[Pat O'Connor Fan]

USSA 2009-1 November 2, 2009

Don Kenyon, DK Promotions, Form the United States Speed Association to Sanction Open Wheel Short Track Races

(Lebanon, IN) Don Kenyon, President of DK Promotions, has formed a new division of DK Promotions, the United States Speed Association, to sanction and conduct open wheel short track races. Eric Bunn and Norm Shields are joining Kenyon to complete the management team at USSA. For its inaugural season USSA will feature races and crown champions in three divisions, Midgets, Kenyon Cars and Thunder Roadsters. USSA will conduct its first of 15 events at Anderson Speedway on Wednesday, May 26 at Anderson Speedway featuring the Kenyon Car division.

USSA is a tax-paying business dedicated to bringing a fresh and professional outlook to open wheel short track racing by recognizing the needs of its core customer groups; the competitors, the track owners, the sponsors and the fans. “Eric, Norm and I have been promoting and running these races for 4 years now and we have learned a lot,” said Kenyon. He continued, “We’re taking the best of everything we know from all of our years of experience competing in and officiating all types of racing and putting it all into USSA.”

USSA will be bringing several different elements to each event to improve the racing experience for both the fans and competitors. Each USSA event will feature a fan autograph session. All the drivers competing will join the fans in the grandstands following qualifying so that they can meet and get to know their favorite drivers, as well as the pits being opened to the fans following the nights racing. A weekly chapel service prior to the drivers meeting will also be introduced to USSA racing.

“By forming USSA we have taken control of our competition rules and procedures,” said Bunn. “The most important thing is lowering the minimum age of the drivers in the Kenyon Car and Midget divisions to bring in new drivers and teams,” he went on to say.

A probationary competition license will be available to Kenyon Car and Midget drivers if they meet several requirements. 11 year olds may receive a probationary competition license to race Kenyon Cars if they complete a USSA approved racing school and can demonstrate 3 years of prior experience in motorized vehicles. For Midget racing the minimum age is 15; and, 14 year olds can receive a probationary Midget competition license if they have competed for a full season in a DK Promotions division and are approved by USSA. All drivers under the age of 18 must also supply proof of partial emancipation.

In addition to the new minimum age requirements, DK Promotions has a special opportunity for potential Kenyon Car competitors wishing to compete full time in the USSA series. When the driver makes the commitment to compete in all the USSA Kenyon Car events and pays a crash deposit, DK Promotions will supply that team with a race car. The team must purchase their tires and fuel from DK Promotions and pay all the fees. At the end of the season they will receive what remains of their crash deposit back. “It’s the closest thing to a free race car you’ll find,” Kenyon stated. There are five cars available for this program.

Schedule: May 26, KC Anderson Speedway; June 5*, M, TR Grundy County Speedway; June 12*, M, TR Grundy County Speedway; June 16*, M, KC & TR Plymouth Speedway; June 19*, M, KC & TR Grundy County Speedway; July 9, M, KC & TR Anderson Speedway; July 14*, M, KC & TR Illiana Motor Speedway; July 24*, M, KC & TR Anderson Speedway; August 4*, M,KC & TR Illiana Motor Speedway; August 7*, M, KC & TR Plymouth Speedway; August 14, M, KC, & TR Grundy County Speedway; August 20, M, KC & TR Anderson Speedway; September 4*, M,KC & TR Grundy County Speedway; October 2, KC Anderson Speedway.
M = Midget Division, KC = Kenyon Midget division, TR =Thunder Roadster Division.
*Co-sanction with UMARA

For more information contact the United States Speed Association at 765-482-4273 or 317-413-9763.

[Speedwrench]

How does this change the dynamic of midget racing in Indiana other than the fact that Don no longer has to kiss USAC's butt. Or is this a case of " just what we need, another F'in midget club " ?

[Seadog]

This is a really tough business and I wish them the best. I just hope this doesn't thin out an already thin field of midgets.

What is the the proposed purse/payout looking like?

[Dick Monahan]

What is the current state of non-USAC midget racing in the midwest? I know about POWRi, Badger, and the Michigan Group with which USAC is going to co-sanction. Are there any others? Is NAMARS gone? Without a successor?

