Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Have been looking at the highlite videos from the big Dirt LM Gateway nationals inside the dome and I must admit the feature racing was unbelievable. I thought what a perfect venu for a BIG indoor midget show next year. Hopefully someone has practiced a few laps with a muidget or possibly sprint car to determine if it is possible. Looked like a great crowd on hand. The last 5 laps were pure excitement. If you get a chance go over to dirt on dirt and look at the video>  You will be impressed. Ide like to know others opinion on this or is it just me. 

I had thought that the track was going to be too small for a full field of the Late Models, but after watching the video it was some great racing on a paperclip like track.  High and low grooves were used and the air did not seem all that dusty. 

Not sure how the track length compares to the Chili Bowl, but midgets certainly could put on a great show there.  

Midgets have the Chili Bowl, leave this for the Late models. 

And if you are a late model fan, and missed it, better plan on being there next year.  Racing was way better than I expected it to be, great atmosphere, dome was not cold, fumes weren't bad...overall great weekend of racing.

This logic is asinine, more then enough weekends to accommodate both late model and modified as well as midgets fans. Just because late model use doesn't mean midgets can't use it either, I don't know about you but the offseason sucks and I want all the racing I can. 

Seriously?   LM's weren't using it Tues or Weds,   We'll take them dates for Wing and NW sprints.  Probably have to have a better fence and make sure the berm stays down on the wall but   I don't see why not.

What I did see is they had a problem wih ruts and IMHO its more to do with it just being sifted dirt than anything.

pits are in another building. cars had to drive outside to get from one to another.

If my logic is asinine, then let's run late models and modifieds at the chil bowl too.  

The track at STL would have to be built so much different than it was and then its going to be crap racing for the LM's.  Yeah it got a little rough, midgets would have been flipping everywhere, it wouldn't have been safe.

Also as it was said, they had to pit in the convention center, go outside to fuel and then come into the dome, it creates a logistic nightmare for cars that have to be pushed off.  I love midget racing, but this isn't the place for them.

 When (they) check in with you about any changes with this show moving forward- will you at least consider them with an open mind first?

 I would love to see someone pay accordingly for a 300 car count elite event but understand it probably will never happen. 

They're called Quad Runners and the push cars from pits to tracks every week

I don't understand why you say the track would have to built so much different.  The track looks like it would be great for midgets.  As far as being rough?  The midgets would not tear it up as bad as the heavy big tired late models do, therefore I believe the track surface would be much better for the midgets.  As far as the logistics? have you ever seen the large temporary tents they erect for the SEMA show or the Barret/Jackson auction?

I don't suspect that there will ever be another indoor midget race that will rival the Chili Bowl, but it would be nice to see at least one more and St Louis is the perfect place for it.

Here's the problems i see with the way the track was built that would prevent it from working well with midgets, and this is JUST MY OPINION

Tires marking the inside of the corners would not work well, without them there is just concrete at the bottom, no berm.

As the cushion built up against the wall, it created a ramp, there was one modified that ramped up onto the fence, lighter cars are going to fly.

Fence would have to be higher.

The layout doesn't suit itself well to push vehicles.

I think you would see numerous wheel stands down the straightaways. 

All just my opinion but i had numerous conversations with those there this weekend and we all agreed.

That setup is not that different from duquoin, and they run midgets there indoor successfully. Had 75 car pre entered this past weekend before Mother Nature screwed it up

The main cause of the rutting was the narrow tired modifieds.  The late models run much wider tires.

...your logic here isn't factual.  The late models didn't cause the ruts in the track, rather they actually made the track wider for the mods to use.   The mods caused more throughout the entire track and were the main cause for a lot of the delays.  As for having midgets at Gateway, I can see the allure for having them there however it is strictly a late model/mod based event and they probably wouldn't want to lose that allure like many of you wouldn't want late models or mods added to the chilli bowl.

For any Hosers that were at this event, how were the crowds Friday and Saturday?

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why run them on same card. if could be worked out leave that event as it is so the latemodel and modified fans have their big event and week later have midget event .

I don't think anyone proposed it has adding midgets to the late model/modified show. It's 2 different fam bases, midgets would have their own weekend, and late models would have their own. It'd be cool if they could work with the Knepper 55 and make it intrigueing for multiple day/track show

the estimated attendance was over or around 20,000 on saturday as the entire bottom bowl was filled

Doing something like the World Finals would be perfect. Sprint Cars, Late Models, and Modifieds. 

To have that big of a crowd on Saturday is a great achievement. I think this could develop into a winter series and travel to different domes and stadiums around the country