The recently competed Maverick Mayhem series was a decidedly artistic success. In many ways, the startling participant support for this new event was a matter of good timing. The Ohio Sprint Speedweek had just concluded, and Knoxville Raceway was dark for the mega event planned for Huset’s Speedway. We all know what happened in South Dakota and that it allowed Tyler Courtney to drop in for two nights of action close to his hometown. To the surprise of some, Jacob Allen committed to the tour early, and Chris Windom had several reasons to sign on as well. Parker Price-Miller was on hand for one round, and then Cole Duncan and Justin Peck seized on an opportunity to race with Michael Dutcher. To the delight of his many USAC fans, Brady Bacon joined forces with Kevin Newton for three nights.

The presence of so-called big names helped turn the spotlight on these four nights of wing sprint car racing in Indiana. Nonetheless, the backbone of this tour remained blue-collar, family operations. These teams, often overlooked, are indispensable to this sport. Critical to this endeavor was the partnership between the Honest Abe Roofing Maverick Wing Sprint Car Series and the Bumper-to-Bumper Interstate Racing Association. This relationship alone gave credence to the belief that a field of thirty to thirty-five cars was possible. It turns out that this estimate was well short of the mark. Over the course of four nights an average field of forty-seven cars were on hand, with the lowest number predictably found at the finale at the Terre Haute Action Track. These things just don’t happen by chance. It took considerable work to put something like this together, and many actors contributed to the final product. Also required was compromise, sacrifice, and cooperation.

In some way, it all starts with Lincoln Park Speedway, arguably the most successful short track in Indiana. In an era where the number of venues offering weekly racing dwindles, this track soldiers on. With traditional sprint cars as the headliner, this facility has a loyal following among fans and participants. JS Promotions operates Lincoln Park, with Bloomington Speedway, and the Terre Haute Action Track also on their plate. That alone positions them as key players in the Hoosier State. It is no secret that Honest Abe Roofing’s Kevin Newton, still an active racer, approached Joe and Jill Spiker with the idea of launching a wing sprint car series.

There is a vast difference between operating a racetrack and developing and running an actual series. While the Spikers have a heavy stake in IMCA 305 racing in Indiana, a new wing 410 series was clearly going to be a heavy undertaking. It is something that can’t be down alone. Just consider the matter of essential personnel. If you are a part of the JS Promotions team, you have largely committed to working every weekend all summer long. That includes the people who sell tickets, work at the gate, and staff the concession stands. In a time when it seems difficult to get people to fill open positions anywhere, this is a big ask. For many of the adults involved this is driven by a passion for racing. Sure, there is compensation, but in most cases, this is hardly the main motivation for involvement. Now this new endeavor was added to the duties.

The Maverick name was my idea. It seemed to befit the notion of a winged sprint car series situated in a traditional sprint car bastion. Others made the Top Gun connection, and in the end, that seemed appropriate too. After some deliberations, it was decided that it was prudent to stage an initial race at Lincoln Park Speedway in early October 2023. It was a frigid night, but a decision was made to go forward. In the end, no one expected fifty-plus cars to be on hand and that required everyone to scramble. In the aftermath, it was agreed that the format required tweaking, but when Cale Thomas passed Bill Balog in the late stages of the feature the overall feeling was that the race had been extraordinarily successful.

On the basis of one night, most were fired up about the possibilities ahead, but many understood that what had just transpired was probably an anomaly. Timing had been critical with many tracks and racing series having completed their business for the year. Going forward, where would the cars come from? It was hoped that some who had spent time in the 305 ranks would be ready to make the jump, and there are several winged sprint car teams based in Indiana. It was still a leap of faith. Also needed was a signature event, and it seemed that to make that happen a partner was needed. It was here that Steve Sinclair and the Interstate Racing Association entered the picture. Four co-sanctioned dates were hammered out and Jill Spiker asked me to suggest a catchy title. For better or worse I offered Maverick Mayhem.

