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

Ive been for ten years - never got a headache or sick from fumes.  Sit high between 3 and 4.

Incredible racing... yes dust was worse this year... needed better track prep

But there is no way I'll give up our seats! And wouldn't miss it

Theyvsay this is a sell out but the videos i watched seem to have a lot of empty seats. I suspect they dont sell every seat due to safety etc but i saw empty seats surrounded by people. 

Was the place packed sgoulder to shoulder?

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

The crowd grow nightly.  Tues has the smallest crowd because many people choose 4 day instead of 5 day so maybe 70% full, it goes to 80% of Wednesday and Thursday and 95%+ on the Friday and Saturday shows. 

The backstretch is not reserved seating and is for those with pit passes, so you will see empty seats there.

We are pretty well packed in section DD.  The same people sit around me every year and they were all there all the nights.  But I do not seem to have the overpacked feeling like at the Knoxville Nationals.  Knee room is more of an issue than seat width.

Like others said, not everybody shows up for Prelim nites. Saturday got uncomfortably crowded at the end. I was also told that some people will pay for seats & not show up, just to keep them for next year

To me, Friday night looked 95%

Jam packed Sat night

Pretty sure every seat is sold. Even the bottom row has season ticket holders. There are various reasons you will see some empty seats.

1)Tuesday is not part of the season package for some. So tuesday is the one day there are some unsold seats.

2)The backstetch is GA for pit pass holders and fullness varies but gets fuller as the event goes on. 

3)Due to the large amount of racing,dust,fumes whatever some fans take an extended break and sit below and watch on closed circuit video monitors for while. Or walk the pits or trade show.

4)Some own full week seats but can only come later in the week. So sadly some seats are paid but unused. This is why it was mentioned that it gets fuller as each night goes by.

By the time you get to Sat night most seats should be filled in. If you are in the middle of the row it can be a challange getting in and out but as also mentioned the side to side room isn't to bad. the knee room is though which is the better of the two since you can just stand for a bit between races

I Hardly saw a new face anywhere in my sec. We have know everone around us for many years(possibly decades in some cases)and make the space work for us. Nobodys super uncomfortable that I know of.

It's been on a steady decline for years now. They need to stop trying to make the track perfect for every race. Let the curbs grow, don't worry if the first 30 laps of the main are locked down. It will be a while before I return...

Been reading much about midgets but dont know alot about them.

Are they basically the same frame and wheelbase as a sprint car?

What do they use for an engine and horsepower? Weight? Cost of a turn key unit?

Where are they most popular in weekly events and what are some of the main sanctioning bodies?

Are these the cars that headline the Indianna Speedweeks?

Yes I know i could spend hours on google but could someone please save me the time. Thanks.

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

I typed in USAC midget specs and the first link was the rulebook. 

Wheelbase is 66 in. and not to exceed 76. So, shorter than a sprint car.

Weight has to be 1035 with the driver. So, lighter than a sprint car.

Different engine sizes allowed for different types of engines (push rod, single overhead cam, double overhead cam) and the range from 154 to 200 ci.  Esslinger, Stanton, Toyota are just some of the engines. Cost? No idea. I googled Stanton SR-11 and found a link from 2012 (so yeah, its old, but....) for about 35k. 

USAC is the most popular series. Here in PA we have the ARDC. 

They do have midget week in Indiana. It's between May 29th and June 3rd this year.

I know i didnt answer everything, but that'll get you started. By the way, not to be a wiseass, but I can't resist, and don't take me seriously.... but to Google this and type the response on my phone took 10 mins.

I suspected there are several sanctioning bodies and a variety of car specs. Just that i find a spec wouldnt mean it was for the cars at the chilibowl.

Read something about several being soecial built.

So what happens to all of these cars driven by guys like Schatz who onlt drives a midget 2 days of the year? Seems like a lot of money for a days fun.

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

I found a link from 2015 that says they use the USAC rules and adapt them to the spirit and intent of the Chili Bowl.

The super teams have plenty of financial backing. Marshall/Clausen NOS on 8 cars and drivers and Toyota and assorted associate sponsors the KKM team.

I would think M/C would run 3-4 cars the rest of the year and KKM usually runs about 5 cars.  The I assume the rest become spares for 2018.

The Swindell cars go into storage as do several other team cars.  If you go to the Chili Bowl long enough you recognize many of the same cars from year to year. No changes in paint or anything, they store them and haul them out once or twice a year just for the enjoyment of being involved at the Chili Bowl.

Amazing how much enthusiasim one race can generate. Some of the best drivers and many I have never heard of vying for a chance to take home a Golden Driller.Not many rules to enforce just get to the front on your qualifing night with out getting wrecked and hope for the best.I still think timing of this event is the key.Probably the funniest race of the year for many.

Never really unerstood the popularity of this event(other than it being in the dead of winter) but then again I never cared much for midgets. They are OK on some tracks but I'd never go to see them as the top division. To me the chili bowl looks like bumper cars on a tiny, narrow track.

A

Have you been? Its fun

But then again, I think midgets have become my favorite class, especially on a small track

Another sanctioning body is POWRi, somewhat lower budget than USAC, race mostly on smaller tracks in Illinois, Missouri, etc. I saw them race at tiny Belle Clair, Ill. & it was terrific

They're becoming my favorite class, Eastern USAC tour races at Susky & Path Valley were highlites of last year for me (other than serious injury to 600 class driver)

Chili Bowl has minimal rules, I don't think there's a weight limit. I saw one car in the pits with a Ford V-6, otherwise all 4 cylinder

Midgets were hugely popular in US after WW2. They even had indoor races at armories in the Bronx, NY

At Speedy Bill's museum in Lincoln, NE, they have a midget from the 1920s with wood 2x6s for a frame.

Indiana Midget week would be a great time to visit.... wingless 410s are the support class!

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/ctrp-1107-1951-kk-midget-race-car/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA6kbzPJg5I

No, watched it on the tube a few times but never in person. I know racing is much better in person, but I still enjoy watching other sprint car broadcasts. Midgets are definitely suited for a small track and I prefer sprints on a smaller track too - less than 1/2 mile anyway but not too small(1/4). The track at the chili bowl is so tight that that they have to bump each other out of the way to make a pass a lot of the time. I don't care for that type of racing.

A