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

I've talked with a ton of people that are fans/drivers/sponsors/etc. and none of them agree with Saturday nights. Now if he flipped around the schedule to keep it Sunday this would have been the best day for racing here. But it's one big ass mistake going head-to-head with Knoxville. Only time will show that he screwed up and hopefully Tom Savage Jr. talks some damn sense into Brennan. 

Its almost like he wants to kill off the 410s up here by doing this change so he can focus on the other garbage he wants at the track.

I'm on board with everything else he wants to do but this is almost comical. The backlash probably won't do anything but fuel him to show that he can make it work. But it would make him more money if he kept the 410s on Sunday.

BIG J

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

I think this is clearly a case of no racing people being involved in the decision. I think the new owner has his heart in the right place but doesn't know the lay of the land. I'm sure he looked at Huset's and said, shit we can run on Saturday and get more cars and more fans, make more money and have bigger purses for the racers, what's wrong with that? Well, racing people know what the problem with that plan and it is Knoxville. I don't think there are that many fans that make a weekly drive to Knoxville but the drivers do and that will be the problem. Tmac, Justin Henderson, TK, Ian Madsen, Austin McCarl, etc will never go to a Saturday Husets show. At best they would have Jodie Rosenboom, Mark Dobmeir, and maybe some other North Dakota guys as regulars. It will affect attendance if they don't get good drivers to show up.

The best case scenario would be if Chuck Brennan, Tod Quiring, and whoever is in charge of Red River Speedway and Knoxville all got together and talked about what would be best for 410 racing in the Midwest region and how they can all mutually benefit. Could they team up and run some sort of triple crown series between SD, ND and Knoxville? I have no idea what the rules are anymore but can they make sure they all have the same tire rules, engine rules, etc? I'd like to see Husets stick to Sunday nights, barring that they should attempt going to a Friday show, they'd have a better chance that way although it would screw up Red River Speedway. 

How did the NSL get drug into this?  Explain the correlation please.

From Facebook       Terry McCarlHusets is nearly 400 miles from Knoxville. Jackson running Friday night 410's also. FYI, Jackson ran 410's for YEARS on Saturday night. They will both be fine.T-Macs Facebook......

Yeah, this guy sounds like a buffoon the more I read into it.

From the KELOLAND article posted in this thread:

"Honestly, if I hear the word Knoxville one more time I think I'm going to vomit," Brennan said.  "Terry McCarl is going to be wherever he wants to be at the end of the day, but I'd be shocked if he drives down to Knoxville."

He might be able to snare some drivers by opening the check book but I doubt it's going to be cost efficient. I just don't think he understands what he's running against. 

"Honestly, if I hear the word Knoxville one more time I think I'm going to vomit," Brennan said.  "Terry McCarl is going to be wherever he wants to be at the end of the day, but I'd be shocked if he drives down to Knoxville."

McCarl, who was in attendance, says he treats racing like a business.

"It's what I do for a living.  I made it perfectly clear to everyone involved: I can be bought," McCarl said.

Guessing he will be paying old T-Mac plenty of "Show Up" money????

Some Guy wants to put 5 million into a dirt track and all everyone one here can do is complain.

I love how all the people on here that put no money into advancing dirt track racing complain about thoes who do.

With Brennan's remark about Knoxville, he proved to me he's an idiot! Husets at one time not all that long ago had a good field of cars AND good crowds on Sunday night. My son and I used to make the 1 1/2 hour drive from home every Sunday. If he thinks people will get a motel and stay over for Sunday racing because of a rain out, he's not in touch. Rainouts are a part of sprint car racing and we fans except it (and cuss it). With virtually no change in the payouts at Husets, the fields began to dwindle and so did the crowds. We quite going, and I still miss that. Compete with Knoxville? Why not "join forces" instead? Tod Quiring set out to work with Knoxville, not ignore the historical importance and powerful influence and respect Knoxville has earned.  And now, with the NSL helping the 410 division have a resurgence in the Midwest, Husets sits in a perfect location to join in to the rotation. Why is it, some people, just because they have a lot of money, all of a sudden think they know everything! 

Jackson was fine on Saturday nights back in the modified days. Once the sprint cars began to take over, Jackson began to dwindle, and dwindle in a bad way. Of course, it wasn't because now the drivers that drove modifieds were now driving to Knoxville to race sprint cars. Oh, wait, yes it was.

I believe so.

The only reason I bring this up is my local track which doesn't run sprints has rained out 5 weeks in a row and gave that as an explaination as to why they don't run on Sundays.

