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Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
I sat in the stands for years and years and had no idea what it took to put a race car on the track, the ******** involved, tricks of the trade etc etc. I gradually eased into midget racing, my first love, as a sponsor. I took the dive in 2002 when I bought a car and got a fast education quickly about all the ins and outs of the world of midget racing.
This thread is one of the hot topics on IOW and previous ones have also been the same. So, number one, by the interest, cutting the costs of midget racing is a hot topic... a BIG BIG TOPIC. So far we have not heard one word from any midget organization about any of this. And, we have not heard one word in years... YEARS.... Y-E-A-R-S!!! I can cite all of you plenty of words about adding costs to the sport. More cubes for the Esslinger and Fontana for starters. Monopoly tire deals that favor only the top teams (the minority) while the majority subsidize the minority teams. Are the midget organizations looking out for the competitors or are they looking out for bucks from various midget parts suppliers? To me, it's very suspect when all of these orgs are totally quiet on a hot topic.... for years... Y-E-A-R-S.. No, none of them have to speak to the subject, it's a free enterprise system, but why not? What are we hiding anyway? Health care and midget racing have a lot in common. Both have out of control costs. $37,000+ for a new Fontana midget engine that was blessed with more cubes by the United States Auto Club. Fontana says we need to buy this engine to win. Based on what I saw at Granite City this past Fall, the added cubes seem to be paying off for Esslinger and Fontana. Would somebody please tell me how this has improved the sport for both the fan and the competitor?????? $37,000+++!!!! Please do not bring up the Esslinger ST. That engine is not going to be competitive at tracks like Granite City, IMO. Now, to all the executives of US midget orgs.. and I'm not addressing the clubs like BMARA. They are ruled by a democratic vote and you can see where they are at the present time with their car counts. Something is not working there. The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that the world class Cleveland Clinic is making public all the industry ties to their doctors. Yes.. that's right. They are publicly reporting the business relationships that any of it's 1800 staff doctors and scientists have with drug and device makers. The Clinic is making a complete disclosure of doctors' and researchers ties available on its web site www.clevelandclinic.org. It appears to be the first such step by a major medical center to disclose the industry relationships of individual doctors. Well.. hurray for the Cleveland Clinic. They are showing their true integrity, class and concern for their clients. |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
I agree that production motors have changed in the last few years so that is a possibility. I was stating why people had gotten away from them.
My point with the IRS is that they are basically on the path you are speaking of. What people are saying is needed is already offered. The IRS fills that group need. Basically any type of motor with restrictions and a narrow tire and wheel rule. If that is what people want to run, it is there to be run. All of the motors you mentioned are the basis for what we have today. The testing and tinkering and evolving of technology directly comes from the time spent with those and other motors. They became specialty motors because of the weaknesses they found during the years of racing. From the late 70's through the early 90's my father built or rebuilt hundreds of VW engines. He built motors for several teams and won a few championships and many races. By the end of the 80's, the best VW cost $10,000. They started out in the 70's as basically a stock style engine, but as they where improved and developed they evolved. The stock case was just not strong enough to endure a full season. As far as 38 races goes, that's great; but none of our customers would allow their motors to go that long and they wanted peak performance at all times. While that didn't mean we had to do complete overhauls, we did have to do valve jobs and replace the rings. While that motor ran 38 races, it wasn't as powerful at #38 as it was at #6. Knowing what I know about the VW motors we ran in the 80's and what I know about the motors we ran in the late 90's and early 2000's, they where basically on the same maintainence schedule except I felt the Brayton Motors made better power for a longer period of time. We ran our Brayton Motors probably 70 plus races without a major failure except one lifter. We got 12-15 races out of a set of valve springs. We would rebuild them 15-20 races. That said, we weren't chasing the USAC title so we didn't have motors on scheduled turn arounds. We where just running the local dirt stuff that included some of the USAC National Schedule. The funny part about the VW is that when it was the most popular motor; people thought it ruined the racing because it wasn't American.(Although it was actually completely American built using the VW platform. People wanted to get rid of them and get back to stock block type motors featuring Chevy and Ford. Some clubs only allowed the Chevy II and others only allowed the 126 or 133 VW. Now that we have the "American" Motors, people are telling me how great and cheap it was to run the VW. I want to do a test in the upcomong year as far as the 8"-10" wheel comparison. Maybe I am wrong, but I want to find out for myself because I really don't think it will have the effect that people think it does. Who knows, maybe the car will actually be faster. Probably not, but I want to find out. |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
If I did the research here on the internet, I could cite numerous press releases by USAC telling everyone in the world about the testing that they have done with the new generation crown car. And it seems that everytime I read one of those press releases, it stated numerous officals were there to watch and record the data.
