[Charles Nungester]

Great Job KO and Greg. Nice read.

Greg had a victory lane photo from IRP in his shop for years. While I never did work for his team. I occationally stopped by and helped. Helped at the track once in awhile or just stopped by. That particular night I had gotten off work. Driven the hour and a half to the track after work, Just like Greg did and spent the whole race outside in the stands. Going nuts from the slide job he did on Pup to win the thing. I ran thru the tunnel. Walked over and congratulated him and he said "Come on, Were going to Victory Lane!" Im standing on the left nerf in that victory lane photo and hadn't done a thing.

Oh wait, Hed been having trouble with vibration on the asphault and brought the wheels and tires to me to ballance. How do you balance a tire that has so many marbles on it its nearly imposible????????? Must of been good enought. Great Job Greg! You still look at the Usac National list of even one time winners vs all the racers who've ever raced and its pretty thin. Your in there!

Chuck, who's been in several victory lane photos on Street Stocks, LMs but thats the only Sprint Car and it was the first pavement race I had attended.

[Charles Nungester]

Originally Posted by Revolution Racing Awesome job! I loved reading about Greg's west coast adventures. I grew up right down the street from Roger Newell, and used to ride my bike down Winlock Street there in Torrance, just to get a look at his beautiful Sprinter getting cleaned up on Sunday Morning. The Stan Atherton flip that wrecked those cars in the parking lot is a memory I'll have all my life - I was in my usual seat there at Ascot, down near the end of the front straight and close to Steve's Italian Suasage sandwich wagon.... Seeing the "Big Boys" come out from "Back East" every fall was something we all looked forward to every year, and of course as a kid I always enjoyed watching my local heroes give 'em all they could handle at Ascot - I thought Dean, Bubby and crew were just invincible - little did I know at the time that Ascot was just such a unique place that the average midwestern driver just didn't know what to do with the place. I don't think I've ever seen a track that gave the locals more of a "home field advantage" than good 'ol Ascot. MAN, I miss that place... Thanks for the memories, Greg. You are a good man. Keith Iaia :thumb

Same could be said of the CRA midwest tour. Seeing the big boys from out west come out was Awesome.
Chuck

KO: You’re working for a Silver Crown team right now. Of course three years ago they went to the new style cars for the pavement but now that the older cars are back the car owners aren’t coming out to support it like in the past. What’s causing that? What’s wrong with the Silver Crown series? Not that there is anything particularly wrong, but why aren’t the owners coming out to support it? Maybe you don’t have the answer? GS: I don’t have a true answer, but I have a feeling. I may be wrong, but this is my opinion and I’m allowed to have this opinion. I feel that for years and years, Silver Crown teams and cars, families, people, they had these cars and they went to the races. It became a way of life. Well the other change came in with the new cars and those cars, the older cars, were yanked away by the new car. Now these people have found a way to fill that void on a weekend of Springfield, on a weekend of DuQuoin, on a weekend of the Hoosier Hundred. They have now got a cottage on the lake. They’ve got a trailer on the lake some place, ball games to go to or they’ve got another way to fill that void. And I think that void is being filled by other items now in the entertainment area. They may go to King’s Island. They may go to the Gulf Shores. They may go to the gambling boat or the casino. Who knows! But I’ve got a theory that the people who have gone away have gotten their feelings hurt by the elimination of their racecars they had a passion for and they found other ways to fill that void for the weekends.

Couldn't have come up with a better scenario myself. I believe Greg is onto something with that idea. USAC has hurt and screwed over alot of people and seem to not care one bit or take one ounce of concern in right the wrong they have done to people.

Ofcourse I shoud just shut my mouth cause I don't know the whole situation (right Spridge) or maybe the main reason is I m not a member of USAC and have no right to complain unless I am a member. Oh wait, I am a USAC member.

Hmm, guess I do have a reason to complain about things.

[Scott Daloisio]

Keith, I still talk to car owner Bill Hicks about Atherton sailing his ride out of the park that night and you should hear him describe! Over 20 years later and he is still amazed!!!

[carrytheleftfront]

Boy oh Boy... There is two sides to every story

[trickyricky]

My God what a great article. Boy did that bring back a lot of great memories.

[LEADERS EDGE]

I have to agree with Stabb on his Silver Crown observation. Once USAC gave the owners a reason to do something else, that is what they are doing. USAC hurt many feelings with that deal.

[racingirl]

Great Job!!! Well Done!!:thumb Very nice interview

[Ovalmeister]

Originally Posted by carrytheleftfront Boy oh Boy... There is two sides to every story

You're absolutely correct, I agree. This would be an ideal opportunity to hear the other side of the story. Patiently waiting.....
David.

[6157]

Originally Posted by LEADERS EDGE I have to agree with Stabb on his Silver Crown observation. Once USAC gave the owners a reason to do something else, that is what they are doing. USAC hurt many feelings with that deal.

They need to get over it.

This is new management and the new management is on the chip about making the old cars work.

Of course the new management is 100% about business. They won't hang on to a series that gets 16 cars a race forever.

The survival of this series lie strictly on the car owners at this point.