Opinions on why more guys from west coast do not compete in indiana sprintweek.purses,fuel for haulers at the moment are relatively cheap,cars are the same.everything is much like it was back in the 90s when you had like ten or so come back.what has changed.
Originally Posted by racer-x:
It always makes me laugh when people ask why things aren't the same as they used to be.
Go drive around into small towns in Indiana or Illinois and look at all the empty buildings that used to be businesses.
The good old days are a thing of the past if you ask me.
You aren't kidding there!
When I was a youngster, I remember being able to spot a race car of some sort at many small gas stations and dealers repair garages, in any part of town I went to. The local tire store had a sprint car, the "old" teenager down the street had a "coupe" that he raced at Heidelberg, guy on the next block had a roadster with 2 carburetors.
I was just a little kid then and it was all pretty exciting to me.
Today it's just not like that anymore. Average people seem to have less time, less mad money, and more distractions.
Fuel cheap? It's 2 -2 1/2 times what it was in the 90's... you figure a team coming from the left coast gonna travel 5000 miles, so your looking at 6-800 gallons, sprintweek is almost more like 2 long weekends so you're looking at 15 nites in a motel at $100/nite minimum. You are already looking at close to $3000 and havnt spent a dime on the car, eats, pit passes etc. with usac purses what they are I'd be doing backflips if the week was even close to a break even.
It was very expensive back in the 90s.i believe you no longer have the car owners who were true racers.look at the top ten in points now versus the top ten then.now,no chaffins,no gardners,no willis,etc.no knock against them,just a fact.car owners are not now what they were then.i think laurie sertich who owns the 92 jake swanson car could give us a factual picture of why more guys do not come back.they were here a few years ago.i believe she sometimes looks at this forum.laurie,if you are out there your opinion.the sertich's are racers.
Consider this, even with fuel cheaper the two weekend stint to do the two western november races cost a IN Team near or more than 20K, That's if you don't ruin a car, junk a motor or have a hauler blow up on you. The driver gets 40-50% of all winnings..
Most USAC and USAC CRA Owners are full time workers So not only are they spending a ton. They are potentially losing a big amount of revenue to do so..
If you haven't noticed, Coons, Ballou, Tmez, Boespflug and othrs have moved here, gotten jobs and homesteads in order to race OUR BRAND
Others like Hodges, Formerly Kaeding and some others have just kept a car in Indy somewhere that they can fly here and race.
While we have some car owners that will give a ride on merit. It's still often sometimes cheaper just to rent a ride.
I always knew a ton of work went into keeping a car running and to the track. Im learning more and more that there is a ton more too it than just the car. Getting the $$$ for the car is often as much work as the car itself.
Actually the days of car owners who hire drivers are about gone. The cars are too expensive. Tracks can't raise admissions because crowds are already small, and that would get even smaller. More cheap classes of sprints isn't the answer. A friend of mine who moved from PA to Indiana told me he left because 358's were killing car counts. Look now and he was right.
Dont think things are like what it was in the 90's. The price of motors, shocks(big jump), cars, fuel, and the cost to live (hotels and food) have increased in price substantially. Don't believe payout has increased at the same rate. Sponsors are hard to come by and it's hard for working people to take 3 weeks off of work to come race. Employers definitely don't like that lol.
I can't remember all the years that CRA did it's midwest tour thing, I think 90-91. They carried a sizeable contingent of about 20-25 teams who did most of the tour. And yes, they did race their way east, I know I attended three our four if not more of these events Eldora, Burg, Whitewater (Rt.44) for certain. They even put up a bounty if a non CRA driver could beat em. They brought the goods. Rip Williams, Billy Boat, Gasman Griffin, Ol Bubby Jones. McSpadden to name a few.
I do remember Kinser and Roush beat em. Frankie Kerr won Whitewater and it was only his second wingless race.
I also know several of them junked more than one car on these tours. I don't know how they did it. Im sure the payouts didn't cover expenses let alone car wear and tare
