Southwest Missouri Racing

I am curious if we could get more karts together for the ECS Nationals if they were ran on a different date? I noticed there were no Missouri 500 drivers down here and was wondering what it would take to have the amount of karts that run the Got Milk Nationals in Knoxville. I know that day racing discourages a lot of people, so I was wondering what your thoughts were.

I know the dates wont change in the immediate future, but I was just curious as to what everyone else thought. I would like to see 40+ opens like at Got Milk and Montana.

The World of Outlaws show is what makes the long trip worth while to us. They either need to have the race Monday and Tuesday night or Look into track preps that will keep dust under control during day races.

Got Milk? is what it is. It may be the one event all year that remains strong during a time of dwindling kart counts.

For the box stocks, racing during the day isnt that big of a deal because they usually only run one line anyway, and, being on slicks really helps. As for the treaded classes, if there was a tacky top and slower bottom you would see some great racing like has gone on during a weekly show. No matter what prep you use for the track, a day show for the 125's and Opens will not be that great of a race and it will eat up $100's of dollars worth of tires. I agree, I think Monday and Tuesday night would be a good day to have the races. You are competing with Osky, but you would still get to see Knoxville the rest of the week.

i wonder if more locals would show up if they didnt have to take 3 days off work ??

The reason I didnt run in the past was because it was during the day and that equals hot, single file, tire chewing, dusty conditions that arent fun for anyone including spectators. I want this sport to grow, not dwindle. If it meant taking one of the best races of the year and making it a two day show and moving it to a night race, then we should do it. That is why I started the poll. If most people would want it to stay the same day, then that is fine. Just wanted to get some opinions. After all, as racers it is our opinions that matter since we are the ones hauling the karts to the track and spending the big bucks.

I added another option so re-vote if you will. Anyone that has a car should vote so we can help this sport grow!

I am along the lines of josheez. 3 days = 4 nights Motel=$$,meals $$, days off work, and so forth. If motor gets tore down can you get it put back together in time for your home track? When we race at the same time as the Nationals great exposure but no Motel rooms, so you have to travel= more $$. Last year when we came it was a $1,000 for us to race we had a great time.
Just look at the dollar amount the out of towners have to pay. So MY suggestion is look at ways to reduce the added costs, lodging, meals, travel to and from the track. Maybe one night have a BBQ for the racers and family,maybe better camping at the track for the rvers, level sites.
Not complaining at all, just a few suggestions to try and improve it. Dan and his crew does a GREAT job, these are things that I look at when we travel to race. just offering my opinion.
Danno

I think if you separate the kart race from the Sprint cars, the kart race dies out. Like Danno said, it cost us easily a $1000 to come up there to race. If it weren't for getting to take in the big show and the whole scene that goes on in Knoxville the entire week, there would be no way we would come. The other problem is if you race Monday and Tuesday and the kart racers want to take in the big cars too, now they are taking a full week off and you have increased meals and lodging by two days. As far as the box stocks only running one line, that was the case there because that was all there was. Down here they will run two and 3 wide.

I think they need to go to night racing.

Why does Got Milk have there races at night. Why does some many karts go to got milk. Is there a sprint car race during the day. Why is got milk the one race out of the year not to miss.

No sprint car races or any other kind of races at Got Milk? Just a lot of fun and good racing. WHy do they get such a great turn out? My guess would be because Dustin and his crew bust their butts to promote it and always ran a top notch show. The atmosphere at this race is different then any race we have ever been too. It is more then just a race. They go out of their way to make the racers feel special and entertain the crowd. Its pretty cool for the kids to get introduced and way to a large crowd and have fireworks going off. The sportsmanship at this event is also unbelieveable. It is by far the funnest event of the year for us. 25 cent cheese and Vanilla Shake milk are a definite bonus.

As for taking in the big show at Knoxville, that's a valid point BUT......

EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT at Knoxville is a big show....80 ish Sprint cars in the pits on any given night, and with the format the weekly racing is bad to the bone. Plus there are more than a few big names there every week that even the most casual of sprint car fans will recognize.

My son, brother and I raced at the very 1st ECS Nationals. I had been to the big show at Knoxville other times, but the rest of my family had not. We left feeling like we had missed out on WAY too much at the big show by being at ECS all day then hustling back to the campground to clean up and get to the sprint car races.

I would think that the best way to do the ECS Nationals would be as follows...



2 day show, Thurs night and Fri night on any weekend that the Outlaws come to Knoxville. Only 2 days off work for travelers. Sat afternoon as a rain date.

Get the show done Friday, bench race or rest all night, wake up WHENEVER YOU PLEASE Saturday.

Go to the hall of fame for 2 or more hours, eat at 2 local KVille establishments, drive (not walk like you have to during nationals week) around town and check out all the neat things that make the Sprint Car Capitol so cool, then take your time going to the track (get to park reasonably close), watching the rigs come in, checking out souvenir stands, etc......


And still see 85% of the baddest assed Sprint Car Drivers that made up the A, B, C, & D Features at the Nationals for an easier to swallow ticket price and sit just about anywhere you want. During an outlaw show at Kville there will be a "C" Feature worth of 410s and a "B" or "C" feature worth of 360s. Then when the checkered flag falls, go into the infield without feeling like you are going to get trampled and loose your kids, enjoy the atmosphere, and party til the sun comes up.. (or hit the road back home).

You can't enjoy everything Knoxville has to offer if you are trying to race at ECS. Likewise, you can't race to your potential when you spend every night at another race instead of prepping/resting/focusing. Take away the circus that is the Knoxville Nationals, however, and you could do both on a Thurs-Sat 3 day weekend.

Just my opinion...I no longer have a dog in the fight... (Unless I know the track is gonna be smooth and Team Ball/DeMoss has a spare kart for me to beat em with...hint hint,beg, plead..ha ha)

Everyone has some good points. Been interesting to see what is happening. If you combined any two nights, with the Monday and Tuesday night of Nationals week, that would seem to be what a lot of people would want and get them to this event? I hope that would be the case if in the future this is the road it would lead to.