Yet, there is more to the story. There are times when it seems so obvious that racing organizations should work together for the benefit of all parties. In this case, geographical proximity alone suggested that a marriage between Maverick and the IRA could be fruitful. It seemed like a logical match given that both groups were positioned to attract similar teams and were designed to primarily operate on a regional basis. The IRA lent credibility to the affair and offered a chance for the events to be live on FloRacing. However, let’s cut to the chase—co-sanctioning is hard. What appears to be so easy in theory is difficult as hell in practice.

It can be argued that the story that I am sharing is just one case study at one point in time. Fair enough. However, I would argue that there are plenty of lessons to be learned and in some sense, a checklist of items can be considered before one attempts to embark on a similar journey,

Because of rainouts, there was only one standalone Maverick race held before Mayhem was set to begin. However, before the season Maverick staff had met to plan ahead and subsequently, there were formal and informal conversations between IRA and Maverick officials and a consistent stream of text messages. On the Maverick side, there was work to be done on the rulebook. Before a wheel had turned Sinclair had some initial concerns. First, some of his sources were unhappy with the format of the October race. The legitimacy of those complaints could perhaps be debated, but in the greater scheme of things, this was a relatively simple matter to straighten out. Other issues were raised following the second Maverick race at Terre Haute in May. Many of these problems were significantly overblown. Some with the loudest voices were far from neutral observers. The biggest issue arose when the difference in fuel consumption between traditional and wing sprint cars reared its head. As Rico Abreu’s tank appeared to run dry and others seemed destined to join him the event was red-flagged for a fuel stop. It was a situation the race director took full responsibility for, and when racing resumed Jacob Allen was delighted to cross the line first. By the time the tour reached Terre Haute again in June, the feature distance was reduced.

For the Maverick series fine-tuning rules and building from experience are all a part of the maturation process. What is needed is patience in an increasingly impatient world. In contrast, the IRA had decades of experience doing things their way. The longevity of the series is proof that what they have done has largely worked. The IRA also has a core group of teams that compete annually for a championship. Who constitutes the core group for the Maverick Wing Sprint Car Series remains unclear. This subtle difference matters. Sinclair has a range of obligations to his membership. He has to schedule a slate of attractive races for his teams that is grounded in pragmatism. Considerations include the total number of dates and the overall footprint of is series. These are critical factors when the bulk of your participants hold full-time jobs. He must also focus on the actual competition. This includes such issues as event format and rule enforcement. If two or more groups come together Steve has an obligation to protect his teams. Given that the Mayhem series races would count toward the IRA championship he could not afford to have a questionable decision by another series official thwart one of bis driver’s title hopes.

All that aside, the Maverick team also brought years of experience to the table. Many among this group have worked together at Lincoln Park and Bloomington for years. This was not a group of novices. So how do you parse all of this out? For the IRA teams and officials, this is an opportunity and an adventure. While some might welcome an occasional day off from a trip to Wilmot or Beaver Dam, the chance to head south and visit some unfamiliar places was attractive. However, the jobs they perform with the IRA are roles that have an incumbent in place in Indiana. Who does what? Is somebody destined to be left out? This meant that telephone calls, texts, and meetings were necessary. Sinclair met with Maverick personnel over dinner well in advance of the first date and traveled to a USAC race at Lincoln Park with some of his officials. Whatever went down over these four days could negatively impact the attitude of both groups’ staff going forward. Co-sanction theoretically means equal power. If that isn’t how it is going to work that should be clear in advance.

Still, no matter how many times you meet and how many conversations you have it is still a delicate matter. There are issues of turf and trust that can become thorny. This is true even in the matter of announcers. Loren Kelly travels with the IRA and has a bright future in the sport if this is the direction he chooses. He is very much in the springtime of his career. I’m clearly at the other end of that spectrum and have worked in Indiana for over three decades. Trust me, I have been in the middle of announcer wars. I have seen dueling pit reporters more worried about their personal airtime than the overall good of the production. I can tell when this is going down when I watch some live-streamed events. Ego problems can become big problems. In this specific case it, all went exceedingly well. I’m not overly worried about where I am going or what I am doing. I have largely done the things I have sought out to do. I’ve been a traveling announcer for IndyCar, and I have served in that capacity for USAC for many years, Sometimes it is truly messy. More often than not a little diplomacy goes a long way. If you’re a series official, this is not a problem you want to deal with.

