They conflict. on Feb 16 to 19 Ocala has USAC sprints,while East Bay has 360 sprints amd mini sprints on the same days.
Plus East Bay doesn’t even have 410S next year.
Not much overlap between the USAC sprinters and the 360 winged cars. USAC is 410 non winged and most of those guys will follow the whole tour. Personally I would travel all the way across the state and pay good money for a ticket to see the USAC guys run Ocala before I would walk across the street to see the 360 winged cars for free. Now, that’s just me…
Yes, but Tim Shaffer raced All Stars [410] at Ocala, January 29, and won a 360 race at East Bay february 25th last winter.
I think the USAC show at Ocala should be super cool. I think the layout better suits the non-wing cars than East Bay.
Just about anything puts on a good show at Ocala. That place has character!! Loved running the Legends there after I figured the place out. I will NEVER forget the show the Allstars put on there before they paved the place the last time. As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t GET any better than the USAC sprinters on dirt. I got to see them out here at Manzy a few times before they bulldozed the place and now I get to dream about maybe scraping up enough money to go out to Perris for the Oval Nationals in November but it probably won’t happen. Sucks that the Western World isn’t a USAC show anymore since it moved to Tucson…
Jon Stanbrough will be worth the price of admission.
Speaking of Benjie Mills in another post he will be there helping out Kent Christian…also check this out…
Florida Non-Wing Winter Nationals
As the fall starts to wind down and winter begins to creep into the picture all around the U.S., it’s still sunny and warm here in the sunshine state, just the way it should be come the middle of February. Florida is the place you want to be in February. with all the racing going on from the end of January. to the end of February. Whether it is dirt, pavement, late models, sprints, modified’s, TQ’s, minis or micros, they all race in Florida for the winternationals, except the 1000/1200 Lightning Sprints. Well thanks to a new series and track down in Ocala Florida, that is going to change and they will get their chance.
Wayne Davis’s Southern States Lightning Sprints Series is teaming up with Bill McCleary owner of the Ocala Micro Speedway for 4 nights (afternoon) of racing starting Feb. 16-19. Wayne Davis is a veteran of dirt and pavement racing through Florida/Georgia and the Southeast where he has raced everything from karts, late models, sprints and the ole skeeter cars back in the day. Bill McCleary has been the promoter of the Sumter County Speedway for years until earlier in the year when his lease ran out with the Sumter County fair board, so he decided to purchase the dormant Thunderbowl Speedway there in Ocala. Bill wants to build a top notch facility for scaled down racing in Florida and with the very central location Ocala was a perfect fit.
Wayne and his son Darrin race with the Florida Mini Sprint Association and is and old traditionalist and want to race some non-wing races. After approaching the FMSA president about having a few non winged races during the year he was turned down being told the cars are unsafe without a wing and that the FMSA wanted no part of this. After Mr. Davis’s promotion of the very successful Border War event with the FMSA and the GMSA (Ga. Mini Sprints) Mr. Davis decided it was time to maybe look into to doing this own his own. After months of leg work the Southern States Lightning Sprints Series was formed.
At about the same time Mr. McCleary decided to open and revive the old Thunderbowl track, give a new name and make it an open wheel, 1/4 mile track for scaled down racers. Mr. Davis looking for a place to hang his hat approached Bill about the same time Mr. McCleary was going to approach him. The 2 have teamed up along with the Sunshine State Micro Sprints and the Gadget Sprints and also have included the TT ATV’s and the Florida Flat track bikes to make this a true versatile open wheeled speedway.
for more info visit www.sssprints.com