[openwheelKT]

Originally Posted by Seadog I know that there is much hatred for all things IndyCar on this board. But I guess I go against the grain around here. I still support it and enjoy it. I would love to see "our guys" in that race. But I take it for what it is. It is not taxi cabs:thumbsdown: or stick and ball sports:thumbsdown:. USAC sprints, midgets and Silver Crown is my first love. IndyCar is my second love. There is no third for me.

That pretty much sums it up for me....except for stick and ball...love those too. It's not totally what I wish it was, but I still like IndyCar. I was hooked on the racing when I was a kid and still like the racing itself today. I would take a different direction if I were in charge, but I'm not so it is what it is.

[767]

for all of you guys whining :crying: about non american drivers, show me 1 USAC guy in the last five years that were outwardly saying their goal was to race an indy car. All i ever hear or see in usac anymore is nascar nascar nascar. Why would a sponsor want to give these kids money for Indy if they are constantly talking about charlotte. It would be refreshing to see a driver step up and say there goal is to race an indy car. O wait what am I thinking none of these guys are from Indiana anymore. They learn about Indy off of TV and word of mouth.

[Seadog]

Originally Posted by 767 for all of you guys whining :crying: about non american drivers, show me 1 USAC guy in the last five years that were outwardly saying their goal was to race an indy car. All i ever hear or see in usac anymore is nascar nascar nascar. Why would a sponsor want to give these kids money for Indy if they are constantly talking about charlotte. It would be refreshing to see a driver step up and say there goal is to race an indy car. O wait what am I thinking none of these guys are from Indiana anymore. They learn about Indy off of TV and word of mouth.

I believe any short track driver wanting to move up would not reject any opportunity to do so, regardless of what series it is.

I heard an interview with Chp Ganassi a few years ago at the Richmond race and USAC was there too. Chip said in his travels, lots of drivers come up to him and introduce themselves, give him a business card and tell him to keep them in mind if anything ever comes up for a ride. But he also said a USAC drivers almost NEVER do anything like that. Why? If you remember several years ago, a young nobody named Carl Edwards put on a real media blitz. Ran ads in NSSN. Talked to every mover and shaker in racing that he could. Got himself exposure. Look where he is today. You have to have the drive and ambition to make things happen for you. You are in control of your own destiny.

Originally Posted by 767 for all of you guys whining :crying: about non american drivers, show me 1 USAC guy in the last five years that were outwardly saying their goal was to race an indy car. All i ever hear or see in usac anymore is nascar nascar nascar. Why would a sponsor want to give these kids money for Indy if they are constantly talking about charlotte. It would be refreshing to see a driver step up and say there goal is to race an indy car. O wait what am I thinking none of these guys are from Indiana anymore. They learn about Indy off of TV and word of mouth.

Jimmy Johnson growing up wanted to drive at Indy. He was an open wheel fan. He, Stewart, Newman and others want to race in the Indy 500. The question is do you want to make 10-20 million a year or 1 million. I just want Indycar to return to where it once was so we can have the best drivers, regardless of nationality. Nascar has lost its appeal with me. Drivers/teammates talking to each other on the radio and about 20 other changes that has ruined the sport. I think Indycar with more American drivers would fill the stands and the TV.

[smbpreformance]

Originally Posted by aceace Jimmy Johnson growing up wanted to drive at Indy. He was an open wheel fan. He, Stewart, Newman and others want to race in the Indy 500. The question is do you want to make 10-20 million a year or 1 million. I just want Indycar to return to where it once was so we can have the best drivers, regardless of nationality. Nascar has lost its appeal with me. Drivers/teammates talking to each other on the radio and about 20 other changes that has ruined the sport. I think Indycar with more American drivers would fill the stands and the TV.

Stewart has been there and I am betting will be back one day

As for Newman he has said many time Indy never ment anything to him that he always wanted to wil the Daytona 500

[Ray3]

I NEVER post here but this post compelled me to say something. I personally can say that I myself went to Chip and Loren Ranier at Lowes Motor Speedway when I was the USAC National Ford Focus Series champion and introduced myself and shook their hand. Chip seemed to act like I was wasting his time by talking to him. So, for him to say a USAC driver never introduces themselves to him is completely false.

Robbie Ray

Originally Posted by Seadog I believe any short track driver wanting to move up would not reject any opportunity to do so, regardless of what series it is. I heard an interview with Chp Ganassi a few years ago at the Richmond race and USAC was there too. Chip said in his travels, lots of drivers come up to him and introduce themselves, give him a business card and tell him to keep them in mind if anything ever comes up for a ride. But he also said a USAC drivers almost NEVER do anything like that. Why? If you remember several years ago, a young nobody named Carl Edwards put on a real media blitz. Ran ads in NSSN. Talked to every mover and shaker in racing that he could. Got himself exposure. Look where he is today. You have to have the drive and ambition to make things happen for you. You are in control of your own destiny.

