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-   -   The Rumor Mill (https://www.indianaopenwheel.com/showthread.php?t=19183)

Kevin Miller 6/22/09 5:47 PM

The Rumor Mill
 
Normally I like to step in and give you guys "the facts" prior to building speculation and running wild with your thoughts. This time, I wanted to get some of your thoughts out prior to speaking out, as I am truly interested in your opinions.

Is there a problem with the pavement side of our National Sprint Car series. Hell yes. The economics don't work for the teams, or promoters. Yes we need increased purses. Yes we need a grander slate of races. However, when the fans don't support the economics of the sport, then it's awfully difficult to make promoters and teams happy and have healthy car counts and prosperous track owners.

This is not a new problem. Talk to car owners. They're have not been happy with pavement sprint car economics for a while. The economy has taken things to a new level. And as far as USAC fee's...I doubt a $35 or $40 entry fee is keeping away a bunch of cars.

So, as a business leader, I ask a few questions. Play "what if" with some of our drivers and owners. Seek a direction for the future. That's what we do at USAC now...take time, analyze the situation, develop alternatives, discuss with industry leaders, and only then implement a plan we best feel supports a successful solution.

Such was the case with the difficult decision my team had coming on board in December 2007. What to do with the Silver Crown series, or more directly the "new car". We made a difficult decision to bring back the "traditional" car for pavement...perhaps a popular one for some here on IOW but not without it's own set of conflict (teams, tracks, etc). We now see car counts increasing and the discussion of races increasing for 2010.

So as we look to the future of USAC, we ask questions. We play "what if's". Hell, we talk about next generation midget engine platforms, green racing initiatives with our new government administration, linkage with Indy, and yes, pavement sprint cars. Seeing that we have a few of these races over the next two weeks, we have been kicking around thoughts while waiting out the rain during the last week or so.

So please do not take open discussion with drivers, owners, industry leaders, etc as "oh hell, guess what USUC is doing now!"

We will continue to brainstorm many ideas, some that are pretty wild. Let me start one...what do you guys think of wings? Now that is funny!

USAC is currently planning open Town Hall meetings with our teams and sponsors this summer to discuss many initiatives. I am confident that the response we get will help establish the direction we take forward.

As I have always stated here, please feel free to email me directly at Kevin@usacracing.com. I would love to hear more insight on the direction to make a successful USAC. I do have a few thoughts myself :)

sprint38racer 6/22/09 6:19 PM

Re: The Rumor Mill
 
I saw a post this week where Jan Opperman won $12,000 at Terre Haute and second paid 7,700 30 years ago. I wonder how this was able to be paid in those times. I have a theory and tell me if it is just nuts. I remember as a kid watching the Hulman Classic on ABC Wide World of Sports around that time period. Did ABC pay a certain amount to cover the race and some of the money used in the purse structure? If yes, what is the situation with any tv races these days? One of the reasons professional baseball, football, basketball, golf, tennis, etc. teams and athletes are so lucrative is because of television monies right? Is that not largely also how Napacar and Indy Car are able to pay the purses they pay? If yes, why doesn't this occur to some degree for open wheel racing. I know there are not many televised races of any open wheel series now, but when there was it didn't seem that any television monies were flowing, or if they were they were not enough to make any noticable difference. Again I don't know if any of my thoughts are right or not, but I haved wondered about this and am curious if anyone has any definite answers.

OU812 6/22/09 6:29 PM

Re: The Rumor Mill
 
Bryan,
You must have read the Email I just sent Kevin.
We are on the same page, sorta kinda.
I think some type of TV package/money is the direction the sport has to go.

Hubie 6/22/09 6:36 PM

Re: The Rumor Mill
 
Thanks for at least posting. I will ponder these questions and reply later as I have a busy schedule myself!

racerdog45 6/22/09 6:38 PM

Re: The Rumor Mill
 
USAC could have done alot for the racers while they were recieving that big check every year for being the host sanction for F1 but instead bought a big semi and lots of other things. I've been going to USAC races since i was 6 in 1969, usually several a year and after that disgrace at Union County last year I haven't been back, even missed 4-crown for only the 3rd time since it started. Untill they clean house of alot of those rich guys and old timers they have on the board and in positions then nothing is going to change, too much "tradition" and not enough forward thinking

Eagle14 6/22/09 6:53 PM

Re: The Rumor Mill
 
You need to limit tires for pavement races. Keep cost lower for teams You get more cars. More cars more fans. IMO
Posted via Mobile Device

rkbrewer83 6/22/09 7:04 PM

Re: The Rumor Mill
 
I also agree that some kind of television deal could help in getting out of this rut. On occassion you can tune in to Speed and watch some good dirt late model racing and if you're lucky some World of Outlaw racing. But more often than not you'll find trailer figure 8's and lawn mower racing. If this caliber of entertainment can make it on television, why couldn't some of the most exciting racing on the planet (dirt and pavemnt non-wing sprint cars) make it as well. When I was growing up, Thursday Night Thunder was the thing to watch. It allowed us big open wheel fans to see our favorite drivers take part in some of the best racing around. Creating a larger fan base through television could be the ticket to fill the grandstands. Just my opinion.

speidel21 6/22/09 7:14 PM

Re: The Rumor Mill
 
a tv thing would be huge. i got interested by watching thursday night thunder. and now i race...sometimes. im sure it probably helped a few drivers careers as well being on tv

midmad68 6/22/09 7:18 PM

Re: The Rumor Mill
 
if we take a look back ten to fifteen years ago, we can find many answers. most of the sprint and midget racing on pavement was done at irp, salem, or winchester. teams didn't have to do as much travelling. they were able to develop a local fan base. going to these one-off tracks once a year doesn't establich a fan base.

lets face it...thursday night thunder is what made the biggest difference back then.

i stated in the other post that tire or chassis regulations would be a consideration (if an agreeance could be made)...but at the cost of more rules in the rulebook. new tires will always be better, but working with hoosier to develop a longer lasting tire is always an option. chassis regulations could range anywhere from combo cars only to tire pressure or suspension settings (similar to nascar).

i am not a fan of pavement. i live on the west coast where the pavement tracks are small and have no banking with a racing groove that's only a half car wide...not fun at all. the only good track we got out here for good side by side pavement racing is irwindale (which only happens on turkey night). in the midwest, there are several wide, high banked tracks that offer plenty of passing that get only one or two races a year. ten years ago, the midgets were running either irp, salem, or winchester about every other week.

sadly, bob east and dan drinan came along and perfected midgets and sprint cars on pavement which is something that can't be reversed. one thing that would give an absolute thumbs down to is a spec chassis. open wheel racing is about innovation. there needs to be more diversity in chassis and manufacturers out there. with the sprints, everybody has a beast it seems like. here is how i look at it with the midgets:

20 years ago...anything and everything
15 years ago...mostly beast (combo) or stealth, several others
10 years ago...mostly beast, stealth, or drinan
5 years ago...moslty beast with a few stealths and drinans
now...moslty beast or gerhardt

mass production is good in so many ways, but not open wheel racing.

BrentTFunk 6/22/09 7:21 PM

Re: The Rumor Mill
 
One thing to remember most of the programming you see Speed Channel someone is paying to put it on. I don't see any money coming from that.


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