We can sit around all day and night and talk about what will work on a midget and what won't. But the answer is in the proof of pudding. Testing!!! So my next question is: (for example) Who tested the Esslinger and Fontana before they were granted extra cubes? Sorry to pick on these engines, but they were granted. What were the results of those tests if they accurred? If there were no tests, then why did they get the extra cubes? Hoosier has a monopoly with midget tires. If they have a monopoly, then I hope they are conducting tests to give us a better product for less money. Hoosier, please make your test results public to us. Nothing to hide I hope. If you are not testing tires and wheels, then that's a problem if you have a monopoly. When was the last time any midget org actually did some testing with a midget to see what really works and what doesn't, tires ,engines, wheels, etc etc. If this isn't happening why not? So do we just pass rules without testing? Please tell us. |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
The Esslinger started out at a higher Cubic inch, then got cut to 155 and now it is back to around 161-166. The original inches gave them some advantage, the 155 made them not quite competitive enough for the USAC trail and now the new size has made it very competitive. With some teams it dominates at times, but there where at least 5 different types of motors in the USAC National Series Victory Lane this year.
I honestly don't recall the deal with the Fontana and how that size was determined. If I where Fontana I would tell you that you had to have one to win as well. That doesn't mean you have to get one. I was told that the Fontana that won the ARDC series was the $17,000 spec Rhino motor, but I guess it has been outlawed now as people think that it has an unfair advantage. I was told that it ran all season with only routine mainatinence, but nothing drastic. So here is a motor that was comparably cheap and reliable, but it was outlawed because it won the title.(If that is not how it happened, then correct me. Since I don't race with ARDC and the person I talked to was intimate with the team that won, maybe I am only getting one side.) We mentoned the corporate engine builders, but the two motors that people wanted to have in 2008 where actually independents. Ford helped some, but they tagged onto what Esslinger had been doing for years. Some arguments could be made that the corporate alignments with Chevy,Toyota, and MoPar actually hurt the teams they where associated with. The Chevy,Toyota, and Hemi-MoPar all had their share of troubles this year. I do think the Esslinger ST can compete at Granite City and with Powri it can win. The STT is even better for $22,000 complete. When the Nine cars ran the Pink Ford, people thought that was an advantage and thought they needed them. When the Toyotas didn't win, few people want them even though they too are very expensive. When Wilke's and others ran and won numerous races with the Sesco Mopar; many people thought that was an advantage because they won races. When Don wins with his Sesco, people start thinking that is what they need to win. I've had guys tell me "That motor in Don Moore's car is fast. I like that motor." If a stock block Honda or Chevy comes along and wins, then that is what people will want. I have no idea what goes into getting an engine cleared for USAC, but it is probably neither as hard or as easy as we may think. |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
During the boom in Midget racing after WWII, you still had the "Have's" and "Have Not's".
The answer then was to divide the field into two divisions: Offies and V860 Fords. Today, why not form a new "B" division for Newbies and low-buck teams to run their own races along with the top dogs, using production based blocks, limit RR wheel width, and possibly limit to one new tire per night ? You could ressurect many parked midgets and build a used parts market for the front line teams to sell their castoffs. Am I making any sense ? |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Baue, I always enjoy ur spin. The Governor of Illinois needs somebody like you badly right now. You could easily get that alleged crook out of jail in no time.
