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

Roughly 40,000 miles per year.  (Less than most teams, since I, for the most part, go "point to point" without having to go back to a shop or "home base".)

I have an older buddy who retired a few years ago and instead of doing the Outlaw tour he spends a majority of his time between Indiana & PA. Goes to a majority of the USAC races in Indiana, Ohio Speedweek, then goes to PA speedweek, Midget week at one time, Indiana speedweek one year, Outlaw races in Indiana Ohio and PA, and each year does the Iron Man at I-55 through Knoxville races. 3 years ago he followed the Outlaw tour from Skagit in Washington through California then came back to all of their races in Ohio, PA and then did World Finals. Works out great for him as he knows a few people in Indiana and someone who lives 20mins from Willams Grove so he does not need an RV or anything. Just calls up and stays for free, only time he has had to pay is for Knoxville, World Finals, and his west coast trip.

A PS to my previous comments.  A motorhome or trailer would be a necessity to do this and that ain't happening so I'll catch what I can when I'm up for it. 

Actually I have been tossing around the idea of getting down to Indiana for some non-wing racing.  I've got a former shipmate who lives in northern Indiana and will be hosting a catapult crew reunion over Labor Day weekend.  I'm unfamiliar with the tracks down there and if they're still operating around that time of year or if they have any week day shows.  The first Sprint Car racing I was exposed to was non-wing without roll cages, the old IMCA cars with the injectors sticking out of the hood.  Today's WoO Sprints spread out single file in the Heats and the fast cars start in front and the locals can't keep up with them.  Back in 1978 the concept was that the "Outlaws" would come in and duke it out with the locals and a lot of the time locals would win.  Today they're the whole show and the locals can't touch their budgets so it takes that equation that originally attracted me to the series out of it.  That's why I can sit home now when they're 32 miles from the end of the driveway. 

Stan Meissner

Just FYI Stan, WoO has had more "local" teams win the last two years than anytime in the previous 39 years of the series. 

That may be true at Knoxville or PA but where Is live there are very few 410s.  The only truly local driver who would have a chance is Brooke Tantnell who actually lives nearby and most would think of him as a Knoxville driver.  The times I'm thinking back on there were no 410s and 360s, most cars nation wide were on equal footing.  When I say early on I mean early on, 1978, 1979, 1980. 

Stan Meissner

What "locals" won in your area in 78, 79, or 80?  There were 19 different WoO winners in 2018.  There were 10 in 78 and 79, and 11 in 1980.

DO IT!!! My first trip to an Indiana bullring, I was hooked

This past summer, Midget Week race at Montpelier was my favorite event 

Little down home track, dodging baseball size mudclods was even fun,,, howling with laughter!

They didn't win but more of them were competitive in the early years.  

Stan Meissner

Indiana Sprints are on my bucket list.  Midgets are fun to watch as well as long as it's outdoors in the summer as I don't care to sit indoors.  A Norway trip will put a dent in next year's racing adventures but even one Indiana Sprint race would be nice.  I have followed the Outlaws to a few back to back upper Midwest races and that was about as far as I would chase them .Up here there are must see and close convenient shows but then they get to places where they don't draw a lot of cars and I don't think those kind of shows are worth the expense to follow.  The Outlaws are the best in the business but I like it to watching a sports team.  Some games they play against contenders and some against inferior teams and the games are guaranteed to be yawners.  Same thing in racing, the short field shows are exciting for the locals but when you've been to events like the Nationals and Million it's hard to justify chasing 20 car features.

Stan Meissner

Indiana Midget & Sprint weeks have way more than 20 car fields! & Midget Week has wingless sprints as the undercard.... can't beat it. 

I met a couple from England there who flies to Indiana THREE times every summer for wingless races (I guess they have good jobs & can afford to do all that flying rather than just STAY in Indiana...) I mentioned all the Aussies & Kiwis who go to Knoxville Nats, & they replied, "Yea, they like wings... thats why we kicked them out..."

I've never done either whole week myself, usually hit a few races on my way across country, but one of these days....(only problem recently has been rain)