Exciting Days Ahead for Open Wheel/ The Big Car Series/ USAC’s Hardcard/ Illinois Tracks Escape Damage/ TV Commits to IRL/ TV Listings
Exciting Days Ahead for Open Wheel
Folks take a moment today and pause for a moment. Notice the historical times we are living in. Not since the days of USAC's Thursday Thunder and TNN World of Outlaws have we had so much to be thankful for. What looked to be the death of an era may have actually made Open Wheel stronger.
The Premier Racing Association has launched it’s website. Series bosses Jason Smith and Jason McCord announced that the Big Car Series division will revive the old Silver Crown style pavement cars that became obsolete when USAC introduced their new generation Silver Crown car at Phoenix this season. Last night on the Autosport Show, former USAC Former USAC National Series Coordinator Jason Smith told program host Don Kay that one of the hardest things about leaving USAC to creat the new series was leaving the new generation Silver Crown car. He said that the two best values in racing to get into was the new generation Silver Crown car and a one off IndyCar race at the Indy 500. Smith and McCord are carefully planning the schedule so that their dates will not conflict with USAC’s dates and so that teams will have pleanty of travel time to run both series. The new Big Car Series tentative seven race schedule includes two stops at Indianapolis Raceway Park on May 17 and July 5. The full schedule will be officially released at a later date.
Did you get that? The head of the new series is embracing USAC’s new generation car at the same time as providing an outlet for owners, drivers and fans who want to see the older cars run. No CCWS vs IRL here.
Even the so called split between the National Sprint Tour and the World of Outlaws Sprints isn’t entirely a split. Some teams are running both series. The benefit to fans is that more tracks who havent seen the likes of Steve Kinser of the WoO in years, will not see the best winged drivers in the country compete. Best of all, Knoxville will be quite a show this year.
Back to CCWS vs IRL. As we have noted in previous reports, Kevin Kalkhoven and Tony George are talking. Who knows, we may see a united big time series again soon.
No, Open Wheel is not as strong as it was 10 years ago but then again the TV and economic landscape has changed. It’s getting better. So take a moment today and pause. Note where we are in history, good days are ahead for Open Wheel.
Now on to the news of the day..
The Big Car Series
Last night we reported that the Premier Racing Association will drop the green flag on it’s inaugral season this May. The “Big Car Series” division tentative schedule includes seven races at six tracks. The series is tentatively slated to race in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana and Tennessee. The series will utilize pavement cars that ran in the 2005 USAC Silver Crown Series but are now outdated. The first race is scheduled for May 17th at Indianapolis Raceway Park. IRP’s website states that a second date is scheduled for July 5th. The races are geared to run on a Tuesday or Wednesday night so not to conflict with USAC’s schedule and other series schedules. The series’ new website is www.praracing.com.
USAC’s Hardcard
USAC will use a quazi hardcard for their Silver Crown division in 2006. Participants will be required to purchase a membership and prepay before each race like in the past. Those who have prepaid will be able go to USAC credentials at the track and swipe their card. USAC will then issue you an armband to the participant. The new effort should help speed up the credentialing process. USAC is trying the new process out in the Silver Crown Series but may expand to other series in future years. You can also get credentials the old way by walking up and paying at the track.
DuQuoin and Springfield Tracks Avoid Damage
This past weekend’s tragic storms in Missouri and Illinois spared both the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds and Illinois State Fairgrounds tracks. While Springfield suffered a good amount of damage, the promoter for both Silver Crown races says the facilities are fine and ready for racing. The USAC visits Springfield on August 19th and DuQuoin on September 3rd.
ABC/ESPN Commits to IRL
ABC and ESPN are pulling out all the stops to make sure the 2006 broadcasts are a success this season. The broadcast companies are adding Sportvision technology the broadcasts. Sportvision is a tracking system allows viewers to better identify the drivers and will have the same information that the drivers and their crews have get to see such as speed, acceleration/deceleration, time behind the leader, exact car position and RPMs. The IRL committed to changing their schedule to better accommodate ESPN and ABC and the networks have returned the favor by pumping up the broadcasts for 2006.
Howard in the IPS
Jay Howard will drive for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in the IRL Indy Pro Series this season.
TV Listings (All Times Eastern)
March 17
1:00 am Formula One Practice Malaysia Grand Prix (LIVE) SPEED
5:00 pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying Atlanta (LIVE) SPEED
7:00 pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Qualifying Atlanta (LIVE) SPEED
9:00 pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Atlanta (LIVE) SPEED
March 18
1:00 am Formula One Qualifying Malaysia (LIVE) SPEED
8:00 am NASCAR Driven to Win - Carl Edwards A&E
1:00 pm NASCAR Busch Qualifying Atlanta (SDD) SPEED
3:00 pm Busch Series race Atlanta FX7:00 pm Speed News SPEED
March 19
1:30 am Formula One Malaysia Grand Prix (LIVE) SPEED
12:30 pm Formula One Malaysia Grand Prix SPEED
2:00 pm Golden Corral 500 Atlanta FOX
7:00 pm Speed News SPEED
9:00 pm Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain (LIVE) SPEED
March 20
8:00 pm 7 Days SPEED
8:30 pm NBS 24/7: The Rookies SPEED
Folks take a moment today and pause for a moment. Notice the historical times we are living in. Not since the days of USAC's Thursday Thunder and TNN World of Outlaws have we had so much to be thankful for. What looked to be the death of an era may have actually made Open Wheel stronger.
