I'm starting to wonder if these Invitationals are really worth it for all involved. Don't get me wrong here, I am one of the sports biggest fans and attend most of the local events but sometimes leave a little disappointed. Take yesterday at Sunset for example; 16 or so late models, the race fairly boring as Witty leads flag to flag with no real challenge from anyone. On a regular night at Sunset you have 20+ lates and usually the show is much more exciting. The super stocks usually end up putting on the best show and that too was the case yesterday but really there were not alot of visiting cars. Same for the 4cylinders as many of the strong runners were not in attendance and Butler ran away once the 34 car was done for the night. I have been to other invites at other tracks and found the events similar; the only one to me that works is Fall Colours and from complaints over the last few years, I wonder if it will continue to draw strong numbers of cars too. As I mentioned in the beginning, I love racing and love to support these extra events but do they really turn out the way they are hyped for the most part?

Longtimefan,

It's fans like you we need to listen too. That said, in my opinion this year (and to some extent last year too), the economy has made more than a few people nervous on how much racing they can afford to do, myself included. For a series format, I think the Stefko / McColl program works well. It will get better in its sophomore year.

Invitationals in general are also a good and have worked very well for many race tracks across the province. We are fortunate to have such a large racing community that can sustain it - at all. Consider ourselves lucky, we're the only province that have track promoters that do so on a regular basis. Everything west and east of Ontario doesn't have this luxury and fan draws like we do.

The Maritimes with the CARQUEST Tour only supports a single class (LM) and the same with the K&N series out west along with the Northern Pipeline Dirt Series. For us to have 3 (4 if you include the Delaware Modified Invitational's) classes that have invitationals every year is amazing at 7 different tracks (Flamboro, Delaware, Barrie, Sunset, Kawartha, Peterborough, Sauble and Varney) for

There are going to be good an bad years. The economic recovery is well underway and as race car owners become more confident in its stability, racing will improve, including travelling to invitationals.  We're not out of the woods yet, but I believe there are some good indicators that it is improving at some tracks.

Hope you can see the tree through the forest during these challenges and continue to support the sport.

Racefan You must also remember that not just Sunset ran yesterday...Peterborough had OSCAAR Sauble had a late model and llm invitiational Varney ran and oskwegan had their show world of outlaws show from sat postponed to lastnight. Take all these other shows in to account and the car count and crowd was excellent imo 🙂

Thank you the the comments Wesley Motorsports, you seem to be very knowledgeable about the sport we both love. There is no danger of me deciding not to attend upcoming invitationals because as a true fan, I just have to go, you now how it is, its in your blood. I would also be afraid of what I missed at an event, the potential of what might happen. I am just wondering about how to make these events better; I would if I were a promotor, attempt to get committments from other tracks/drivers so that they could actually confirm and market the event better; do drivers pay to enter? If so, cut that fee or waive it if you register by a certain date, ideas like that. More care = more fans = more money and happiness for all. I understand all of that issues as well around this for teams; travel and dollars make it difiicult for some, I just think there are better ways to do these things; are there too many now, should the tracks each do one and work together for those events? Just my opinion of course.

Daisygirl, wow thats alot of events in one day tugging on the car counts. I will admit the car count at Sunset wasn't bad but you have to agree that it didn't even measure up to a regular Saturday nite and the racing wasn't certainly as good, just my opinion on that. Again I wonder why tracks wouldn't work together to help each others events, split them up or have fewer? Just wondering. I had noticed that as a rule the invitationals that I have attended over the years weren't quite as good as what I had hoped for; maybe I am expecting too much going in.