Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

My co-worker from Kellogg had a relative racing in the Mod show last night and invited me along so I went (trying to keep an open mind.)

I guess the action and the speed of the sprint cars weekly just makes it hard to sit thru this type of racing.

The LM feature was pretty much around the bottom and seemed like they were in slow motion. The mods seemed like they were even slower and less exciting than the LM's.

It was racing... but not even close to the Saturday night sprint car shows.

The announcing last night: The other announcer Cody did a GREAT job working and interacting with Bokhoven (making a 'snoozer' some what palatable.)

I think Cody worked one Saturday night earlier this year and the tracks apparent new weekly #2 (Jason) is not in the same league with these two.

Not bashing Jason ... just offering some constructive criticism ...Cody kinda brings back memories of Zoch, Trier and Herwehe, they should look at using him for their weekly events if he is available.

S.H.S.

Agree whole-heartedly on the announcer's.

Last week was TERRIBLE as Jason got names wrong, cars wrong (for a guy that attends every week, you shouldn't be getting the local guys names/cars screwed up).

After re-watching the 2010 Nationals on DVD, I am convinced that Toby Kruse and Bokhoven would make a great pairing (and they sounded good together at the Harris Clash for A-Mods). Toby reminds me a lot of Jack Miller as he comes across as just having a conversation with you.

Who can forget the line he had during the Open Red of the A-Main at last years Nationals? "Do you know what that reminded me of? The day after Thanksgiving at Wal-Mart."

The crowd was laughing out loud because it was true, funny, and it's something that people in the stands were probably thinking to themselves already.

Didn't go last night to watch the LM's or the B-Mods, but figured they wouldn't put on great racing (the ones in September sure do though).

I ussually enjoy LM, but it sounds like the track for the feature wasn't very good. That is too bad. Sitting through all those B-mod races had to be torture. What were the ticket prices and how big was the crowd?

My friend sprung for the tixs ...so I am not sure....crowd was small looking but remember the place holds 17,000 on the front grandstand alone... I'd put it at maybe 1500???

NSCHoF looked pretty dark and quiet ... but then it was a week night and it wasn't the usual type of cars.

Actually the LM feature was kinda exciting with Cooney trying some bonzi moves on the leader to get around him.

I might go back for a LM race if I didn't have to sit thru that mod deal again and if they had maybe a little more racing room to show their 'stuff.'

S.H.S.

Did you hear him the night when he butchered Bokhoven's favorite line of 'keep one eye on the flagman and one eye on the front row?'

We thought they'd replaced Jason with Foster Brooks in the booth on that one.

I gotta admit ... I almost wet myself laughing when he screwed that one up .. a possible 'Fruedian' slip about Clark's 'eyesight' ???

S.H.S.

It was an IMCA race, so the LM's and mods were both restricted. They can put on a decent show, but they need a better than average track to do so...as big as Knoxville is those motors need a sloppy wet track to be anything but a snooze-fest. (IMHO)

If you want a taste of real late model action try the LM Nat's in early October. Usually a good show with the winner coming from the very back at least three times in the short amount of time they have had this...the first one saw Muscatine Iowa's Brian Birkhoffer win both the B and the A main on Saturday night.

I believe they do have IMCA mods for the LM Nat's now, but at least it is an invitation only event that eliminates the track killing 10 heat races and 4 B mains that you had to sit through and ensures that the quality of drivers is much better.

One of the guys that I go to Knoxville with had this idea and I think it would work out. Knoxville should do away with the modified support class for the Late Model Nationals and put on a high paying "305 Nationals" of sorts for a support class. 2000 to 3000 to the winner and a decent purse for the rest of the field. Since the crowd for the Late Model show is always a completely different crowd from what you see at the Sprint Car races, it would give the late model crowd an idea of what a sprint car can do at the track and may give them the idea to come back to see another sprint car show.

Just a thought.

Ask Frank

And ...not a bad thought at that ...

S.H.S.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I beleive they staged a 305 Nationals type of a program with the Late Model Nationals one year. I think it was either the 2nd or 3rd time the LM Nats were held. Stacey Alexander I think won it.

Correct...

