DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript
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Bonus Episode! World Racing Group starting midget and non-wing sprint car series | Daily 12-12-2021
Coming up on this bonus episode the Daily, we are talking about World Racing Group's foray into non-wing racing. Let's go.
Today is Sunday, December 12th, two thousand and twenty one. Welcome into DIRTRACKR Daily. I'm Justin Fiedler.
This is obviously something I don't normally do, but I've got a packed show for Monday with a bunch more bits from the weekend at PRI, and I wanted this piece of news from Saturday to get plenty of space. It is potentially a defining moment for the future of dirt racing.
I teased it a bit on Friday's show because rumblings of a big announcement from World Racing Group were percolating out of PRI, but I don't play the breaking news game, so I wanted to wait until it was official. So if you haven't heard the news, WRG, which is the parent company of the World of Outlaws and DIRTcar, and my former employer, announced it is entering the non-wing game with a new sprint car and midget series. The Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series and Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series will debut in 2022. Each series will have a 10 to 15 race schedule next year, with a combined point fund of something like $100,000. They haven't released the full slate of races yet, but we know the sprint cars will debut at Volusia during DIRTcar Nationals on Monday and Tuesday, February 14th and 15th, with the first night being $5000 to win and the second being $10,000 to win. The one confirmed midget event we have is at the Ironman 55 weekend at Pevely in August. The two sprint car nights at Volusia are in advance of the USAC opener at Bubba Raceway Park, so you'd think some of those drivers and teams will hit up DIRTcar Nationals. And that midget show at Pevely replaces the races previously sanctioned by POWRi. I'm guessing it will probably be a few weeks before we know the rest of the schedules, but the announcement did say that several events through the season will be scheduled in conjunction with already established World of Outlaws races. Both new series will be headed by World Racing Group's Casey Shuman, who will also balance his duties as the World of Outlaws Late Model Series director. Shuman gives those series instant credibility, as he's a non-wing competitor himself and previously ran the now POWRi owned WAR Sprint Car Series. And as you might have expected, all races will be streamed live on DIRTVision.
There is a lot to unpack here, and I think it's interesting that in the release, WRG CEO Brian Carter mentions they will quote "work in conjunction with POWRi and USAC to the extent possible" unquote in the future to expand the racing. I say interesting, because this move feels like a direct shot at those two sanctioning bodies. It's hard to view a move of this type as particularly friendly or amicable in the space. In a piece at sprintcarunlimited.com, Jeremy Elliott even mentioned rumors at PRI of World Racing Group attempting to buy USAC. I have no idea if that is true or not, but clearly they think this niche of dirt racing has potential for the future and there is room to get involved.
In looking at the reactions in the past 24 hours or so since it was announced, things have been mostly positive. I've seen a few dissenting opinions, and some questioning why the move now, but for the most part it seems like both the fans and competitors are on board. We've even seen the first commitment from a driver, with non-wing competitor Landon Simon announcing his intentions to run the Xtreme Series next year. I also saw a tweet from Thomas Meseraull saying he'd be headed to Volusia as well. And I'm sure that's just the beginning.
If you're trying to figure out why this move now, I think a major reason is DIRTVision and the streaming situation. As we've talked about on this show before, this has come down to FloRacing vs. DIRTVision, with MAVTV Plus out there and then a ton of smaller players. And when you look at what DIRTVision offers, the non wing and midget stuff is a big hole in their lineup. With USAC already on the Flo deal, and POWRi on MAVTV Plus a lot, there isn't really a way for WRG to fill that gap on DIRTVision. That is until now. If you can't go get the rights for a non-wing series, then make your own. Plus, with stars like Tyler Courtney, Chris Windom, and Kevin Thomas Jr. moving on to the winged ranks, this is a pivotal time for the future of USAC. The knock has been that they are too regional and the races don't pay enough, and with WRG's more robust resources, they have the potential to do better in both areas. These new series might play nice with USAC and POWRi early on, but I don't think it will be long before serious expansion is on the table. Competition is competition.
As for challenges, I think a big issue here is going to be car counts. We've been discussing the ongoing situation in dirt late model racing, and with more places to choose from now, will all these series and tracks be able to draw enough sprint cars and midgets to make this work. I'm sure there will be plenty of crossover, and certain areas of the country won't be a problem, but eventually, depending on where races are scheduled and on what weekends, it's possible that guys will be forced to choose. USAC will still have the draw of a lot of the legacy and traditional events, but World Racing Group knows how to build big events of their own, plus they have the power of the World of Outlaws behind them. Buckle up, because I think this is about to get good.
Drop me a comment, let me know your thoughts on this announcement and the new series. Where do you stand, and what do you think the future looks like? You can leave your thoughts in the YouTube comments, on social media @dirtrackr, or by email at info@dirtrackr.com.
Thanks for tuning into this quick bonus episode. I'll see you Monday for more DIRTRACKR Daily.