Thursday, December 15, 2016

Opinion: Accountability

A piece by Ryan Kent Jr. who will be contributing to the blog during the upcoming season from time to time.

In a time of lackluster upbringings and some subpar society standards, holding people accountable for what they do is at an all-time low.   
                                                    
Racing should come at no less of an expense. From karting tracks in Michigan to dirt tracks in California and right here in Indiana there seems to be an issue with people being accountable for their actions, on and off the track.

With society today being all about getting participation trophies, having your feelings in a bullet-proof box and being entitled to whatever it may be, I believe we can all agree that dirt track racing has seemed to always have its own way of doing things, this old fashioned, All-American bad ass, rub some dirt on it and suck it up kind of attitude. Change is imminent however and the ever-changing revolution that we deal with today in the world I believe could help improve some things in racing.

Although racing will never be 100% safe, the strides to keep everyone as safe as possible have to keep moving forward. Throughout the course of the PRI show, multiple professional organizations announced plans or proposals to try and make racing safer. Whether it’s putting lights on a car, testing for drugs, creating new safety procedures after a wreck or what the instance may be, I give credit to series, tracks, promoters, drivers and teams who allow new things to be trialed and tested.

The racing community is a very tight-knit group. Everyone has some connection to someone and, in the end, it is one big family. The members of that family care for each other and, in the wake of a tragic incident on the track or off, those members try to find solutions to problems.

During times of change in racing, people have had to adapt and grow. There's far too many people who are lazy while sitting back on their hands and do nothing. On the other hand, there are those who take the initiative to make motions forward in safety and for the betterment of their form of racing.  Then, the sport as a whole gets ridiculed and spit on by those aforementioned folks doing nothing as if it’s something they don’t happen to like or care for.

There is no way to fix a person’s attitude, what they care about, or how they will react to this or that to the news of something new in racing. Times are again starting to change in racing, and people are not adapting and growing as much as they were before.

If it’s lights, drug testing, wings, no wings, formats, purses, track prep, medical information, schedule dates or whatever, some people become frustrated. Remember, people didn’t take those actions to upset anyone. Those who are accountable for the success of a given track or series are taking steps to make racing better and safer for the most important factor of all, the race fans.

As the entire world around us changes day to day with new this or new that, perhaps take a deep breath and look at new innovations in racing. Who really knows when an innovation could end up being one of the best decisions ever made by a track, series, promoter, driver, chassis or manufacturer. Give them a shot!

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints release 2017 schedule

The Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Super Sprint Series released the schedule for their 2017 campaign this week.

Included on their schedule are three different Indiana venues. The first race taking place in Indiana will be a part of the series' opening weekend in June when the Super Sprints visit South Bend Motor Speedway.

The series will have three events in the Hoosier State in July when they visit both Baer Field Motorsports Park in Fort Wayne and New Paris Speedway before returning to South Bend Motor Speedway for a second time.

They will round out the Indiana portion of their schedule in August when they return to Baer Field on Saturday, August 5 with two dates on their schedule to still be announced.

For the full series schedule visit their website. The Indiana dates have been listed on our pavement master schedule.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

ASCS returns to Indiana in 2017

The Lucas Oil ASCS sprint cars will return to Indiana in 2017 for a single show.

The event is scheduled for Friday, July 21 at Shadyhill Speedway which is under new management.

The date has been noted on the master schedule and the full series schedule can be found on their website.

2017 USAC schedule released

The United States Auto Club released the 2017 schedule for all three of its premier series today at PRI in Indianapolis, including the AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series.

As usual, the majority of the the USAC sprint car series will take place in Indiana. The series will visit nine different tracks in the Hoosier State in 2017 for a total of 21 events including one special event at Kokomo Speedway.

To see all of the Indiana race dates visit our master schedule for the state here. For the full USAC schedule visit their website.

We also have the Indiana dates listed for the USAC Silver Crown Series listed on our Silver Crown page.

WoO schedule released for 2017

The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series has released its 2017 schedule which features three events in the state of Indiana.

The first two events will take place in April on back-to-back nights at Plymouth Speedway and Tri-State Speedway while the third will be on Memorial Day at Lawrenceburg Speedway in April.

The three dates have been listed on our master schedule. Expect more dates to be added throughout the rest of the week while PRI takes place in Indianapolis.

