INDIANAPOLIS —
With the highly anticipated USAC Indiana Sprint Week sprint card on tap at the Terre Haute Action Track tonight and the Tony Hulman/Don Smith Classic and a host of events leading up to the Brickyard 400 looming on the horizon, it would appear that it’s the best of times for Wabash Valley racing buffs.
After all, it doesn’t get much better than USAC sprint-car racing at the Action Track, and NASCAR has long been billed as the hottest ticket in racing.
Behind the scenes, however, the picture doesn’t appear quite as rosy as many would like us to believe. A pair of calls over the past couple days has rightfully drawn the ire of even the most open-minded race fan.
First there was the ill-timed dust debacle of the Sumar Classic at the Action Track then less than 72 hours later fans learned they would be losing a a pair of their most popular short track events in 2012.
The announcement that the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck series events would be leaving Lucas Oil Raceway after this year has ruffled the feathers of long-time supporters of the two events.
A number of fans are wondering out loud whether the decision makers of the sport are putting their own self interests ahead of those of the paying public.
The calls, whether that involving the Sumar Classic or the Brickyard, come at a time when ticket sales for the 400 are sagging and the fortunes of the Sumar are questionable.
The attempt to revive daytime racing at the Wabash Valley Fairgrounds, while legimate, couldn’t have been a bigger disappointment.
Now the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and NASCAR are trying to boost sagging Brickyard 400 tickets sales by dangling sports cars and two stock cars races on the same weekend at Indianapolis in 2012 — this coming at the expense of two popular events at Lucas Oil Raceway.
From a competitive standpoint, the Brickyard 400 has struggled in its 17 years to meet the lofty expectations of a dwindling fan base.
Speedway and NASCAR officials offered little consolation to those feeling the disappointment of losing their popular short events at LOR, where the stocks and trucks have had a popular 30-year run.
The changes came with an announcement at Speedway’s yard of bricks from Speedway CEO Jeff Belskus and NASCAR president Mike Helton. Both spoke highly of the working relationship between the IMS and NASCAR.
They see “Super Weekend at the Brickyard” as a way to strengthen their ties and build for the future.
“I think it speaks to the commitment that NASCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway have with each other to better the future of motorsports, to create a world-class event,” Helton said.
“Everyone wants to grow and we’re no different. NASCAR has done a lot of things in the past to assure the future of the sport. Today is a milestone.”
“It’s important for our fans, it’s important for us. We know our fans like different forms of racing. We’re pleased to host it here,” Belskus said.
A few miles to the west, there was a more solemn feel to the day.
Those in charge at LOR were prepared for the bad news. It had been rumored for quite some time.
At Clermont, several members of the media was greeted by LOR senior communication director Scott Smith, who arranged an impromptu interview with track GM Wes Collier.
Collier did his best to hide his disappoinment.
“Unfortunately, we don’t know what the future holds. At the end of the day, it came down to a business decision between NASCAR and IMS. Clearly we’re disappointed,” voiced Collier.
“We’ve got one of the best short-track facilites in the country. We’re going to continue to put on great events out there. We’ve had a lot of different series contact us. We’ve got to reevaluate what we want to do and move on.”
A plus to the announcement was that road racing in the form of the Grand Am series would be added to the 2012 IMS racing calendar.
Valley road-racing fans, who now must travel at great lengths to view their favorite form of racing, will have a first-class event in their own back yard. It will be a welcomed addition to the racing scene.
• ISW on tap — If results from the opening three rounds of this year’s USAC Indiana Sprint Weeks are any indication of what fans can expect to see at the Fairgrounds tonight, the twice-delayed season opener at the Action Track should be well worth the wait.
Three different winners have emerged thus far in ISW. Dave Darland, Robert Ballou and Hunter Schuerenberg have all made it to victory circle.
Series results haven’t been as encouraging for the Valley’s only full-time USAC entrant. West Terre Haute’s Blake Fitzpatrick has struggled in his first three races.
A first-lap crash in the semi-feature at Gas City resulted in a DNS in series opener. The following night at Kokomo, Blake won his heat and had to settle for a 16th-place showing in the main. At Lawrenceburg, it was an early departure in the feature.
The likable driver hopes to turn around what has been a slow start in 2011.
“With the exception of my win in the KISS race at Kokomo and then Braylon [younger brother] and I’s one-two finish at Kokomo, it’s not been the year we hoped for. It’s something as a race driver we all go through. We look forward to getting back on a roll. There wouldn’t be a better place or time than at Terre Haute,” said the defending Midwest Sprint Car Series champion.
Joe Buckles can be reached at jbuckles4@frontier.com.
