*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.
Richard: As we have discussed previously, car counts have lagged at various tracks this year in some of the weekly classes. I have given some thought as to what tracks could do to improve those numbers in classes such as Sportsman or Street Stocks. Granted, it’s easy for someone who has no money invested to make suggestions, but here goes.
I believe that any track that would be willing to take a chance on racing during the middle of the week a few times during the summer months could help itself by building an allegiance from those who would compete in those races. That allegiance, in my opinion, would be helpful when the track taking the gamble of racing during the middle of the week would be racing on a weekend night in which other tracks would also be open. But this strategy would have to be well played.
One thing that would have to be done is to start late enough on a Tuesday or a Thursday to give working fans and racers time to make it to the track after work. Perhaps starting hot laps at 7:30 or 7:45 would be a good time. But one thing that would have to go along with starting later would be the need to limit the number of classes racing that night so that the show would be competed at a reasonable hour for those who would have to work the next day.
The Summer Nationals and the upcoming Southern Nationals have shown that people will go to the race track on weeknights. But I’m not necessarily talking about those kinds of races. I’m talking about running regular weekly classes in these events.
What are your thoughts?
Michael: I think the racers would support it because that gives them another chance to race. I’m not sure how the fans would support it. Sure, the die hard fans would come out. The question every promoter would ask is if enough fans will come out to pay the purse. Something like that might work at certain tracks.
I think the biggest thing that needs to happen to classes like the Street Stocks is to come up with rules that aren’t so costly for the racers. Most of the tracks have come together for a common set of rules, which was applauded by many including myself. But in looking at the results each week, it has not helped the car counts.
Getting back to your original point about mid-week races, I think a clever promoter could pull it off by offering some incentives for the fans such as $5 tickets, lower concession prices, and things like that. We have seen some instances with some of the special events as the fans’ money will only go so far. I think the fans would need to feel like they’re getting a deal to come out during the middle of the week.
Richard: Your point about mid-week races being best suited for certain tracks is a good one. There would have to be enough fans within an hour or so of the track to make such a plan work and there are a couple of tracks in this area in which there simply aren’t enough people that close to make such events profitable(or at least break even).
One thing I would emphasize, because again, I am suggesting this type of thing for the purpose of helping tracks draw in more cars for their ‘support’ classes when they host special events on weekends is that the tracks would need to stick with it even if the first race or two are not money makers. I believe a track would need to schedule three or four of these mid-week races set during the time at which school typically ends through the time in which school resumes.
Like you, I believe the racers would respond positively. And when fans see that there are indeed cars at the track, I believe they would come as well.
But as we have talked about on here before, the real key for racing these days is for the show to run smoothly and in a timely fashion. No matter what day of the week, people in today’s culture do not like to feel as if their time is being wasted simply for the sake of keeping them at the facility until all the hot dogs have been sold.
Michael: 411 had run some of those mid-week programs in the past and had some success. But attendance and car counts went down some and I’m not sure if that was the reason they stopped having those.
Tracks can really hurt themselves a lot with mismanaged programs. Fans will overlook it if it’s a one time thing. But if it happens more times than not, it becomes an expectation and most fans decide not to bother with going there.
Smoky Mountain had that issue last weekend. I appreciate the response from the track acknowledging the problems and explaining why things were a bit strung out.
Richard: To change gears, there has been a bit of an oddity this year in the two biggest races sanctioned by the national touring series. In both races held so far in 2017, a non touring driver has won.
Of course, the Dirt Late Model Dream was won by Scott Bloomquist but that race is not sanctioned by one of the national tours.
The Show-me 100 held at the Lucas Oil Speedway in Missouri and sanctioned by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series was won by Bobby Pierce, who does not compete regularly on either of the two national series. And just this past weekend, the Firecracker 100 held at Pennsylvania’s Lernerville Speedway and sanctioned by the World of Outlaws Late Models was won by Brandon Overton, who also does not race with either national series on a full-time basis.
Granted, both of those two drivers have the talent and the equipment to race with anybody at anytime. Still, it shows that the sport has depth when non touring regulars win these big sanctioned races.
Michael: As I stated in my Quick Six blog last week, Bloomquist was very motivated to win The Dream considering what happened to him at Eldora the last two years. A local driver that helps Bloomquist every now and then told me he was wanting to win their $100,000 really bad. I’m no dummy, I’ll take a motivated Bloomquist against the field most any day.
Overton joining Randy Weaver’s team seems to be a magic combination right now. Sometimes it takes the right driver being in the right place at the right time for something to happen in a big way. Overton seems to be on that ride right now.
I saw a stat the other day that said between Overton, Pierce, and Brandon Sheppard they have won 37 races so far this season. All three are 27 and under. While some of our veteran drivers appear to be fading into the sunset of their careers, these young guys are ready to take their place.
Richard: It really is an interesting contrast among those who are winning the big races right now. As you say, the young guys are stepping up in a big way. But at the same time, Scott Bloomquist appears to be just as good as he has ever been. And furthermore, Billy Moyer is winning races and competing very well in the grueling Summer Nationals.
While you’re right that some of the veteran drivers are not experiencing the same amount of success they once knew, the two Hall of Fame members mentioned above can still get it done.
But getting back to those young guys, I’m anxious to see just how good Sheppard, Overton and Pierce can be. If anyone wondered where the next wave of talent would come from, here it is.
