Hey Don & Scott --

Good posts w/valid points, ideas, suggestions, opinions, etc, etc, etc. (I especially like the "can't see the forest for the trees" comment!)

With all due respect, though, most of the responses were just a lot of "think-about" ideas and questions. Let's be honest -- been there done that; hence the dead horse analogy that most would agree with!! :2: :2: Again, what would you do? Let's not make this another long, drawn-out soapbox and stick to the "5-sentences or less" model as i suggested.

IMO you should be able to describe this in a 15-second conversation as if you bumped into someone at the grocery store:

Here again is mine as a "wish list".
1) Run what you bring - Everyone races a feature if more than 20 cars - Twice a month at one track, possibly two, if the other track was within 50-miles away.
2) Track would be 3/8 or less (preferably 1/4 mile) - on dirt.
3) Switch it up to qualify one week; draw another week; fan draw another week.
4) Create multiple fan & sponsor interaction like "speed challenges" w/prizes; sponsor flagman; fan pace car rides; t-shirt tosses, etc.
5) Develop a streaming broadcast or video medium for fans & sponsors to follow when they can't be there or watch races again.

Do you think this is doable? (Remember, it's only 1-track, maybe 2.) If it's NOT doable -- WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

---------- Post added at 08:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:47 PM ----------

Originally Posted by short track scott I think we fans (because I am one) want to see close, competitive racing by a field of racecars. We expect a car or three to be slower, because this is a mechanical sport and things happen. We like to see a full field of cars to match the size of the race track. We don't mind the cars being a little slower than "the old track record" if the racing is good. We don't say to each other, "look how expensive that motor is in turn two" or "I loved the $4000 body panels on that car". We want to cheer good racing. Good is sometimes a runaway, sometimes a bumper and sometimes a nerf bar, or two! We want a program run without delay, and if there is a delay we don't want to notice. Plan ahead for it and keep us entertained with something. Fans throwing frisbees at a cone for $50 will do. We want to support a sport that wants us. Give us the chance to like or not like a guy again. God, Goodyear and Gatorade are all doing well, guys, and they don't mind the exposure. But when you get an interview, don't cop the NASCAR driver act. Give us something to identify with, stand out from the pack. I understand not being comfortable doing an interview, but those who are stand out! We have entertainment options. We choose racing. We choose the kids' soccer. We choose vacation. Racing used to sell on the idea that if you weren't there you'd miss something. Now we just buy the dvd, or look it up on the internet machine. It is much harder to consistently draw a good front gate. Before everyone sets fire to me and this post, I'll share what I think about the fix. Build the purse before the racecars. Decide how much for each position. Hint: The monster trucks get a flat fee per truck for an appearance, then a set of bonuses and contingencies kick in. I'm not saying $X per car is the way to go, but how about getting to a purse where the winner gets three times what start money is? So the winner still spends too much (because he can), the 15th place guy gets a little more to replenish the too much he spent. Every race has a winner; not every race has a 15th place anymore. Everybody has more invested than they care to admit. The high budget guys have more to spend, and can position themselves better to win. Age old problem. This is why the $10,000 to win, $175 to start, $45 pit, $35 front gate show is doomed. There are 6 teams, maybe, in the world to contend for the win. And they will each spend $2500 at the track to win it because they CAN. Meanwhile the guys who have to race on what they make, or close to it JUST STAY HOME. What about cars? You are the racers! I think limiting tires per night is a good idea. I don't know the number, or that it is the same everywhere. Engines. If a guy can afford to run the big $ for a little less at the payout window, so be it. I'd bet there are 40 guys on the other end of the field who can run less engine for a bit more $ at the payout window. Run a dash for the top 6 cars to let them all stretch their high $ legs. I understand the thrill and glory of winning. If it is being bought, which the big races have been for years now, is that all there is? I see the low budget guys that finish ahead of where they "should". I really think the 1000cc uprights need a serious look in midget racing. They are "traditional" but they show up, and cost less to operate. Ok. Fire away. This is a discussion board/forum. Let's hear it. Posted via Mobile Device

I agree, Don. Thanks for saying a lot of things, Scott, that a lot of people are either afraid to say or admit. Good stuff!

[DonMoore10]

Short Track Scott should be appointed by the Pres to finally bring some common sense to midget racing. That was an AMAZINGLY GREAT POST.. one of the best, if not THE best post I've ever read on IOW.

Congratulations, again.

