By Jonathon Masters

Mid-March is upon us and the early southern events of the season are coming to a close from Florida to South Carolina.

And so begins another tradition: early-season track openings up north.

Like retail stores putting out Christmas decorations in October, northern tracks seem to get an itchy trigger finger earlier every year.

During the first three weeks of March, it is not uncommon for northern states to have snowfall. Sometimes it lingers into the last week of March and into early April. Temperatures are cold and the weather is extremely unpredictable. 

How can fans and competitors be expected to get into that racing mood when they look out the window three days before race day and see snow plows driving down their street?

Brownstown Speedway in Indiana and Florence Speedway in Kentucky are usually a good barometer of what tracks in the Midwestern region will do in terms of a yearly schedule. 

Back in 2010, Brownstown’s Indiana Ice Breaker opener for Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series rolled off on March 27. In 2005 it didn’t take place until April 16. Florence Speedway’s events took place on March 20 and March 25. 

This year? We’re gearing up for a March 17 Ice Breaker at Brownstown and the Florence Spring 50 has already been postponed once due to cold temperatures and snowy weather.

With sub-freezing temperatures forecasted for most nights this week, and snow/rain showers forecasted for this... https://t.co/gsI7DgvqHw

— Florence Speedway (@FlorenceSpdwy) March 6, 2018

Why continue to creep earlier and earlier into the year? Why risk battling weather just to try to get racing in as early as possible? 

Some of it could be the chance for an early-season home run for the promoters. 

When I was young, the season opener for Brownstown was one of the biggest crowds of the season for our area by far. People eager to see some racing after a long offseason would brave the cold and make their way to the track. The first race I took my wife to was the Indiana Ice Breaker and it was one of the largest crowds the track ever saw. Fans filled the overflow parking, filled the streets, and packed the pits. 

The big crowds happen because every track hasn’t opened and people’s tolerance for racing prices are at their high point for the season. I’m not innocent in this, either. In the weeks before racing openers started, I would dust off the VCR and watch races from the mid-'90s on tape. I wanted that season opener to get there as fast as possible and so did many fans and racers.

One would think that, other than uncertain weather and freezing temperatures, getting the tracks open up north earlier has no downside. But every cure to racing’s cabin fever comes with some questionable side effects. 

In this case, the problem is early burnout. If fans and racers are spending money and spending time at the track this early in the year, there is a greater chance of them burning out financially and attention-wise. By the end of the season, many teams have called it quits early and many fans have tapped their budget comfort zone for the year and suffered from waning interest.

So when the winter blues are getting to you and you wish the racing season would start as soon as possible, just remember: It will be a lot more fun when you know the weather is going to be hospitable. 

The rules for the beginning of racing season in the north should mirror my rule for the holidays: When it comes to Christmas, we should wait until after the turkey is cooked. When it comes to racing, we should wait until after the eggs are colored.