No factory teams in midgets?

1/17/10, 9:05 PM

Robin Miller just said that Mopar, Chevy, Ford and now Toyota are out of factory teams in midget racing.

If this is true maybe we can get back to having reasonably priced midget engines.

darnall · 1/17/10, 10:12 PM

Problem is that now too many people are used to paying 32 grand plus

sc96 · 1/17/10, 11:29 PM

So does this mean that getting engine parts for a toyota is going to dry up.

JstAbvVMC · 1/18/10, 4:03 AM

Word was that Toyota has been trying to "convince - strong arm - demand" (what ever you call it) USAC into making some type of RPM rule for this year. Presumably so they could be competative against the Esslingers.

OR ELSE !!! Well maybe this is the OR ELSE!!

Sounds like they (Toyota) are taking their toys and going home !!! Say what you want about engine costs (Insert Don Moore here) I'm not so sure Toyota leaving is a bad thing for USAC and midget racing in general. The highest priced motor, or so I'm told, used by only a few teams. Time will tell, but it doesn't sound all bad.

JMO

buck2 · 1/18/10, 3:43 PM

It could very well be that Ford's subsidy to Esslinger allowed the development of the $20K engine that won Saturday's Chili Bowl A main. If that's true, then factory support may not be a bad thing. Racers wind up paying just the hard cost of the engine rather than R&D costs being added to the price of each engine. Ford gets naming rights...and I do see some cars with engines called Ford Esslinger...and we racers benefit.

Heromaker · 1/18/10, 7:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by outsider

Robin Miller just said that Mopar, Chevy, Ford and now Toyota are out of factory teams in midget racing.

If this is true maybe we can get back to having reasonably priced midget engines.

Well I have talked to a few and there is only 2 Factory teams in USAC and they are both Toyota.....

Lucky161 · 1/18/10, 8:01 PM

I can't think of a single series in either open wheel or stock cars that benefitted from factory interference, err, I mean support. The factories are NOT race fans. They care about one thing, making money. Not that there is anything wrong with a business making money, but let's not kid ourselves, they aren't in racing for our benefit.

Hawker · 1/18/10, 8:34 PM

Read the article in NSSN on rev limiters for USAC Midgets... Personally, I think that they're FINALLY starting to wake up.

1/18/10, 9:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heromaker

Well I have talked to a few and there is only 2 Factory teams in USAC and they are both Toyota.....

Are you or are you not saying that Stewarts team wasn't a factory Chevy midget team?

Ford and Mopar dropped out a few years ago. Ford kind of stayed in with the Esslinger deal but they weren't called strictly Ford engines.

1/19/10, 8:36 AM

....and TSR parked the Midgets 2/3 of the way through last season.

1/18/10, 3:43 PM	#5 Re: No factory teams in midgets?
buck2 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 294	It could very well be that Ford's subsidy to Esslinger allowed the development of the $20K engine that won Saturday's Chili Bowl A main. If that's true, then factory support may not be a bad thing. Racers wind up paying just the hard cost of the engine rather than R&D costs being added to the price of each engine. Ford gets naming rights...and I do see some cars with engines called Ford Esslinger...and we racers benefit. _________________________________________________ Last edited by buck2; 1/18/10 at 8:53 PM.

1/17/10, 9:05 PM	#1 No factory teams in midgets?
outsider Posts: n/a	Robin Miller just said that Mopar, Chevy, Ford and now Toyota are out of factory teams in midget racing. If this is true maybe we can get back to having reasonably priced midget engines.

1/17/10, 10:12 PM	#2 Re: No factory teams in midgets?
darnall Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 773	Problem is that now too many people are used to paying 32 grand plus

1/17/10, 11:29 PM	#3 Re: No factory teams in midgets?
sc96 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 487	So does this mean that getting engine parts for a toyota is going to dry up.

1/18/10, 4:03 AM	#4 Re: No factory teams in midgets?
JstAbvVMC Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 272	Word was that Toyota has been trying to "convince - strong arm - demand" (what ever you call it) USAC into making some type of RPM rule for this year. Presumably so they could be competative against the Esslingers. OR ELSE !!! Well maybe this is the OR ELSE!! Sounds like they (Toyota) are taking their toys and going home !!! Say what you want about engine costs (Insert Don Moore here) I'm not so sure Toyota leaving is a bad thing for USAC and midget racing in general. The highest priced motor, or so I'm told, used by only a few teams. Time will tell, but it doesn't sound all bad. JMO

1/18/10, 8:01 PM	#7 Re: No factory teams in midgets?
Lucky161 Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 243	I can't think of a single series in either open wheel or stock cars that benefitted from factory interference, err, I mean support. The factories are NOT race fans. They care about one thing, making money. Not that there is anything wrong with a business making money, but let's not kid ourselves, they aren't in racing for our benefit.

1/18/10, 8:34 PM	#8 Re: No factory teams in midgets?
Hawker Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 349	Read the article in NSSN on rev limiters for USAC Midgets... Personally, I think that they're FINALLY starting to wake up.

1/19/10, 8:36 AM	#10 Re: No factory teams in midgets?
mortboyz Posts: n/a	....and TSR parked the Midgets 2/3 of the way through last season.