Back to the Fontana and Esslinger. For the record, and I like facts, not opinion, in 17 stand alone POWRi events, and correct me if I am wrong, the Esslinger/Fontana motors accounted for about 16 wins. One win by the Mopar/Sesco. So, it's not looking good to be buying some other motor. And apparently that Fontana ad is correct according to the facts here that you need to spend $37,000+++++++ to win. Now the traditional Gaerte Chevy was very competitive before all these inches were granted. Ryan Scott came close to winning in my car (Gaerte Chevy at the time) a few years back at the USAC Limaland race, once part of the Buckeye Nationals which has disappeared from the face of the earth, BTW. So, I am back to my original thinking. Baue, you know this.... the Esslinger/Fontana motors are winning and winning big. More money, more money, more money obsoleting more engines. How did this all happen. What research or testing took place that these motors were given more inches? Travis Minia won at the half mile Route 66 USAC race with the small Esslinger. So... again why more inches??? And ur opinion that the STT would be competitive ( and I noticed you stopped short of saying winning)... well so is the Gaerte Chevy but it's not winning either. AND, I know of at least one independent engine builder that was flatly turned down when he ask for more inches also. So who's Zooming who? AND, does any of this matter if nobody is checking midget engines?????? Yeah... if they found an illegal engine, that may be really bad PR.......... these orgs may not want to go there. |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Sounds to me like, there are a lot of midgets, parked, because of engine costs! Lets do a little history, midgets "used" to be, the only, "affordable" racing, before and after WWII, then along came the TQ's, then NAMARS, then who knows what else, then seems to me like, suddenly, they all wanted to run pavement, then the races got so far away, and at difficult times, and costs of tires, and the hot engine of the month, then it mostly died, except for the Regional, Kenyon, and the Focus. I can remember when everyone had a midget, then suddenly, you had to travel long distances, just to even find a race. What would be wrong, with stepping off the money circle, forget the even $8000.00 motors, look what the VW engine did, then it got expensive, look for an engine, automotive of course, available to everyone, salvage yards full of them, do some research on reliability, and parts availability, and pick out 4 or 5 or 6 or 8, that fit the criteria, and book some races at the local dirt tracks, and get these cars back out where people can see them again, how big a following did the Pinto have, they got scarce in a hurry, but somewhere out there, in a salvage yard, has to be the answer. I got tired of the high cost of SOHC CB750 aftermarket parts, and started looking for something that would fit in our engine specs, and I had to buy about 4 different ones, that looked like good prospects, before I settled on one, and I'm damned glad I did, the new technology, of a stock, out of the chassis motor, is amazing, and what else is amazing, is the fact I don't have to look everywhere for parts, parts are everywhere, and I don't have to pay big dollars for "special" parts, all the stock parts are completly reliable for racing, and I can do it myself, no "spec" engine, that someone else gets paid to put a seal on it. Let the guys that have the where with all, deep pockets, follow the trail to maybe nowhere, find you enough people interested, to get started, and go for it. As a matter of point, I have less in my "out of the chassis" motor, that is very competitive, than I'd have in the "special" rods, for an 836 Honda, and I bought all my used parts off ebay, new rod bolts, from Yamaha, are less than 3 bucks each. We're havin fun, I don't work on the engine at all, it has over 60 nights of racing on it, and is ready to go for another season. My point is this, if you want to race, and your pockets are like mine, and a lot of other peoples, put your thinking cap on, and forget the $30,000.00 engine route, but get them cars out, where folks can see them locally, put them back in the spotlight, where they belong. Looks like it's worth a try to me! Bob
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Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Wonderful ideas there. Bob's thinking out of the box which is rare these days as far as midgets go.
If you want a broken nose, try selling those ideas to a current midget org (almost all are under the covers in bed with the money manufacturers) and see how fast that door hits ur face. |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Great post. My take is to run midgets where they belong; on nothing larger than 1/4 mile track.
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Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
I know I'm going to get bashed for this but. I think I saw a shirt that said SHUT UP AND RACE!! So do it. If your not having fun racing don't do it. If you don't like the rules out there or the sanctioning bodies out there to race with step up and grow some ba**s and start you own group. It's easy to sit around and complain about how someone else is running there deal but I bet it not so easy if it you doing it. The current sanctioning bodies are doing what they think is right for there people.
Everybody thinks they know better but no one is willing to put up there buck to start their own sanctioning body. I would love to see someone bring NAMARS or CORA back from the ashes. I bet if the guys complaining were the ones winning they wouldn't be complaining but I bet someone else would be. SHUT UP AND RACE!!!!!! |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
UH... where are those midget races at..................... :confused: Might wanna start with Ohio....... What tracks are you talking about that are still racing midgets.......
