Forum: SCRAFAN.COM Forum (go)
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Out here in the Midwest, I am surrounded by tens of thousands of the most hardcore dirt sprint car fans I have ever seen. It reminds me of some of the greatest, fondest memories of the good 'ol days of my youth growing up in Central California, where there were so many different tracks within a 100 mile radius of my father's house.

I was always the odd-ball kid at family functions...wearing a dirty-collar sprint car T-shirt of one of my local heroes to the weddings, reunions, and birthday parties...while every other kid sweated the 100-plus-degree temps in their best Sunday attire. We lived to go to the track on Saturday night. We would race the Quarter Midget during the day, then watch the Legends at night. It was more than a routine...it was sacred. Those dusty bullrings were not just our stompin' grounds...they were our sanctuary.

I'll be here for 8 nights of sprint car racing. Six of the nights are winged sprint car events, the other two are traditional, non-wing sprints. Regardless, everyone that I've talked to since landing in Des Moines last Saturday has expressed their excitement about each night...regardless of the type of car or sanctioning body on any given night. They are here to watch sprint car drivers out-brave each other and duke it out!

On a normal work day in SoCal, I actually feel a bit awkward sometimes at the local Wal-Mart. As redneck as I am, I often question if my Sprint Car T-shirt and Dickies shorts are appropriate to wear for a day of shopping. Today, I felt equally awkward. I put on a new all-black outfit and heading to the Wal-Mart to buy some eye protection to wear to the track tonight. I've never felt more like a black sheep...I was literally the ONLY person in the entire store that was NOT wearing a Sprint Car T-Shirt!!! What sweet, heavenly land is this? Embarrassed, I quickly got the items I needed and scurried out of the store to rush home and unwrap the new Bud Kaeding T-Shirt I just purchased last night to wear to the Ultimate Challenge at Osky tonight. But at least now I have my goggles!

You see, Wal-Mart wasn't the only place that I have felt "different". At each of the three events that my brother and I have witnessed so far here in Iowa, we have been without eye protection, surrounded by much more prepared, religious Sprint Car fans, who are sporting ball caps and eye wear to keep the 1/4" layer of dust, clay, and rubber off their heads and out of their eyes. And you know what? They go home each and every night bragging about how much beer used to be in their cup of dirt! Dust is part of the deal at a dirt track race. It is part of the culture. You don't hear many hardcore NHRA fans complaining that their clothes smell too much like nitro and rubber...right?!

I just watched the video of last Saturday's race at Victorville Raceway Park. First thing I noticed was the stellar line up of drivers ready to take the green flag. The second thing I noticed was the fact that I have my work cut out for me if I ever want to call a race as good as Scotty-D. The third thing I noticed was the 3-wide racing around the fast and smooth 3/8 clay oval. Wow...to see Cardey put on another clinic and Chargin' Charles Davis Jr. go from the tail to 2nd...unbelievable! The final thing I noticed was the dust blowin' around the track. And that is when I cringed and wondered when I'd see the first post on the internet from someone outraged because they had brought their 6-year-old niece for the first time and she had to return home with a soiled hair bow and dirt stains on her brand-new white tennis shoes...so they're never returning to the wretched VRP!

What changed? When I was a kid, we traveled 2-4 times a year to SoCal for our 1/4 Midget races. If we were lucky, Dad took us to Disneyland. If we were really lucky, Dad took us to Ascot that night. I remember winning some kind of award for being the dirtiest kid in Turn 1...regulars that are a bit longer in the tooth may be able to help me remember the correct title, which I vaguely remember as the "Golden Shovel" award for those who stuck out hot laps in the cheap seats while Deano, Bubby, and Oskie tossed heaps of wet clay goodness onto us lap after lap. Those who wore the most clay and who's shoes were 3 inches taller took home bragging rights. Them were the days...

Doug Bushey

Passionate Fan / Announcer / Media & Public Relations 
Agent 

You see, Wal-Mart wasn't the only place that I have felt "different". At each of the three events that my brother and I have witnessed so far here in Iowa, we have been without eye protection, surrounded by much more prepared, religious Sprint Car fans, who are sporting ball caps and eye wear to keep the 1/4" layer of dust, clay, and rubber off their heads and out of their eyes. And you know what? They go home each and every night bragging about how much beer used to be in their cup of dirt! Dust is part of the deal at a dirt track race. It is part of the culture. You don't hear many hardcore NHRA fans complaining that their clothes smell too much like nitro and rubber...right?!

