USAC Racing Forum

Anybody out there got enough stroke to get the old "Thursday Night Thunder with the likes of Dave DeSpain, and Larry Rice announcing, back on TV.  I live in Illinois and not as fortunate as some of you in Indiana with an abundance of open wheel dirt tracks.  Im tired of seeing "pinks", uncut versions of "pinks" four hours in a row, american thunder, etc. and would thouroughly enjoy seeing the weekly programs that we used to on TV.  Even an hour would help.  Somebody help!!!

Charlie Y

I agree with you 100% that was some great racing . I remember watching Jeff Gordon on there ....I must be getting old   :(

It's what put me back in touch with USAC & rekindled my interest. It would certainly help rebuild the National Tours.

Might be too hard (at first) for TV, given the $$ involved, but I'd subscribe to a USAC all-access type PitPass package  that had streaming video of races, especially if archieved for flexible viewing schedule. Wouldn't have to be tv quality production. Just video with the track announcer voiceover - that would work for me. With the cost of gas, it'd be a way to sustain fan interest 'til the USAC race(s) came within reasonable driving range. I suspect (& hope) something like that's being considered, given this new website & the streaming of the BigScreen w/ track announcer from Richmond.

I'd seriously love to see something like Thursday Thunder on once again.  I grew up on that.  It was always a trip to see one of the Badger Midget guys make it to the telecast as I was at Angell Park every Sunday back in those days.  It also made it more exciting when they'd show up at the local track as I'd know who a Dan Drinan or PJ Jones was.  Now, you get the USAC guys showing up and I have no clue who they are.  I know a year or so ago, I think versus showed a few taped shows, but it was hard to figure out when it was going to be on.

I like randyrad's idea though of streaming races.  I know they do this with the Belleville Nationals, so I don't see why they couldn't do it on a wider spread. 

RandyRad has it right!  I sat at the computer and watched everything from Richmond.  Forget TV! They have had their chance.  USAC needs to turn their attention to the internet similcast and archive the racing shows.  There is a production front end cost but a subscription may get it off the ground until advertisers dump SPEED/ESPN family/Versus/Spike, etc. for internet advertising for USAC racing. It would take the National Tours international.  Ask an Aussie in for Indiana Speedweek if they would tune in on the internet.  I think the answer is absolutely.

I too would subscribe to a USAC all-access package  Feed us Rob Klepper in the booth and we have the total experience. With the cost of gas, it would not only sustain current fan interest but it could grow those new demographics (16-25 year olds) everyone seems after to follow the USAC races.

NOTHING takes the place of being there!  But this would really help fill a void.

 :)  I too would subscribe,  How'd you guys find out about the streaming video of Richmond I would have watched that.  I'm from the really old school and there is nothing like open wheel, dirt trackin.  When I say old school, I mean,,,, I watched AJ win six at Duquoin, liked it better when there was a true national champion, hated it when front engines left Indy, sat on a tailgate and had a talk with Tony Stewart in Duquoin watched AJ, Al Unser and Mario Andretti run side by side for most of half of a hundred miler.  What I'm saying if we can all get behind this maybe USAC will see fit to fiind the means to bring us die-hards some racing.

Charlie Y.

We used to watch Thursday Night Thunder in NZ, with Sleepy Tripp and Jeff Gordon goin at it at Ascot park. We would also watch all the shows from Indiana. We just soaked it all up and would watch more if it was available.That was the 90's and now we watch any simulcast thats available on the net. We watched Richmond, we have also watched the Knoxville Midget Nats from Race Network TV so far in 2008. Whatever is goin we will watch. We have recently taken to watchin the Outlaws live on DIRTVISION, but the wing thing doesnt work for us, so we will give that up.
You would have a tremendous International audience for simulcast internet viewing. Its good fun and its cheap. We watch your Sat night shows on Sunday afternoon, so the timing is good for us.
There is nothing like being there but we are starved of good quality racing, so bring on the internet simulcasts - they sure work for us !!!

Totally agree! I watched that when i was young with my dad and would love to see that covered again!

I would agree also, and several of my friends.  Would prefer the TV version with ESPN. Even a few during a season.

hey cyracing where is il are you? are you close to morris il? if so you are welcome to come in the pits with us. its pretty good racing most of the time. we run two ford focus midgets, and there are regional midgets as well. anyway if you just need to see racing its better than nothing. later dude

Thanks for the invite, but I'm way down south halfway between St. Louis and Evansville Ind, closest to tri-city speedway in Granite city, Belle Clair fairgrounds, and Haubstadt, Ind.  not much open wheel down here but go every chance I get.

Charlie Y

I remember growing up as a kid watching Thursday Night Thunder.  They need to get rid of at least of the million NASCAR shows on Speed and bring that back.  And if I remember correctly it was at IRP that they first started putting the camera in the track surface that NASCAR on FOX thinks is a new idea.  I was raised watching NASCAR, my dad raced stock cars for 13 years.  I used to like watching cup races but now I don't even follow them anymore because they are to worried about entertainment instead of racing.  Bring back those thursday nights with Silver Crown cars and Midgets or at least show televise a couple of their races. We need to remember that the grass roots style of racing will never go away no matter what happens to the big racing series'.  We want to see real racing, now that's where the real entertainment is.

We get cup racing here in NZ and its as boring as watching paint dry, so we dont bother. I watched the highlight clip of Kokomo speedway on Dean Mills site and how could you not be excited about sprint car racing (wingless only please!) watching Hunter Schurenburg carve through from the back to win. Get that on TV and promote that as exciting motorsport. Its a much better spectacle than cup racing. So who can influence who to change the way things are. Can USAC use its influence to try and force change ??
Kevin what do you think ??

amen brother preach it!

Hey guys, make room for me on the Thursday ( or any other night) Thunder bandwagon. I spent many a Thursday night as a stooge for Streicher Racing  out of Findlay, Oh. at IRP, yes, I said IRP, rather than whatever it is called today...Many good races, many good memories.....

That would be awesome!!!  Im not sure who paid to have that done....but with all the lawnmower, legends and figure 8 racing you would think somebody would be interested...as somebody said in this thread - there are so many mindless NASCAR shows - seems that at least a couple of sponsors would be interested in this...and now - it may pick up a whole new audience...

Agreed!

man, i really miss thursday night thunder!!  do you remember gary bettenhausen jumping out of his flaming sprint car? shazam!! bring it back and i'll be watchin.