Sad News -- Indiana Fairground Mile track last season

[thexfactor0210]

Just saw where this will be the last season Usac Silver Crown will run at the Indy Fairgrounds as they are turning it into parking and horse harness track. I think this leaves only two miles in the country now with Springfield and Sacramento???

Anyone think we will ever see another late model race at one of those tracks? It was cool to see it once a year.

[Rich Riedesel]

There's also a mile at DuQuoin, Il. They run an ARCA race there every year.

[thexfactor0210]

There's also a mile at DuQuoin, Il. They run an ARCA race there every year.

Ah yes forgot about DuQoin. I think that is it then right? Since Syracuse has been torn down.

[formercrewguy]

The Hoosier 100 in May is the last race.

[dirtcrazy4u]

Unfortunately they probably do not use the mile tracks for a combined 7 total days. There just not a viable option anymore. Syracuse may have been the most used for super dirt week.

Nascrap should seriously think about putting the cup cars on a mile dirt. See if there's interest, run a 100 mile show, you could go much above 150 lap race. The surface would never take it.

Do ya think the people would come ?

[CIRF]

Just saw where this will be the last season Usac Silver Crown will run at the Indy Fairgrounds as they are turning it into parking and horse harness track. I think this leaves only two miles in the country now with Springfield and Sacramento???

Anyone think we will ever see another late model race at one of those tracks? It was cool to see it once a year.

To my knowledge there has not been a race involving 4 wheeled racing machines at Sacramento in many years. I believe they do run the AMA Flat Track motorcycles at SacTown.

I really doubt there will ever be another dirt late model event on a 1 mile dirt track unless someone puts up a huge purse. Dirt late model engines are way too expensive. In addition to the cost factor dirt late models are really not safe enough to withstand a wall impact at the speeds that the modern generic late models are capable of.

Unfortunately they probably do not use the mile tracks for a combined 7 total days. There just not a viable option anymore. Syracuse may have been the most used for super dirt week.

Nascrap should seriously think about putting the cup cars on a mile dirt. See if there's interest, run a 100 mile show, you could go much above 150 lap race. The surface would never take it.

Do ya think the people would come ?

Traditionally there are 6 races run over a 2 day period at Springfield the last two days of the Illinois State Fair. Time trials and a last chance qualifier for the 100 mile Bettenhausen Memorial featuring the beautiful USAC Silver Crown cars is run on Saturday. Also, a couple of heat races for the sportsman stock cars are run on Saturday to determine the lineup for the sportsman feature race on Sunday. They qualify the ARCA stock cars and run a 20 mile feature for the sportsman cars on Sunday prior to the ARCA race.

Same USAC Silver Crown/ARCA stock car programs is run two weeks later at Du Quoin on Saturday and Sunday night of Labor Day weekend which is the last weekend of the annual Du Quoin State Fair. The UMP Modifieds take the place of the sportsman cars at Du Quoin but they run a very similar program.

As far as the surface not holding up for anything past a 150 mile event I would counter by saying we attended several 200 mile ARCA races at Du Quoin back in the 1990's and the track held up pretty well, actually


There is little doubt that the NASCAR Cup cars would be a huge and instant hit on either of the Illinois 1 mile dirt tracks. Du Quoin makes the most sense since DQ has a bit more spectator seating than Springfield, DQ has lights and a huge campground.

I've seen some incredibly good ARCA Series races at both Springfield and Du Quoin and the ARCA cars are relatively similar to Cup cars. I haven't been to a NASCAR Cup race in almost 20 years but I'd beg borrow or steal a ticket to a Cup race on a mile dirt track. I suspect a lot of other people would, too.

[dirtcrazy4u]

Yea CIRF no doubt. The sprints cars at Syracuse was a sqeeze your arsh kind of deal. Especially coming out of 2, it was like driving into a tunnel. The HP cars make today, the outcome of stuffing 1 into the armco may not be favorable. Kyle Larson up on the wheel, you betcha.

[thexfactor0210]

To my knowledge there has not been a race involving 4 wheeled racing machines at Sacramento in many years. I believe they do run the AMA Flat Track motorcycles at SacTown.

I really doubt there will ever be another dirt late model event on a 1 mile dirt track unless someone puts up a huge purse. Dirt late model engines are way too expensive. In addition to the cost factor dirt late models are really not safe enough to withstand a wall impact at the speeds that the modern generic late models are capable of.

