[peacedaddy101]

So today I don't think they should have ever thrown the green for that feature but I still had a blast. We were able to meet and talk to some new people and really enjoyed being around the pits throughout the day. Glad everyone is okay and wish I could have seen 100 laps but I still consider today a success.

[Mud Packer]

Spent the day at THAT on the way home from the Powr I/Badger shows at Little Belleville. I want to see the Action Track succeed however after today I am not sure that it can. Here are some observations and ramblings from a fan in the stands. Just my opinions, so like most they mean nothing.

1)The Wabash Valley Fair Association needs to suspend all auto racing at the Action Track until they can put together a comprehensive plan including numerous capitol improvement projects and hire a promoter with credentials and a background that can turn this disaster around. Whoever they hire needs to have the ability and time allotted to get the job done. No more of this one year deal and then bring in someone else. This just isn't working.

2)USAC-Whoever was placed in charge of track prep for this show is way over their head. My first queston would be, how would the track have be significantly different if they didn't get 1 inch of rain over night? When I arrived around 11:30 AM the top on the front stretch was a hog pit but the rest of the track was not that bad. Was there any track prep done BEFORE today? It certainly didn't seem like that as once they got the top dried off it was as dusty as could be.

The officials that USAC had in charge at the track today need to be canned. How can an organization have so little regard for their drivers to allow for such unsafe conditions. With that being said, the buck stops at someones desk at the USAC office. I would truly hope that Kevin Miller has some good answers for the debacle we witnessed at Terre Haute today. I hope that owners and drivers alike, press to get this situation resolved before someone is seriously hurt or worse.

3)I had just arrived at the track and a car pulled in next to me. A gentleman got out and with him were his son and two grandsons. He asked me if I could help since they were first time fans from St. Louis. He asked the normal questions, coolers, seating, concessions, etc... I feel bad that I ddn't tell him to get back in the car and head west. I certainly don't see how this whole situation would be good for them coming back 2 1/2 hours one way ever again. Opportunity lost to add new fans to the mix.

4)I sat in the open grandstand area and in front of me was a husband and wife with their 4 young kids. The kids were excited at first but as the day wore on they got bored. Mom went down for drinks and came back and said she needed another $20 to get drinks for everyone. She wasn't very happy for sure. I don't see this as a great experience that will bring them running back again.

5)The Action Track has fallen into the same catagory as Eldora in that they have great tradition but the track prep right now is deplorable. You would have to think that representatives of these two tracks would take notice that they need help. From what I have seen so far, they haven't got a clue.

6)Prior to the start of the feature today, I was thinking back to the Dave Allison era here and remember the race that I said I wouldn't return until he was gone. The dust was so bad then that you couldn't see turns one & two or three & four from the open grandstands. Today was even worse than that. The dust was more like a wall coming at you and you couldn't see anything. I know it is a dirt track but there is no way this can continue and people will tolerate this type of treatment.

7)When the red came out I got up and left immediately. A number of others were also headed for the exits as well. My thoughts were and still are, how is USAC going to fix this mess? They have a very short turn around time until their marquee event, Sprint Week takes center stage. What effect will this have on attendance? It certainly has to hurt Terre Haute for sure. But what about other tracks? Does this cause other tracks to lose potential fans? I for one think it will.

8)While sitting waiting for the cars to line up and the feature to start, I also had some random thoughts as well. The Silver Crown series is suppose to be USAC's premier series and yet they struggle to get the cars lined up on the front staight in rows of two. They also allow crew members to be on the track without a shirt on and when the announcer asked the crew members to leave the track so the could introduce drivers, more came out from the pits than left. Why does it take 5 crew members to get the car on the track and then start working on it. What type of message does this send to casual fans?

Many on here wonder why USAC can't get a TV deal? Could you imagine what this mess would have looked like on TV? I wonder how all the folks at USAC will sleep tonight?

Glad to hear that T-Mez is okay and also no one was injuried at the start of the race.

[monkeyboy]

Wow is all I can.I thought going to see what was ONCE the premier division on what WAS a premier track for what was previously one of the premier sanctioning bodies was a great idea.Honestly they should have paraded whomever was in charge of this unholy debauchery down the front stretch so they could look everyone they ****** in the face.That abomination should have been aborted from the start,the depths of which USAC has sunk and sunken one of the best tracks in the country is so overwhelmingly disgusting it is hard to put into words.It was almost like seeing a multiple fatality wreck on 70(which was conveniently closed going east).You see the horror and yet you cannot look away.I honestly think someone owes some fans drivers and owners who I'd like to remind you are the ones who support this sport through thick and thin some apologizes.And yes they said the tickets will be good for a mid week race a lot of people probably can't make.Also we need a smiley flipping the bird for the end of this diatribe so use your imaginations and tell me who won the sumar.

[Sawdust101]

It was really neat to walk through the pits today and others with their kids looking at the cars and meeting the drivers. I liked the pit location, this is when you got to see them working on the cars. Now as for the track.....well let's all get together to come up with a fix for this and go from here. We all learned today what not to do so I would like to see if USAC could get all those who have Prep'ed THAT before and those who only do their own local track meet in a ROUND TABLE on working this GREAT 1/2 mile track. This is what developers want us to do, fail so they can have another mall. If we all chip in for the good of racing at the Action Track then it might just be around for years to come. Lets make this work for racers, fans and promoters!!!!

[curbservice]

This truly is a sad thing that happened today, but after all it was a day race. As far a track prep goes there is a certin science to it but it's not that tough. What might have been the worst problem, is there weren't enough cars or laps on the car before the feature to seal off the track and blow off the dust, yes it's still going to be dusty, IT"S A DIRT TRACK and it's a DAY RACE. Bottom line USUCK droped the ball (nothing new there). This just shows that they know nothing about track prep. who to hire to do it or how to promote a race.

---------- Post added at 10:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:00 PM ----------

USUCK CALL JOE SPIKER he's not afraid to make the tough decisions and he knows how to work a race track

[LittleReject]

I've got a video from this cluster uploading to YouTube so those of you who weren't there to be horrified by it can experience what the rest of us saw. I've also got an interview with T-Mez in there as well!

[BrentTFunk]

Did anybody really think a 100 lap Silver Crown would work on a hot summer afternoon? That is why I did not go. I might be the only person who thinks this way, but I think the fair board wants the track to fail.Last year the track was better than the any of the 28 years I have been going, and the fair board did not renew the contract. That says a lot right there.

[Chris Nunn]

Dirt and daylight dont mix.

[SpfldMile]

Pretty disappointed. It was quite a calamity today. I'm not giving up on USAC or Terre Haute, but this was a bad day, a long, hot, bad day.

[Rpracing1]

Originally Posted by Jerry Shaw Neither the City of Terre Haute or Vigo County have anything to do with the Wabash Valley Fairgrounds. It's owned and operated by the Wabash Valley Fair Association, which is a non-profit organization. It's main purpose is to serve the 4-H, not the local government. Jerry

I don't care who ownes and operates the track. It is located in Terre Haute and if city officials have any concern at all about tourism, they should intervene, because it was definitely a black eye for the city. Plain and simple.