told Sam what they wanted last year in there interviews on DOD

[NeedforLM$peed]

July 4th 1986 it says they raced at both Kankakee and at Mid State raceway in the same day.

[vayforu]

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[dirty-white-boy]

Man after listening to Feger on last nights DoD Videocast it sounds like the tour is not going to have one regular. He said neither he, Babb, Shirley, or Heckenast are happy with the schedule and I cannot blame them. They are scheduled against a monster week at I80 and other high dollar races. They seriously need to go back to 4 weeks and a tighter schedule.

Just listening to Feger talk about anything or following him on Social Media will put anyone into a state of depression.

Just remember if there is 5k up for grabs 27 nights and a points reward at the end, there will be someone there chasing it. That series is bigger than Feger whether he wishes to admit that or not.

Really wish DoD would get away from the IL boys and Busch Latte Boom!

[50Dixon50]

The summernats are a bloated mess and have been for years. It started off as 10 races in 12 days or whatever it was. They need to get back to that.
I think 28 races in 32 days is fine it's ridiculous that drivers have to travel as far as the schedule is this year especially for the $5000 to win they need to shorten the distance they go out

[Mister Ricochet]

PPV is where the money is at, this longer schedule will prompt many to pay an extra $39 for another month of Dirtvision; could be another $200-$400K for WRG.

Was it Rigsby that said a few times that after speaking to quite a few owners during the Covid Season the dirty little secret is it was their most profitable year ever!!?? ........ I think you're right. It seems the business side paradigm of the sport is changing in real time.

Not a business man and haven't followed the sport like most here at 4m but the ability to see so much more racing at tracks I'll never get to due to the ability to stream the sport has changed dramatically for me. ............ For decades me and the fellas met up at the tavern or someone's garage to watch the NFL, or even NHL, now we do that to watch dirt late model racing. Something we could never have dreamed of just a few short yrs ago.

[Buford.Justice]

Most certainly is. Show me a SN race that doesn't pack the house. Fan attendance has been going up every year. Parking lots don't lie. Every race should be 10g minimum.


Yes or at least $7500 for weeknight shows. A lot of tracks try to get a weeknight show so that they don't have to pay $10K yet still charge a fat admission.

B-town for instance. They used to have a weekend date. But not anymore.

[hoodpin]

Yes or at least $7500 for weeknight shows. A lot of tracks try to get a weeknight show so that they don't have to pay $10K yet still charge a fat admission.

B-town for instance. They used to have a weekend date. But not anymore.

There's reason why they don't have the weekend date like they used to, but its not for the reason mentioned.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

WRG views the Summernationals (and all of what used to be UMP) as their minor league. It has gradually happened since the sale of UMP to them, but this is where we are today.

It's supposed to be weekly racing. Bob Memmer and UMP killed wedge cars to save money and the sport. It's not about big money and big stars.

[Action10]

It's supposed to be weekly racing. Bob Memmer and UMP killed wedge cars to save money and the sport. It's not about big money and big stars.I agree with you, I just feel like it has been mismanaged totally. When was the last time an actual weekly racer won the UMP national championship? Rodney Melvin in the mid-00's if I remember correctly.

[JimBo]

Just listening to Feger talk about anything or following him on Social Media will put anyone into a state of depression.

Just remember if there is 5k up for grabs 27 nights and a points reward at the end, there will be someone there chasing it. That series is bigger than Feger whether he wishes to admit that or not.

Really wish DoD would get away from the IL boys and Busch Latte Boom!

You nailed it on the head dwb, for me anyway.

[jr29]

I have no idea what the "good ole days" of the Summer Nationals was supposed to be. I've been following DLM racing since the mid-1990's and they were going to Michigan and Iowa and Wisconsin in those days too. They raced in Baxter, Tennessee back then. That's closer to Charlotte or Atlanta than St. Louis. Do these guys want 10k to win every night within 3 hours of Decatur, Illinois ?
Racers seem to complain a lot.
What's the problem ? Someone help me out....educate me.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

I agree with you, I just feel like it has been mismanaged totally. When was the last time an actual weekly racer won the UMP national championship? Rodney Melvin in the mid-00's if I remember correctly.

Schlenk and Unzicker are far from serious tour racers.

I'm not arguing the mismanagement, but apparently for totally different reasons. This group has sat and done nothing to keep the cars in check. They just cash their checks.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

I have no idea what the "good ole days" of the Summer Nationals was supposed to be. I've been following DLM racing since the mid-1990's and they were going to Michigan and Iowa and Wisconsin in those days too. They raced in Baxter, Tennessee back then. That's closer to Charlotte or Atlanta than St. Louis. Do these guys want 10k to win every night within 3 hours of Decatur, Illinois ?
Racers seem to complain a lot.
What's the problem ? Someone help me out....educate me.

I have the same questions.

[jr29]

The first three years of the thing the first race was in Owatonna, Minnesota. The first year the series went from Owatonna to St. Charles, Missouri the next night. Mapquest tells me that is 477 miles. Stop acting like the travel has only become difficult in recent years.

