What are the biggest engine sprints they run there? I’d love to see something more than just tumble buggies tuning at this place. How much HP do the midgets have
Printable View
What are the biggest engine sprints they run there? I’d love to see something more than just tumble buggies tuning at this place. How much HP do the midgets have
They don't run any form of sprint car, its all midgets and smaller. So a midget has almost 400 hp I-4 in a 1035 lb car. Millbridge does run 600 cc Micros, which are based around a motorcycle engine, as their biggest engine class. Typically many events people recognize Millbridge for are Outlaw Kart races, which are based around 450cc motorcycle engines like in a production dirt bike. The entry level classes like little Larson and Baby Busch run are based on box stock Clone engines.
Thanks for the details. I do enjoy watching the 600 micros. Maybe we can get a 305 race there some day.
If Millbridge was a little bit bigger, closer to the 1/5th mile rather than 1/6th mile range, it would work for both wing and nonwing sprints. Locally in Nebraska we have a venue that's probably a big 1/5th small 1/4 that runs USAC midgets and wing 305's, and this year a USAC regional non-wing sprint event.
I've watched a lot of midget racing over the years and I am of the opinion that the midgets would put on a very good show at Millbridge. It appears that they may have needed to tailor their track prep more specifically to the full house midgets but that is probably easy enough for them. Being a day show changes everything regarding track prep, as well.
We've seen both winged and wingless 410's at Mighty Macon, which is a 1/5th mile with stout banking, and either one of those classes do not put on the quality of show that the POWRi National Midgets or USAC National Midgets do. They have to run gearing so low that they have a tendency to wheelie twice a lap getting off of 2 & 4. The 410's are not using half their horsepower. I fear full house 410's and probably even the 360's at Millbridge would have a similar, or even worse, problem. 305's may be okay but IMHO they'd need to leave the dam wings off to put on anywhere near as good of a show as the midgets did. Wingless put on the best show no matter where they race! The best drivers are the midget drivers, as well!
Millbridge is way to small for full size cars. The full size midgets are borderline to much for the track, it is great for the 600 and smaller. I will say that a field of maybe 15 good midget drivers could put on a great show as well (the show in December was very good; they also learned a few things they could do to make it better). I have been out there when Hoffman tests his modified, it takes up the whole track and then some. Great little track for the small cars and run by an awesome group of people.
I love Millbridge. I hope the place continues to grow. I’m not into those rich little cup driver kids though 😜
That's exactly why wingless sprint cars, especially wingless 410's require more talent, skill and bravery than the wingers. That statement isn't from me because I've never strapped my ass into either one. That statement comes from 2 guys that have won USAC National Sprint Car races AND WoO's winged sprint car races. Take it up with them. Personally, I'll take their word all day long!
Drivers point of view will be different from the fan point of view. Wings are more fan friendly. Look at this. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wX2WUr7x_Oc . Imagine how much better this would be with a wing. Car faster and more visual for the fans
I was, the track owners are great people and I don't get out there enough. The place was just an old, rundown kart track that they have really changed the face of. The December show was neat for sure and they say they are going to do it again (I think they should, way more pro's than con's). It was mainly a test for Elliot to get some laps and be around other midgets before the Chili Bowl...
CIRF, Fairbury is listed at a 1/5th mile, its probably closer to a 1/4 on the cushion. It's surprisingly big and wide. The speedway was going to try running Sport Compacts and I didn't see much other than a few practice laps of that.
I was thinking you were there. Being a driver do you think the track prep could be fine tuned to better accommodate the midgets? The dust wasn't a factor but it seemed to rut up and get a bit rough. Not horrible but it was a factor. The midget show in December was well above average in entertainment value but track seemed to dig out and rut up. That certainly gives a track unique character but on the same token less rutting and smoother racing surface would likely facilitate more side by side racing even on a tiny bullring like Millbridge.
I really hope they continue to schedule the midgets in December. It will replace the USAC National Midget indoor event at Du Quoin that traditionally was right before Christmas. The Du Quoin event was done in by the dome thing over in St. Louis that they scheduled directly against Du Quoin. Just for the record I've attended both and the Du Quoin midget event was much better than the midgets at St. Louis.
Thanks for the info, slideiton. I've only watched the USAC Midgets at Fairbury on Flo. The place is quite racy and reminded me somewhat of Macon, IL and it was apparent that it was comparable in size. Back before the Belleville Midget Nationals went away the USAC Midgets ran at Fairbury, NE and Beloit, Kansas leading up to the Nationals weekend at The High Banks. I made it out to Kansas the last year they had the Nationals at Belleville early enough to make it to Beloit but was never able to get out there in time to go to Fairbury. Wish I had.
