Re: USAC, no passing zone?
 

Boy. How many times have I started off a story with that line....

flagboy55 hits the nail on the head when he states that the box score does not reflect the race. Unlike baseball, every hit looks like a line drive in the box score. In racing, it is the opposite.

Referencing us all last night at Kokomo.... When DD shot the gap and took the lead, I actually lost my breath for a few seconds. It is moments like that that keep me coming back to watch sprint car racing. One high coming off of the wall, one low coming up out of the wet clay...... Hell.... let's shoot the middle!

Then, 15 laps later, or so, Max McGhee is the first of the front runners to drop downstairs and he pulls a slider on DD and got him back in the same corner, only to have DD get him back on the low side in Turn 4 of the same lap.

Meanwhile, had I had about five more eyes I could have described all of the action from 3rd back to 8th. No cameras. No footage. No instant replay. You have to take it in LIVE. Sports fans do not DO this anymore. There is always time for an instant replay, or a break in the action these days. But not in sprint car racing. The ones who pay attention are the ones who feel that rush of adrenaline that starts somewhere in your chest and blasts out into all of your limbs like a mortar shell going off inside you and you are thanking your lucky stars your eyes are not popping out so you can see it. Seeing it happen before you dwarfs seeing it happen via footage later.

And dozens of fans in your section all yell at the same time for they are all watching the same thing and feeling the same rush.

THAT'S why I show up to watch.

What's in your wallet?

Re: USAC, no passing zone?
 

One thing you need to consider is all but 2 SprintWeek races went green to checker. I was very fine with that.

Re: USAC, no passing zone?
 

You willing to pay an extra 5-10 bucks a ticket for that? Just sayin they arent gonna do that for free. The purse needs badly to be raised so maybe that is something to think about.

Re: USAC, no passing zone?
 

Passing at the front is great, but doesn't define a show. Lot's of people watch the Kentucky Derby for one lap and often only one pass for the lead on the home stretch and I don't remember hearing any complaints.

Alot could be said on this subject.But all I have for now is there was only one pass at the ISW Haubstadt race and very few were disappointed!

Re: USAC, no passing zone?
 

Oh boy now we're comparing sprintcars and their fans with snobby horse racing folks.

Re: USAC, no passing zone?
 

Some of the best racing can be the fight for that last transfer spot in a heat or B main.

Re: USAC, no passing zone?
 

The locals run 25 laps for $1200-$1500 to win every week, they will run 40 laps for $5000. But money is a huge issue, especially when your President make a half mill. and the Sprint Champion get 2% of that salary.
But, to knock the product is absurd!! The USAC format is the best to provide great racing. There are always going to be flag to flag winners in all forms of racing. The sprint racing in Indiana is 2nd to only the USAC National Series ( which is actually only about 7-8 full time teams + the top locals).
Side note: And I am already giggling knowing I will get blasted for this: If you want passing and excitement go to the Speedrome and watch a Figure 8 race. They have as much or more money in their equipment, and they start the feature inverted in points and last top finishes, which means the fastest starts last. 50 laps and the fast guys get to the front around lap 40 and race like hell, great stuff!!

As far as race length goes, I say the outlaws have it right. I've always been been a USAC fan since my dad thankfully took me and my brother and our friends to the races back in the 70s. Pull out a sprint car pictorial from those times and you will see 40 laps were the standard with longer races thrown in as well. The outlaws basically give you 40 on a quarter, 35 on a 3/8th and 30 on a half, makes sense to me.
Often I hear about what people in the office at USAC make, as someone mentioned it here. I've never researched it but maybe someone with knowledge of the situation and facts could start another thread about it, because I would like to know a bit more about it as it apparently puts a thorn in a lot of folks sides

Just wanted to clarify that my example of WOO race's are based on a casual observation. I am sure other factors contribute as well.