Indiana Open Wheel - View Single Post

midmad68 · 6/22/09, 7:18 PM

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.

6/22/09, 7:18 PM	#9 Re: The Rumor Mill
midmad68 Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 102	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.