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Found this on the "midgetmadness.com" web site. Isnt easy to find, got to know where to look. PLEASE tell me USAC didn't schedule this on top of the Oval Nationals (Oct. 30, 31 and Nov. 1st) and this announcement is a mistake! Yea, the few BIG sprint teams will be at the Oval Nationals, but why schedule against it at all? If indeed that's the case.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 28, 2008

Contact: DICK JORDAN

COLUMBUS JOINS FORT WAYNE ON 2008 INDOOR SLATE

United States Auto Club indoor Midget racing, which dates back to the first race in USAC’s 53-year history, continues this fall and winter, beginning with the “Buckeye Bowl Indoor Midget Car Nationals” Nov. 1 at the State Fairgrounds Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio. The race, announced today by Rumbleseries.com President Tony Barhorst, is the first of three currently scheduled under a roof this year.

Races are also scheduled Dec. 26-27 at the Memorial Coliseum Expo Center in Fort Wayne, Ind., located adjacent to the Allen County Memorial Coliseum, site of USAC’s inaugural race in 1956.

USAC’s National, Regional, Kenyon and Ford Focus machines will combine for the Columbus event, with a 60-lapf feature on tap. A load-in, practice and Halloween Pit Party are also scheduled on Oct. 31. The Outlaw Modified 600 cc Midgets take off their wings to run their full show and a 50-lap feature. The Lucas Oil Quarter Midgets, and Junior Sprints will also compete as well as karts in various classes of competition.

The load in starts at noon on Oct. 31 with practice running from 6 pm to 10 pm. A Halloween Pit Party will be Friday during and after practice. The pits open at 7:30 am on Saturday, Nov. 1, the front gates open at noon, with the full USAC event after 7 pm.

“I have put a lot of thought into how we can improve on the event we had at Columbus in January of 2007“, said Barhorst.

“The Nov. 1 date should have warmer temperatures that will help with the cars going from the pit building across the alley into the Coliseum. We are going to try to make the track a few feet wider, and use large ATV's with rollbars to push the midgets off, instead of the pickup trucks that were used at the last event.
“I am looking to possibly add one more venue to our Columbus and Fort Wayne events to make this a true indoor series. The best part our series plays is the unique showcase it is for new talent like 2007 Fort Wayne winner Billy Wease, and 2007 Columbus winner Blake Fitzpatrick,” said Barhorst.

Entries will be available by e-mailing tbracefest@aol.com (mailto:tbracefest@aol.com) , or calling 937-369-3693 for event information.

--USAC--

KOP lets not try to pick a fight. There is not anything about this race that will effect the Oval Nationals!!!

The indoor race is a non-points special event that only uses USAC officials. Not any driver in their right mind would choose to race a 1/10 mile beat and band place if they have a chance to race at Perris.

Lets us not crucify USAC for something that is very inmaterial

I was just in a little amazement at the scheduling. Of course the Darland's, Jones', Stanbrough's, Gardner's and the like will be at Perris. There was one specific word that got my attention in accordance with those dates. That word was "National". Most all of the "National" drivers run both divisions.

If you look at the "National" midgets points as of now, and we pick the obvious drivers that wont run Perris that weekend, it doesn't seem that the fans in Ohio will get much in the quantity of "National" drivers. Since there is an option, who's to say if a certain driver(s) aren't able to climb any higher in the national sprint standings by coming west that they won't just hang close to home and run the midget deal? When October gets here, guess we will find out who stays back and who doesn't.

No where in the Press Release does it say it is a National points race. Without it being a National points race, it will not keep anyone back east.

This is part of the Rumble indoor midget series.

I was saying if a national "sprint car" driver couldn't improve his position in the standings (including running Manzy the next week after Perris), what would keep him from staying close to home and running the midget show? This new race on this date, just makes it a 'possibility' that can happen.

For example: driver "X" is 9th, 11th or whatever in points. He can't make up enough points in two events to move up higher in the standings. Driver and team has had a tough year. Equipment is worn and tired. Driver has an 'opportunity' to run the midget deal instead and his team is OK with that. I can just see where someone could stay home and run the other deal.

I agree with you 100% that the press release doesn't say the race pays national points , but it does say that national midget cars are 'participating'. I don't think it was set up that way to tell the fans that and then have national teams fail to show up. As mentioned above, Come October, we will see who does or doesn't stay back.

I guess I can see your point. But really running indoors is not fun, I have done it.

This race would have happened regardless wether or not it was a USAC race.

I'm no huge indoor fan myself. The Chili Bowl is about the only indoor race I have come to like. More so for seeing and mingling with all the folks from the racing industry. The actual "on track" action is just icing on the cake for me.

I am with you on that one

The only thing is I am usually to busy working on 2 cars to really mingle