One of the biggest hurdles facing winged sprint car racing on pavement is the difference in engine sizes.
Most series utilize 360-cubic-inch power plants, while MSR and AVSS rules mandate 410-cubic-inch engines.
Integrating the two sizes of engines during the early years of winged pavement racing was nonexistent. Davey Hamilton’s KOTW series debuted in 2014 and he formulated a plan to create a national traveling series that equalized the two engines by restricting the 410s. How successful this formula has been is a topic of debate.
Many Midwestern 410 teams refuse to use the restrictors and it has been a challenge for Hamilton to solidify his series in the Midwest or Southeast. MSR, on the other hand, has a different philosophy for integrating the two engines and prefers to give the 360 teams a 100-pound weight break.
MSR and KOTW are the only true national touring series for winged pavement sprint car racing. Both competed in at least five states in 2019 and to date, each has raced in at least a dozen states since its debut.
However, every sanctioning body that organizes winged sprint car racing on pavement has endured a virtual roller-coaster ride during the last decade.
Jim Hanks, who owns the Must-See Racing Series, went with a lighter schedule and kept the series closer to its Michigan home for a few years while the economy improved. Hamilton’s struggles have been felt as recently as this season when the King of the Wing only drew 11 cars to its opening weekend in the Southeast.
In 2018, Hamilton was forced to cancel a weekend of racing in Ontario when he couldn’t get support from teams in the Midwest. However, signs appear to be good for both series moving forward. MSR drew a nationwide pavement best car count average of 22 last year, and KOTW anticipates having its largest schedule to date.
“Obviously, economic reality made an impact on race teams’ budgets and their ability to compete,” explained Hanks. “The vast majority of our team members have full-time jobs or are business owners where the tough economy restricted and often eliminated their time and flexibility to race, and in our case, travel extensively.
“Importantly, we promoted two-way open and honest communication with the teams to factually determine how to adjust scheduling without depreciating our main objective to provide first-class entertainment for the race fans and market reach for our marketing partners,” Hanks added. “We adjusted our schedule accordingly with cost-attractive, multiple-race weekends at shorter race tracks that fit with what all our stakeholders could do and eliminated what simply was not economically feasible. The adjustment and approach have paid great dividends. In fact, we were able to grow during that time period.”
Speed Tour managing partner Adam Nelson shares similar thoughts with Hanks regarding the state of winged pavement sprint car racing.
“We’re on a positive upswing,” Nelson noted. “Our car counts here in our area are gaining. The Northwest is particularly healthy. Having local organizations getting along with regional organizations has been helpful. I think all the short-track stuff has been on the rise, particularly the winged stuff. Part of the reason things are on the upswing in our area is because our Speed Tour program is based around Meridian, Idaho, and we have an affordable product for tracks close by like Magic Valley Speedway to sample our product. It’s not breaking the bank and is not a big gamble.”
Hamilton has different views based on his experiences with the King of the Wing series.
“I’m going to say it’s definitely not better,” Hamilton said. “I think it’s getting more and more difficult. All you have to do is look at the car counts from three years ago to today. They haven’t increased. The facilities that we go to, we aren’t consistent on any front. There are some tracks where it’s a struggle to get back in year after year and get a solid continuity of where we go so the fans and racers know. We’re kind of holding our own right now in my opinion.
“I’m speaking for winged pavement sprint car racing,” he continued. “I don’t know that we’re ever going to grow it bigger until every series in the United States gets on the exact same rules package.”
Whatever your take may be on the state of winged pavement sprint car racing, there’s no denying the fact it remains one of the most exciting and breathtaking forms of short-track racing.
MSR announcer Jacob Seelman regularly refers to the cars as “The Fastest Short-Track Cars in the World,” and for good reason.