By Roger Slack
Guest Columnist

I am excited about the future of dirt-track racing. Dirt-track racing hasn't enjoyed this much momentum since 1998 or 1999 during the heyday of the World of Outlaws and its live television coverage on The Nashville Network.
There are more big events for dirt-track racers and teams than ever before. Car counts are on the rise in all forms of dirt racing, and it is because the product — in most cases — is far superior to anything else in motorsports today.
The amount of passing and the action with cars racing three and four wide in multiple grooves has played a major role in increasing interest. The quality of competition on the track may be at the highest level we've seen.
The increased level of competition is the result of a new-found spirit of cooperation among the tracks, sanctioning bodies and the competitors. Everybody has realized that we are in the entertainment business and people only have so much time and so much discretionary income.
If a series doesn't have a format in the rules that encourages action, passing and drives from the back, they don't have race tracks that want to book them because fans don't want to pay to see them. In turn, competitors that race for a living do not have a place to race.
Of course, we face some challenges. Sprint-car racing still has a lot of work to do. Series officials have made great strides with the new right-rear tire rule, but they have lots of work to do concerning the left-rear tires and wings. There are more than 4,000 dirt late models. The biggest challenge for the late models is learning from the lessons sprint-car racing has demonstrated in the past and taking the proper steps to avoid similar issues.
Also contributing to this dirt-track revolution has been the interest in this sport shown by some of its former stars. Ken Schrader, Tony Stewart, Dave Blaney, Kenny Wallace and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. have become involved in track ownership. 
When you have the presence of these high-profile NASCAR drivers, you get the spillover from them talking about their tracks in the media, and their appearances at dirt tracks bring NASCAR-oriented fans to the dirt track — in many cases for the first time — and that exposes them to how fantastic the racing is and the fiery personalities of the competitors. We are lucky to have guys like Terry McCarl, Chub Frank, Scott James and others who are not afraid to say what they think.
All of this has led to huge crowds and car counts, which began during Florida Speedweeks and has continued with both the sprint cars and late models as the early portion of the season has progressed.
As a result, there are more sponsors, fans and media interested in this form of racing than in many years. Now, as promoters, sanctioning officials and racers, we need to do our jobs.
We need to offer cleaner, more modern facilities, multi-grooved racy track surfaces without a lot of dust and dramatic and entertaining race formats that encourage and reward passing, while ensuring well-planned events which begin on time and have spectators headed home at a reasonable hour.
We need innovative rules that help reduce costs of competition while promoting close side-by-side racing and encouraging participation by the weekly racers that the local fans follow throughout the season when the national tours visit.
This weekend's Circle K Colossal 100 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway is an example of us practicing what we preach.
We are paying this obscene $200,000 purse, with $50,000-to-win. Tickets are reasonably priced and good for two days. We will group qualify. We redraw for starting positions after the heats. We will utilize a giant video screen for live action and replays. We will offer a huge pre-race pyrotechnics display and use the choose rule for restarts while starting 36 cars on a four-tenths-mile dirt track!
There is one thing we will not be able to control — the weather. If Mother Nature cooperates, we believe the Circle K Colossal 100 will help Lowe's Motor Speedway do its part in helping dirt-track racing continue to grow and gain the level of success it so richly deserves.
Maybe my friend, Earl (Baltes), can help me sweet talk Mother Nature!