SCCA Oval Race @ LORI (formerly ORP)

[mtownneon]

Indy Region has a one day restricted double regional planned for Saturday, June 18, at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis (Formerly O'Reilly Raceway Park). And the race course to be used is the 5/8 mile oval - the same one many people have seen on TV featuring Thursday/Saturday Night Thunder and the NASCAR truck and Busch/Nationwide series before the Brickyard 400.

This is not the first time that we (Indy) have ran the oval. Our last foray "over the fence" to the oval was in 1997. That year we ran not only a stand-alone regional but also ran Pro-Vee on the oval as part of a National weekend. We're considering the resurrection of this event for this summer as a specialty event, with the attraction being that it’s a single day, double regional featuring at least 3 separate races, it’s going to be offered for the low, low price of $200, and that 90-some percent of SCCA racers have probably never ran an oval race and might want to give it a try. It will probably be another 15 years before we would do it again. It’s also in June which is typically NOT a busy time in GLD, although there is a National/RR a week before at M-O.

We expect to break down into only 3 or 4 run groups and are restricting the classes – no crazy GT or FA cars.
So, who's game?

 

[RacerBill]

Having worked on the safety crew at IRP (upps - LORP), and as chief of sound control from 1985 to 1998 (including the only oval Regional, but now driving - I would love to do it!

 

[CRallo]

Damn Bill, you are dating yourself!

 

[ITA_honda]

Will it be part of the Great Lakes Division champ series?

 

[dhardison]

Will it be part of the Great Lakes Division champ series?

According to the latest 2011 Great Lakes Division Race Schedule it is a champ series event.

http://www.greatlakes-scca.org/files/2011 GLDiv club racing schedule_1.pdf

 

[ITA_honda]

According to the latest 2011 Great Lakes Division Race Schedule it is a champ series event.

http://www.greatlakes-scca.org/files/2011 GLDiv club racing schedule_1.pdf

You going Dan??
Hmmm its a 5/8 mile circle track in the middle of good ol boy country. And we arent racing American cars. Do they even allow Honda's on a circle track??

 

[dhardison]

You going Dan??
Hmmm its a 5/8 mile circle track in the middle of good ol boy country. And we arent racing American cars. Do they even allow Honda's on a circle track??

lol - Maybe if we change our car numbers to 3, 88, 24 or 48 it'll make up for the fact that they're Hondas. Yes, I'm planning on "racin' the oval".

 

[ITA_honda]

lol - Maybe if we change our car numbers to 3, 88, 24 or 48 it'll make up for the fact that they're Hondas. Yes, I'm planning on "racin' the oval".

Yes or put big FORD or CHEVROLET decals on them. Just remember while in pit lane (or paddock) or where ever we grid before an oval track race, we gotta wear sunglasses and lean on our cars like NASCAR. Then a post race discussion
"Ill tell you what that #4 car was strong all day long. We had to come and pit a few laps in to the race and get some rear wedge cause the car wouldnt turn mid corner. Id like to thank my sponsors"
LOL!!!

 

[jhooten]

You going Dan??
Hmmm its a 5/8 mile circle track in the middle of good ol boy country. And we arent racing American cars. Do they even allow Honda's on a circle track??

Toyota is running in Nastycar, so why not?

 

[ITA_honda]

Toyota is running in Nastycar, so why not?

Ahhhhhh he's got a point

 

[mtownneon]

You going Dan??
Hmmm its a 5/8 mile circle track in the middle of good ol boy country. And we arent racing American cars. Do they even allow Honda's on a circle track??

Ah heck, they run them furrin' import cars over at Speedrome every Saturday night.....

On a serious note, yes, the race is a GLDiv Champ Series race.

 

[Flyinglizard]

You guys need my book to get around there. Have fun.
MM

 

[RacerBill]

Damn Bill, you are dating yourself!

Hey, got to be proud of something!!!!

 

[rydermike]

SPO cars going to be allowed ? I have a little ford taurus .....

 

[dhardison]

This event has been dropped from the GLDiv schedule.

 

[RacerBill]

 

[mtownneon]

Sorry folks, we couldn't find a way to make it make financial sense in the end. We would need almost 70 cars to make it break even and interest feedback had us falling well short of that. When we first talked about doing this event, we were also planning on 2 other "traditional" events but neither of those worked out ( a Reg/Nat @ Gingerman at the end of April and a possible Dbl Regional with a PDX @ LORI in October) Gingerman decided to give the dates we requested to a vintage organization and we haven't been able to make the headway with LORI on revitalizing the road course as we had hoped, (we knew that was a LONG shot at best going in) so losing some money on the oval event could be absorbed. With the oval event having to stand on its own, there was just no way we could make the numbers work.

 

[Flyinglizard]

The best way for it to work, is to run on Sat night. Bring 20 cars or more. Work out the payout withthe track. Happens everywhere that there are "touring classes " or clubs that have their own rules. Self teching and keep their own points.
If you were real nice, you maybe could work out some early practice time, to get more on track time. Typical track rental is 100$ per hour for practice.. 500$ per hour with tow trucks and flaggers.
MM