There are a lot of good sprint car drivers who steer clear of the wingless 410's. Kyle Larson is one of them. He took a horrible tumble at the 2012 Four Crown Nationals at Eldora. Larson claims it was that crash at Eldora that spooked him from driving wingless 410's. Drivers that have driven both usually say they feel more secure and safe with the wings. Robert Ballou is one of the few exceptions. Wings are undeniably faster but the wingless cars generally put on a better show. The safety factor is generally why the wingless cars race on big 1/2 miles like Terre Haute, Indiana much less frequently. Places like Kokomo, Bloomington and Haubstadt, Indiana are where the wingless guys prefer to race due to them being smaller and not nearly as frighteningly fast. Larger testicular dimensions are required to be really good without wings. The margin for error is much thinner regarding wingless sprint cars.
Wings. Yes Wings more better. For all the reasons you mention CIRF
The wingers are not better, and generally not as good, in regards to the quality of competition and excitement but they have the reputation for not being as unforgiving to the drivers in the event of a mishap. The respect for life and limb between wingless sprint and midget competitors is much more essential on all tracks but the bigger, faster places like Eldora and Terre Haute require drivers to take extra care as to not put their fellow competitors in undo, unnecessary danger.
I prefer watching wingless sprints and midgets on the shorter tracks. Not because the racing is so much better but because I hold my breath at places such as Terre Haute & Eldora hoping everyone respects and takes care of each other and no one gets hurt. I don't get that foreboding knot in my stomach at the shorter tracks when guys start clacking wheels, feeding each other questionable right rear's or throwing slider bombs in the corners.
If anyone can find 25 laps of better A-main racing than the USAC National Midget portion of the 2019 Four Crown Nationals at Eldora I'd like to see it. I've seen some just as good but not better! It's the best A-main I've ever seen at Big E and I've been to over 20 World Hundreds and several Dreams and a few Kings Royal's.
We were in the stands for this race and a lotta' people, including myself and my wife, were holding their breath from start to finish hoping no one did anything stupid. Luckily they didn't!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGt921fgZt4
Cars are just not exciting even when the racing is good. It’s kinda like crate sportsman vs late model. Just not strong enough to create excitement for fans. Fun to drive and all though.
Forgive me for saying so but you're probably not really be a race fan if that video doesn't show some of the most exciting racing humanly possible. I've never interacted with a true dirt racing fan, regardless of their preferences, who doesn't express appreciation for the quality of competition! It's really not clear what you're expectations are or if they're realistic. No full bodied car of any kind could maneuver and race in such an exciting and breathtaking manner, especially at Eldora. You know it and I know it.
Its either some sort of blind bias or you're a conveniently unaware contrarian 'cause that video is great racing and I think you know it but won't admit it. Either way attempting to understand is no longer worth the bandwidth.
Nothing personal but those things are honestly just tumble buggies to me. Good term for them 👍. Not my thing.
Midgets are bad a@# for sure, wish I had taken the time to follow them more. CIRF, thank you again for sharing.
CIRF, As you said the '19 Four Crown midgets were about as good as it gets and it's definitely a breath holder watching the little cars on the Eldoras of the country. Personally, I much prefer them on the Millbridges. Never been there and likely never will but we've got our own 1/5 dirt out here in Orland Speedway, a steeply banked small town small track north of Chico that regularly runs the 250 and 500 micros and it tops almost every kind of racing anywhere. Put 12-20 of them on it and 3 or more lead changes per lap were the norm.
We often ran Silver Dollar Speedway on Friday night with the Super Stock, then stayed over to run at Orland on Saturday, again with the SS. Never changed a gear or hardly anything to run there and were way over geared, only turning about 6,500 rpm compared to 7,400 at Silver Dollar. Difference was at Orland, if you had the nerve (we did) you just put your foot to the floor and never lifted or touched the brakes. Ten or 15 of the big cars on the tiny track got awfully crowded and a few wrinkled body panels were normal but it was a a ton, or should say ton and a half of fun. My son, many years ago, got his first clean sweep there, something I never accomplished, winning the dash his heat and the main lapping up to second place. The grin he had was priceless.
Unfortunately, our class hasn't been scheduled for a few years and with the Covid thing they didn't open at all last year. Hopefully this year will see them reopen and, if we're invited back we'll be there in a flash. It's a perfect example of what Saturday night hobby type racing once was.
Hopefully you can get back to racing soon. The type of racing you do looks like a lot of fun👍
When I was fresh out of school and prior to marital bliss I was involved with a multi-time championship dirt late model team. I was so immersed in that whole world I was totally blind of how good dirt open wheel racing really is. How brave, talented and skillful the really good drivers of those divisions are!
