Asteroids and Half Miles

flagboy55 · 10/9/24, 2:44 PM

If you search what made the dinosaur extinct, you’ll find a theory about an asteroid hitting the earth as a possible cause to their elimination. Thankfully, I haven’t heard anything about an asteroid heading our way anytime soon, but it’s starting to look like half mile tracks could be going the way of the Triceratops. I saw it mentioned before last night, but if you watched the High Limit show from I-70 you heard about the plan’s to shorten yet another big track. A couple other recent occurrence’s of this nature that come to mind is Hartford Michigan, and Joliet Illinois, two big tracks that were cut down to smaller ovals. I’m old enough to remember when the United States Auto Club only ran half miles or bigger. I don’t remember exactly when they started running smaller tracks, but I thought it was a cool change of pace on the bullrings, a different style of racing. But now I find myself longing for the big tracks again after watching mostly something smaller than a half for a long time now. I’m not saying I have anything against the smaller tracks, I love ‘em, just miss that speed sometimes. I know everyone has excuses why we can’t run a big track, but in actuality, motor’s blow and people crash on all size race tracks. And racing ain’t cheap, regardless. I don’t know about you, but unlike T-Rex, I’m going to miss the big tracks if they leave

Charles Nungester · 10/9/24, 4:28 PM

Don't know where I read it or seen it. Someone said USAC used to not run under half miles and the 305 limit was more than adequate because you didn't need a giant gear to get off the corner and didn't turn 9000 save maybe at the end of the straights. Used to hear former car owners that said regular trips to the junkyard kept them in motors. they'd just swap the cam intake and headers.

Me, I like speed. Nothing like a sprint car breathing fire. That short track slick stuff gets old real quick. I don't mind it if theres more than one groove. But too often it's all catfish.

openwheelfan1 · 10/9/24, 9:06 PM

I went back in history and picked a year where USAC only raced on 1/2 mile or longer tracks. I randomly picked 1979 because that was what came up when I opened the page. In that year USAC Sprint cars ran 39 points races, 20 of which were on dirt. Those 20 races were contested on 7 tracks: THAT, Eldora, Sharon (OH) Speedway, US 131 Speedway in Martin MI, Indiana State Fairgrounds, Reading PA, and New Bremen OH. Of those 7 tracks, only 3 remain in operation, THAT, Eldora And Sharon, OH., and USAC races on two of those.

Fast forward to today…A quick internet search listed no 1/2 mile dirt tracks CURRENTLY operating in IL, 1 in KY (Florence) none in MI and 3 in OH, Millstream, Eldora and Sharon, and honestly, I’m not sure Sharon is still a 1/2 mile. There just aren’t that many 1/2 mile dirt tracks operating in the Midwest anymore.

ThrowbackRacingTeam · 10/9/24, 9:19 PM

Kyle Larson is afraid of half miles so if you follow his low limit series he’ll try to indoctrinate you into wings and small tracks. I for one have a brain and can obviously see non-wing at Terre Haute and the other dinosaur tracks completely blow away his stupid series that the sheep follow. Please don’t make me take the L out of your name and join the enlightened lol.

oppweld · 10/9/24, 9:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by openwheelfan1

I went back in history and picked a year where USAC only raced on 1/2 mile or longer tracks. I randomly picked 1979 because that was what came up when I opened the page. In that year USAC Sprint cars ran 39 points races, 20 of which were on dirt. Those 20 races were contested on 7 tracks: THAT, Eldora, Sharon (OH) Speedway, US 131 Speedway in Martin MI, Indiana State Fairgrounds, Reading PA, and New Bremen OH. Of those 7 tracks, only 3 remain in operation, THAT, Eldora And Sharon, OH., and USAC races on two of those.

Fast forward to today…A quick internet search listed no 1/2 mile dirt tracks CURRENTLY operating in IL, 1 in KY (Florence) none in MI and 3 in OH, Millstream, Eldora and Sharon, and honestly, I’m not sure Sharon is still a 1/2 mile. There just aren’t that many 1/2 mile dirt tracks operating in the Midwest anymore.

Illinois does have one Knoxville but the only race scheduled this year rained out and the future is shakey. Iowa has 4 half miles and Kansas has 2 great ones that are currently on the Silver Crown schedule.