Who's complaining? I and others are second guessing his plan of running Saturday but nobody is complaining. You're a great example of what's wrong with this board. There's a good discussion going on and you go and talk about people that don't put money into "advancing dirt racing" complaining. Guess what? I'm a fan and Husets is my local track. I've probably been there a couple hundred times over the year so I think I have an informed opinion. Part of what makes racing, or football, or cars or whatever is discussing it. If the Minnesota Vikings spend a bunch of money on a free agent, I'll discuss it. If Chuck Brennan wants to spend a bunch of money on a racetrack, I'll discuss it. Though I don't have the money now, I'd take a new Mustang over a new Camaro, but I'd take a Corvette over either one, it's fun to discuss even though I don't have the money. Someday if I have the money I'll start a race team or buy a race track. Until then I will just have to support the sport the best way I can which is by buying tickets and talking about it with other enthusiasts. 

Higher ticket prices, Reserved seating, possibly paying to park your vehicle for race fans.

You bet we're going to complain & most likely stay away.

Here's the story if you don't want to click on the link.

(from KELOLAND News) BRANDON, SD - 

The rumors about the future of Huset's Speedway have been fast and furious ever since the announcement was made earlier this year that the race track was sold and will have the new name Badlands Motor Speedway.

The new owner went wheel to wheel with the media and drivers to settle the dust.

When it comes to circle track racing, Badlands Motor Speedway owner Chuck Brennan thinks outside the box.

"When I do things, I do them big or I don't do them at all," Brennan said.

Brennan is spending $5 million to improve the race track including new seating, infrastructure and parking.

"What it's going to turn into is the Empire Mall versus a gas station; this is going to be over the top," Brennan said.

Plus he plans to add another night of racing on Saturday and offer bigger payouts to keep professional drivers like Terry McCarl from going elsewhere like Knoxville.

"Honestly, if I hear the word Knoxville one more time I think I'm going to vomit," Brennan said.  "Terry McCarl is going to be wherever he wants to be at the end of the day, but I'd be shocked if he drives down to Knoxville."

McCarl, who was in attendance, says he treats racing like a business.

"It's what I do for a living.  I made it perfectly clear to everyone involved: I can be bought," McCarl said.

Brennan is planning four major concerts next year and other events, but promises racing fans Badlands Motor Speedway will be just that: a speedway, even better than Knoxville.

"When I get done with this place, it's going to crush anything they've ever done," Brennan said.

Brennan plans to hold the "1/4 Million Dollar Rock N Roll Gold Cup Race" every year with $250,000 in prize money.

Here's the full press conference:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcn72HKbcHw

I've thought about this way more than I should have today. My first reaction was extreme. I thought, this guy is absolutely nuts to switch from Sunday to Saturday. Now I still don't like the idea but, If he can throw enough money (and he's got more  of that then I can even comprehend) in the purse, it could work. What would it take? The going rate now is $3,000 to win a 410 show. I can't speak to the payout from 2nd on back but for argument sake let's talk about the winners share, $3,000. So, is $5,000 to win, every week, enough to pull cars from Knoxville, or anywhere for that matter? It might be. Can he pay enough to keep a guy like Clint Garner at home, and back in a 410? Some guys weren't racing at Husets because they didn't want to support the Rueben's, but they'll be gone. I'm still very skeptical but I'm also trying to see the potential that may exist. My biggest issue is still the fact that he is reducing the number of nights of 410 racing that's available to the race teams. It was 2 now, now it will be 1. For those that are racing for a living or want to race as much as they can, they now have one less race, and have to choose between K-ville or Badlands, and I think that hurts the sport as a whole. I guess it remains to be seen whether Mr. Brennan cares at all about that. Right now it doesn't look like he does. One things for sure, time will tell.

I never heard him say anything about a point fund and whats the purse going to be? the one thing he does have is a populated area and Souix Falls is the 47th fastest growing city in the country. Im like everyone else though...dont go head to head with Knoxville. And a non wing race is a reach unless he brings in USAC .   JMO

Nothing will ever compare to Knoxville, let alone a track in the Midwest. The atmosphere of Knoxville, and more specifically Nationals, cannot be matched. 

I'm sure most don't remember but in the early 80's Jackson was getting cars from Des Moines to pull up and race weekly rather than staying and running Knoxviile. Time will tell what will happen.

Just when I think Chuck couldn't possibly be any dumber, he' goes and does something like this and TOTTALLY REDEEMS HIMSELF.

There is no comparison for Knoxville and it dang sure isn't Huset's, past, present or future.

I'm less than an hour from Huset's, right around 5 hrs from Knoxville.   If he goes through with this I'll be sitting in the stands at Knoxville more often than Huset's.

In the early 80's Knoxville wasn't anything like it is today.

In the early 80's the Jackson Nationals and the Knoxville Nationals were much closer to being on a level playing field.

All of Chucks money won't make a race at Huset's into the prestigous race that every driver wants to win that the Knoxville Nationals is.