Traditionally there are 6 races run over a 2 day period at Springfield the last two days of the Illinois State Fair. Time trials and a last chance qualifier for the 100 mile Bettenhausen Memorial featuring the beautiful USAC Silver Crown cars is run on Saturday. Also, a couple of heat races for the sportsman stock cars are run on Saturday to determine the lineup for the sportsman feature race on Sunday. They qualify the ARCA stock cars and run a 20 mile feature for the sportsman cars on Sunday prior to the ARCA race.

Same USAC Silver Crown/ARCA stock car programs is run two weeks later at Du Quoin on Saturday and Sunday night of Labor Day weekend which is the last weekend of the annual Du Quoin State Fair. The UMP Modifieds take the place of the sportsman cars at Du Quoin but they run a very similar program.

As far as the surface not holding up for anything past a 150 mile event I would counter by saying we attended several 200 mile ARCA races at Du Quoin back in the 1990's and the track held up pretty well, actually


There is little doubt that the NASCAR Cup cars would be a huge and instant hit on either of the Illinois 1 mile dirt tracks. Du Quoin makes the most sense since DQ has a bit more spectator seating than Springfield, DQ has lights and a huge campground.

I've seen some incredibly good ARCA Series races at both Springfield and Du Quoin and the ARCA cars are relatively similar to Cup cars. I haven't been to a NASCAR Cup race in almost 20 years but I'd beg borrow or steal a ticket to a Cup race on a mile dirt track. I suspect a lot of other people would, too.

You are probably right. Just a pipe dream I guess!

[Clayton_Wetter]

NASCAR turning to dirt would be a quick death to it. NASCAR is just not about dirt racing.

[Hoosier_Dirt]

Gotta agree with CW. Nascar is not about dirt. It's a different type racing. They could make changes to make Nascar fun to watch again,but they need leadership.

[over4T]

CIRF is correct that Sacramento hasn't had a car touch their dirt in years.

Does anyone know if the mile at Columbus, Ohio is still used. The old AMA Charity Newsie event was a he!!uva event for the flat track motorcycles.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

CIRF is correct that Sacramento hasn't had a car touch their dirt in years.

Does anyone know if the mile at Columbus, Ohio is still used. The old AMA Charity Newsie event was a he!!uva event for the flat track motorcycles.

Never knew Columbus had a mile track. I doubt it’s used, I’m half an hour away, never heard of it.

[CIRF]

My quote option won't work again so I'll have to wing it.

thexfactor0210, dirt lates on a mile may be a pipe dream but it's a good one. I remember well Kenny Schrader, Racin' John Mason and Jack Hewitt driving into turn #1 at Springfield 3 abreast and Schrader was the only one who had sense enough to lift. Jack told me years later that the reason Schrader lifted was because Schrader was afraid to die and he and Mason wasn't! I think Jack was serious. LOLOL! Most of the SLM guys that ran the mile's didn't look comfortable but what do I know, I was just setting in the stands. We saw some good late model racing on the Indy Mile, too.



Clay, please expand on why you think racing Cup cars on dirt would be the death of NASCAR? The ARCA guys have been running the dirt miles for over 30 years in basically the same cars as the Cup guys use and they have put on some phenomenally good racing, year in, year out. I really believe the Cup cars on a dirt mile would be a great show and would bring in huge interest from short track/dirt track fans. I could be wrong but if losing interest like NASCAR has over the past decade is to be corrected dirt may be part of the answer. I know I'd show up.



cnbf, I believe you are correct. AMA runs mile tracks at Springfield, Illinois-Minneapolis, Minnesota-Lexington, Kentucky-Medowlands New Jersey-Sacramento, California but no Columbus, Ohio. AMA has a big booth set up at The Chili Bowl every year and we hang out with those guys a little bit throughout the 6 days. It's surprising how diverse of a schedule the flat track series runs. I believe the AMA has their awards banquet in Columbus every year so it's surprising they haven't found a place to race there during the season.

[over4T]

cnbf, yep it is/was at the state fairgrounds, just a hop, skip & jump from the old hockey arena. Sad if the track is gone as we looked forward to AMA's race every year while I worked in Columbus and it never disappointed.
Loved the Checkers' hockey games too. A good blend of my 2 favorite sports, racing all summer, hockey all winter.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

cnbf, yep it is/was at the state fairgrounds, just a hop, skip & jump from the old hockey arena. Sad if the track is gone as we looked forward to AMA's race every year while I worked in Columbus and it never disappointed.
Loved the Checkers' hockey games too. A good blend of my 2 favorite sports, racing all summer, hockey all winter.

Blue Jackets and the Crew now. No racing at the fairgrounds, heck, I don’t think there’s even monster trucks.