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This is a very interesting subject. As I was filming from the stands the other day I noticed a lot
of red-neck fellows. I also noticed a lot of kids, families and Srs. The main attraction was
the stock cars and the open wheel event was a side line.
As I travel to a few of the tracks in the surrounding areas sometimes I see large crowds in the
stands, with standing room only. These areas have very little else for the fans to do. No
major football teams, no basketball teams, hockey or big cities to draws the fans to if they
wanted to go.
I also see a lot of hispanics and lower class white people. I even asked if there was
a trailer park near? I was serious. These people did not look like lawyers, engineers, doctors
or business men and if they did business it seems to be the country type and not the whilte
collar desk type with BMW's, Mercedes and the other types of cars City Folk seem to
cling to dearly and want to possess.
What I'm saying is dirt track racing seems to attrack the lower income people. A place
to escape the "gang" bangings/drugs and other stuff they might see on their streets or in the
newspapers. It's a place where a family can go, with some kids getting in free. They
are also probably local folk not traveling far to get to the track.
If I was a track looking for business I would sense you would have to look around
to see what kind of people you would attract and draw. I would reckon most fans would
only live within a few miles of the track.
I guess each new track developed or one in existence clings to a certain clientele. And hense
you either up the "class" and the type of track you run or you make do with the people
who live near your track and run the kind of cars those people can afford. You would
call that "grass" roots racing.
Dirt track racing if far from the "norm" of everyday highschools, colleges and local communities
and businesses and I don't think it will ever change. As time goes on those stone age types of
entertainment will cease to exist or dwingle in number. But as long a promoter has the guts
to open a track, the fans and racers will come. Because if it's one thing that's basic to human
nature is that dare devil attitude asscociated with automobile racing. And as long as there are
automobiles there will be kids so race them and fans who wish to see them race.
Sincerely,
Larry "O"
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but one interesting thing I thought of was the opening scene, some bad-ass cowboys standing on a dirt track like a gun fight with there guns drawn and out of the smoke that was looming across the track a sprint car flew by em at about a 120 miles an hour. One of the cooler openings I think ive seen for a race but I really thought about it for a second and came to the conclusion, Whats the biggest change in sprint car racing? Well hell for one insurance would never allow anyone but an official to stand on a race track with a racecar screaming by at full song ecspecially with a camera and crew as well, those cowboys with guns drawn would be replaced now by some guys in business suits,sunglasses, laptops and of course the new I-phone. What im gettin at is the cowboyish dirt in your face sprint car races we grew up to love which was rich in tradition of turning its nose up at all other motorsports are turning more and more corporate as we speak. It used to be you had to run midgets, sprints, champ, and then you got your dream shot at Indy now people just show up with a duffle bag full of cash and buy a ride so its kinda shot the tradition, and people like myself and others keep trying to figure out why all across the country the crowds are not what we used to see. Ive heard several people say concerning the outlaws they seem to of forgot what those people in all the towns they visit wanna see. And that is racing. Now ive seem some great weekly shows at Knoxville lately they seem to be working the track more, and like I said a few weeks ago these Outlaws are the ones that wanted slick smooth racetracks, now they are complaining about em like its the promotors fault. Another thing ive heard is that who wants to pay around 25 bucks to see the fastest Outlaw start on the pole? the only racing you see with a shallow invert with the outlaws is if or when they hit lap traffic and they call that passing. I remember the days when they had the deep inverts and usually the fastest guy started toward the middle of the pack. I hear some supporters of the Outlaws and say that the Outlaws are the greatest drivers in the country well I remember a few years back when guys like Wolfgang, Swindell and Kinser it didnt matter where you started em in the pack they got through it and if they didnt you still saw one hell of a show for the fans. Id be interested to see them start further back in the field, perhaps instead of the banzaii starts they might settle in and race a bit to get to the front? But I think Ralph Blackett summed it all up a few years when we where talking about whats changed in the sport. He sat back and told me and my dad, in the era he was racing and all the guys that raced with him that where legendary, the sport was so fun the promotor could of walked down to the pits and said boys the pay shack just burned to the ground so there isnt any pay tonight, Blackett said there would still be a race. Now just think of how many guys would load up and head down the road?? Ive even heard some pretty big dissing of local racers from the Outlaws seems they dont like it when a local races against em? Well I think back to the day before there where the Outlaws, and dont get me wrong hell who wouldnt go on the road these days with the money that is in that end of the sport, But it just squeezes out the little guy and the tradition out of it thats whats hurting the sport in my opinion. I think back to the days before the Outlaws when the real Outlaws roved the country looking for a high paying race, I remember several towing to knoxville for a regular saturday night. I mean from all over the country just to race at Knoxville. I can remember going to Disneyland with a Knoxville shirt a few years back and many asking if I really had been to knoxville, I remember thinking to myself damn you guys live by the ocean and some pretty badass racetracks but you know Knoxville. I hope things get better and something like the wing rule or (LIMITS on engines) to put the races back in the drivers hands not the owners check book. 
