2020 has certainly been an extremely unique year in nearly every aspect of life. We have seen things happen in 2020 that we could have never imagined.
2020 has certainly been an extremely unique year in nearly every aspect of life. We have seen things happen in 2020 that we could have never imagined.
What might be more surprising is the adaptability of our sport in the face of the adversity that this year has brought. Some adjustments that tracks, series, and teams have had to make could perhaps be eye-opening and turn into permanent changes.
Below are some occurrences from 2020 so far, both good and bad, that I am sure none of us would have dreamt of.
FULL-TIMERS: Would anyone have guessed five years ago that NASCAR superstars Kyle Larson, Tony Stewart, and Kasey Kahne would all three be running schedules consisting of exclusively open-wheel dirt events?
With other sports being inactive and these big names running sprints and midgets, more new eyes have been on our sport in 2020 than in quite some time.
Kyle Larson‘s spectacular results have also solidified that he is truly a once-in-a-generation talent.
NO ELDORA: Unfortunately for the Big E, their massive popularity and success worked against them in 2020.
According to the state of Ohio, their capacity puts the facility in a category with large sporting venues, different than other dirt track facilities. While races have been happening throughout the state, Eldora has only been able to have one event, with no spectators.
It is very disappointing facing the possibility of no sprint car races at Eldora this season, but I anticipate when they can safely resume operation, their events will be bigger and better than ever.
THE NATIONALS: Possibly the most shocking news of the year was that the Knoxville Nationals was not being run this season.
Thankfully, a three-day Outlaw weekend was still able to be run in place of the Nationals, but it certainly had a different feel. Much like Eldora, I think this setback in 2020 could increase the demand for the Nationals in future years and make the event even bigger yet.
PRE-SALE TICKETS: With capacity restrictions common in 2020 throughout the country, online ticket sales have become a must. This is actually a blessing in disguise for promoters, because it takes a lot of possible negative factors out of the equation.
For example, if the weather is looking bad, typically a tracks crowd might suffer, but if most of the tickets are pre-sold, even if less fans show up, the tickets are already paid for and a race is much less likely to be cancelled.
I am sure most promoters would love for pre-sold online tickets to be a trend that sticks around even after things return to normal.
NO SUPPORT CLASS: In 2020, most tracks have had to adhere to strict regulations pertaining to fan and pit capacity at their facilities.
With less tracks racing throughout the country, car counts have been much higher than in the past, especially in open-wheel events, so the tracks have been forced to cut out some, or all, of their support divisions.
Indiana Sprint Week, for example, was run with no support classes for the entire week, and the races went exceptionally smooth and were completed earlier each night.
The promoter loses out on a little bit of back gate money, but the fans get a much more efficient and enjoyable entertainment experience.
THUNDER THROUGH THE PLAINS: As some states were shutting down in late-spring and early-summer, some series were forced to adjust their schedules to be able to compete in states with less regulation.
The All Star Circuit of Champions made some huge schedule changes and returned to the Southern Plains for the first time in close to a decade. There was an immense amount of fan support for the events and the races were very entertaining.
The thrilling battle between the top five at Red Dirt Raceway will certainly be considered one of the best races of the year.
In a sport where many are reluctant to change, perhaps 2020 will bring about some changes that will be adopted and be for the betterment of the sport, even once things return to normal.
As our industry navigates through the ever-changing landscape ahead, the extreme passion possessed by race fans continues to drive the success of our sport.