Charles Nungester · 10/9/24, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by openwheelfan1

I went back in history and picked a year where USAC only raced on 1/2 mile or longer tracks. I randomly picked 1979 because that was what came up when I opened the page. In that year USAC Sprint cars ran 39 points races, 20 of which were on dirt. Those 20 races were contested on 7 tracks: THAT, Eldora, Sharon (OH) Speedway, US 131 Speedway in Martin MI, Indiana State Fairgrounds, Reading PA, and New Bremen OH. Of those 7 tracks, only 3 remain in operation, THAT, Eldora And Sharon, OH., and USAC races on two of those.

Fast forward to today…A quick internet search listed no 1/2 mile dirt tracks CURRENTLY operating in IL, 1 in KY (Florence) none in MI and 3 in OH, Millstream, Eldora and Sharon, and honestly, I’m not sure Sharon is still a 1/2 mile. There just aren’t that many 1/2 mile dirt tracks operating in the Midwest anymore.

Portsmouth is Eldora Sized. Waynesfield is 3/8. Atomic 3/8th. Not sure what wayne county is. But Ohio's got a few bigger tracks.

TommyTipover · 10/9/24, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by openwheelfan1

I went back in history and picked a year where USAC only raced on 1/2 mile or longer tracks. I randomly picked 1979 because that was what came up when I opened the page. In that year USAC Sprint cars ran 39 points races, 20 of which were on dirt. Those 20 races were contested on 7 tracks: THAT, Eldora, Sharon (OH) Speedway, US 131 Speedway in Martin MI, Indiana State Fairgrounds, Reading PA, and New Bremen OH. Of those 7 tracks, only 3 remain in operation, THAT, Eldora And Sharon, OH., and USAC races on two of those.

Fast forward to today…A quick internet search listed no 1/2 mile dirt tracks CURRENTLY operating in IL, 1 in KY (Florence) none in MI and 3 in OH, Millstream, Eldora and Sharon, and honestly, I’m not sure Sharon is still a 1/2 mile. There just aren’t that many 1/2 mile dirt tracks operating in the Midwest anymore.

Slight correction, when Sheldon Kinser won the USAC Sprint car race at Sharon in 1979 the track was still paved.

TommyTipover · 10/9/24, 11:41 PM

From what I can find the first USAC Sprint Car race on less than a 1/2 mile was July 22 1981 at Kokomo with Tom Bigelow the winner. I recall the number of USAC sprint car races had been on a slow but steady decline for several years so racing on the smaller tracks became a necessity. Below is the number of USAC races around that timeframe. Despite the inclusion of the smaller tracks, the number of races didn't really improve mainly due to the decline of pavement races. The ESPN Thunder races brought the paved tracks back for a while but even then the number of races barely improved.

1977 - 51
1978 - 40
1979 - 39
1980 - 24
1981 - 21
1982 - 26
1983 - 17
1984 - 20
1985 - 27
1986 - 11
1987 - 14
1988 - 20
1989 - 20
1990 - 29
1991 - 24
1992 - 18
1993 - 19
1994 - 27

This year USAC put together a great schedule and I believe were on track to have 50+ races but unfortunately there have been 12 rainouts or cancellations. So far 40 points races have been run with 4 more to go.

DJlives · 10/10/24, 1:19 AM

Bill Lipkey of Kokomo Speedway had pushed for the move to 1/4 miles for the sprint car for several years

jdull99 · 10/10/24, 2:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThrowbackRacingTeam

Kyle Larson is afraid of half miles so if you follow his low limit series he’ll try to indoctrinate you into wings and small tracks. I for one have a brain and can obviously see non-wing at Terre Haute and the other dinosaur tracks completely blow away his stupid series that the sheep follow. Please don’t make me take the L out of your name and join the enlightened lol.

This made me laugh! "low limit series"!

& here, I've been wondering if USAC was gona need to go back to wings...

Btw, this whole thread is COOL! Lots of talk, with facts and figures, just from regular posters, who have good information and research. Very informative.

Certainly, a low number of races in 86/87! Wow. Where there a few rainouts???

WoO ran some non-wing races I think when it 1st started, but were there some other legitimate series around that ran some non-wing events too? As far as pavement, there has always been the Little500, but was there a series like the current pavement non-wing series in the mid-west around this time? (I gather there were a number of pavement non-wing races in FL for some time).