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Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Don-
Let's be honest. Midget racing hasn't been solid in Ohio as long as I've been alive, unless you wanna count Fulper's All-Star Midgets! haha The Buckeye Nationals basically ended because of ******** between the Ohio tracks. Only NAMARS was willing to run Shady Bowl. There are probably less than ten tracks in the whole state worth seeing. USAC will have the midgets in Ohio something like four times next year... |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Nevermind
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Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
I talked directly with Jim Ford, the retired promoter at Fremont Speedway. Your post :crying: doesn't jibe with the reasons he told me why the USAC midgets are not back at Fremont. Not gonna make public what he told me! I may have to bring in Bill O'Reilly to stop the spin on some of these posts!
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Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Well, how do we learn anything from it if you won't post what he told you?
BTW, I was at every one of those races, and car counts were never an issue. |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Originally Posted by kirk spridgeon: |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
I might be incorrect to some, but when USAC started a spec midget engine devision, ford focus, a few years ago why could they not have had ford develop a standard national midget engine that solved the hole problem for good? Instead they started a division aimed at parents throwing money at them because they were too young to race the natl. series, that gets no recognition whatsoever. It is a nice motor package and halfway affordable, but after a year or two they realize they have to buy a esslinger or whatever and go full size racing to have a shot at going anywhere and are stuck with equipment that is hard to sell to anyone. I just don't understand why they didn't get it under control then when they had ford factory support backing them. Never ran or owned a midget but common sense doesn't explain it to me besides USAC streaming in more salaries similar to the new 1/4 or .25 or whatever that every parent will be desperate to make their kid a USAC racer over. Why not I guess they pull into quarter midget tracks with semis and stackers to haul 3ft long cars....??:angry-smiley-007:
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Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Originally Posted by DonMoore10: As far as the ******** with USAC and the engine builders, I have no idea what hoops have to be jumped through. It is probably a mind numbing process. I'm honestly not trying to spin anything. I think the Esslinger ST and STT are great motors and as long as they are being run by a good team and a good driver, they have a chance to win 90% of all midget races held. Even the best cars and motors will not win when in the hands of people who are not yet capable of winning. I think things are: A)Not nearly as bad as we think they are and B)If they are that bad, it will eventually self regulate and swing in a different direction or C)Fail terribly, but from the ashes will come something better to fit the times. Things will work out. They may not work out exactly how I or you or someone else wants them too, but they will work out. We live in a free market society and we all have the choice where and how we spend our money and time. Sometimes we have less money and time than others, but we still own that right. If less and less people choose to spend them a certain way, but another way comes up that is more popular, then that is where it will turn to. Ex.) I love reading the morning paper, but it is basically a dead medium. The news paper industry is only a shadow of itself. The once powerful industry with colorful writters is all but gone. The internet has taken over and no amount of cut backs and the alike will save it. Does that make me happy? No. Do I have to accept it? Yes. Do we still get the news, Yes. Do I have to read the internet to get that news? No; I could wait to get home or wake up early(No way)to get the news. I think that the explosive growth in the sprint cars have limited the growth in the midgets. Why run a midget when you can run a fire breathing dragon? That is how I think many people see it. That said, I think that is why the midgets appeal to some others in the fact that they travel and that the series can offer the promotors something a little diiferent than the same old show. I think that if the car counts get low enough and the promotors don't want to take the chance anymore, then the sport will change to meet the times. I personally am not happy about what the teams have to spend to go pavement racing, but the teams keep going and spending the money, so they must be alright with it. While I don't agree with it and I have already voted with my time and money by not doing it anymore, it will still happen as long as teams show up and promotors still pay the purse and enough patrons show up. If the sport isn't where someone wants it to be, but they are not willing to change it themselves, then it must not be as important to them as they think. If someone loves the midgets, but doesn't agree with the direction of the sport, but their voice isn't being heard; then you have to speak with your time and money. You already have alternatives with great clubs like IRS and Powri or the right to stay home. As a racing business owner, do I want to see the sport become a shadow of it's former self; absolutely not. I consider Don a good friend and he is one of my better customers who I have taken alot of pride in seeing his team grow and watch him achieve some of his goals. I would hate to see him leave the sport because I think he brings alot to it, but I respect his right to do with his time and money what he sees fit. If he chooses to spend his time and money somewhere else, I have to respect that. I have found that when people get out they often say money as the reason, but once you get to talking to them it is often, not always; but often much more than that. They mostly feel they have other obligations that need to be meet that are more important to them. I don't race anymore because of the time it takes to do it right and the fact I enjoyed racing with my brother as the driver more than I would with anyone else in the seat. I still help others, and as much as I enjoy seeing their success, it's not the same. I wouldn't be surprised to see Powri take some sort of lead in allowing production based motors and it looks like Badger is looking at some alternatives, so maybe the move is already taking place. Of course the ASCS thing and while I know Emmet has failed terribly with the Chili Bowl deal and his sprint series, he may get it right this time.