Originally Posted by kirk spridgeon
mr. Kuhn-
with all due respect, it's not the sanctioning body's job to send all their racers to some other level. The goal should be to have a great series that racers can make money running. That brings in plenty of talent, and when one young guy can come in and regularly beat those amazing veteran racers, he attracts attention from all angles. That's how it's always happened before - it shouldn't change now.
And i love those three racers you mentioned, but they just didn't fit into that mold....it took them quite a few years to reach the current level. I'm sure you wanted brad to go somewhere else and make ridiculous amounts of money racing at the top level, but the fact is that he's yet to win a midget championship (it's harder than it looks, haha) nor make much headway in the sprint car or silver crown divisions. He is a cornerstone driver in the midget series and someone i think deserves to be making good money because he's good at what he does now...
Mr. Ayers-
i've watched every racing video in existence. You probably won't find a 20-something person with more of a grasp on midget and sprint car history. Quite honestly, i should have been around to experience the times you're describing.
But you're just not understanding that it is a new world. Wake up. It's 2009. It's not the same as it once was and it's never going to be like that again. Yeah, that's sad in a way....but along the line we also figured out a way to keep our drivers from getting killed off at an amazing pace. Do you want that back too?
You know what is grass roots racing now? The stuff that a working man can afford to race. It's just that there's about 800 options in that department now. And it doesn't pay anything. Usac racing is just a step above that, and we have to figure out a way to survive by bringing more people in and showing them why we're hooked on it - but it's not as easy as it used to be. People have so many more things to do....and companies have so many more things to sponsor....and tv has so many more things to televise. Sorry, but your precious sprint car racing is not so high on the list anymore, and it's not really anyone's fault.
David, i've always liked you on here and you've been a really nice guy, but seriously, you don't know anything about those people at usac, or their qualifications, or if they're capable of doing good things. Kevin miller has never raced at winchester, but the guy is smart and i love some of the things he comes up with. He stands firm for usac racing and wants it to succeed. The guy is willing to learn and has invited me into his office countless times to pick my brain on certain subjects, asking for criticism, suggestions, and an occasional pat on the back.
I can't possibly see how all these current problems rest on the shoulders of a current regime that came along a year and a half ago and have done some great things already, and are poised to do even more. Instead of being a bitter old man, maybe you can try to help or at least support those that are trying to keep your sport alive....
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