Thousands of racing fans will attest there's nothing quite so beautiful as a pack of dirt Late Model stock cars power-sliding around a turn, just inches apart, their engines roaring like hungry lions.
"I've often tried to figure out why that class appeals to me more than any other," says Barry Johnson, an Iowa-based racing writer. "I don't know if it's their power or if it's because the drivers get in there when conditions warrant and race side by side for lap after lap."
Doug Bland, new owner of the Xtreme DirtCar Series, the former UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series, calls dirt Late Models "by far the most entertaining form of motorsports out there. There's no follow-the-leader, 400-lap stuff. This is three-wide, crazy action the whole time."
That crazy action has brought good numbers to many tracks and series. Bland says there are 10,000 dirt Late Models in the nation. His series alone drew more than half a million spectators for its 39 races last year.
Jim Wilson's Midwest-based World Dirt Racing League competed just 12 times in 2002, its inaugural season, but still attracted 188 different racing teams and averaged nearly 36 cars per event.
So, because of its ongoing popularity, those associated with dirt Late Models have no fear that the division will go the way of Tyrannosaurus Rex. But the industry does face numerous challenges, including rising costs, a lack of uniform rules, and outdated tracks.
What's RightThe level of competition is what draws everybody to dirt Late Model racing, according to Johnson. Despite the escalating costs of equipment, "the drivers will stick those cars in wherever they can find an opening and race them."
In his part of the country, "it used to be that five guys had a chance to win a weekly show, but now 10 or 12 have a chance," notes Mark Stahl, a Pennsylvanian who operates a Web site devoted to dirt Late Models.
"When you have an event like the World 100 or the Dream or something like that, there are 40 or 50 guys who could win," says Bill Holder, president of the Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame planned at Florence Speedway in Union, Kentucky. "You have a winged Sprint Car race, and it's probably about one out of five."
Johnson is impressed with the number of competitors, even in a weak economy. "Looking at the numbers from Florida this year, Sprint Car numbers were low -37 or 38 cars for a show. Late Models were getting 75 to 85 cars per night," he says. Season-opening dirt Late Model shows in the Midwest annually attract 40 or 50 cars.
Californian Scott Pounds, the 2002 Carquest Dirt Late Model Series champion, enjoys the fellowship among those drivers. "From Oregon to L.A., we pretty much know all the guys who travel and run these big shows," Pounds says. "And everybody really gets along extremely well."
Dirt Late Model touring series give local racers the opportunity to compete against the division's top names when the series rumble into short tracks nationwide. All the more reason for fans to go out and see how the local underdogs will do.
"The neat thing about our series is, we'll be in 24 different states this year," Bland says. "It's almost like David versus Goliath. We have the Scott Bloomquists and Rick Eckerts of the world who come into a little town, and they get to race against the local track champion. And this guy gets to buckle in and race against them."
What's WrongAs with nearly all forms of racing, rising costs pose one of the biggest obstacles to how much growth dirt Late Models can enjoy.
"Just like other motorsports, it's getting out of sight," says Holder. "It's often 30-grand plus for an engine, and some of these guys run for $2,000 to win. I don't think that makes very good economic sense."