(Sarcasm) There is always this talk of protecting the racer from themselves. That is a little rediculious as they are grown men and women(at least the owners). It's their choice. Racing is somewhat like a drug addiction in many ways and basically we are saying that we want the herion users to just become run of the mill Marijuana users or Alcholics so they have more money left over. Of course any drug addict(or racing addict) I have ever known is only going to buy more drugs with their extra money so it's kind of pointless. |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Originally Posted by Kirk Spridgeon: Hit me up at the Silly Bowl and I will tell you in person. Plan on being there a few minutes. |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
How boring is my life when this thread is the highlight of my day? :O:
DonMoore10 have you called USAC and asked for the testing results? No. Have you called Hoosier and asked them for their testing results? No. Have you disclosed all of your professional affiliations to the masses so we can finally see once and for all what lobbyist you have inyour back pocket? No. As I have stated several times in the past your argument would be taken more seriously if you took the conversation to the parties you are complaining about. If you did and found out there is no testing or no release of information etc. then come in here and do your dog and pony show. |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Baue, the midget community and how they go about their business reminds me of my days back in the late 50's and 60's when I would visit my relatives that lived in West Point, Mississippi. I saw first hand the discrimation that was rampant during those times. Not going to go into detail but if you don't know what I'm talking about, read the history books about how blacks and whites lived in the South during that time.
My point is this. The South lived a certain way and everyone accepted it as the way it was. Most of them didn't know any better. Hey, aren't the minorities supposed to ride the back of the bus, use separate restrooms, banned from restaurants etc etc etc? Yeah... that's the way it is!!! WRONG!! Wow.. I didn't see any of that in my neighborhood in Ohio. What's going on here in Mississippi anyway?? and my relatives thought I was absolutely crazy for even questioning how society operated in the South!!! True story! Well, when you visit there today, society has made a complete 360. The midget community accepts the way things are done today.... teams spending millions of dollars to win $2500. Is this about the craziest thing that anybody could imagine? I could go on and on, but that is just one example of what everyone considers NORMAL. Hey... wakeup race people. That's not normal!!!! Why are the main attractions (drivers and owners of race cars) charged an entry fee and pit passes to put on a show at a race track?? I had a band for many years that entertained people in restaurants and other places. Gosh... never paid an entry fee to get into the place and I didn't have to purchase a lounge pass or party pass. So...how crazy is it that we have to pay and entry fee and pit pass?? Does the water truck guy buy a pit pass and pay an entry fee? Actually he probably walks out of the race track with more money in his pocket than the owners and drivers in some situations. do you attend a race track to see Joe the water truck guy? The views that I express on here are not necessarily reflective of my midget operation. I operate within the sytem. I have no choice. I have to deal with a monopoly tire deal that does not benefit me one second. Why should I pay full price for tires while others get tire deals (discounts), some get free tires and only the top people in points get a kickback... all under the umbrella of a monopoly. Does not make sense at all. And now the very sad news. I hope all you race fans enjoy the FOUR... that's F O U R short track USAC dirt races in Indiana for 2009 cause that's all there is folks. Watch out... they will here and gone in June before you can say "TIRE MONOPOLY" I'll say that again.. FOUR. Now for you people that think midget racing is doing just fine....... well..... YEAH, THAT'S THE WAY IT IS!!!! |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Originally Posted by E.P.: |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Don,
I'll look you up in Tulsa. Should be enlightening... |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Originally Posted by DonMoore10: first let me say this is an honest question not a bash or any hidden agenda. why do you go to the silly bowl (your word's) when you are always bashing them? |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Originally Posted by interpreter66: Yeah... crazy people actually post on IOW that they saw me at the Silly Bowl. I guess it's kind of like seeing Elvis at the Burger King or something. I dunno. Maybe Oprah and Ellen will be calling soon. So here goes. The two promoters get an A+ for the spectator side of the event and an F------- (those are minuses) for the car owner side unless you're one of the anointed that get everything free (4 star hotel rooms for example) plus a stipend for appearing. BTW, I did once get an F+ on a history test in high skool. I never could figure out how that worked. Let's see.. I'm failing but doing a good job of it?? So, yeah.. the Silly Bowl. Great entertainment, great people surround me in the stands, just an overall wonderful time..... as a spectator! Any more questions? |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Originally