Short-track, open-wheel racing is a passion for most of you reading this publication. From fans to competitors, the sport can consume as much of your thoughts and time as you can give to it.
Short-track, open-wheel racing is a passion for most of you reading this publication. From fans to competitors, the sport can consume as much of your thoughts and time as you can give to it.
That often leads to people running up and down the road participating in countless races in pursuit of their passion but can also burn people out in a very short period of time. Especially, those trying to balance running a competitive race team while operating day jobs and honoring family commitments.
Between series and tracks for divisions such as sprint cars there is opportunity to participate as much as one can afford throughout the warmer months. For some people that kind of rigorous schedule does not work out. Family, work, age, or desire to compete with an aggressive schedule does not fit everyone‘s agenda.
If I were to field a racing team and could choose between running a competitive program capable of winning 10 races a year or just hoping to make it through a racing season of 20 races or more, I would choose the 10-race option. Some divisions are not as welcoming to that light of schedule to be competitive, but thankfully our sport offers several avenues for those who do not want to run up and down the road all year long.
If you look at the history of the USAC Silver Crown Series division, it has offered drivers and owners who may not want to run a midget or sprint car schedule the chance to compete at a high level with a much lighter schedule.
Even with some decisions that did not pan out well for the USAC Silver Crown division over the years the class has been resilient due to the passion of people who to participate in that branch of the sport. I feel the schedule length, unique opportunity to contest longer races on dirt and pavement at a high level is a key component of why the USAC Silver Crown division still exists.
Indoor racing is another venue that offers the chance to race at a high level in a shorter time span. People often ask why more of the midgets that compete during the Chili Bowl Nationals do not participate outdoors throughout the summer? The answer for some of those entries is that is what they can afford or desire to do.
The same goes for indoor events such as the Rumble in Fort Wayne and the various indoor TQ midget events held throughout the east coast during the winter. Many of those entries do not see an outdoor race track but have teams and drivers that are passionate about that branch of the sport.
Sometimes an event such as the Little 500 at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway offers enough of a unique challenge that a race team will focus on that single event a year. Over the years, I‘ve spoken to several veteran drivers and team owners who had started to whittle down their schedules to the point where the Little 500 was one of the few or only race they participated in because the race was unique it kept them from retiring completely.
In a perfect world we could all race as much or as often as we desire. In my younger years I‘d often wonder why people would choose such light schedules. As I advance through middle age, I have a much better understanding of why people find avenues with lighter schedules as I see mounting responsibilities pile up in my own world.
I feel there is lesson from some of these other outlets within the sport that could be applied to local racing throughout the country. Someone who wants to race more often will always find an avenue to do so. As costs continue to climb keeping schedules on the local level to a manageable level to allow a larger number of teams to compete for championships competitively could be key in helping everyone involved participating for a longer period of time.