[Seadog]

Originally Posted by Dick Monahan What is the current state of non-USAC midget racing in the midwest? I know about POWRi, Badger, and the Michigan Group with which USAC is going to co-sanction. Are there any others? Is NAMARS gone? Without a successor?

Yes, I believe NAMARS has been gone for several years.

[v8j]

I think their is also WOMS

Don has made it a point to NOT conflict with any of the USAC Regional Series races at the Speedrome. I am sure USAC would not have extended the same courtesy since their intent is to stomp out each and every club that even remotely threatens to compete with them. This is in effect a continuation of the series started by Don 4 or 5 years ago. USAC effectively thumbed their noses at this series mid 2009 when Don wanted to combine the Focus and Kenyon cars into one feature event (which by the way produced some EXCELLENT racing with features of 18-20 cars). Car counts have suffered across the board. I don't see this series "diluting" the sport of midget racing...I only see it as another alternative to the high dollar craziness of USAC National Midget racing. It is also a good starting point for young racers that are ready to graduate from Quarter Midgets as you will notice the age limits have been lowered. For anyone who has never had a chance to catch a Kenyon car or regional midget show, they are great entertainment for the low admission price. I applaud Don for caring enough about the sport to once again spend his own money on this series. USAC was a poor excuse for a sanctioning body for this series. There was a time when the USAC name meant something..Those days are long gone..good racing is good racing, no matter what the name of the series is.

Originally Posted by indycar45 Don has made it a point to NOT conflict with any of the USAC Regional Series races at the Speedrome. I am sure USAC would not have extended the same courtesy since their intent is to stomp out each and every club that even remotely threatens to compete with them. This is in effect a continuation of the series started by Don 4 or 5 years ago. USAC effectively thumbed their noses at this series mid 2009 when Don wanted to combine the Focus and Kenyon cars into one feature event (which by the way produced some EXCELLENT racing with features of 18-20 cars). Car counts have suffered across the board. I don't see this series "diluting" the sport of midget racing...I only see it as another alternative to the high dollar craziness of USAC National Midget racing. It is also a good starting point for young racers that are ready to graduate from Quarter Midgets as you will notice the age limits have been lowered. For anyone who has never had a chance to catch a Kenyon car or regional midget show, they are great entertainment for the low admission price. I applaud Don for caring enough about the sport to once again spend his own money on this series. USAC was a poor excuse for a sanctioning body for this series. There was a time when the USAC name meant something..Those days are long gone..good racing is good racing, no matter what the name of the series is.

Very Very true...I, too, wish all midget organizations the best. Unfortunately, as Speedwrench mentions, this development does absolutely nothing to change the landscape of midget racing in the Midwest IMO.

Once again, sides were drawn & thus further diluting the midget racing product here in the Great Lakes area. SO, once again, it will be a free-for-all to get car counts & races scheduled against each other. Everyone will get frustrated & still stay home unless it's the Chili Bowl or Tony Barhorst's Rumble Series Indoor shows.

People, this situation hasn't really changed for decades. It helps to show some history here to understand. It has really become a convaluted, jumbled up mess from a fan perspective IMO...

Let's lay it out in general terms and how I perceive it:

>> Outside of USAC, the 80's had ARCA & UMARA who seemed to co-exist together pretty well on pavement. ARCA had some races on dirt but more dirt races were with USAC & if you wanted to scoot over to ARDC in PA.

>> The early 90's had the same groups but, let's face it. ARCA stock cars was their bread & butter & the midget series suffered. Plus, running to IL to race with UMARA at Grundy, Rockford, or Illiana made for a long trip for many. Hence, the birth of NAMARS on/around 1993-94. NAMARS had a very diverse lineup of dirt, pavement, & indoor races on tracks big & small in MI, OH, and IN. It became a very good training ground to move up to USAC - much like ARCA as a stepping stone to NASCAR. Across the spectrum, purses & car counts were pretty good. Solid series sponsorship was established like Lincoln Electric w/ARCA & Auto Value w/NAMARS. If memory serves, USAC had Skoal Bandit & MCI WorldCom series sponsorships.

