2017 to be final full season for Stanbrough

Jon Stanbrough announced today that the upcoming sprint car season will be his final as a full time competitor after nearly 40 years of competition.

The two time Indiana Sprint Week champion has led a storied career in which he has racked up 35 USAC National Sprint Car wins, tying him for 10th all time alongside the late Rich Vogler. He won back-to-back Midwest Sprint Car Series titles in 2012 and 2013 as well as winning the King of Indiana Sprint Series title six times.

The Avon, IN native's skill on the track has led to him being named the HARF Driver of the Year on five different occasions.

For Stanbrough's full statement visit his website.

2017 schedule for Terre Haute Action Track

Terre Haute Action Track released their 2017 schedule yesterday. All of the sprint car dates had already been previously announced but in case you missed it, here it is.

2017 BOSS Preview

As we move along with our series previews we now move onto the still fairly new Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series.

The series, which began just a little over five years ago, has quickly become a favorite among fans and drivers and stands as one of the last true "outlaw" series. This year BOSS will feature 20 events at 12 different tracks stretching from Indiana across Ohio and into Pennsylvania. The season begins at Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe, Ohio on Saturday, April 22.

Last year the series saw its first ever repeat champion as Shawn Westerfeld collected his second straight BOSS title after edging Cooper Clouse. Westerfeld collected 3 wins and a series high 13 top 10 finishes. However, it is unclear whether Westerfeld will return for the complete season in 2017, the same goes for 2016 series runner-up Cooper Clouse.

Shawn Westerfeld became the first back-to-back series champion in 2016.
PC: Braden Rouse Photography

Looking ahead to serious title contenders in 2017 one cannot look past Justin Owen. Owen tallied 11 top 10 finishes in 2016 on his way to a third place finish in the final standings. He also tallied a win which he picked up at Lernerville Speedway.

Michael Fischesser is also expected to return to the series full time after his fourth place finish in the standings last season.

Michael Fischesser works to the inside of Bill Rose at Millstream Speedway in 2016.
PC: Rick Lane

Rounding out the top five in points last year was Chad Wilson. Wilson finished the season with 7 top 10's but will need to be more consistent in order to mount a title run in 2017.

Others expected to run full time include Cody Gardner, Joe Butera and former series champion Dustin Smith among many others.

Dustin Smith became the first BOSS champion when he took home the title in 2012.
PC: Rick Lane

A number of part-time drivers will most likely also take part in the 2017 BOSS campaign. Last year notable winners that ran with BOSS on a limited basis included Kody Swanson, Chris Windom, Josh Hodges, Shane Cottle and Tyler Courtney. Other notable Indiana sprint car regulars included Dave Darland, Dakota Jackson, Robert Ballou and Thomas Meseraull.

Indiana race fans will get four chances to see the Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series in action within state lines. Their first chance will be on Saturday, May 20 when the series visits Lawrenceburg Speedway. The series will return to the Hoosier State in July for a weekend doubleheader at Route 44 Speedway and then Lawrenceburg Speedway the following night. Their final event in Indiana will come on September 9 when they take on Montpelier Motor Speedway.

For more information about the Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series visit their website.

2016 Results

1. Shawn Westerfeld
2. Cooper Clouse
3. Justin Owen
4. Michael Fischesser
5. Chad Wilson
6. Cody Gardner
7. Aaron Middaugh
8. Steve Little

2017 World of Outlaws Preview

As is the case with many national series, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series is set to kick off their 2017 campaign this month in Florida. Race number one of the series' scheduled 90+ events will be on February 17 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville.

Entering the season, Donny Schatz returns as the odds-on favorite to take home the title. Schatz has won the series championship the previous three years and four of the last five seasons. The North Dakota native, who runs for Tony Stewart Racing, collected an impressive 25 series wins in 2016 including one here in Indiana when he was the first to the checkers at Lincoln Park Speedway in June.

Donny Schatz collected his 8th WoO Championship in 2016
PC: Braden Rouse Photography

Chasing Schatz will be a number of drivers with the talent to run up front consistently and with the financial backing to keep them competitive.

Shane Stewart returns to his ride with Larson Marks Racing this season after a solid 2016. Stewart collected eight wins last year including a victory at Lawrenceburg Speedway on Memorial Day.

Shane Stewart returns to the Larson Marks Racing #2 in 2017
PC: Braden Rouse Photography

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the 2016 season was the performance of David Gravel. Gravel picked up nine wins, second only to Schatz, and finished on the podium in the standings in third position. Gravel will return to CJB Motorsports in 2017.

