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

Does the upper midwest now have the best options for racers to run Friday - Sunday? Purses are going up. There's the Knoxille Nationals, The Jackson Nationals, and now the Husets High Bank Nationals. The WOO has multiple stops in this same region, in addition to other series, IRA, ALL Stars, WOO Xtreme, and obviously others. 

Keep It Real

If Knoxville were closer to Jackson or Husets I'd be tempted to say yes, but it's still a WoO-type road trip weekly to make all the shows. Plus there's not really a weekly Friday option is there? 

Central PA still has the best weekly options, has its own month of money where the WoO only has one chance to steal the money and some real home track advantages usually. There's no weekly advantage to running Knoxville, as we have seen over the years. 

Jackson, who runs Friday night sprints,  is about 4 hrs away from Knoxville. 

Keep It Real

Central pa. You can run just about anything that a dirt track has to offer. Sprints purse is the best anywhere, you can say knoxville, but in pa you can run multiple nights. SLM, there's just about a special every weekend that is adding money to the purse. Big Block mods are scattered throughout the state as well. 

Wouldn't be surprised if some bigger teams hang out around the upper Midwest this year.

They run the occasional show but not weekly. I think they only have 12 dates and 3 are Jackson Nats plus a couple of IMCA shows. 

North central Ohio. Attica Raceway Park and Fremont Speedway have weekly 410 and 305 sprint car racing.

IMO PA has the best Sprint Car Racing in the Country.  There is a reason that Kyle Larson spent a good majority of his racing season in 2020 in PA.  Not only are the purses and tracks top notch, I personally feel that the best Sprint Car Drivers in this Country come directly from PA.

Not to beat a dead horse, but Kyle Larson himself stated that PA Sprint Car Racing is the most competitive racing he has ever been involved with.

I do think PA has more drivers and more tracks.  I love short track racing and love Husets.  I think Knoxville and Husets is a good comibination but lots of drive time.  Knoxville is now 5000 for weekly shows and Husets 4000.  Just curious what is pay out in PA and what is the full payout for Knoxville and Husets.  Does second place drop to like 2 grand or is payout good for all spots.  I just haven't seen it yet.

Knoxville

1. $5,000

2. $3,000   

3. $2,750   

4. $2,500   

5. $1,750   

6. $1,500   

7. $1,400   

8. $1,300

9. $1,200   

10. $1,000   

11. $975   

12. $950   

13. $925   

14. $900   

15. $875 

16. $850

17. $825

18. $800

19. $750

20. $725

21. $700

22. $675

23. $650

24. $625

Huset’s

1. $4,000

2. $3,000

3. $2,500

4. $1,500

5. $1,000

6. $850

7. $750

8. $700

9. $675

10. $650

11. $625

12. $600

13. $575

14. $550

15. $525

16. $500

17. $500

18. $500

19. $500

20. $500

21. $500

22. $500

23. $500

24. $500

What are the tracks running sprints in PA ?

Keep It Real

There are 16 tracks in the US that run 410 winged sprint cars weekly.

5 of them are in PA and Sharon Speedway is just across the state line in Ohio.

http://www.sprintcarratings.com/TrackRatings.aspx?RaceType=1

California is a hot bed for 360 racing for sure! From about the end of February until November on many Fridays and most Saturdays there are races to go to! Between different tracks having their own weekly series, and the traveling series (SCCT and Kings of Thunder at Tulare and Hanford) it's great! Also, we have the King of the West traveling 410 series with the best racers in the state and even in the country. We try to go to as many SCCT and KWS races as possible and it is also great that they don't have conflicting schedules. We aren't able to have as many weekly races as PA, Ohio, or Indiana, but the amount of talented drivers that race here locally is a real treat to watch! I am super excited to see our local racers race again the WoO at our local tracks in March and April and then again in September and know that they have a good chance at winning! Also, CA is being a hotbed for midget racing as well with tracks like Placerville, Bakersfield, Merced, and KCRP.

Looking forward to the new Golden State King of the 
West series schedule! 

Winged sprintcars = the fastest and most exciting 
racecars on dirt! 

99/100 times the answer to these types of question will be centered around where the person replying is from. If someone is from the Midwest they will say that, PA will say PA, Ohio will say Ohio, etc. I am glad more regions like the upper midwest are getting bigger races now as well as better/more weekly payouts. The more the sport has across the board and across the country the better overall. 

