Crown Jewels

[fryefan]

Ok ok. I will leave your beloved Go Kart race called the Chili Bowl alone for a while. 

You might think it is a "go kart" race (if you do, then you need to do some research), but it is truly a WORLD race. It is covered and watched in hundreds of countries around the world. World wide it has more interest than any other race.

[TerryM]

I am willing to bet that 95% of people's top 4 are all the same. I did this with Rigsby earlier and we literally had the same top 6. He had a tie at 6th but one of them was my 6.

If you have to ask if it is a crown jewel event, then it is probably not. And that is no disrespect to any event. It is just a cold hard fact.

The World 100
The Dream
Dirt Track World Championship
North South 100
Knoxville Late Model Nationals

I bet our 5-6-7 are interchangeable. We can debate it next time we have lunch lol.

[flagone]

I am willing to bet that 95% of people's top 4 are all the same. I did this with Rigsby earlier and we literally had the same top 6. He had a tie at 6th but one of them was my 6.

If you have to ask if it is a crown jewel event, then it is probably not. And that is no disrespect to any event. It is just a cold hard fact.

The World 100
The Dream
Dirt Track World Championship
North South 100
Knoxville Late Model Nationals

[kazual]

Crown jewel opinions are often a blend of regional bias and lots of here say.

[TerryM]

Ok pick your top 5. No alternates or ties.

1. World 100 — obvious
2. Dream — Eldora + 100K
3. North/South — HOF + 50K
4. DTWC — could be higher, but can’t find a home
5. USA Nationals/Cedar Lake — tied with 4 or 5 others

[mod95]

Knoxville is getting close but Silver Dollar Nationals hasn't even been around for 10 yrs yet

It actually hit 10 years this year but I understand your point. Clearly it's a very subjective topic. I definitely think it needs to be partly attributed to purse but the prestige needs to be built over time. Like another user said, the Super Nationals at Boone I think pays a guaranteed $2,000 to the winner with $100 bonuses up to $5,000 for $7,000 overall potential winnings (from an article from last year) so I think that would mean that's it's not even the highest-paying IMCA modified show in Iowa but it is absolutely the granddaddy of them all. I haven't been around long enough to speak to the history of some of these events, but I'd say for it to be a crown jewel in all of dirt racing it needs to mean something for drivers everywhere. I think if we make a list of 10 crown jewels, some of them very well may be better classified as regional crown jewels, and not mean much to someone across the country.

[flagone]

Ok pick your top 5. No alternates or ties.

[nc mudcat]

I started all of this. Can I withdraw the question????? LOL

No sir. Like all great threads, this one will be beat into submission before it leaves page 1. Then someone will resurrect it a year from now. We'll are indebted to you! http://www.4m.net/images/smilies/cool.png

[Rajflyboy]

Ok ok. I will leave your beloved Go Kart race called the Chili Bowl alone for a while. 😜😁

[dirtracing62]

I started all of this. Can I withdraw the question????? LOL

[NeedforLMspeed]

The thread concerns the true crown jewels of dirt racing and since there are really only 3 and one is a DLM event it seems quite apropos. It may not fit your circumscribed narrative but it's the truth, nonetheless.

You can't believe I took the time to type it and on the same token I can't believe you took the time to read it all and reply. So I reckon we're even, right?

I didn't read it. I skimmed it. The thread concerns the true crown jewels of DLM racing. That's why he asked in the DLM section of the forum. (Insert major eye roll)

[Pennsboro32]

Other than mentioning the World, not sure how anything else has absolutely anything to do with Dirt Late Models. Can't believe you took the time to type that all.

CIRF actually provides good racing insight unlike most on here.

[TDRacin®]

In fairness CIRF, the OP was asking about DLM crown jewels.

[CIRF]

Other than mentioning the World, not sure how anything else has absolutely anything to do with Dirt Late Models. Can't believe you took the time to type that all.

The thread concerns the true crown jewels of dirt racing and since there are really only 3 and one is a DLM event it seems quite apropos. It may not fit your circumscribed narrative but it's the truth, nonetheless.

You can't believe I took the time to type it and on the same token I can't believe you took the time to read it all and reply. So I reckon we're even, right?

[NeedforLMspeed]

In reality, at this point in time there are only 3 true crown jewels in all of dirt racing. They are the World Hundred, the Knoxville Sprint Car Nationals and The Chili Bowl, in no particular order. Those 3 events are the most sought after victories in all of dirt racing. Everything else on dirt is below them in prestige and importance. Knoxville has been around the longest of the 3 (1961) with the World and The Chili Bowl coming along a decade later and 26 years later respectively.

Prior to the demolition of the New York State Fairgounds Mile Super Dirt Week might could be ranked in that top echelon group but no more.

Crown jewels of dirt racing have evolved over the years. There was a time when the Hoosier Hundred Champ Car race was the most prestigious dirt race of any kind and the purse was second only to the Indy 500. Not a crown jewel anymore and hasn't been since in the 1970's. Turkey Night Grand Prix, when it was contested at Ascot Park, was a crown jewel and a hugely sought after resume' maker but it's significance has diminished greatly since Ascot closed forever.

Other than mentioning the World, not sure how anything else has absolutely anything to do with Dirt Late Models. Can't believe you took the time to type that all.