The second night of Mayhem at Bloomington Speedway is illustrative. We had massive problems with technology. It happens. There were also problems with my microphone. It was finally abundantly clear that we could only make one work well. I told Loren to run with the 410s and I would manage the 305s. He had access to all the sponsor info on the 410s and was in the zone. However, it was instructive how much some read into a simple problem that required a simple solution. In the middle of the chaos, I was getting texts about my absence from the air, and some voiced the idea that I was being “crowded out.” In essence, this seemed to some as turf war drama. I asked people to calm down. It was all good. We were both committed to putting on the best show we could despite the problems we were facing. The next night at Tri-State Speedway things worked perfectly and it was a stress-free and fun night.

In this one realm alone, there are other subtleties. Alan Beck has been the announcer at Tri-State Speedway for years. He told me that this season nearly every race at his track has been sanctioned and thus has come with an announcer. That means he has been pushed into a corner a bit. When you are a traveling series you are a guest. Often that track has a familiar voice for the weekly fan. Because of that I specifically mentioned to Loren that it was important to get Alan in the program and he did this beautifully.

So, when you bring groups together the race director, technical director, chief starter, race stewards, registration staff, on-track support, and announcers are all potential hot spots. Someone reading this who has not been in the middle of these affairs may proclaim this silly and juvenile. It is far more complicated than that. People are invested in these positions and have devoted a significant part of their lives to the enterprise. Few want to be on the sidelines for marquee events.

Finally, in a new venture like this, there are always outsiders ready to pounce on every misstep. This can create fissures in a fragile bond that brings groups together. A questionable call, a simple mistake in setting the lineups, or a camera suffering a dead battery are all evidence that this whole idea was a big mistake. If insiders listen to outside naysayers there can be real problems ahead.

Looking back, with people in place, and the feeling out process underway Maverick Mayhem began at Lincoln Park. Once again, the cars just kept rolling in. On the surface having a fifty car field seems like a dream. It makes for a healthy back gate, and fans will see plenty of racing. That’s the positive. It is also true that a pit area bursting at the seams creates a unique set of problems. What helped smooth over some real potential issues here was the purse. Six thousand dollars to win doesn’t light up the eyes of those on a major traveling circuit, but how the money was distributed through the field was a real drawing card for some. It was a big nut to crack for the promotional teams but cushioned the blow for those who struggled to make the show. That’s an issue. Four nights of racing requires lodging, fuel, food, and pit passes. If you tear equipment up that is another headache. For those teams with a limited budget, this was something they had to plan for weeks in advance. Failing to make the feature was not in the projection. Once again if you’re Steve Sinclair this is a concern. These were points-paying events and the championship contenders had to be there. If these drivers or others who are IRA regulars consistently failed to transfer out of the B main this was potentially a Sinclair problem. If key teams severely drained their coffers during Mayhem, one had to wonder if they could answer the bell at the next IRA show down the road. If a huge drop off in census follows an event like this, Steve potentially would face issues with those track operators in his home base who are essential to his series. I am certain there were times when this was on his mind.

It’s all complicated. There is an old promoter’s adage that it takes three years to grow an event. This time around the crowd at Bloomington and Tri-State were reasonable, the attendance at Lincoln Park and Terre Haute was awful. It didn’t help that temperatures exceeded 90 degrees. The good news? The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and the participants also reported that they enjoyed the experience. When the last lap was turned at Terre Haute the feeling was that the competition had been superb and there was much to build upon. Only time will tell if this prediction is accurate. No, Indiana is not suddenly going to become wing country, but there may be room for a bit more variety. Will these two groups come together again? Who knows? Will others long to join the party? Maybe. The lessons are clear. Anytime you bring two or more groups together it is like trying to get a party of ten to decide on where to go for dinner. It is hard, messy, never perfect, and somebody is likely to get their feelings hurt. In the end, you hope the final outcome leads everyone to long to repeat the experience.