I feel Ohio is just a good as any other region and in some ways under rated as a lot of us don't beat our chests about it, we just enjoy what we have. Attica & Fremont have a little series for their racers to the north, Atomic has a new promoter which is doing some great things for the southern part of the state.. Portsmouth has a big paying race, Waynesfield is always a great show to the West, Sharon has great shows to the East along with WCS, and of course Eldora. All of the tracks are unique and not big half mile motor killers. Only small issue that I see is that we have so many mini series that do pay good purses for races and points, it sometimes keeps the car counts for the fields lower than what they probably would be.

I'll be that 1 guy out of the 100 that says " anywhere but where I live".

Even though I may not know you, I 
care what most of you think!

Me too Rod.

I travel to the midwest every year, you know, the first two weeks in August? It's about 680 miles one way and worth it, adding a week to the trip this year for the Jackson Nationals. 

Yeah, I'm predjudiced, I grew up in central Iowa, Knoxville was the first track I ever went to and it spoiled me. I haven't been to a better facility yet. 

Is there a better facility than Knoxville?

Even though I may not know you, I 
care what most of you think!

Yes I live and race in Central Pa.

But just looking at the facts Central Pa/Pennsylvania  is by far the best region to race.   All a person needs to do is check the sprint car ratings website.  Central Pa has more 410 races a year ,by a wide margin; than other areas.  Plus check over the last few years how many high dollar races  the area now has to offer.

Most of the major engine builders are in Central  Pa.  There is Ott,Rider, HP Engines, Garrett, Newman, Morrison, Cappetta, and Kriner. Smaller but competent builders that have won some  Central Pa 410 races are FIT engines, Hammakers, Seth's, DMY.

Two major component  companies  in  the area.  DMI and Winters.   Plus Franklin in Western  Pennsylvania. Three chassis companies RPM, X-1, MACH 1(not sure if there still built here).

And on a separate note.  If a person likes motorsports Central Pa is the area to live.  We race everything around here. There is all shapes and sizes of dirt track cars to Drag cars, Truck and Tractor pullers.  We just about have it all.

Not having seen a clear definition for the subject, looking at it from purely a mileage travel perspective, I'd give the edge to central Pa. If you live in the Mechanicsburg/Carlisle area there are 5 tracks that run 410's (3 on a weekly basis) within an hour drive; Grove, Port, Lincoln , Selinsgrove, and BAPS. Looking at the track schedules for 2022 you have a choice to attend 102 races,(if my math is correct) including 10 WoO and 12 ASCOC. Haven't seen BAPS schedule so you can throw in a couple of more chances to attend a 410 race.

Streaming races solve the logistics for those of us not in an ideal location to watch 410 series.  I live have an hour north of the Twin Cities (Minnesota).  Typical track lineups around here include stock car and modified at most tracks.  We have a limited Sprint series that I catch sometimes when they are support series for a big show.  410 racing is 4 hours to Jackson, about 5 to Husets, 5+ to Grand Forks and 6 to Knoxville.  Double those drive times and at my age I need to get a motel as I aged out of the all night redeye racing trips.  The obvious choice was Floracing for the year and Dirtvision for a few months during the summer.  
 

There are some hard core fans who would opt for 8 to 12 hours windshield time every weekend.  I sit down and look through the schedules and find the best option.  It might be a live race at a local track, Knoxville weekly, a USAC or PA track or maybe something like Ohio Speedweeks.  In other words, the best show available on any given night.  The argument is often made that one is not a real racing fan if the watch on TV.  The old cliche that it's not a real race if I don't get dirt in my beer.  Beer isn't as big of a thing in my life anymore and if it was I travel alone which doesn't mix well with 6 hour drives.  As far as live racing, my most active years when I was in my 50's I would get to around 45 races and spend the night in the infield taking photos.  Anyone who has done that knows that it's not an ideal way to watch a race.  It's like being on sensory overload while standing in the middle of a bee hive. 
 

To summarize this it's like real estate.  Location dictates our personal approach.  2022 will be my 62nd year as a racing fan and it's never been a better time to follow the sport.  If I lived in Knoxville or central PA my choices would include more live races but considering the travel I'm fine with a handful of live races and 1,000 races on television.

Stan Meissner