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

Nope, I think he referring to the rapidly dwindling crowds (to the point tracks are removing many sections of seats) and tv ratings that are what you would see from infomercials.............basically down the shitter.

Do you think that has anything to do with Nascar's rediculous ticket prices or just how boring a Nascar race really is?

I wouldn't want to watch a Nascar race anywhere other than a couch or recliner.   It takes a mid race nap to make that snooze fest tolerable.

You hit the nail on the head.  The show could have EASILY been completed by 11:00 pm with any sense of urgency. 

It has to do with all of that and more. NA$CAR's brain trust must be continuously out to lunch or high on something to think what they have now is anywhere close to good. I have had some real nice Sunday afternoon naps so far this NA$CAR season. I guess the Kansas race rating (which, surprisingly, I didn't think was too bad of a race) was only a 1.4 or something like that.

 Wow! I agree with all of this.

1. Should have moved kids night back a week to a normal night and purposely hurry that show. 

2. Never run more than 3 classes.

3. Consider Qualifying 360's during their hotlaps like the 305's. 

4. Personally, I'm a die hard and like spending all night at a racetrack. But, I  also understand the family aspect.  10pm isn't  going to happen but 11-11:30 should be the target. 

You don't "understand the family aspect" if you think 11-11:30 should "be the target".

If 11-11:30 is the "target" 12-12:30 is what you get when you a couple red flags.

Is it really necessary to time trial 305's and 360's at all?

The nations premier 360 series doesn't even use time trials.

There is not a better field of 410 cars anywhere including the WOO.Take away Schatz and Knoxville and NSL regulars are right there.The trucks yearly visit and actually the 305s are not what most fans are there for.They both put on a good show and the 305s could headline at some smaller tracks.The 305s cost way to much already but that happens in every class.I still beleive the RaceSaver rules would save money and unify the 305s but that is not what the racers want so enjoy what you have.I like all kinds of racing but Nascar is boring and local stock cars will never compete with sprint cars.I actually like wingless but just too dangerous on a big track.

Vande77....  Shame on you.  Your comments about Capitani are off base and you have no clue what you are talking about.  If it wasn't for Ralph Capitani, we might not even have a Knoxville Raceway today.  The track and the Fair Board were nearly broke back in the late 70's.  When Ray Grimes took over after Marion Robinson left as promoter, there was barely enough money in the bank to keep an account open (I think $8 was the number).  When Grimes got hurt a year later and had to resign, Cappy was hired and he helped save that track from closing at the time.  Now look at what it has become.  None of what you said about Cappy is true.  He is one of the kindest hearted people I know and has always tried to do what was best for the track, fair board, the fans, teams, and the community.  Until you have sat down with the guy and talked face to face with him, or been in his shoes, don't ever talk trash like that again about one of the greatest ambassadors EVER for racing. 

Gendel.... Shame on you too.  Nice words from a neighboring track race promoter.  I would never talk smack about one of your racing facilities publicly. 

Eric Arnold
Social Media Manager & Track Historian
Knoxville Raceway

Yes, some tracks do run later than they should. Knoxville is no different..with that said they get it right almost every night and that is why I go back over and over and over again. 

If you had gone to the races in Knoxville then you'd know that MOST nights are over  by11. I've rarely missed a race the past five years and most nights I'm home by midnight.  

Soooooo attendance, car counts, and the quality of drivers up at Knoxville weekly, the facility, the concessions, the best track prep, the best safety crew, organized push trucks and 4 wheelers, tow truck crew,  is an indicator of a "poorly ran show" ???? 

Is there a racetrack in Iowa, midwest, United States that puts on a better weekly show and has a bigger race  in the world? 

Keep It Real

I have to agree with this. If Cappy did such a terrible job he sure covered it well. I started going in 1979 and watched the expansion years to what Kville has become today. If thats a crappy job then who knows what would have happened if he did his job well.

EA

I stand by my comments (especially after 40 years of attending races at Knoxville), Cappi was not a promotor, he was a gate opener (he never attempted to promote his entire time at the helm -- and in fact scoffed at the idea of working with the Track in Newton when it was built).  He saw no need to try to get "their fans" to come to Knoxville becuase "our fans" and "their fans' aren't the same type of fan.

For all his shortcomings as a promotor, he was worse as a school teacher.

Is Cappi kind-hearted?  Yes, but that doesn't make you good at your job.

Was the track almost broke in the 70's?  No idea, I'm not a Fairboard member and it's not public information.

IMO, you have drank the kool-aid that has been spewed over the past 25-30 years about how Great Cappi is.

