As I read all this info it is hard for me not to tell this. And I really think this is the missing link. Being lucky enough to work on and build cars that ran in the 60's and 70's. And to me the greatest era of Indy cars. As a chief mechanic in 70's I not sure Indy car racing would ever come to this. I do not remember the total races in each type of Indy car racing for each year, to many years, but I will try. How about this to find a real Champion driver. There was 18 ovals, 5 road courses, and the best 5 mile dirt races, all with points to find a Champion. The two races I remember being sold out were both in Indianapolis. I am sure there were others. Yes sold out and both had many people after the checker flag fell went and got there tickets for next years race. Yep all in the same day or they may not have a seat for next year. No banners then. The action and hard work would have a champion from ovals, road courses and DIRT MILES. Only one champion. Yes Wide World of Sports was at most with live TV in the 60's and 70's. I remember ABC ask to bring out the dirt car and oval pavement car to put side by side to explain difference and open the show with details of both. Unreal with that type of following. The fans at both tracks were just the width of a chain link fence from us working on the cars at both tracks. I am sure there are alot of you remember the two tracks and the years this went on. Gosh I still cherish this today. Then I read Nascar dosen't want us at tracks today and I laugh. Again the 60's and 70's with USAC's STOCK CAR DIVISION on the same principal. Pavement ovals, road courses, and mile dirt ovals. All enjoying large crowds and great purses. A true Champion aqain. We had so much more to offer than NASCAR ever did. And they were scared of this. Come on guys, don't you remember? And our best daily clothes were the Mobil, or Enco free T-shirts and white or blue jean pants. Yes there are rules we can change to bring us back to that era. And yes we can talk about wheres the money. Well, we sure didn't have money then. But we had sportsmen car owners and other people who cared. The real problem today is nobody has the balls to try it like our forefathers did.

Lynn

The sad thing is the current makeup of the fanbase for Indycars look down their noses at anything that is dirt or front engine. They feel that street races are the way of the future because they offer the party atmosphere that the new generation wants more then actually following the race and the drivers. They no longer want to see front engine openwheel cars racing at the mile tracks because that is antiquated racing and boring. They only want to see drivers from Flea D*ck, Brazil or Pigs Knuckle, Europe who have raced in minor league formula car series come to the states and race what Indycar Fanbase sees as the best series in the world. Talk is now focusing on getting someone like Kubica, Senna, Glock (second time for him) or Sutil to come race in Indycar. These drivers have all been racing in Formula 1 and either washed out or gotten hurt (Kubica) in other racing forms and aren't able to race F1 now. The current fanbase does not know or care about a Kyle Larson, or a Bryan Clauson, or Swanson, or any other driver from USAC. The fanbase now is of the mindset that only driver who come up what they feel is the right way (karts, usf200, lights) should be there.

Not true. The problem is with the owners. They won't hire a dirt track guy because the Euro racers usually have a big check to get them a seat. The series also goes to a lot of street courses because it makes them a lot of money, which is what Randy was hired to do, get the series back to making money.

Next year Pocono is making a return and I wouldn't be surprised to see Phoenix in 2014.

When you use the term "fanbase" you're not talking about a very large group of people....

As seen by the ratings and the attendance at the events, you'd be correct. If you go to any Indycar event at a non oval, you'll find most people do not know or care about drivers from a dirt track. Most think they are the next Ed Carpenter (lack luster on courses turning right and left) and for the record I am a big Ed Carpenter fan becasue he may very well be the last of his kind in Indycar. Until the mindset of the fanbase is changed, the drivers will be ones from over seas and not dirt/short track drivers.

I have to disagree with you on this one. It's not the fans. Until the car owners pull their heads out of their collective @ sses and start recruiting young American circle track talent, Indy car will go nowhere. The fans have already spoken with their feet and their wallets. Look at all of the bare aluminum you see at their events. That includes road/street courses too. The young circle track drivers of the 60's and 70's proved that they could adapt to the rear engined cars and compete with the best road racers in the world. Even Penske and Ganassi have fallen into this mindset. They put our great young American drivers in their taxi-cabs and bring in furriners to drive the Indy cars (even after Sam won the 500!!!!!)...I just don't get it!!! These guys are supposed to be businessmen and they can't figure it out!!!

Harsh reality is that the owners aren't going to put someone in a seat without some cash. That's just how the deal works. Cars are way to expensive to destroy for someone to learn to race an Indycar.

There isn't enough ovals for an owner to take a risk on a dirt track or front engine guy, because he can go get some money from Europe, or South America, and be perfectly happy. EJ Viso is a prime example of someone that doesn't deserve to be in the series, but he has a huge sponsor that is footing the bill. Take him out of that seat, and that car probably doesn't have the funding to even exist, let alone race every week.

Only way it's going to work is if some of these guys that are running sprints and midgets do some other types of racing, road racing, sports cars, show that they can drive on the road courses, and hunt for sponsorship on those levels. Finding sponsorship is hard as it is, and believe me, I understand that, but when you start running some other series, and people start seeing a cross between the two worlds, and also see where you are trying to go, the gap becomes a bit smaller to jump.

Just my thoughts, but it's the owners, and drivers faults both. The schedule doesn't help, but it is what it is. Do you honestly think that if Nascar went to 90% road courses that it wouldn't be filled with road racing experts?

You proved my point. The ones left in the fanbase don't care about short track drivers and the ones who do care about the short track drivers aren't fans anymore, or very very small % are and get out shouted by the larger % of the fanbase.

WOW! " IndyCar Won't Return To Edmonton". How many towns have said this during the years. After the dirt cars were dropped from the Real National Championship. And real champions from oval, dirt and road racing determined by points from all 3. I don't remember any paying drivers for those years. Only after they dropped the dirt races from points were drivers paying for a rides. Would it be fun to go back to the real deal for a Champion? Don't forget the stands were full for all of them. The crowds wanted to watch the American drivers real bad and the rules then supported that. Yep the car owners changed racing after the road racing owners got the dirt part throwed out of the points. Any one remember doing a Indy points race at Springfield and the next day on a points race at Milwakee. That was Indy car racing at it's best. Only American drivers did both races and the crowds wanted that real bad. And fill the stands with back to back Indy car races. Awesome!

Lynn