The Premier Racing Association has launched it’s website. Series bosses Jason Smith and Jason McCord announced that the Big Car Series division will revive the old Silver Crown style pavement cars that became obsolete when USAC introduced their new generation Silver Crown car at Phoenix this season. Last night on the Autosport Show, former USAC Former USAC National Series Coordinator Jason Smith told program host Don Kay that one of the hardest things about leaving USAC to creat the new series was leaving the new generation Silver Crown car. He said that the two best values in racing to get into was the new generation Silver Crown car and a one off IndyCar race at the Indy 500. Smith and McCord are carefully planning the schedule so that their dates will not conflict with USAC’s dates and so that teams will have pleanty of travel time to run both series. The new Big Car Series tentative seven race schedule includes two stops at Indianapolis Raceway Park on May 17 and July 5. The full schedule will be officially released at a later date.
Did you get that? The head of the new series is embracing USAC’s new generation car at the same time as providing an outlet for owners, drivers and fans who want to see the older cars run. No CCWS vs IRL here.
Even the so called split between the National Sprint Tour and the World of Outlaws Sprints isn’t entirely a split. Some teams are running both series. The benefit to fans is that more tracks who havent seen the likes of Steve Kinser of the WoO in years, will not see the best winged drivers in the country compete. Best of all, Knoxville will be quite a show this year.
Back to CCWS vs IRL. As we have noted in previous reports, Kevin Kalkhoven and Tony George are talking. Who knows, we may see a united big time series again soon.
No, Open Wheel is not as strong as it was 10 years ago but then again the TV and economic landscape has changed. It’s getting better. So take a moment today and pause. Note where we are in history, good days are ahead for Open Wheel.
Now on to the news of the day..
The Big Car Series
Last night we reported that the Premier Racing Association will drop the green flag on it’s inaugral season this May. The “Big Car Series” division tentative schedule includes seven races at six tracks. The series is tentatively slated to race in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana and Tennessee. The series will utilize pavement cars that ran in the 2005 USAC Silver Crown Series but are now outdated. The first race is scheduled for May 17th at Indianapolis Raceway Park. IRP’s website states that a second date is scheduled for July 5th. The races are geared to run on a Tuesday or Wednesday night so not to conflict with USAC’s schedule and other series schedules. The series’ new website is www.praracing.com.
USAC’s Hardcard
USAC will use a quazi hardcard for their Silver Crown division in 2006. Participants will be required to purchase a membership and prepay before each race like in the past. Those who have prepaid will be able go to USAC credentials at the track and swipe their card. USAC will then issue you an armband to the participant. The new effort should help speed up the credentialing process. USAC is trying the new process out in the Silver Crown Series but may expand to other series in future years. You can also get credentials the old way by walking up and paying at the track.
DuQuoin and Springfield Tracks Avoid Damage
This past weekend’s tragic storms in Missouri and Illinois spared both the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds and Illinois State Fairgrounds tracks. While Springfield suffered a good amount of damage, the promoter for both Silver Crown races says the facilities are fine and ready for racing. The USAC visits Springfield on August 19th and DuQuoin on September 3rd.
ABC/ESPN Commits to IRL
ABC and ESPN are pulling out all the stops to make sure the 2006 broadcasts are a success this season. The broadcast companies are adding Sportvision technology the broadcasts. Sportvision is a tracking system allows viewers to better identify the drivers and will have the same information that the drivers and their crews have get to see such as speed, acceleration/deceleration, time behind the leader, exact car position and RPMs. The IRL committed to changing their schedule to better accommodate ESPN and ABC and the networks have returned the favor by pumping up the broadcasts for 2006.
Howard in the IPS
Jay Howard will drive for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in the IRL Indy Pro Series this season.
TV Listings (All Times Eastern)
March 17
1:00 am Formula One Practice Malaysia Grand Prix (LIVE) SPEED
5:00 pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying Atlanta (LIVE) SPEED
7:00 pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Qualifying Atlanta (LIVE) SPEED
9:00 pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Atlanta (LIVE) SPEED
March 18
1:00 am Formula One Qualifying Malaysia (LIVE) SPEED
8:00 am NASCAR Driven to Win - Carl Edwards A&E
1:00 pm NASCAR Busch Qualifying Atlanta (SDD) SPEED
3:00 pm Busch Series race Atlanta FX7:00 pm Speed News SPEED
March 19
1:30 am Formula One Malaysia Grand Prix (LIVE) SPEED
12:30 pm Formula One Malaysia Grand Prix SPEED
2:00 pm Golden Corral 500 Atlanta FOX
7:00 pm Speed News SPEED
9:00 pm Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain (LIVE) SPEED
March 20
8:00 pm 7 Days SPEED
8:30 pm NBS 24/7: The Rookies SPEED
posted by Blake Johnson at 10:01 AM
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