Vande...  You just don't know when to shut up.  I could give you countless examples of his promoting skills. Return of the Wolf in 86 ring any bells, how about the 1200 pound Nationals, Late Model Nationals, 50th season celebratory race, 360 Nationals, limited sprints that is now the 360's, Mystery feature, Race of States, just to name a few. The purse for the Nationals grew from $51,000 to $1,000,000 and the weekly purse and point fund is the best in the world for sprint car racing.  The stadium has grown from 8,000 seats to 24,000.  All that happened under his watch and you dont' give him any credit for promoting or attracting sponsors?  Haters are gunna hate I guess.  Why don't you sit down with Cappy and run these accusations by him and listen to what he says.  Or stop in the office and talk to someone like John McCoy face to face and get your facts straight instead of sitting at your keyboard spewing lies.  Cappy is the Savior of the Knoxville Raceway along with some great Fair Board members like Grant Rankin.  What you are saying is ridiculous.  By the way, your days of getting in for free selling 50/50 tickets are probably done.  Thanks for your service to the KRCO, but we don't need people like you representing the Knoxville Raceway.

Eric Arnold
Social Media Manager & Track Historian
Knoxville Raceway

Vande77...  It is not a stretch at all to think that without the influence of Ralph Capitani in the sprint car universe we might not have 360 sprint cars, a weight rule, sprint cars on TV, ASCS, Sprint Invaders, MOWA, NSL, and guys like Steve Kinser, Donny Schatz, and Danny Lasoski wouldn't be household names and have made the money they have to support their families.  There might not be a NSCHof&M in turn two.  Look at the 25,000 people in attendance this August and tell me Cappy isn't ultimately responsible for that thanks to his promotion skills and growing that event, laying the foundation for his successors to take it to another level. His leadership helped a guy like Bob Trostle make a living and become an ambassador for sprint car racing in Australia and look at how racing down under has evolved and how Aussies have moved to Iowa and the USA for the past 30 years.  How you can say he was not a promoter and such is moronic.  He is the most influential person in racing I know.  Yes I am a proud employee of Knoxville Raceway, and I drink the kool-aid.  I take pride and the responsibility into representing it  as best as I can.  I rarely post on this msg board because of the negativity it breeds.  But for you to call out Cappy like this is crossing a line and I won't let that go.  

Eric Arnold
Social Media Manager & Track Historian
Knoxville Raceway

If they keep chasing the families away those 100 die hard fans will be sitting in an empty grandstand wondering what happened to all the fans.  My kids are grown, married and have kids but when they were little I'd take them to the Cedar Lake Outlaws show every year.  A few times we had to leave before the Feature so I can relate to the balancing act.  It's great that you take the kids to the races.  We make an occasional "redeye" (drive home after the races) from Forest Lake, Minnesota which is about 5 1/2 to 6 hours.  Knoxville seems to always keep us down there later than we car to get out of there.  Some tracks are just not very good at moving the show along.  Our local track Cedar Lake went to a 6pm start time and they run five classes.  That has worked out pretty good with races finishing up around 9:30 to 10pm a lot of nights when they're not running specials.  What we do now is take the kids to those kinds of weekly shows then when my son and I go somewhere like Knoxville it's men only.  Keeps the women happy that we're making an effort to get the kids out of their hair once in a while and keeps us happy that we can make those boys only trips sometimes. 

Stan Meissner

No bashing Eric Arnold.  When you advertise starting at a certain time you do it.  Unless you have a problem.  My whole post was about "time" and I know there are many people who choose not to go to Knoxville very often because they know they poke around.  Great track prep, quality of cars, facility, announcers, and so on.  Need a manger to keep the show accountable.  If you don't see that then you need to take off your blinders.  No bashing they just need to fix 1 thing.  Buy a watch and use it.  Take your intermission as needed.  I go to watch races when I go to the racetrack not sit there and wonder why there is nothing going on.  There can be a long time between races for no reason.  Dragging it out when you only have 8 to 10 races I kinda understand.  Getting over at 12:30 on kids night.  That wont bring the parents back watching hot laps, time trials, and maybe some heat races.  A huge sprint car fan called me Saturday night after the races at 1 am and said he wasn't going to go to Knoxville much this summer after Saturday nights long night.  I wasn't there but he said heat races started after 9.  Once again not bashing but in this day and age people only have a 3 hour attention span.

Won't let me edit.

manager not manger

Constructive criticism helps us tracks get better.  That is the only negative I hardly ever hear about Knoxville and this time thing is an easy fix.  My point is fix the small problem.  It's very easy.

If that 1 night is keeping someone away I would not call them a "huge sprint car fan". Travel a little. I have seen far worse run shows than Knoxville.

Yes, there are other tracks that are worse at starting late, back gate promoting and dicking around.

The goal shouldn't be to find another track that gets done later to make Knoxville's late finish look good.

The goal should be to have every weekly show done by 10-10:30 and make every other track look completely incompetent.

Knoxville is the standard that every other sprint car track in this country is measured against, they need to set the bar high.

Mike....  Constructive criticism is fine, but not in this forum.  The point of running late was made without your comments about mismanagement.  That is disrespectful to McCoy and Stickel.  And politically that doesn't reflect well on you, your track, or your fair board to make those comments.  We should all have each others back here and be good neighbors.

Eric Arnold
Social Media Manager & Track Historian
Knoxville Raceway