RPW Exclusive: The Culture Of 360 Sprint Car Racing Right Now

Column By: DERICK KRINER / RPW – GRANTVILLE, PA – With the recent acquisition of the American Sprint Car Series by World Racing Group, there is sure to be more attention placed on 360 sprint car racing throughout the country.

More eyes on what could be considered a feeder division into 410 racing, should strengthen the ranks of 360 competition, and provide it with a better platform for success going forward.

While the culture of 360 racing could see many positives, it won’t come without challenges and a need for the people managing the series’ to look at the feasibility for race teams at all levels.

A series that once had support from Lucas Oil and MAVTV and was viewable by a national audience, had since shifted its gears. For the past few seasons, Flo Racing was the home for the national tour, until RacinDirt took over the broadcasting in early 2023. This showcased the series to less people, just due to the fact that this service is a little more regional comparatively. Now the series will be broadcast live on DIRTVision, allowing the same fans that tune in to watch the World of Outlaws, to also catch the premier touring 360 series.

40 races will highlight the tours inaugural run with World Racing Group. More eyes watching this series again, is sure to boost the car counts and the sponsorship money for the 360 racers and tracks that host their events throughout the season.

One can’t help but wonder if the addition of WRG facilities to the 2025 schedule is a possibility for the series. It has been some time since the ASCS National series has traveled away from the south and midwest region. For a few select seasons, the tour made stops in the northeast, at tracks like Williams Grove and Selinsgrove. It wouldn’t seem out of the realm of possibility for this to happen, being that the northeast is littered with WRG facilities. With 360 racing already having a base in the northeast with United Racing Club and Empire Sprint Series, could we see a challenge series develop again, bringing all of these drivers together and showcasing them on a national stage? The series has also made trips to the west side of the country. Could we also see trips to compete against the KoT and SCCT 360’s? This would surely give the national tour a feeling similar to that of the World of Outlaws rolling into town.

The growth of the sport of sprint car racing in general has been dramatic over the past few years, and now that more drivers will be able to compete for better payouts and more notoriety, it is sure to grow in the 360 division even more.

Another thing to consider when looking at WRG’s involvement with ASCS, is the potential to have more cross-over between the 410 drivers and the 360’s. Drivers like Landon Crawley already have competed in 360 competition in 2024. A stance on racing with the series has not been officially announced, unlike it was with the High Limit Series, but it could be imagined that a similar approach would be taken, simply due to the lack of available time in the Outlaws schedule.

It is, however, no secret that 360 racing is almost just as expensive as 410 racing. The cost of parts aside from motors, is practically the same, due to the fact that a sprint car is a sprint car. While different series may have small additions to the package, the cars are nearly identical to that of the World of Outlaws. The engine price tag for a good 360 can be pretty close to some 410 motor prices and this will be a challenge for 360 culture, if it wants to be seen as a viable feeder division to 410 racing.

Payouts are also a hot topic and have been for some time. While there are some pretty big 360 races paying over $10k, the average team is not going to be making a comparable nightly wage, as teams in a 410 weekly division do. This is a main area of focus that WRG has already addressed, with an increase to the purse and points fund for the series.

At the end of the day, 360 sprint car culture has the chance to take off again, and flourish under the World Racing Group name, but it can’t overlook the inherent threats that are a part of the current culture. Finding a way to make this form of sprint car racing more affordable and have it pay out more money, will lead to its growth and longevity.