The Kasey Kahne Racing stall returns a pair of drivers who have the ability to contend for a title in Daryn Pittman and Brad Sweet.

Pittman was the series runner up in 2016 behind a consistent campaign that featured 68 Top 10 finishes. The Owasso, OK native picked up eight series victories last season and is the last driver not named Donny Schatz to win a series title when he did so in 2013.

Daryn Pittman in action at Eldora Speedway
PC: Braden Rouse Photography

Pittman's teammate, Brad Sweet, also hopes to build on his success from last season in 2017. Sweet finished fourth in the standings behind eight wins and 45 Top 5's. Sweet was also the fastest qualifier 13 times last season, a series high.

Brad Sweet was the fast qualifier a series high 13 times a year ago
PC:Braden Rouse Photography

Joey Saldana will begin his season in Florida with the newly formed Stenhouse Jr.-Wood Racing team. The "Brownsburg Bullet" needs just one win to eclipse the 100-win mark with the World of Outlaws. A fan favorite, Saldana finished fifth last season in the standings with five wins.

A number of other drivers will also run full time in 2017 including Sheldon Haudenschild, Logan Schuchart and Jacob Allen among others.

Hoosiers will get three opportunities to see the Outlaws in action in Indiana this season. The first two races will be on back-to-back nights in April when the series visits Plymouth Speedway and then Tri-State Speedway. The series will then return to Lawrenceburg Speedway on Memorial Day for the Outlaw Spring Nationals.

More information can be found on the World of Outlaws website.

2016 Results

1. Donny Schatz
2. Daryn Pittman
3. David Gravel
4. Brad Sweet
5. Joey Saldana
6. Shane Stewart
7. Jason Johnson
8. Logan Schuchart

2017 USAC Preview

Now that we have moved into February we are just a few weeks away from the start of the 2017 United States Auto Club AMSOIL National Sprint Car season.

Entering the season we are left with plenty of question marks as to who will be a serious title contender this year. Defending series champion Brady Bacon will only be running part time as he pursues other racing opportunities while the 2015 series champion, Robert Ballou, is still recovering from an injury sustained last season.

2016 champion Brady Bacon on the gas at Terre Haute Action Track
PC: Braden Rouse Photography

Entering the 2017 a number of drivers will have a new look:

"The People's Champ" Dave Darland has reunited with Phillips Motorsports for the 2017 campaign. Darland enjoyed success with the team from 2013 through 2015 in which he steered the 71p to victory lane 17 times.

Dave Darland in the Phillips 71p in 2015
PC: Braden Rouse Photography

Justin Grant will strap into a car built and wrenched on by the young Sam McGhee. Grant has already enjoyed success with McGhee, most notably last September at Eldora Speedway in the 4-Crown Nationals.

Chad Boespflug will also be flying new colors and a new number on what use to be the 98 car. The Hanford, California native will brandish the familiar #69 of Hoffman Racing with Mean Green as his primary sponsor. Boespflug collected multiple wins last year in USAC action, most notably sweeping the two day Rock & Roll Gold Cup at Badlands Motor Speedway in South Dakota.

Also returning to the series and whom most would consider to be strong contenders for a 2017 title run: Chase Stockon, Chris Windom and Tyler Courtney.

Chase Stockon in action at Bloomington Speedway in 2016
PC: Braden Rouse Photography

Stockon finished the 2016 season second in series points after a very consistent campaign that featured two feature wins while Tyler Courtney will once again steer the 23c for TOPP Motorsports. "Sunshine" had, perhaps, one of the most memorable drives of the 2016 season when he came from the rear to win his first USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car race at Gas City I-69 Speedway during Indiana Sprint Week. The 2016 USAC Silver Crown Champion, Chris Windom, will be back in the #5 of Baldwin Brothers Racing.

Tyler Courtney picked up his first USAC win with TOPP Motorsports in 2016
PC: Braden Rouse Photography

Along with a number of other drivers who have announced they intend to run the complete schedule in 2017 we are anticipating a very closely contested championship battle which kicks off on February 23 in Ocala, FL at Bubba Raceway Park.

Here in Indiana we will have multiple chances to see the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars this season. Of the 43 events the series has announced, 21 of them will be in the Hoosier State at nine different venues across the state.

2016 Results

1. Brady Bacon
2. Chase Stockon
3. Dave Darland
4. Chris Windom
5. Thomas Meseraull
6. Chad Boespflug
7. CJ Leary
8. Robert Ballou

MTS Sprints release schedule

The Lane Automotive MTS Sprint Series released its tentative 2017 schedule earlier on Wednesday and it includes at least one Indiana race date.

