On the eve of the World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna Speedway, the state of Super Late Model is pretty damn good.
Sure things could be better, they always can, but given the overall state of motorsports in 2016, Super Late Model is somewhat surprisingly trending in the right direction.
It wasn’t that long ago that car counts were dropping across the country as the downturning economy played chicken with the overall diminishing interest in motorsports, resulting in bankrupt cars and closed racetracks.
With that said, the entire discipline is awash in optimism and that hope can be traced to its recently graduated past. With NASCAR stars Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones and Daniel Hemric all enjoying success in a Super Late Model before climbing the ladder system, the fans are starting to embrace the current crop of drivers with similar expectations.
Fans are starting to return to the track as well, not only for the natural excitement of short track racing but also for the opportunity, “I was there when” future stars like Ty Majeski, Zane Smith, Harrison Burton and Todd Gilliland enjoyed their first taste of success.
It’s not unlike the hipster mentality of bragging that you’ve followed a certain band since their debut indy performances. There’s a certain pride associated with following a young driver from the start, and the technology of the day has made that easier than ever before.
Over the next two weeks alone, fans can tune into the World Series of Asphalt for free on fanschoice.tv. Alongside the Super Lates are some of the top stars from the NASCAR Modified ranks and Pro Late Models respectively.
And again, it’s free.
Many of the most prestigious races in the industry can now be viewed via an online streaming provider. Over the past three years, the Snowball Derby, Winchester 400, All-American 400, Oxford 250 and World Crown 300 have all appeared in some form of digital streaming or tape-delayed television.
The entire CARS Tour schedule is streamed with Jack McNelly annd Chris Ragle working feverishly to provide a solid alternative to big-budget televised stock car racing.
Purses have stabilized or risen and sponsorship packages have started to return, recognizing the opportunities within short track racing.
Are there challenges? Sure.
Too many tracks are becoming Lost Speedways, while infighting between tours and tracks occur way more than it needs to. But by in large, the short track racing community has become largely unified with everyone pulling in the same direction.
Unified rules are becoming the norm across the country and promoters are communicating in the effort to avoid needless overlaps. The needs of the many now outweigh the needs of the few and the perceived health of the entire industry has improved as a result.
So that’s why we started Short Track Scene. Interest in the discipline hasn’t been this strong in a long time and there are so many stories worth telling.
The state of Super Late Model racing is good and it’s only going to get stronger.
