MTS (Michigan Traditional Sprints) also do not allow cockpit adjusters. And since there's no rule banning them, I believe they allow electronic bleeders also.
Originally Posted by Tim Clauson:
Basically it came down to this.
A traveling series depends on locals cars coming in to support the traveling series when it comes to town. Something that the traveling series needs to look at is how to be more inclusive and since the majority of local series have rules that have banned cockpit adjustments it was discussed and decided that in an effort to be more inclusive to ban cockpit adjustments.
from a performance standpoint I really don't care either way but if to will bring more cars to the tracks when a traveling series is in the area then I am all for it.
Speaking purely from the racer / crew chief all it really did in our camp is cause us to look at things a little harder and put a little more thought into how we were going to manage the race from a mechanical perspective and how our driver was going to manage it from behind the wheel.
Just my 2 cents.
Thanks
Tim Clauson
If USAC wanted to be more "inclusive", why the 4 corner Hoosier rule? Just as you said when a series travels it relies on field fillers. There are tracks and series that allow other brands of tires and now they have to spend an extra $50 a tire to race just one race. The adjusters last forever.
You also said that it made you look harder at your cars, crew chief and driver. You guys have the experience of running 50 to 90 races a year and have hired crew chiefs. So the "field fillers" that don't have your experience can't make the educated adjustments before they go out on the track so you have basically made the noncompetitive.
So why should they show up? I know of 4 local Indiana teams that have said they have had enough of USAC catering to their top 15.
If you look in your mirror and see a line of cars behind you, be kind and pull over.
I apologize if this is hard to read but I tried to answer each question, I answered in bold. Thanks !
Originally Posted by spankytoo View Post
If USAC wanted to be more "inclusive", why the 4 corner Hoosier rule? Just as you said when a series travels it relies on field fillers. There are tracks and series that allow other brands of tires and now they have to spend an extra $50 a tire to race just one race. The adjusters last forever.
I didn't think the original question was about the tire rule, I was only speaking of the thought process that was discussed during the competition meeting concerning shock adjusters.
My thoughts on your question of the tire rule, My best educated guess would be that point fund $$ drives the 4 corner tire rule. I struggle with the open tire rule for a couple of different reasons #1 I feel my tire and wheel inventory would double to make sure I was covered for every conceivable situation. #2 I think the top teams would become sponsored by tire company's therefor making the perceived rich a little richer.
You also said that it made you look harder at your cars, crew chief and driver. You guys have the experience of running 50 to 90 races a year and have hired crew chiefs. So the "field fillers" that don't have your experience can't make the educated adjustments before they go out on the track so you have basically made the noncompetitive.
I am not sure how we can legislate experience in a series.
It defiantly made us look harder at our cars and our approach to the races. The only way I can think of taking away the advantage of experience is to have an aging out policy similar to quarter midgets. I can only speak for our team but we have no issue sharing our experience with inexperienced or new teams as our number one goal should be to grow the series. In fact we lent a hand to a new USAC team in Florida and after watching them in their heat quickly I regretted my decision... I am kidding but they looked really good.
So why should they show up? I know of 4 local Indiana teams that have said they have had enough of USAC catering to their top 15.
I would love to know who these 4 teams are to discuss their reservations and how USAC can make them feel included in the process. I feel their competition meetings are pretty open as both the midget and Sprint car meetings while not greatly attended did include non fulltime participants who not only gave great insight but also their ideas were a big part of the discussions on different areas that were dcovered.
Again these are just my thoughts. Thanks Tim Clauson
Originally Posted by cshuman:
I will not get sucked in.... I will not get sucked in.... I will not get sucked in 😬
Its still the off season go ahead and post away everything to gain and nothing to lose everyone has there own opinion we know usucks deal 5000 to win 500 to start and a good medical policy after that I have seen nothing to impress me at all just watching them keep shooting themselves in the azz.
I had a friend that raced USAC Midgets and was pretty competitive back in the 90's. He stayed on top of things and probably had the first cockpit adjustable shock produced by Advanced Racing. When they were first introduced they were a left rear wheel thing only. What they did was allow the driver to dial in the left rear to either tie-down for heavy tracks all the way to easy up shocks for slick tracks and everything in between. Remember now all of these adjustments were available in one shock. Before them it would have taken 4 or 5 shocks to do the same thing and the crew chief had to make the decision on how the track would change during the race and then install the shock that he considered would best meet the track conditions during that particular race. Guys like Karl Kinser were able to go out and stick an old screw driver in the track and make a much better determination on what was required in the set up department, of course he also had a driver that was pretty adaptive also thus bettering his chances for success. That adjustable Left rear kind of helped the less skilled driver and mechanic to stay on top of things. Back to my friend he installed that fancy $1200.00 shock on his left rear and he said invariably he would check the shock after the race and that young "Hot Shoe" would have it turned in the wrong direction, So he took the pin out of the adjuster, adjusted the shock to what he though would work and let his driver turn the Knob all he wanted.
Only four things I'd change about usac.
1. still individual but group qualifying like Lucas Oil LMs
2. 2 Bs first two heat non transfers in first. second two in second
3. Consi transfers do not get time back and therefore start in front of up to 9 cars who transferred from heats.
4 Feature start tire has to be qualifying tire.
As for the adjusters, never was a fan, understand that one shock could replace up to five or six but just has always been weird to see one or two cars that weren't really contenders when the race started, be totally different after a yellow or two.
My thoughts on your question of the tire rule, My best educated guess would be that point fund $$ drives the 4 corner tire rule. I struggle with the open tire rule for a couple of different reasons #1 I feel my tire and wheel inventory would double to make sure I was covered for every conceivable situation. #2 I think the top teams would become sponsored by tire company's therefor making the perceived rich a little richer.
there are already teams sponsored by tire companies. tell me YOU don't have a deal. You may not get them free, but you don't pay what a field filler pays.
Which leads to the Hoosier only rule. If I have to run a tire because it is a rule, then everyone should pay the same price. Example is the Right Rear Hoosier Medium, everyone is supposed to pay the same price because it is a spec tire. USAC has now made the Hoosier company a spec tire. So they field fillers are technically paying for your team to race cheaper.
If you look in your mirror and see a line of cars behind you, be kind and pull over.