Posted by DonMoore10: ill sit back and watch(in this case read ) the show:wink oops!just thought of another question let's say for argument's sake that tommorrow you became one of the anointed few would you load your car and go? |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Originally Posted by interpreter66: |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Don understand your rant on pit passes and entry fee's. question I have is, why should a track have to pay a sanctioning fee just to be able to let you guys run there? It is odviouse that you are a bright guy, why don't you go out and get a series going the way you think it should, or even get midgets back to just 1 track on a weekly basis? I mean lets face it you race in a seriers where you can not have a real job. They travel all over the place and even when they come to a local track you have to take the day off because you have to be to the track before it opens for drivers meeting. This series quit thinking about the little guy 10 years ago.
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Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Well, just think what an absolute pleasure it will be to race USAC midgets on short tracks in Indiana in 2009. Only four of them. And they're all in four days. Four for four. Kinda like that TV pizza ad. So this will be the shortest darn USAC short track midget season of all time. 2010 three races, 2011 2 races, 2012 1 race and then BINGO... 2013, no more midget races!!!
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Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Don-
So were there more short-track midget races in Indiana last year? Or the year before? Or the year before that? Or the five years before that? If USAC has midget races at Kokomo, Lawrenceburg, Gas City, Bloomington, and Haubstadt, where else should be they be expected to go? Remember, too much supply lowers demand. And at the end of the day, tracks have to be willing to schedule such races in order for them to be run. Of course, there are no other sanctioning bodies running midget races in Indiana, so you can't expect them to do it, either. Indiana Midget Week has grown to be a pretty good thing. And USAC seems to be the only way we get midget racing in Indiana, so I'm not going to whine about the good things they're doing. I just can't see how anyone will ever meet your expectations, Mr. Moore. |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Ya know something, Don, I don't know you from a sled of Green Beans, you could be the Jolly Green Giant, for all I know, but I know this, we do share something in common, a love to race, and a nagging feeling, when things don't seem to be level. People that know me, have heard the same story from me, that you said about the intertainment. Can you imagine the look on Roy Clark's face, and he's a funny guy, when he pulls his convoy up to the gates, at the Hoosier Dome, 20 yrs ago, and they start counting all the people with him, and ask him if he's gonna pay for all of them, or will it be individual? Then, they tell him how much it'll cost him to park, where the stage is and the seats, so HE can set them up, and then tell him he'll have to clean up, when the show is over! I to, have foolishly thought there was something wrong with this picture, and I still haven't gotten an answer, that made it right. Not only that, but then we're expected to take our race cars, and go out and "prepare" the track, so we can race on it, but it never changes, it's one of those deals like I've heard a lot of lately, supply and demand, we have an urge to race, so we have to pay to play. I don't recall ever, being asked, how much I would charge, to do this, but they decide how much to pay us. I realize, it's a spectator sport, not a stick and ball game, where the players get paid, to do what they love to do, but that's the way it's always been, and I been around a long time, and I talk to a few racers older than me, and they don't remember it being any different either, so I guess if you're addicted to a race car, ya just gotta figure out how much you can stand, and pick a spot, and hang on. I have another saying, that my wife doesn't appreciate, but I had my eye exam a couple months ago, and I couldn't resist, th guy was about done, and I asked him, "do you see anyone in there, that looks like they give a $hit"? When they got him revived, he laughed and said, "no, I sure didn't". I'll leave you with that, and hope SamSr has good luck with reinventing the Sprint car scene, I was at Dayton's Auction about 10 years ago, and watched 2 guys, bidding on OLD Sprint cars, and buying them for a song, and happened to be at the loading area, when they were loading them, and they stuck the forks under one old relic, and when they lifted it up, everything dangled, and I made another comment, "gee, first time I ever saw one, with 4 wheel, independent suspension", and one of them turned and said, we're taking these back to, somewhere West, and we put Pinto's in them, and race,and rent em, and we make good money. Did you ever see 2, sprint cars, double stacked, in an 8 ft pickup bed? By golly, they did it, and as they left, I thought to myself, now those guys are serious, they're gonna make some money,and have a lot of fun. Bob
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Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
MR. Spridgeon,
Sounds like you've just endorsed this thread and not know it. Here's what I think should happen. The US Government should declare the state of Indiana a National Midget Disaster Zone. With only four (4) short track dirt USAC shows and only 22 cars (17 teams) showing up for the Hut Hundred, the racing capital of the world should now be St. Louis, Missouri. POWRi seems to be able to schedule dozens of short track dirt races within a reasonable geographic zone. I don't know. Apparently they have a product that promoters want and they want it at a lot of tracks several times a season. Plus they are responsible for the richest midget race ever. So, that's the way it is. Maybe a government bailout is in order here. |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
And that's great for the regional midget racers.