You must be sitting on the front row. Not a pair of welding goggles to be found on the upper level . Racing has been fun to watch so far. Hope you enjoy your trip out here Doug.

I don't agree. The sand at the beach has always been there. I never experienced dust at Ascot or Speedway 117, and it normally doesn't occur at the PAS either. (That's remarkable as the PAS sits on the edge of the desert). On a few nights at the PAS I have had to close my eyes because of dust and others around me put on their sunglasses to cope. I don't like closing my eyes at a race track. If I need to close my eyes why should I bother buying a ticket? These days dirt tracks need to sell as many tickets as possible, and to get newbies to return they need to have as pleasurable of an experience as possible.

you are spending your money to watch the best type of racing this or any other country has to offer in my eyes. would you go to a picnic without the food ? nottt then why would you not bring a pair of clear safety glasses for yourself and each one of your guests . just my thought .

We need more sprint car racing at our home track.

Same reason Doug didnt have any with him?

I always have my clear safety glasses with me. Generally as a rule the best races are on a nice slick surface that tends to kick up dust but thats not a problem if your prepared! I need to call bullshit on the poster who stated that ASCOT never had dust, ever. What a load of poop.

Cheers!

Generally as a rule the best races are on a nice slick surface that tends to kick up dust

Bingo!

Henry,

My post said that I never experienced any dust. But I only attended about 100 shows at Ascot during 1975-1990. I don't know what your experience was. The load of poop seems to be your reading comprehension.

Rick Eaton

Recollection of past events seems to get rosier as we get older. Go to youtube and search for old ASCOT footage. You will see quit a few races that produced dust in the mains. Nothing wrong with that though as thats when the drivers shine and the big dollar motors dont matter as much ie better racing. If you attended 100 ASCOT shows as you stated then I stand by my poop statement that there had to be some dust at a minimum of a few shows. I think the problem is alot of us fans get cranky and grumpy in our older years and dont go with the flow, instead we bitch and moan. Its a shame cause when we were all kids we were happy just to watch hotlaps and couldnt have cared one bit about a little dust.

Cheers!

when we were all kids we were happy just to watch hotlaps and couldnt have cared one bit about a little dust.

Back in the day we didn't have the internet, hundreds of tv channels, ipods, etc. The kids of today (and the newbies) are different. I believe that if someone is complaining on a message board, that there are many more people that feel the same way. Instead of dismissing those people, or responding with the tired "if you don't like it stay home" or "that's the way it's always been" we should be trying to make things better. If we don't make an evening at the race track as exciting and comfortable as possible the sport we love will die. It may already be too late.

itz not to late we still got the big wheel races on the front strait .

We need more sprint car racing at our home track.

And I hear you're a two time champ, who's in a tight point's race for a third.

Good luck!!

Kenny

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true. 

Anyone who has been to more than 2-3 years of sprint car races knows there's dust at times at any track. Ascot and Ventura just happens to have less of it because of the tracks surface in relation to sea level.

The other night, I was at Oskaloosa Iowa for the USAC show. Was on the top row and had no dust. Went and sat much lower for a spell and the dust was there. Didnt change the quality of the action of course but it would be great if dust wasnt present in the grandstand.

The evolution of making these rocket ships go faster just tosses more dust in a wider circumference. When you sit low enough at a winged event (sometimes it doesnt have to be very low), "Sandblasting" is a term that can be correctly used when describing dust entering the grandstand.

We can all blame low fan attendance on the economy, the weather, the traffic, the ticket pricing and so on but..............

The number one detriment to getting people in the stands today is the dust that gets hurled into the grandstands. The die-hards like myself and many of you who visit this media will be there regardless. Its the casual fan that we are loosing to the dusting. When they get dusted out in their face time and time again, they think twice about where to go out for the night. It was a bit different when it wasnt a regular occurrence.

The one group that had stood the test of time with the same problem is the World of Outlaws. They just do a great job marketing their product with great teams to offer the ticket holder.

I left San Diego on March 24th of 74, and I've never been back; and ever since then my hearts been slowly slowing down for lack of time on the beach's there breast watching. Remember to spend a little time on the sand Don, it's good for your health. I'd be glad to come over to walk those beaches with you again, but at this stage and with so much time away from it, it might just kill me!

But it just might be worth it!!!

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true.