Trackside
TRACKSIDE: Changes come up on Indiana racing scene
- Trackside
-
-
TRACKSIDE: Chase Stockon hopes momentum stays with him in Terre Haute
Momentum, an element that can be as elusive to a race driver as that perfect setup, can spell the difference in winning or running at the rear of the pack.
It’s a force difficult to achieve and maybe even harder to maintain. One learns quickly to make the most of the opportunity when it comes his way.
It’s something Chase Stockon will carry with him coming into today’s Jim Hurtubise Classic at the Terre Haute Action Track.
Only days following the biggest victory of his young and promising career, the $10,000-to-win USAC feature at Lawrenceburg, Stockon followed that up with another rich payday this past weekend at Tri-State Speedway. -
TRACKSIDE: Stanbrough continues points chase after recent skirmish with rival
Veteran sprint car driver Jon Stanbrough has never been one to hide his distaste for chasing point championships. It simply doesn’t bode well with his style of racing.
-
TRACKSIDE: Brett Andrew plays role in developing NASCAR's new body styles
The recent announcement from NASCAR regarding the approved body styles for the 2013 Sprint Cup Series follows extensive wind-tunnel testing that was a year in the making.
-
TRACKSIDE: Stockon takes giant step forward in USAC
One of the more impressive and welcomed storylines of the recently completed Indiana Sprint Week was the emergence of area driver Chase Stockon on the national sprint car scene.
-
TRACKSIDE: Indiana Sprint Week rises above heat, rain, poor economy
The 25th annual version of Indiana Sprint Week is now officially in the record books and the latest chapter will go down as one of the most successful in recent years.
-
TRACKSIDE: Late models may have no long-term future in Indiana
Reflecting on what was billed as the biggest week of the summer for dirt-track stock-car racing … while preparing to shift gears for the busiest week of the year for non-wing sprint-car racing in the Wabash Valley.
-
TRACKSIDE: Summer heat has made this ‘The Hell Tour’
It is fittingly billed as “The Hell Tour” for many of the Midwest’s leading late model stock car drivers and their crews.
-
TRACKSIDE: Retired driver LaJoie spreads the word of safety
In his roles as past driving champion and television analyst, Randy LaJoie has rightfully earned the reputation as a major contributor to the sport of auto racing.
-
Trackside: Stanbrough on track at midseason
When veteran driver Jon Stanbrough ushered in a new season in Florida back in February, he found himself facing a pair of unfamiliar challenges.
-
TRACKSIDE: Clauson bucks the IndyCar trend
On the surface, the distance from the dirt oval at Lincoln Park Speedway to the massive, paved Indianapolis Motor Speedway may appear only a few miles apart.
-
TRACKSIDE: USAC Midget Classic not nearly as revered as it once was
It might be three years removed from its birthplace but the Hut Hundred USAC Midget Classic still holds a special place in the hearts of Wabash Valley racing buffs.
-
TRACKSIDE: What could have been: Indy’s folklore got richer this week
It’s a question that will linger for years and only add to the folklore of the Indianapolis 500.
-
TRACKSIDE: Sprint car event could generate close racing
One of the hottest and most competitive weekends of the 2012 motorsports season gets under way tonight at the Terre Haute Action Track with the scheduled running of the Tony Hulman Sprint Car Classic.
-
TRACKSIDE: Mulling over the biggest weekend in motorsports
We’re approaching what has traditionally become one of the busiest and most prestigious weekends in all of motorsports.
-
TRACKSIDE: Helfrich: Short-track racing has good future
When questions arise regarding the current state of sprint car racing, whether they be at the local or national level, one doesn’t have to search much further for the answer than veteran promoter Tom Helfrich.
-
TRACKSIDE: Near-capacity crowd turns out for opening night of racing
Opening night at one of the midwest’s premier short track operations can be like no other time of the year.
-
TRACKSIDE: Racing season has promise
With several “test and tunes” sessions and season openers having already taken the green flag, it’s a sure sign the Wabash Valley racing campaign is shifting into high gear.
-
TRACKSIDE: Valley racing showed best, worst of times in 2011
A look back on the 2011 Wabash Valley auto racing season reveals the best and worst of times the sport has to offer.
-
TRACKSIDE: Menard's victory at Brickyard momentous for family, race fans
Who says one of those familiar bright fluorescent-colored Menards race cars can’t find its way to victory lane at Indianapolis?
-
TRACKSIDE: After a delayed start, the Terre Haute Action Track gets season cranked up
Its arrival may have been delayed by several months — for a host of reasons — but the 2011 Terre Haute Action Track season is finally out of the blocks.