You're talking about two totally different arenas. You never answered the question about your allusion to a decreasing number of midget races in Indiana. There have not been many dirt midget races in Indiana since NAMARS folded. Why? Because there is no Regional midget series in Indiana like there is in Illinois/Missouri. USAC is a National Series - they don't and they should not have a "regular" track (such as POWRi's Little Belleville, or, to a greater extent, Badger's Sun Prairie). If there were a NAMARS-like body still around, maybe there would be a few more short-track races in the Indiana/Ohio area, but it's not USAC's job to fill your quota of a quarter-mile dirt midget race every weekend. They have plenty of other races to run (and not just in the midget division). From what I see, USAC has a decent (it still needs work) schedule of 33 midget races, including the three cornerstone, high-paying dirt midget races in the country. They have 21 dirt races on tracks small and large. |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Originally Posted by Kirk Spridgeon: |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Don,
Even I won't be drawn into a comparison of today's midget situation and the racism that existed in the deep south. One is a voluntary situation and I am pretty sure the other was not. Although since they have done a 360, I am sure the new administration will taking a close look at it. We went from tires to engines to now the promotors and the various fees. Not all of which I disagree with you on, but this is a voluntary class system that exists in racing because we all offer to be a part of it. I agree that it is not completely fair, but then others will say it's not fair that a guy who spends $1,000 on tires for the year is treated the same as the guy who spends $50,000. Of course you can make a very strong argument that $50,000 is absolutely rediculous. While I don't like the tire deal today, I will make the concession that it is actually more fair in many repects today because in the "Good 'Ol Days" many drivers and teams got tires that no one else could get. Not only could you not get them on discount, you couldn't get them period. The only way we where ever able to get them in the early '80's was when Bill could run consistantly up front and could give good feedback. Today you run into batch problems or tires being a little softer or harder due to curing time. To my knowledge though, they seem to be pretty fair and equal. I think you have a great set-up Don. I think that in many ways you do it for the right reason(you love to) and you do it smartly. I think that anytime you show up and race it's an asset to the sport. When you decide to quit, it will be a loss to the sport. If for some reason someone doesn't like a particular group or place where they race, then they should find somewhere else to fit in where they are more comfortable. I agree that Powri looks mighty comfortable these days. Let me ask you this and this is a legitimate question: How many races do you budget to race for a year and if the motors and tires where different, how many races would you think you could run then. I realize that this is somewhat hypothetical, but say a $10,000 motor and a $100 rr and $90.00 LR. Same purses, just lower costs. Also, What would have to be done for you to consider running pavement and at what size track would you say no to racing on? |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Originally Posted by DonMoore10: While we're counting, how many teams could "afford" to chase that POWRi midget championship? |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Originally Posted by LEADERS EDGE: |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Originally Posted by Kirk Spridgeon: |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
The state of Connecticut had 8 midget races last year. That's double the amount of Indiana. Spin it any way you want, that's just sad. :thumbsdown:
David. |
Re: Financial Adviser's Phone Number Please?
Sam Stockton is starting a "working mans sprint car series". Maybe when he gets it up and running he can start a "working mans midget division. :thumb
David. |
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