The Hoosier Race Report: Not So Random Thoughts

By Danny Burton

Danny Burton’s Hoosier Race Report appears courtesy of OpenWheelRacers.com

Unless you’re fortunate enough to travel to warmer climates and see what’s left of the 2007 season, then you’re reduced to speculating, arguing and/or guessing what will happen in 2008. Message boards and real time talk are dominated by cranky fans with an agenda of sorts, along with racing trivia buffs, who delight in showing how little people like me know. So what follows is a good or bad bit of meandering.

Oh, to go to Australia about now. The weather there is warming up as spring approaches. And soon enough sprint car racing will be in full swing. (Side note to John LeVan: for Christmas, how about an all-expense paid trip to Australia? Yes, I’ll send a story every day while I’m there. And some of them will even be about racing.)

This past weekend offered up two very fine series of races. Could it be any better than supermodifieds and NASCAR modifieds at Concord, North Carolina? Or how about the Oval Nationals out west at Perris, California? A change of plans kept me from going to Concord this year. And I’ve tentative plans to try and get out to Perris next year. So many races, so little time.

Kevin Briscoe, among others, knows that there could well be tough times ahead for our weekly sprint car racers in these parts. The cost of racing is driving many to other pursuits, though it isn’t stopping many others from jumping in. The old adage that speed costs money, and how fast do you wish to go, is alive and well as it’s always been. So yesterday’s hot dog and/or track champ has to come up with more bucks to upgrade or else find himself running for fifth place consistently.

Funny thing about Kevin. Unlike many, he looks ahead and realizes where the sport is going. In five years one wonders how things will be. Spec engines, anyone? More tire rules? More ride buying? More kids with rich daddies? Or, better yet, more kids with daddies who may not have lots of dollars, but a lot of heart. (See Bobby Stines, Chris Babcock, Danny Holtsclaw, et al.) Kevin, again like many others, knows that whatever changes are needed won’t really benefit him; he is easing into a reduced role on the Hoosier short track scene. But the guy loves this type of racing so much he wants to see it continue to thrive. You can’t argue with that. Or can you?

Suppose you have a friend who has never been to a race. Or suppose that the only racing this friend has ever seen has been on TV. Would you be brave enough to invite this buddy to your local short track? Or, in other words, does your local track run a program in an efficient manner? Do they start on time? Do they finish at a decent hour? To put this differently, do you see too many parents carrying too many sleeping kids out to the family car while there are still two or three more features to run? You might want to think twice before inviting your friend, if this is the case.

Here in Indiana, I’ll freely admit that we are spoiled. Many of our short tracks do not mess around when it comes to getting the races done at a decent hour. We have promoters here who realize that people wish to be entertained and that they may well feel like the race track is a home away from home. These guys and gals treat the fans as welcome guests and their efforts pay off.

Shameless plug alert: are you a race fan who goes to a lot of races in Indiana? You cannot beat the Hoosier Auto Race Fans club for value and bang for your buck. Throughout the year discounts are available at several different tracks. Included each year is a ticket to Indy 500 qualifications. (Sad to say, you won’t have much trouble getting a seat for 500 time trials.) I’d better add social outings, mainly Monte Carlo night coming up this Saturday the 18th. Each January is the HARF Awards Banquet, where race fans eat and celebrate the previous years’ achievements. Each February is the Rich Vogler Scholarship party, where race fans bid on racing mementos, souvenirs, and anything else that doesn’t move to raise money for the scholarship. Oh, during all this the Daytona 500 plays out its drama on the big TV screen.

The influx of kids in short track racing is called bad by many. Others may think it’s great. From here, it’s, as usual, both. In the end, talent will tell all. Large amounts of money will only get a young person (or an older one) only so far. We could all name youngsters who burst upon the scene, ran as best they could with the big dogs, and then went away, many with vastly decreased cash flow.

Like most any kid of a similar age, one will encounter “good” kids as well as the other. So one should not be shocked if some of these young people don’t show the respect that one’s common sense would assume they would show. Often these brash, equipment trashing “punks” grow up. Give them a chance. Who knows, they may learn something. And better yet, if they do move on to NASCAR, the current rage, maybe, just maybe, they will remember where they came from, as many in NASCAR do now.

Speaking of NASCAR, I’ll repeat myself about an issue that gripes me a bit. For several years, NASCAR guys have not been averse to paying a visit to a local short track and taking on the locals, who have been only too happy to show up the big time hot shot. From Bobby Allison at a USAC race at Salem many moons ago to Carl Edwards/Tony Stewart/Matt Kenseth/Ryan Newman, etc. at Eldora/LaCrosse/Manzanita, etc. one can find a NASCAR guy more than happy to show up, often with his own car, race with the locals, sign some autographs, and generally have a good time. This will happen whether the promoter provides financial remuneration or not. (I should mention here the ultimate NASCAR short track racer, Mr. Ken Schrader, who will race anywhere, anytime, with most any type of race car.)

Now the IRL is a different story. Quick, name the last time you saw an IRL racer at a short track and Ed Carpenter doesn’t count. Ed, Sarah Fisher, and a few others have raced at short tracks plenty of times. But not much at all since they moved to the IRL. Maybe it’s because the IRL does not wish to have short track fans as a part of its fan base? I don’t know, but it seems like the folks who run and/or market Indy cars are missing out on a few things.

Many thanks go to my faithful, loving, and sometimes severe critic (not always in that order.) Many more go to our veterans on this Armistice Day.

Pulling a slide job on Gene Simmons at the Terre Haute Action Track, I’m…

Danny Burton

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