*Turn 2 Blog is a regular feature on InsideDirtRacing.com. Here, site operators Michael Moats and Richard Allen take turns offering their thoughts on the dirt racing topics of the day from east Tennessee and beyond.
The latest edition of the Turn 2 Blog is presented by the American Crate All-Star Series.
Richard: Just like the first weekend Tennessee allowed race tracks to re-open when we saw huge crowds, the first national touring series race held in east Tennessee following the COVID-19 closures drew an enormous gathering this past Saturday night. Smoky Mountain Speedway played host to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series which drew what was announced as the most heavily attended event in the history of the Maryville, Tenn. facility.
Clearly, folks were anxious to see racing, and big time racing, again after being locked down for weeks during the spring. And it wasn’t just local folks who filled the grandstands at Smoky Mountain. A look at the license plates in the parking lot quickly revealed that fans from multiple states were on the property.
As we have discussed in this forum before, there are a lot of racing options in this area. With multiple tracks located in close proximity to the central point of Knoxville, fans in this region can watch racing just about every weekend of the year if they choose to do so.
Something I have wondered before is whether or not promoters of short tracks would be better off by scheduling a few big events rather than a season full of smaller races. That’s not to say that tracks should only host the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series or the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series then close the gates when those two tours go elsewhere. Instead, would tracks be better off running fewer shows but increasing purses and promotion of those races no matter what sanctioning bodies are involved, if any?
Michael: I have talked to several of the area promoters. This topic has been brought up in the new alliance between 411, Smoky Mountain, Tazewell, and Volunteer. The opinions vary greatly.
Most of those owners are to the point where operating every week from March until sometime in the fall isn’t feasible in this time. The reasons are numerous from lowering weekly attendance to lowering car counts to the grind of the getting a track ready to race from one week to the next. I think we have seen that with the current schedule the alliance has produced.
The cons I have heard range from fans looking for other entertainment options if racing isn’t held every week to added work when the week of the next race is coming up. I can see both sides.
My view is each owner has to do what’s right for their own situation. On paper, the track alliance is great when they share some of the classes from one big event to another. The downside is some of these drivers running at a different track not part of the alliance. I think we saw some of that at Smoky Mountain.
The Lucas race at Smoky Mountain was the perfect storm for the record attendance, some of which you already mentioned. People being cooped up for several months played a big part. And fans in other states not able to see any racing willing to travel to Tennessee to see one of the national tours. It was really a promoter’s dream.
A record crowd at Smoky Mountain
Richard: These were the first Lucas Oil races since back in February that had fans in attendance and it was obvious that both drivers and fans were excited about that. I talked to several drivers prior to the race and virtually every one of them mentioned the importance of spectators being back at the track.
Fans bring energy and enthusiasm with them which was missing from some of the made-for-PPV races we had during the pandemic break. It seemed strange at those spectator-less races I attended to have a winning driver emerge from his car with no crowd reaction to be heard. But still, having some racing was better than no racing and I, for one, appreciate the promoters and broadcasters for filling the void.
With Tennessee being among the states that have reopened, we may very well see more of this infusion of racing into the area as different tours try to find locations that will put them back on track. As a matter of fact, such will take place over the next two weekends at the Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, TN.
The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series will be at the track located just off of I-81 for a two-night event on June 19 and 20 then the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series will visit that track on June 27 and 28.
If the weather cooperates, there is the potential of two more huge weekends with not only area fans in attendance but also spectators coming from other parts of the country, particularly for a rare look at Sprint Cars and former NASCAR star Tony Stewart.
Do you foresee big turnouts for these races as well?
Michael: I do. As some neighboring states are still under some sort of restrictions, fans from those places will probably be making the trip to our area to see these other events.
I believe fans from this area could potentially get tapped out on the financial side of things regarding their attendance. But out-of-town fans are more likely to make a full weekend of it to get the most for their money and even make a vacation of it, especially with many vacation destinations being closed or overly crowded with people. Regardless, I do see lots of fans attending these upcoming events.
Richard: Another thing about these race events is that tracks are getting the opportunity to showcase their facilities to a much broader audience. This past weekend’s races at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, SC and Smoky Mountain were broadcast live by Lucas Oil Racing TV. The upcoming weekend’s WoO Late Models double-header will be shown by DirtVision.com. DirtonDirt.com, Speed51.com and FloRacing.com have also been airing dirt races aplenty in 2020.
Apart from the fans in the stands, people who may never have seen a race at Smoky Mountain, Volunteer, 411 or Tazewell may very well be enticed to venture to this part of the country to take in some racing, especially those from the more restricted states.
In a somewhat strange way, tracks in our area could see long term benefits from this unusual season, couldn’t they?
Michael: No doubt. I know there were a number of people who watched the Smoky Mountain race on TV that have said they need to make a visit there. The same can be said for the Tazewell race from a few weeks ago.
Myself, I have seen some race tracks that I haven’t been to before that I want to try to get to after seeing them on TV. With other areas of the country still not allowed to have fans or race at all, tracks in our area are being presented to those fans. As long as the racing is good and the program isn’t strung out, this will only benefit them in the long run.
Brandon Overton (76) has been the hottest driver in Dirt Late Model racing since the re-opening
Richard: Turning the conversation to the competition, Brandon Overton has put together a tremendous season up to this point. The Wells & Sons Motorsports team is almost looking unbeatable right now. Seemingly, the only thing that can slow them down is misfortune. He very well could have won both Lucas Oil races this weekend had it not been for a flat tire on the last lap at Cherokee.
And on the other side of things, Earl Pearson Jr. and his Black Diamond Chassis team looked much improved with the addition of crew chief Anthony Burroughs who recently came over from the Bob Cullen Racing team of Brian Shirley.
Were there any performances that stood out to you?
Earl Pearson, Jr. showed improvement this past weekend
Michael: I was surprised by some that didn’t look good in Devin Moran, Shane Clanton, and Jonathan Davenport. Davenport had a decent run at Cherokee, but really struggled at Smoky Mountain. Moran and Clanton had to take provisionals at Smoky Mountain.
Josh Richards is looking much better than a year ago. He has a couple of wins already and I could see him reeling off a few more wins after that.
Respond to this post on Twitter by following @RichardAllenIDR and @MichaelRMoats or by liking the InsideDirtRacing.com Facebook page.
Also, NASCAR and pavement racing fans can check out InsideCircleTrack.