I befriended a now hall of fame driver who won races in 4 or 5 different types of racecars. Midgets and dirt late models were just 2 of the different divisions he won in. Watching him opened my eyes, big time.
That video of the 2019 Four Crown Midget A-main is some of the best racing I've ever had the privilege of witnessing. I've seen some great stuff of every division but that one is AGAIG's!
over, I too prefer the small cars at shorter venues. The excitement of competition is generally more consistently good at places like Macon and Belleville, Illinois than it is at Eldora and Belleville, Kansas. But that 2019 A-main at Big E is one for the ages no matter what your track size and race car type preferences are!!
The experience you speak of at Orland sound like one of those once in a career highlight reel. I would guess that even today that night brings smiles to the faces of all involved! Glad you shared that experience here!
I think I've already posted this to you but here goes again. If the covid19 thing is under control and the tracks are operating and we feel comfortable we're coming out to west for the USAC Midgets at Placerville and Turkey Night at Ventura. Ventura is a 5th mile and the midgets put on an exemplary show at Mr. Naylor's track. Hope it all works out, and if it does it would be cool to hook up with you out on the left coast. There will be 4 or 5 in our group and we'd love getting advice on where to go and what to do in that part of California when we're not at a racetrack!
Again, it's safe to say you're not really a race fan. The only clear conclusion is that you like or dislike certain types of race cars not the racing itself.
You're participating in the wrong section if dirt open wheel racing isn't your "thing". It's also unclear exactly what your "thing" is.
Enjoy your perception of great racing, whatever that may be! LOL!
Well. I do like the Winged sprint cars and plan on following the Carolinas Sprint tour this year and going to as many races as possible. These folks put on a great show.
CIRF, you have to understand the area he is from. Great racing around here is few and far between, especially open wheel. The dirt is not like midwest dirt, compound the racing formats that promote single file racing and you get very little passing. Great people and some great drivers in the area, but the shows are not what you will see in other parts of the country.
From you as a competitor what is, in you opinion, the problem with the clay composition that works against good racing in the area you speak of? It seems that some Georgia and most Florida tracks are conducive to good racing whether it be fendered or open wheel cars.
The mystery to me is how anyone could watch the Four Crown Eldora video and say with sincerity that the racing that took place was not good. It's one thing to not be particularly interested in the drivers or even the cars. The truth is, that is undeniably some good stuff!
CIRF. Those cars just do not impress me enough for me to spend money going to or spend time following them. It’s pretty much that simple and yes it’s true they don’t race around here much at all. The USCS and the Carolina series does come through on a regular basis and I try to go to as many of those races as possible. I grew up at Lernerville watching Outlaws.
I'm an idiot for bothering to continue to respond with logic but here goes anyway. Whether you're impressed with the cars or not is a matter of personal preference and justified. It's a whole other display of either ignorance or convenient selective bias to say the racing in the video of Eldora isn't exciting and a breathtaking display of driving skill, talent and testicular dimensions. Your sincerity further comes into question due to the fact that your hanging out in a section that is dedicated to a form of racing that you claim is not worthy of your attention. Kinda' odd, don't you think?
I think it has to do with the amount of sand in the dirt. They call it 'clay' (and there are places that have clay), but most of the tracks around here are not clay. It is really crazy how dusty the tracks can get and still have moisture, red 'fog' into the stands. As you get up into Virginia or over to Tn the soil changes. Wythe is less than two hours away and one of the best surfaces you will see. The other part is the shows tend to be practice, qualify, and feature (heads up starts). Wonder why its a train race with that format?Watch Blaney testing a 410 at Wythe if you get a chance (youtube), that racetrack is one of the best in the country (and it is a half mile...).
Thanks a bunch for the clarifications. I take much more stock in information coming from a guy that actually straps his ass into a racecar than I do even my own bleacher jockey opinion.
I'll take a look at the video you reference. Is Wythe a true half mile? If it is it's an endangered species. True half miles are becoming fewer and farther between.
Good luck this season and all your future seasons, Evel! I'll be watching all the Bristol dirt activities so let us know which car to look for!!
No problem, and trust me, I put no more stock into my views than others-but do enjoy the banter back and forth. As for Wythe, it is very close to true half mile for sure-big banking and wide. Barring I do not get canned before Bristol I will be in the black 7 car (yellow numbers) in 604 crate (actually it may have to be m7).
Never know for sure, I do fill in for a friend of mine in the Blue Ridge occasionally but think he is all set for next weekend. I think it will be a good show (minus the dust).
I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully we have good weather.
Since this is a Millbridge page, Ty Gibbs got his first ever win in the box stock class at Millbridge. Kicked their a@# on the road course at Daytona yesterday!