-
TRACKSIDE: Changes come up on Indiana racing scene
With the highly anticipated USAC Indiana Sprint Week sprint card on tap at the Terre Haute Action Track tonight and the Tony Hulman/Don Smith Classic and a host of events leading up to the Brickyard 400 looming on the horizon, it would appear that it’s the best of times for Wabash Valley racing buffs.
-
TRACKSIDE: Fortunes of dirt track racing at Action Track can be written in the dust
In the 40 plus years of covering motorsports, it would appear the process of writing this weekly race column would come together rather routinely.
-
TRACKSIDE: Auto racing in May in Indiana runs on history and tradition
Possibly nowhere in the sports world does history and tradition play such a key role in an event’s success and future as that found in auto racing.
-
TRACKSIDE: Wabash Valley racing ready to take green flag — even Action Track
Despite having already lost several bouts to the elements, the 2011 Wabash Valley motorsports season has taken the green flag and will soon be shifting into high gear on several fronts.
-
TRACKSIDE: Fitzpatrick on track to continue impressive start to racing career
One of the top stories on the Wabash Valley motorsports stage last season was the emergence of Blake Fitzpatrick as a legitimate front-runner on the national sprint-car scene.
-
Frightening finish to season at Terre Haute Action Track
The 2010 Terre Haute Action Track season came to a climactic close over the weekend. Unfortunately, the campaign closed on a near-tragic note for the second consecutive year.
-
Trackside: Attractive USAC sprint car card this weekend
With the area circle track season rapidly drawing to a close, fans will have a pair of attractive USAC sprint car cards to attend this weekend. Back-to-back shows at Lincoln Park Speedway and Terre Haute Action Track not only offer fans a final opportunity to see the sprints in action one final time, but they also serve as pivotal stops in the chase for the USAC sprint car drivers championship.
-
Trackside: Sadler’s wreck brings up memories for Terre Haute racer Sizemore
One of the many fans that viewed Elliott Sadler’s wild crash at Pocono over the weekend with more than casual interest was former Terre Haute racer Paul Sizemore.
-
Trackside: Talented young racer Blake Fitzpatrick savoring USAC success
The dust has long settled. The congratulatory phone calls and handshakes are becoming less frequent but that first taste of victory remains as fresh and sweet as ever for the U.S. Auto Club’s newest first-time sprint car feature winner.
-
Trackside: Positive story lines in USAC
Reflections on events surrounding a highly successful USAC Indiana Sprint Weeks while looking forward to a crowded schedule of events leading up to this weekend’s Brickyard 400.
- More Trackside Headlines
-
TRACKSIDE: Chase Stockon hopes momentum stays with him in Terre Haute
Raw: Tornado on the Ground in Oklahoma
Raw: Aftermath of Massive Tornado in Oklahoma
Raw: Rescue Workers Search Oklahoma School
Raw: Fierce Bombing in Qusair, Syria
Raw: House Burns After Massive Oklahoma Tornado
Raw: Walking in a Flattened Okla. Neighborhood
Raw: Witness Describes Scene After Okla. Tornado
RAW: TV Staff Take Cover From Tornado
Split-second Choice Ended With NY Student Dead
Raw: Swarm of Tornadoes Slams Plains
White House Backs 'Shield Law' for Media
Raw: Suspects Butt Dial 911, Lead to Arrest
Tornadoes, Storms Strike Midwest
Oklahoma Gov: 'Hearts Are Broken' After Tornado
Raw: Okla. Tornado Aftermath 'Like War Zone'
Commuters Face Delays After Conn. Train Accident
Analyst: Tumblr Fills Void in Yahoo's Offerings
'Babyland': Camp Lejeune's Toxic Legacy?
Raw: Rescuers Pull Tornado Survivors to Safety
Pug Life on Display at Wisconsin Festival
RAW: Moore, OK tornado touches down near school
Okla. tornado survivor finds dog buried alive under rubble
Robert Pattinson Moves Out
RAW: Russian dash cam catches car 20 feet in the air
Oklahoma tornado survivor: "Everything is gone"
Khloe Lashes Out at Kim Kardashian's Critics
Couple Argues As Woman's Lover Crawls Out Window
RAW: Brad Paisley Forgets Lyrics To His Own Song
Justin Bieber Gets Booed
New 'Anchorman 2' Trailer, Drake Joins List of Rumored Cameos
Eva Longoria's Wardrobe Malfunction
Heat Star Dwyane Wade Surprises Coral Gables Teen At Prom
Steak n' Shake waitress scores huge tip
Singer Miguel Accidentally Lands on Fan At Billboard Music Awards
Celebs Celebrate the Rise of the Side Butt
Grizzly bear gets up close and personal with camera
Justin Bieber Gets Booed After Winning at the Billboard Awards
Singer forgets lyrics, makes up words to National Anthem
