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

At what point in history did the WoO have more than 10-12 fulltime followers?  

The 80's and '90's were the best years. As many as 18 travellers many seasons. Things were also a bit different in that there were a number of drivers that would also hit nearly 50% of the WoO shows back then. The numbers started to fall under 15 somewhere around 2009-2010-2011. MRN has race results as far back as 2002 although most years aren't totally complete so checking those race results from around the country and then looking at the WoO history page and checking each years points totals for drivers will match up the driver numbers pretty consistantly. When you look at each years points total, the fall off in points and driver names is a pretty good indicator as to the number of drivers on the Tour for the year, also. I would imagine somewhere each year's roster exists, but I haven't been able to find it.  I think in 2005 there were 15 or 16 full timers. In 2006, 2007 and 2008 maybe the same. Any way, I think we can agree that attracting full time travellers is getting tougher.

2006 was the split..WoO/NST

The Teams/drivers from the NST went back to the WOO for the start of 2007.

2007 WoO season started with @26 teams and finished with @23 teams.. 

Please advise factual proof of the downward trend in car counts. Do you have some data over the past 10 years?

Looking at the WoO history page it appears that for about half the years all the way back to 1978 points fall off somewhere around 12-13th place.   Some years were better, some worse.  

2004 was the first year that the WoO entered into an agreement with drivers to compete in 100% of the WoO tour. The reason for the move is pretty self explanatory. Many drivers considered full time Outlaws would stray to other events during the season or tail off in appearances towards the end of the season. The move to have an agreement took place in May of 2004 and an agreement to attend 100% of the remaining schedule was reached with just 15 drivers. That was the birth of what was deamed "The Mean 15". From what I can find the term only lasted a few years but an agreement of one  type or another continued to exist. For a time the top 10 in season points would have the use of a Freightliner semi for the next season. That was one of the incentives to attract drivers  The difference then verses now as shown in the MRN WoO results pages from 2004 to present is that there were many drivers that attended upwards of 70%-80% of the entire schedule over the years but were not commited to an agreement compared to the last several years when only a handful of drivers not signed on as a full time drivers will make 10-15 events of the schedule. So yeh, someone like myself that has been around since the beginning would state that the numbers of regulars is down. The prime years were from the mid '80's through all of the '90's and into the early to mid 2000's, and WoO Throwback Thursday taped events is a pretty good barometer for that statement as the drivers are pretty easy to identify. In recent years it's pretty much the full time WoO drivers and the local talent on WoO race tapes with an occasional invader or two. Needless to say, I am and always will be a  WoO fan! 

The new format hasn't messed with the racing so far. 3 of the 4 races have been seemingly really excellent. With KKR getting their act together, and Saldana and Gravel in better rides this year, I am hoping for some real competition for Schatz.

The new format must be working.  Schatz is in fifth place in points.

Lets see how long that lasts...

But I see you were joking