>> The late 90's was a great time for midgets as far as places to race for both dirt & pavement. You had ARCA, NAMARS, UMARA, and USAC races. The Speedrome & 16th Street had weekly midget shows to augment all (4) racing bodies. Kenyon cars also started around 1998 primarily at the Speedrome & w/NAMARS. NAMARS really prospered & really began to threaten the livelihood of ARCA, UMARA, and even USAC. Co-sanctioning started with ARCA & UMARA. People still talk about the great things that NAMARS did for their racing teams, host tracks, & fans. Their banquets are legendary.

>> Then, the big news, Jack & Rose Calabrese sold NAMARS after the 1998 season to Joe Mershon from the Speedway, IN area. Immediately after the sale, Auto Value pulled their NAMARS sponsorship & went to ARCA midgets and also started to back the winged Super Sprints in MI. Most would agree that NAMARS was never the same & a real mess. (I believe NAMARS disbanded after 2003.) ARCA midgets were also done after the 2002 season as their stock car program continued to flourish.

>> Wolverine Outlaw Winged Midgets (WOWMS) then started in 2003 w/Auto Value series sponsorship. USAC FFocus Indiana started in 2003 which then became USAC FFocus Midwest in 2004. X2RA starts & folds in 2006. USAC Regional starts in 2006 through Don Kenyon Promotions & triple-sanctions with UMARA & WOMS (who then took off the wings). As expected, Kenyon Midgets become involved w/USAC Regional in 2006 as well. USAC FFocus MWest then becomes pavement only & also partners w/a new FFocus division w/UMARA in 2007.

>> Let's look at what we have today in the "full-sized, outdoor" midget racing world in the Great Lakes region:

UMARA (who had partnered w/ARCA, NAMARS, WOMS, & USAC Regional) now co-sanctions w/new USSA & Don Kenyon
UMARA FFocus & Sportsman Divisions remain
Kenyon Midgets move from USAC to USSA (obviously)

USAC Regional partners w/Wolverine Outlaw Midgets (WOMS) w/new ownership
USAC FFocus MWest stays w/USAC Regional
"New" USAC Junior Focus Series w/restricted motors (which directly competes w/Kenyon Midgets)

Everybody got all this?

How many people think that car counts will be up in 2010? How often will these divisions compete against each other on a weekly basis? How many people think that the average fan will be able to differentiate all of the different midget classes? Does anyone honestly think that purses will increase when a track promoter has so many choices? It's a buyer's market!!!!!!

Again, I wish all midget organizations the best. 2010 will be a tough road.
I realize that some opinion has been inserted here - but, if any facts are unclear, feel free to correct. Thanks.

Jimmy Baumgartner

[Revolution Racing]

Jimmy,

Your analysis has helped me to uderstand some things. Namely, I could not figure out for the life of me why, now that the focus program is all but dead, they would want to try and start a Junior focus program. Mind you, I tried everything I could to get them to start one year after year when the program was going well, with no luck. Nobody that I could see was bringing them a check to start a program, which in my experience is what is required, so I just could not understand it. Now, I think I do. They are starting a junior focus program in an effort to put the screws to Don. Standard company policy; if you can't steal it, kill it.

Originally Posted by Revolution Racing Jimmy, Your analysis has helped me to uderstand some things. Namely, I could not figure out for the life of me why, now that the focus program is all but dead, they would want to try and start a Junior focus program. Mind you, I tried everything I could to get them to start one year after year when the program was going well, with no luck. Nobody that I could see was bringing them a check to start a program, which in my experience is what is required, so I just could not understand it. Now, I think I do. They are starting a junior focus program in an effort to put the screws to Don. Standard company policy; if you can't steal it, kill it.

Hey Keith - How are ya?

Again, is it better to do the right thing or be right? If you look back at history, "they" seem to have always chosen to want to be right out of pure vindictiveness & outright arrogance IMO.

Hate to sound political - but, isn't this a lot like FASCISM?

I just looked it up on TheFreeDictionary.com. Here's what it said (paraphrased):

"A system...marked by centralization of authority under a dictator...(through) suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism..."

WOW...Kinda says it all, huh?
Food for thought,

Jimmy Baumgartner