And as a fan in the stands that night I'll tell you that 90% of the people sitting near me made it well known to any Fairboard Member or Official in the area that they would NEVER be back if Sprints were the support class again...

Different fan base, you have to give them what they want, and they want Late Models only, or Late Models and Mod's.

I personally think the Open Lates put on a GREAT SHOW (with the exception of this year's races, the Late Model Show in September has been better racing (and they have enough speed) than the sprints over the last 6-7 years...

the only other problem with that would be the 410 and 360 guys getting cars put together and running for the 2-3000 to win show and it would take away from the guys that are just running 305's

The track needs (and I hope also) to make money on every event ....if the LM crowd dislikes sprint cars and if in fact having 305's or anyother sprint car class hurts their front gate ... they need to do what puts butt$ in their seats ...

I suspicion the unlimted LM crowd isn't any to wild about A or B mods either ... but probably are more prone to accepting them over sprints if the LM Nats is going to have a support class.

I certainly can accept the fact sprint cars aren't for everybody ... just like LM's aren't nor midgets or hobbystocks ...to each their own.

I went to a motorcycle race at Knoxville maybe 12 years ago or so in the fall after the sprints were done ... it was damned exciting and entertaining... wish they'd do something like that again.

S.H.S.

A lot of folks from up in my neck of the woods highly recommend the Late Model Nationals. They're the ones with the big aluminum power plants and they put on a good show. I don't make it to Knoxville for theirs but go to the USA Nationals up here at Cedar Lake. I like the cars with the big aluminum blocks but the cast block Late Models, WISSOTA, IMCA, I think are to the big block Late Models what the 360's are to the 410 Sprints. Late Models get all twisted up and gnarly so they're fun to photograph and there's a lot of side by side racing in that class if that's your cup of tea. I like a little of both but mainly lean towards the Sprints and understand where you're coming from.

Cool weekend up here. We've got both Late Models and Sprints on the same card Saturday night. Late Models are my favorite support class.

Stan Meissner

I grew up in St. Louis and I watched a lot of UMP Late Model and Modified racing at tracks like Pevely, Belleville (the 1/5 mile), Highland, Godfrey, etc. When I moved away from St. Louis, I couldn't understand the widespread distain for the fendered cars. Then I saw an IMCA show.... Watered down, restricted, hard tires, etc. (But its much cheaper than UMP). The racing seemed considerably slower and much less exciting than the UMP shows I had watched.

The UMP rules are pretty open. Very pricey engines and softer tires are allowed. I remember watching late model guys run Pevely flat out during time-trials. That was really pretty exciting. Back then (mid 90's) the late models guys around St. Louis seemed to enjoy racing on a heavier track. The tracks in that area didn't create a smooth, slick surface like is common today in the late model world. The places were heavy, rough, and fast. Its a shame so many people in the IMCA regions have such a bad opinion of the late models. I'll always prefer sprints but given the right rules and track conditions, they can put on a good show. A UMP Summernationals race at Knoxville might be a good show.

"If you're gonna run the bottom, you might as well get 
a real job."

Well we can fix that problem, just implement a similar rule to the Master's Classic. If you have ran more the 5-10 360 or 410 races that year, then you don't get to race.

Now as far as the Late Model crowd absolutely being displeased with Sprint Cars, I don't have the answer, but I will say that I don't think Sprints as a support class will deter the Late Model crowd any even if those people say they don't want them. All of the big Late Model names (Bloomquist, Birkhoffer Pearson Jr., etc.) are there and the Late Model fans will show up to watch those guys race for the big money, like a Sprint Car fan will go to a big race with two stock classes and two modified classes. Of course this answer is also coming from a sprint car fan so I could be completely off base here.

Once again, just a thought.

Ask Frank

AMA Flat Track Motorcycles WILL be there this year (rained out the final night last year). September 9-10.

The Friday night show was excellent last year (those guys were doing a lot of handlebar banging in the corners and were moving at a very good clip (averaged over 90 on Friday Night) and the big guns didn't even get out on the track for Saturday).

Thanks !! Will pencil that in ... Maybe Knoxville should be using you instead of  their 'resident' p.r. guy ... I have gotten 2 questions answered by you ... 0 (zero)  by him.

S.H.S.