This weekend could be the last opportunity in 2012 to watch non-winged sprint cars in action on a paved oval.
With USAC not running any pavement shows for sprint cars, there were only three races scheduled in Indiana for the “thunder and lightning” division cars to be in action.
The United States Speed Association sanctioned a 100-lap race at Anderson Speedway in April and has scheduled a 50-lap event this Saturday at the high-banked quarter-mile oval. The other non-wing sprint car race was the Pay Less Little 500.
In prior years, the USAC sprint cars raced at Anderson, Winchester, Salem, and Lucas Oil Raceway in Indiana and at the Berlin Raceway in Michigan and Toledo Speedway in Ohio.
A lot of credit must go to USSA and Anderson Speedway for keeping non-wing sprint cars in action on a paved racetrack. Hopefully, the interest among team owners and fans will allow for the scheduling of more USSA sprint car shows on other paved tracks in 2013.
The sprint cars will be on the program with the McGunegill Engine Performance Late Models this Saturday at Anderson Speedway with racing action starting at 8 p.m.
In other racing news:
— IZOD IndyCar officials have announced a unique qualifying format for the upcoming June 22 race at Iowa Speedway. Instead of the traditional single car qualifying sessions, there will be three 30-lap heat races to set the starting field.
The starting line-ups of each heat race will be determined by the practice speeds of the competitors. The eight fastest drivers will be competing in the third heat and the finishing order will determine how they will start the main event.
Regardless of whether you agree with some of IndyCar’s decisions, they are trying to be innovative and provide fans with more racing. Last year they ran two races on the same night at the Texas Speedway with the line-up for the second race determined by a blind draw.
Watching the teams compete in a 30-lap heat race to determine the starting line-up has to be more exciting than watching qualifying for a Sprint Car event on television. No matter how hard the announcers work at it, no one is going to believe that a team that has to race their way into the field is going to start on the front row.
— After years of unfulfilled promise, Joey Logano finally won a second Sprint Cup race last weekend at Pocono. Nicknamed “Sliced Bread” when he arrived on the scene, Logano has been more like stale bread when it comes to Sprint Cup competition. He has failed to make any of the fields for the Chase for the Championship and is unlikely to do so this year.
Logano has to put together a solid second half of the season to insure that he will continue to have the ride with Joe Gibbs Racing after the end of the year.
Despite problems with traffic control at Kentucky Speedway for the initial Sprint Cup event, it appears that corrective steps have been taken.
Kentucky Speedway has purchased 143 acres for additional parking and partnered with the state to widen Highway 35 to seven lanes, added an extra lane from Interstate 75, and constructed a tunnel under the highway for fans to access the track.
I went to Kentucky Speedway the first year it opened for an American Speed Association race and it was an exciting show with a last lap pass at the finish line bringing Scott Lagasse Jr. the victory.
The track should put on good racing for the Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series the last weekend in June and there are tickets available.
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