[cecil98]

Originally Posted by Seadog While empty seats are never a good thing, it is not necessarily a total result of TG's "vision". Have you looked at Nascar races lately? Talk about empty seats! Like the saying goes, "It's the economy, stupid!" (not calling you stupid, that is just the saying). I have sat at the south end (Grandstand G) of the Speedway for 25 of my 50 years there. I can honestly say that our stands were fuller in '08 than any time in the last 5 years. I know that there is much hatred for all things IndyCar on this board. But I guess I go against the grain around here. I still support it and enjoy it. I would love to see "our guys" in that race. But I take it for what it is. It is not taxi cabs:thumbsdown: or stick and ball sports:thumbsdown:. USAC sprints, midgets and Silver Crown is my first love. IndyCar is my second love. There is no third for me.

Seadog, empty seats have been staring at me from across the track for several years now. long before the financial collapse. As for Neckcar? Their show stinks, and now some of the mind-numbed fans who got caught up in Neckcar-mania are starting to wake up and realize that these marathons are nothing more than overpriced snoozers.

[cecil98]

Originally Posted by 767 for all of you guys whining :crying: about non american drivers, show me 1 USAC guy in the last five years that were outwardly saying their goal was to race an indy car. All i ever hear or see in usac anymore is nascar nascar nascar. Why would a sponsor want to give these kids money for Indy if they are constantly talking about charlotte. It would be refreshing to see a driver step up and say there goal is to race an indy car. O wait what am I thinking none of these guys are from Indiana anymore. They learn about Indy off of TV and word of mouth.

767, what came first, the chicken or the egg? The doors to Indy Car have been closed to our guys pretty much since the late 80's early 90's. In the meantime, NASCAR owners for years, have been signing these kids to development programs with the opportunity to make some real money . NASCAR is actually "recruiting" our future stars. Of course todays short trackers don't aspire to Indy, these guys know the door is closed and locked. I site an example: Travis Gregg was a local sprint car driver (mainly Lawrenceburg Speedway) in the late 90's and early 2000's that somehow wound up with a one year deal to drive in the Infinity Pro Series with Sam Schmidt Motorsports. Immediately, Travis, qualified up front and consistantly ran up front. I believe he even won one. However, at the end of his deal? Never heard from again. He showed he was capable of the beating the foreign road racers but that wasn't good enough. He's gone.

[IndyBound]

Unlike most of you I have never been to Indy for the 500, it has always been a dream of mine. In the 1970's & 1980's I would have the Indianapolis Star newspaper sent to Central N. Y. during the month of May and always catch the race either on the radio or TV, even when we were racing ourselves. I still watch every year, however the excitement isn't the same for me as when the Mears, Unsers, Rutherford, Foyt, Johncock and Janet Guthrie raced.

Back on page three David/Ovalmeister had a list of open wheel stars that have made it to Indy. The most famous supermodified driver he forgot to mention is Bentley Warren, Chet Fillip also raced supers at Oswego just before his attempt at Indy. An if my memory hasn't failed me I believe Chuck Chiprich and Doug Heveron made an attempt at Indy as well. Heveron for sure I know has run in the Little 500, I think he made a try at the 500, a historian I am not. You can also throw the Daytona 500 in there for Heveron. When people start talking about having to buy a ride to race an Indy car and they make it sound like it is this new requirement I think back to the days when Joe Gosek made his runs at Indy. He had to bring money then.

It is my personal belief very few of todays supermodified drivers have the talent, skills, drive, desire and determination that took Gordie Johncock, Bentley Warren, Joe Gosek and Doug Didero to Indy. Davey Hamilton is in a class of his own and I would like nothing better than to see him in victory lane at the end of this years 500. Chris Perley and D. J. Schullick are two of todays supermodified stars that I think have the talent to go to Indy, if they have the desire to go I am not aware of it.

As for USAC stars I would love to see Dave Darland, JJ Yeley, and Jerry Coons Jr in an Indy car. An Chad Boat when he has a few more years of experience under his belt.

Someone posted earlier that the desire to go to NASCAR is the chance to make $10 million dollars versus $1 million in Indy cars. With sponsorship money becoming harder to find for NASCAR Teams, let's hope the trickle down effect is that openwheel stars get the desire to go Indy car racing and the determination to find the money to be able to do it with.

Back to right now, I also hope Buddy Rice finds a ride for this years 500.

Pattti

[Midwest Connection]

Patti - I agree with you on this post. Indy to me is America's auto racing historical "Grid Iron." I would like nothing more than to see race drivers from the open wheel ranks get a shot at the "Big One"- the Indy 500. Being from Oswego originally like you, we both have seen some of America's best open wheelers at Syracuse on the One Mile. Past Champ Car Syracuse winners just from the 50's, 60's and 70's alone - Ward, Bettenhausen, Parsons, McGrath, Unser, Carter, Kinser, Sweikert, Dickson, George, Sachs, Thomson, Grim, etc. To me, just this short list of Syracuse winners exemplified those great hey days of open wheel racing. And, watching the supermodifieds at Oswego of Gordy Johncock, Bentley Warren, Sam Sessions, etc., who all became Indy vets, made it a very special time.

I will be at Indy May 8 and 9, mainly to take photos, but I also make a tour of the Indy 500 Museum every time I am at Indy - a must for me. Lets just say, the Indy 500 Museum brings back great historical racing memories in America's prestigious auto racing history - for me anyway. And for good ole' down home dirt sprint car racing I will be at Bloomington that nite on May 8 - which I am looking forward to.

Have a good day...see you at the races

Rich - Arnold, Missouri