DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript

Dirt racing news, results, discussion, analytics. Sprint cars, late models, modifieds, you name it. From national series, to top local shows. Brought to you five days a week. Email the show at info@dirtrackr.com.

What High Limit can't afford to screw up... | Daily 11-8-2023

On the show today, what to expect from the 2024 World of Outlaws schedule, an update on Ohio Sprint Speedweek and Kasey Kahne, plus High Limit addresses officiating and integrity, and more. Let's go!

It's Wednesday, November 8th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily.

It's become tradition for World Racing Group CEO Brian Carter to appear on MRN's Winged Nation every year right after World Finals. It what turned out to be interesting timing yesterday, Carter sat with Steve Post and Erin Evernham just about an hour after the High Limit news dropped. I'll link to the full show in the video description if you want to see everything Carter had to say about the current state of sprint car racing, but I wanted to point out a few things for you today that I thought were interesting and noteworthy. Most of it around the schedule that has yet to be released. In this new split world of sprint car racing, the schedule is obviously one of the biggest challenges now, and Carter addressed that. We talked yesterday on the bonus Daily about what to expect for at least some of the High Limit schedule, and Carter talked through a lot of different pieces of the 2024 Outlaw slate in his interview. The early part of the year will remain the same with DIRTcar Nationals, and then the sprint cars coming back to Volusia in early March around Daytona Bike Week. It sounds though like they won't attempt the spring trip to Pennsylvania, and will instead stay south with Carter mentiononing Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Carter also talked about more happening at Huset's and Jackson Motorplex with their relationship with Tod Quiring, and I've heard the Jackson Nationals could see a pay bump, plus Carter said they'll have a Labor Day event at Huset's. Sidenote on Huset's, I've also heard they may not be a High Limit return to Huset's for 2024, even though it was on the 2023 midweek schedule. But the Outlaws racing in South Dakota on Labor Day points to a very different fall schedule, as in years past that Labor Day event fell during the west coast swing. The Outlaws will go to California though, and Carter mentioned strong relationships with tracks there. I've heard potentially a very big show at the Tulare Thunderbowl. The late season run of races should remain the same though, with Sharon, the National Open, Port Royal, a midwest trip, and then World Finals to close out. It does sound like the Outlaws have plans to race somewhere else in Ohio that Sharon weekend that was previously the Eldora 4-Crown date. As for the battle for drivers and teams, Carter told Steve and Erin that he's very optimistic about how many teams are coming back, and seemed to indicate that there were already potentially signed platinum agreements. He also got into an explanation of the full timers model, and how things really break down for teams once you get beyond 12 or 14 travelers. I'm pretty sure we've talked about this before on this show, but you don't really want to travel more than that as a series, because the economics start to break down for both those guys further down the full timer standings, plus the locals who are trying to make features. The Outlaws had previously waited until PRI to release their schedules for the next season, but Carter had the full list in front of him on the show, I wouldn't be shocked if the schedule was dropped in the very near future, days, or maybe within a week or two.

As for Ohio Sprint Speedweek, I did see some comments and questions about it's future. I didn't talk about it yesterday because it doesn't sound as though things are quite locked up just yet. The High Limit FAQ page at floracing.com does say it will return, but it may not necessarily be part of the High Limit schedule like it was with the All Stars in the past. I've heard other groups are getting involved there, including possibly the FAST series, and there are still some moving parts. I don't have a whole lot of clarity on that one yet, but hopefully we'll know more about Ohio speedweek soon.

Also, I did want to talk about Kasey Kahne and his involvement with all of this sprint car news. We obviously know Brad Sweet will go full time with High Limit in 2024 in the KKR NAPA 49, and I assumed that Kahne would just follow in whatever form that turns into. Kasey has attempted a few times now to be full time with the Outlaws, but injuries and life just seem to keep getting in the way. I was told yesterday though that it's likely Kahne won't go full time with either series, instead sticking to a pick and choose schedule. Supposedly his sponsors have some races they want him to be at through the season, so that will keep him from going one way or the other. Kahne ran six High Limit shows this year, with a best finish of sixth at Grandview. In 55 Outlaw starts, his best result was a third at Volusia back at the start of the year. He is still chasing that elusive first career Outlaw win.

On the High Limit front, we knew that Mike Hess had been let go by World Racing Group as the Outlaw race director following his moonlighting trip to the High Limit show at Lernerville. That was always going to go over like a lead balloon with WRG management, and all signs were pointing towards a move by Hess to High Limit for 2024. Jeremy Elliott and sprintcarunlimited.com confirmed yesterday that Hess will be both series director and competition director, and that he'll control race days on the competition side. Brad Sweet reiterated that point, and it's clear they have considered the integrity of the series and the implications with both co-owners set to compete on a regular basis. It's certainly not the first time a series owner has raced, but questions were raised with High Limit after the issues earlier this season at Tri-City involving the heat race situation with Rico Abreu. Kyle Larson did go on to win his own championship, and both Larson and Sweet will be the early favorites to win both the year long and midweek titles in 2024. Through it all, there will be pressure on Hess to not appear to be playing favorites, and there are already race fans who don't love the idea of these guys competing in their own series. Tony Stewart certainly raced with the All Stars during his ownership tenure, but never for a championship or full season. And that's something you don't have to worry about with WRG, as Brian Carter's racing exploits don't go beyond a scattered pro stock or crate late model start each season. The High Limit race format for 2023 was very similar to the Outlaw version, but Hess told Jeremy they are still in discussions on that for this new national series for 2024. I know that Sweet is more of a straight up format guy, which is what you have with the Outlaws, so we'll see if we end up with something more exotic involving passing points or inverts.

In some race track news, apparently Lawrenceburg Speedway has found it's next promoter. The paperwork hasn't been signed, but the city council did approve a four year deal with STM Motorsports to oeprate the race track. STM Motorsports is owned by Shane McHenry and his family, and McHenry is actually the Sheriff of Dearborn County, which is where Lawrenceburg is, just across the state line from Cincinnati, Ohio and northern Kentucky. McHenry takes over from Dave and Kim Rudisell, and it sounds like the schedule and divisions racing weekly will remain the same. McHenry did say thought that he'd like to have some late model shows in 2024. Besides their weekly program, Lawrenceburg had been part of the USAC and World of Outlaws schedules, but not word yet on if those dates will remain.

Around the other dirt racing shows this week, Winged Nation has the aforementioned Brian Carter show plus Dominic Scelzi. Passing Points has Talin Turner, Dirt Tracks and Rib Racks has Saban Bibent and Kaleb Kinser, Hoogies Garage has Matt Spies, Across the Groove has Ricky Lewis, and there are new episodes of the Dirt Reporters, the Dirt Nerds, Dirt Track Confessions, Dunewich on Dirt, Dirt Track Weekly, and Turn 2 Terribles. To see the full list of shows head over to dirtrackr.com/podcasts.

Hope you have a great Wednesday out there, we'll see you back here tomorrow.