He may have been referring to me, and it's true: We're lucky to have a great position on the calendar, and thanks to the timing, the weather and proximity to Chicago, we've had a couple of great years. (So great that we came up with the relay race to take advantage of the late-summer demand.)

Proximity, I think, has a much bigger bearing on turnout than payout. Then again, Hopkins Park, which is one of the farthest flung of the series, had a fantastic turnout this year. I think it has to do with Half Acre's reputation for knowing how to have a good time. And the buzz over the flyover helped.

AFAIK this is the first year the series has tried to double up on weekends, and I'm bummed that it appears to have split the turnout, especially in the women 4's and men's 3's. On the other hand, it's allowed for some overflow in the 4's, so more beginners will get a chance to race this weekend, and that's a good thing.