The schedule currently contains 10 races. One of the ten announced dates includes the new 1/4 track at Baer Field Motorsports Park in Fort Wayne. The race is set to take place on Saturday, September 9. Further dates for the series are expected to be announced in the near future.

The date at Baer Field has been noted on our master dirt schedule which now contains over 125 dirt sprint car dates in Indiana in 2017 with more still to come.

Shadyhill Speedway schedule set for 2017

Shady Hill Speedway in Medaryville announced their 2017 schedule on Friday evening.

The schedule includes two dates which were previously announced. The ASCS sprint cars on July 21 as well as the Midwest Sprint Car Series (MSCS) on August 11.

New to our master schedule is non-sanctioned sprint car date on Friday, September 1. 

All dates are reflected on our master dirt schedule. For more information about Shadyhill Speedway visit their website and follow them on Twitter @ShadyhillRacing

Opinion: Things you, as a fan, can do to make this season better

I've sat around the past day or two thinking about some of the little things that you, the ordinary fan, can do this year to help support and grow the sport that we love. We could go around and around about things that are detrimental to short track racing around the country but I would like to be more proactive about things.

Before the races:

This one is huge. Bring a friend with you to the track. Tracks depend on fan turnout in order to operate. I guarantee you there is at least one name in the contacts in your phone that has never been to a race and will have a spare Friday or Saturday this year. Get them to the track, who knows, that may be enough to turn them into a lifelong fan. 

If any of you know me, you know I get to the track early. I like to make my rounds in the RV lot and visit with friends. One of the things I always see a lot of is trash on the ground. Whether its wrappers from the food fans have been grilling, empty beer cans or cigarette butts, there is always a lot of trash. Do whatever track you are at a favor and pick up after yourselves. I always have a roll of trash bags in my vehicle during race season, I tie one to my tailgate almost as soon as I arrive at a track. If you are a smoker, save an empty can or bottle to put your butts in. Before you head into the track or at the end of the night before you head home, tie off your bag and throw it any one of the many trash cans found around the facility. I promise you the track workers tasked with cleaning up the grounds on a Saturday or Sunday morning will appreciate this gesture.

Many of us cannot afford to sponsor a sprint car team but if you feel compelled to help out a team there a number of things you can do. Buy a pit pass for a driver prior to them arriving at the track so they will have that surprise waiting when they do roll in. Bring a case of water for a team during one of those hot summer shows in July or August. The littlest thing can go a long way, particularly for smaller family teams that don't have big money behind them. 

I tape my seats down at big shows at tracks that allow it. That said, if there are only two of you. Don't tape down enough blankets for five people. I see this a lot at the track, particularly during Indiana Sprint Week. Don't be that person. be appreciative. 

Finally, know the rules of the track you are at. I cannot count how many times I have seen fans upset at gates of various tracks because they are not allowed to carry in a cooler full of beer or their large boat seat. There is no reason to be rude to a worker at the gate who is simply enforcing the rules that more times than not they did not make up. We've got the links to every track's website on this blog and we have most rules posted on our various guides. Take a minute and have a look before making a trip to a track and see what is and is not allowed. 

During the races:

I am really bad about this one: watch your language when you are in the stands. Indiana sprint car fans are some of the most passionate fans in the world and we can get excited but not everyone wants to hear it. It is something I am definitely trying to work on. Same goes for drinking, if you are around perhaps a family or kids make sure you are drinking responsibly. 

If you plan on heading down to the pits during the course of the night be appreciative of the teams and drivers. Make sure you are paying attention as there are almost always cars being pushed off, coming off the track, or being pushed to the staging lane. Additionally, I know fans love to be in the pits, particularly when there are big names present such as Tony Stewart, Rico Abreu, Kyle Larson and so on. If you are looking for an autograph most drivers are very gracious after the racing is over but do not bother them while they are working on their car or trying to put tear offs on. You would not want someone constantly bothering you at work so give them the same courtesy. 

As far as racing on the track goes just enjoy the show but do not do anything that may hinder the experience for yourself or others such as standing on the fence when cars are green or trying to get on the loud pedal. This is obviously a major safety concern and some tracks will not throw the green if there are fans right up along the fence.

After the races:

I only have one for after the races but it is by far the most important.

DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!

I get it, it is the best form of racing there is, in the capital of racing itself and we all like to celebrate it with a few cold ones but be smart. I have spent the night sleeping in my truck at tracks all over the state because I knew I was not good to drive. You are better off getting home later than anticipated than ending up in a jail, the hospital or even worse sending someone else to the hospital. 