[Rob Reimer]

I personally do not like the "run what ya brung". I don't want to show up to race knowing before I got there I was out spent by a team with a 400hp plus custom built midget motor that can only be run at that track. (And you know they will do it, because they can) there has to be rules that are followed by proper tech. I also don't like the everyone races a feature as that takes away from the overall purse from the top 20 competitors. I do like the AMCT's idea of a fatter payout in the middle of the pack pay. A decent tow pay is a must for teams that miss the show. I also like a hard tire rule (not brand specific) to take away some of the hp advantage. The 3/8 and smaller are a plus. The switch it up draws are good, maybe even an invert every once and awhile. Make it interesting for the fans (more passing). Keep the fans informed of what is going on, nothing worse than sitting during a delay wondering what is going on behind the scenes. Fan interaction is always good. Broadcasting is also great. As a fan though people want to recognize names. Look at what happen to the IRL. Nascar everyone knows names and in my opinion their racing sucks!

[Fontana180]

Spread the purse out through the whole feature field. Do no make the front of the purse so heavey and you will/may not have the front runners spendig as much money.

[Jonr]

First off, I like the original post. Where I work, we talk about Lean manufacturing, and are we doing some thing that the customer will pay for. Would a customer pay for a 30 minute intermission?
Would the customer pay to listen to a bad announcer? Would the customer pay to watch the push trucks drive around aimlessly?

What do I want to see? A national series, with national events, and national equipment. It does not bother me if they show up in Nascar haulers with $40,000 motors and there are only 20 cars in the field. Because those 20 cars can put on a great race. Once again, consider this the WOO Midget group.

A regional series with some cost control measures. In this series, I do not want to see the high dollar motors. However, I do want the cars to be top equipment. The car counts should be more than the national series. This should be the ASCS group. Hell, make them run the ASCS2 motor.

A local series/track with major cost control measures. Rules can be creative as long as the races are close. This should truly be the entry level of racing. Some of the competitors will have dreams to run in the other two series while others are perfectly happy where they are at. Consider this the Ozark or IRS series.

I have said numerous times that the idea that all midgets have the same rules is crazy. The idea that Joe the Plumber can compete against TSR racing is crazy. Everyone should find thier level and be happy with it.

[Bradleyracing86]

I can only comment as a midget fan. I think the average Joe with well a maintained racecar and driving talent should be able to show up and run with the big guys. I don't think the "everyone has there own place approach" is the way to go. If you have that much money buy a nascar. Please return midget racing to what it was intended for.
Posted via Mobile Device

Originally Posted by Rob Reimer I personally do not like the "run what ya brung". I don't want to show up to race knowing before I got there I was out spent by a team with a 400hp plus custom built midget motor that can only be run at that track. (And you know they will do it, because they can) there has to be rules that are followed by proper tech.

Hi Rob --

Appreciate that you responded to my post. Thanks for the feedback.

It IS very telling though that the bolded part of your response above is such a concern. It really shows how far out of wack things have gotten in the distance between the have's & have not's. It also illustrates how racing clubs many times start behind the 8-ball in building any sort of trust w/this perception so prevalent out there.

So, for me -- Having a strong set of rules w/tech to level the playing field are a given. The run what you bring idea is simply to encourage car owners to compete & for better car counts. This only happens, of course, IF the "prevalent perception" is addressed & dealt with fairly and consistently.

[West Baden Iron]

One of the questions I have is why is there no (or very few) local midget classes running at any of the tracks in Indiana? To me that seems like the root of the problem. There are no local guys getting midget experience at Bloomington, Paragon, Lawrenceburg, Tri-State, Brownstown, Linton, Thunder Valley, etc. to be able to run when one of the USAC or POWRi shows come to town. It seems to me that we need to run the midgets just like the sprint cars are doing it at those tracks (minus Linton and Thunder Valley).

I think the HUT 100 was a great example of how this could have worked for the midgets but instead it worked great for the Outlaw Micros (I raced a micro at this race for the record). Even though Tr-State is only running the one show for micros this year, 49 micros (in the support class) showed up to compete with some of the biggest names in micro racing while only 35 midgets showed up between arguable the two biggest sactioning bodies for midgets. That may not seem like a big difference to some, but had the race been held at one of the tracks that run micros on a weekly basis, I bet there would have been well over a hundred entries. Many micros didn't show because it was at a track that doesn't race micros.

Just a few thoughts.
Thanks,

Jason