2000 tour...
June 25 in Haubstadt, In
June 26 Hales Corners, Wi
June 27 East Moline, Il

[jr29]

I agree with you, I just feel like it has been mismanaged totally. When was the last time an actual weekly racer won the UMP national championship? Rodney Melvin in the mid-00's if I remember correctly.

And drivers complain that the purse is a huge problem. Pay 20k to win every night and see what that does to the weekly racer.

[Action10]

Schlenk and Unzicker are far from serious tour racers.I'm not arguing the mismanagement, but apparently for totally different reasons. This group has sat and done nothing to keep the cars in check. They just cash their checks.Fair point. They aren't serious touring racers but I also don't consider them weekly racers either. That's not to say I'm right, just my view on it.You are spot on about collecting money without controlling the sport and keeping it somewhat affordable.

[cgrace]

The first three years of the thing the first race was in Owatonna, Minnesota. The first year the series went from Owatonna to St. Charles, Missouri the next night. Mapquest tells me that is 477 miles. Stop acting like the travel has only become difficult in recent years.2000 tour...June 25 in Haubstadt, InJune 26 Hales Corners, WiJune 27 East Moline, IlI think the point is that they keep extending the nights in the series, traveling for 10 nights in a row is one thing. Now they are all over the map for two and half months. The series basically pays about the same when diesel fuel was significantly less, they've also split it up with big shows in between. So if anyone wants to attend the big shows that's tons of racing. The series is June 15 until August 21. Starts immediately after the Dream. Weeks off the guys travel to Cedar Lake for the USA Nationals and FALS which really aren't that close either. They also gotta skip a few other big races to stay on the tour.

[jr29]

I think the point is that they keep extending the nights in the series, traveling for 10 nights in a row is one thing. Now they are all over the map for two and half months. The series basically pays about the same when diesel fuel was significantly less, they've also split it up with big shows in between. So if anyone wants to attend the big shows that's tons of racing. The series is June 15 until August 21. Starts immediately after the Dream. Weeks off the guys travel to Cedar Lake for the USA Nationals and FALS which really aren't that close either. They also gotta skip a few other big races to stay on the tour.

All of that is valid and I'm not crazy about the current schedule either. But haven't the drivers been complaining for years ? I really like Shannon Babb but I remember him commenting several years ago about how the tour had gotten away from what it was supposed to be about. Why was the tour so great in 2004 and why was it starting to be so terrible for these drivers in 2017 or 2018 ?
There are more high paying specials these days and I don't see how UMP can do anything about that. If they raise purses more touring level drivers are gonna be showing up. That makes things more difficult for the local, weekly guy. Is the tour supposed to cater to the weekly guy or the touring guy ? Can't have it both ways....at least not nowadays.

[NeedforLM$peed]

The first three years of the thing the first race was in Owatonna, Minnesota. The first year the series went from Owatonna to St. Charles, Missouri the next night. Mapquest tells me that is 477 miles. Stop acting like the travel has only become difficult in recent years.

2000 tour...
June 25 in Haubstadt, In
June 26 Hales Corners, Wi
June 27 East Moline, Il

According to DoD the first ever Summer National race was in 1986 at Spoon River.

[jr29]

According to DoD the first ever Summer National race was in 1986 at Spoon River.

The Summer Nationals page goes back to 1988. That's the year I'm referring to.

[NeedforLM$peed]

I wonder why they don't have the it complete

https://www.dirtondirt.com/history-series.php?id=12

[jr29]

I wonder why they don't have the it complete

https://www.dirtondirt.com/history-series.php?id=12

Don't know.
If the current schedule looked like those first couple years folks would say it isn't the grueling test that it should be.

[obamaracing#1]

I’m not sure trending down, if I remember right, 5-10 years ago the car counts were getting dangerously low. The stands have been full at most races. THE DRIVERS/TEAMS are getting screwed. The price for admission has kept up with current times but not purse. only pay out 5,000.00 is ludicrous. These promoters make out like bandits at the 5,000.00 shows right. When the drivers and teams stop showing up things will change. On a side note, on the national scene we are seeing purses finally increase and catch up with modern times

[Jking24]

I guess I miss heard feger. I didn't feel like he complained about one thing he just spoke his mind about the current schedule and it sounded like the rest of the drivers that follow it on a regular basis are in agreement. With the exception of Gardner and unzucker pretty much all the guys that follow summer nationals race for a living and it doesent make sense to drive past a 10k or more show to go to a hell tour show. I also agree that it's too spread out the reason it's called the hell tour is because it's grueling

[dirty-white-boy]

But in the promoter's defense someone will be there chasing that 5k. So until they stop showing up they wont stop offering 5k to win and a hot dog to start.

[backspace]

I believe that the SN Tour has run its course. Unless some major purse changes take place,,,,,while I am at it,,the 4 wide pre race start is getting old too