If you're going to drink at the track get yourself a DD or a cab if possible. If you absolutely have to drive then cut yourself off whether it is after heats, hot laps or earlier. Make sure you're drinking water and you've got some food in your stomach that way by the time the feature is over you're good to make it home safely. The last thing I want to do is get on the internet or on a social media app on my phone and find out someone I know from a track has been injured or worse.

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I hope everyone has a great year at the track and I look forward to reconnecting with old friends in a month or two and making new friends as the season moves along. 

Indiana Sprint Car News

2017 Bloomington Speedway schedule

Bloomington Speedway released its 2017 schedule on Tuesday morning.

Some of the headlining events include a May 12 appearance by the Midwest Open Wheel Association winged sprint cars, the Josh Burton Memorial on May 26 and the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars in conjunction with Indiana Sprint Week on July 14.

All race dates can be found on our master dirt schedule. There are also 12 305 RaceSaver dates which have been listed on our master RaceSaver schedule.

For other information visit the tracks website: http://www.bloomingtonspeedway.com/

Opinion: The trouble with live stream

It's that time again, the 31st Annual Chili Bowl Nationals are taking place in Tulsa this week and of course the majority of us cannot be in Oklahoma so many of us have gone ahead and paid money to watch the Chili Bowl online.

Last night was night one of the event and already we have seen what can happen when it comes to watching live events online. There were three main points/problems I took away that groups providing this type of service should work on to not only help themselves but also help grow the sport. I don't want this to sound like I'm just complaining because I'm not. These are takeaways that even I myself am taking into consideration since we may just be stepping into the podcast realm this season.

#1 The Feed: This one is pretty foreseeable anytime you are watching something live online. For a bit last night, screens across the country, and around the world, went dark. This kind of thing is common when it comes to live video on the internet. Hell, it happens on live television at times. However, I have to think that for the group supplying us with the coverage this week, this has to be their biggest and most watched event of the year. If there is one event you want to get right, it has to be this one.

Across social media and online forums there were many angry customers claiming they didn't get to see any racing or the racing they did see was not streamed well. Personally I missed a half of a D-Main and both C-Mains. I'm not that mad about it but if that is going to be a trend this week I may change my thinking.

That said, the group got the problem fixed and I still got to see the grand finale last night. However, I do think this is a major problem for our sport. We do not get a lot of live television coverage so live streams over the internet need to be good in order to attract new fans and keep old ones. Problems will always arise but make sure when you are faced with a problem you have a quick solution.

#2 The Commentators: I went to school for communication so this one is a personal pet peeve for me.

Whenever you watch a sports event on ESPN, FS1, etc. do you ever notice how commentators seem to know every name, every number and random facts and stats about anyone and everyone? That's because those men and women do their research before the event. They study rosters and media guides so they at least can somewhat sound like they know what they're talking about when they are on the air.

If you are going to call an event then you should know about the cars and drivers in the event. Multiple times last night the commentators messed up names, hometowns, teams, numbers and so on. There were also endless uh's, um's and periods of awkward silence.

I get it, 350+ car numbers/teams/drivers is a lot for just one week of work but when you're messing up the names of well known drivers that have won in Tulsa before, that is a bit embarrassing.

Again, by sounding unprofessional you are not going to sell your product or help grow the sport.

#3 Camera Coverage: The final one is easily fixed by a good producer. If you're a fan of Sean Buckley's GoJackslash podcast then you may have listened to a recent show featuring Dan "DO" Laycock. Dan talked about his time working for ESPN when a common problem was the cameras following the leader when the real show was deeper in the pack.

Last night was a perfect example of that type coverage more times than not. At one point there was a three car battle for second place in one heat race and the cameras and announcers were fixated on Alex Bright who had checked out on the field by half a track.

If you're going to ask fans to pay $100 for an event then give them coverage that is worth the money.

Like I stated before, this is not a complaint against the group supplying the coverage this week or anyone else. But these points can certainly be improved on. The better the coverage is during these live PPV events, I'm willing to bet the happier the fans will be and probably the better your business will do. That goes for anyone whether it's The Cushion, Speed Shift, Dirt Vision, etc.

What I do on this blog is purely for the fans, I don't charge for it but still try to give visitors to the blog or the followers on social media accurate and timely information. Groups that charge money should definitely be providing good services. Not the mediocre type services I described above.

Indiana Sprint Car News