For full series schedule can be found on the World of Outlaws website which is provided on our series links page.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Baer Field announces partial schedule for new track

Baer Field Motorsports Park officials have announced that the inaugural event on their new 1/4 mile dirt track in Fort Wayne will feature sprint cars.

The event, which takes place on Saturday, May 20, will feature the Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt (SOD). 

Advanced ticketing for the event will begin on February 15. We will post more information as it becomes available. 

Monday, December 5, 2016

South Bend Motor Speedway scores two sprint shows in 2017

The Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints announced today that the series will compete twice at the South Bend Motor Speedway in 2017.

The first event will be held on Saturday, June 3 while the second will be a day after Independence Day on Saturday, July 5. It will be the first time the series has appeared at the track in five years.

The dates have been noted on the master pavement schedule while you can find out more about South Bend Motor Speedway on our track information page.

Boespflug to wheel the Hoffman #69 in 2017

The Hoffman Racing team announced this morning that Chad Boespflug would be its new driver for the 2017 campaign. The full press release can be seen below.

Loveland, OH (Dec 5, 2016) – The one thing constant in life is change. Coming off a banner year for Hoffman Racing (HAR), winning the Team’s unprecedented 11th USAC National Sprint
Car Series Championship, winning Indiana Sprint Week for 2016, the first ever Little 500win and reaching 100 National USAC Sprint Car wins, major changes are in store for 2017.

Staying the same are the return of our major sponsor, Mean Green Cleaner & Degreaser,associate sponsors Lykins Energy Solutions, XYZ, and the addition of EZR. HAR remainsan Official Military Order of The Purple Heart Race Team.


What is changing? Of the five “core Team members” of HAR, only Richard Hoffman andTim Waechter are remaining. Dan Launderville is moving on to a business opportunity,Rob Hoffman is retiring, after a lifetime of racing, to concentrate on family and his businesscareer in banking. Brady will not be able to run the entire schedule due to other racing conflictsand will concentrate on wing sprint cars.


“The loss of Dan, Rob and Brady necessitated a restructuring of the Team. I want to wish Dan,Brady, and my son, Rob, the best. We had one heck of a Team, as evidenced by results.Without the backing of Mean Green, Lykins, XYZ, Hoosier Tire, and now EZR, it wouldhave been difficult to continue. As it is we are excited to carry on our legacy with Chad. Hewill drive the 69 car. Chad’s career is taking off and with the addition of Davey Jones as thecrew chief, that makes us a threat every night, and for our 12th USAC National Sprint CarChampionship,” said Richard Hoffman, President of Hoffman Racing. The Team willbe headquartered out of Indianapolis, Indiana.


Chad Boespflug commented “I am looking forward to working with Dynamics Inc. HoffmanRacing. With the help of EZR we will be chasing another championship in 2017. It’s a tall featto follow in the footsteps of their accomplishments over the years, but also a huge honor tohelp carry on the Hoffman Racing legacy of excellence and championship. They have truly helpedevolve the sport of racing."


Chad began racing micros in 1998 in his home state of California. He graduated to sprint cars in 2004.He won the SCRA championship in 2005 and made the big move to Indiana in 2007. He became theLawrenceburg track champion in 2011. Chad began his own team with the help of Chuck Eberhardtand Fred Zirzow and ran the entire USAC National Sprint Car schedule. They racked up 6 USACNational wins in 2016.


“Mean Green is America’s #1 heavy duty, all purpose cleaner and degreaser that provides consumerswith the toughest clean at a great value. Independent lab tests prove that Mean Green out cleans otherbrands on the tough grease and grime. It works better because it contains more cleaning ingredients than other brands. It’s the Toughness you can Trust, for when getting it clean matters most. Great for dirty jobs inside and out, from the kitchen countertop, tile and toilet, to outdoor furniture, greasy grills and engine parts. 


Visit www.MeanGreenDegreaser.com for more information.

Friday, December 2, 2016

ASCoC releases 2017 schedule

The All Star Circuit of Champions has released its 2017 schedule which includes a lone Indiana race date at Kokomo Speedway.

ASCoC returns to Indiana's Baddest Bullring on Friday, May 19 right in the middle of a busy month of motorsports in the Hoosier State. The ASCoC date has been noted on our master schedule.

The full schedule can be found on the ASCoC website here: http://www.allstarsprint.com/