[mr nobody]

Originally Posted by ronmil Been to every Silver Crown race at DuQuoin since 1965, and I must say the last twenty laps were some of the craziest I've seen. What a finish! Feel so bad for Robert Ballou, who ran out of fuel after leading the first eighty laps. Running the high groove obviously took more fuel. You don't need thirty cars to have a good race. Remember, in USAC' s glory days of Foyt, Branson, Rutherford, etc., they only started eighteen cars.

Yep and they also had at least one Consi race and 40+ cars entered. There were 15 total cars yesterday, 13 took time and 5 or 6 running at the finish. Not exactly a very fair comparison to the "glory days" is it?

[Charles Nungester]

They also had 22.000 to win races. Also not a very fair comparison to todays car owners.
Seen a pic last week of a mid 70s Hoosier Hundred winner standing with a big well over 20,000g check

Heres a article where the HH paid a 68,000 purse and the motors probably costed 6 grand, Today the rebuild is more than that.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...15/1/index.htm

[ronmil]

Originally Posted by mr nobody Yep and they also had at least one Consi race and 40+ cars entered. There were 15 total cars yesterday, 13 took time and 5 or 6 running at the finish. Not exactly a very fair comparison to the "glory days" is it?

Back when Foyt, Unser, Rutherford, et. al. were running they did will to get eighteen cars many years. They never had 40+ entries and they never ran a consi. They qualified and ran the 100 miler. That was it.

[mr nobody]

Originally Posted by ronmil Back when Foyt, Unser, Rutherford, et. al. were running they did will to get eighteen cars many years. They never had 40+ entries and they never ran a consi. They qualified and ran the 100 miler. That was it.

Really? If you freeze the frame the video (1970 Tony Bettenhausen Memorial 100)at 00:43 seconds there sure looks like a hell of a lot more then 18 cars there.

You Tube Video

Also starting in 1971 (first year of the Silver Crown series) the events had 24 participants at Springfield, Du Quoin, ISF and 23 at Nazareth. 1972 saw only 20 at the first Du Quoin race and 24 at the same three tracks raced at in 1971 listed above. 1973 saw 24 cars at all three dirt mile races. 1974 there was 24 drivers in the field at every race of the season: Syracuse NY, Sedalia MO, Du Quoin and Springfield IL, and ISF. Those are just the ones that took the green flag.

As time went on into the late 70's and throughout the 80's and into the early 90's the fields grew. Recently those numbers are way down.

Looking back at the mid 60's there were fields of anywhere from 20 to 29 cars when only 18 started the race.

[Charles Nungester]

Counted 24 in that clip but I've heard storys of some division in USAC at one time taking 18 by time and everyone else went on the trailer. No Last Chance, No LCQs. Also even heard stories of only positions 1-10 getting paid.

[PJ Wright]

Bottom line. We can fondly remember the good old days and wish things were still that way, but we can't turn back the clock. No doubt we all wish there were 30+ SC dirt cars racing 12-15 times a year. We could also spend hours pointing fingers and blaming names why there's not. I don't feel like that's going to change anything for the better.
So all I'm going to say is this: THANK YOU to the drivers, car owners, crews, sponsors, officials, promoters and fans that are keeping this series alive. By all accounts, the racers put on one HECK of a show last night.

[BrentTFunk]

Actually the first consi was ran in 1976 at the Hoosier Hundred. Up until then you had to make it through qualifying. When I think of the glory days, I think of the 50's and 60's. I doubt there was ever that many cars then.

[mr nobody]

Originally Posted by BrentTFunk Actually the first consi was ran in 1976 at the Hoosier Hundred. Up until then you had to make it through qualifying. When I think of the glory days, I think of the 50's and 60's. I doubt there was ever that many cars then.

1956: ISF 33, Springfield 31 and Du Quoin 32
1957: IFS 33, Springfield 26 and Du Quoin 23
1958: ISF 32, Springfield 27 and Du Quoin 24
1959: ISF 31, Springfield 29 and Du Quoin 27
1960: ISF 37, Springfield 29 and Du Quoin 34
1961: ISF 32, Springfield 29 and Du Quoin 26
1962: ISF 28, Springfield 25 and Du Quoin (don't have that)
1963: ISF 28, Springfield 24 and Du Quoin 25
1964: ISF 22, Springfield 25 and Du Quoin 22
1965: ISF 27, Springfield 17 and Du Quoin 22
1966: ISF 22, Springfield 25 and Du Quoin 21
1967: ISF 29, Springfield 26 and Du Quoin 28
1968: ISF 27, Springfield 23 and Du Quoin 29
1969: ISF 32, Springfield 27 and Du Quoin 27
1970: ISF 30, Springfield 28 and Du Quoin 29

Good amount of cars back then.

[RoyaltonMiniSprint]

Went to both Springfield and Du Quoin this year. Counted at least 5 cars that ran at Springfield but not at Du Quoin for various reasons mostly motor related would have made at least 20 plus if they could have made it. Not the greatest number but would have looked better. Usac needs to figure out what to do to get more cars be it more races, money, etc. Maybe same day double headers with the Usac sprint cars.

[Vukie]

Originally Posted by Charles Nungester They also had 22.000 to win races. Also not a very fair comparison to todays car owners. Seen a pic last week of a mid 70s Hoosier Hundred winner standing with a big well over 20,000g check Heres a article where the HH paid a 68,000 purse and the motors probably costed 6 grand, Today the rebuild is more than that. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...15/1/index.htm

Some of that prize money was accessory money and lap money. Looking at the 1968 USAC yearbook AJ Foyt won the Hoosier 100 and collected $22,659 in prize money.

$11,709 from the purse, $1,650 from accessory awards, $8,800 in lap money and $500 for being the defending National Champion.