Re: Racing tires! Midgets & sprints!
 

YOUR RIGHT! WITH ALL THIS TEENAGE DRIVERS YOU HAVE NOW HAVE THEM TAKE THERE CARS TO SCHOOL WITH SOME GREAT VIEDO! AND TAKE ABOUT SPRINT AND MIDGET RACING AND THEN WORK WITH THE PROMOTERS FOR A STUDENT PASS FOR $ 4-5 DOLLARS! SOLD AT THE SCHOOL! I WAS WITH JIMMY CARUTHERS AND RICK GOUDY WHEN AGGIE HAS US AT A HIGH SCHOOLS IN LONG BEACH AND ANAHEIM PROMOTING THE TURKEY NITE RACE WITH MIDGETS AND WE RUN THEM AROUND THE SCHOOL TRACK! VERY SLOW!!!!!!!!!!!:checkered:

Re: Racing tires! Midgets & sprints!
 

Agreed! There are other factors keeping fans out of the stands (like gas prices, too many other options, etc.) but I think the main issue is lack of promotion. When was the last time you heard a 30-second radio spot advertising the weekend's action at your local track? When was the last time you saw a flyer posted somewhere? When, if ever, have you seen a TV ad for a dirt race? And promotion doesn't even have to be on that scale; you can start with simple things like half off admission for a group of people, giveaway nights like baseball parks do, bands during intermission, etc.

I know Barhorst ran a TV commercial for his Kamp midget week show a couple years back, and someone said something about Helfrich doing radio ads down south, but the fact remains that promotion is a lost art. Sprint car racing is such a good product that it sells itself, but you've got to get new faces in the door that first time to get them hooked.

Re: Racing tires! Midgets & sprints!
 

I hate to see this go off-topic, because I still believe that the pavement tires need to be addressed.(Although when you see car counts like T-Nite, it's a hard argument to make. Might as well be fighting windmills)

That said, I agree with Duke. Too much of a good thing. Great for drivers wanting to make laps, but tough for racers and promotors wanting to make money.

We are also living in an age where people would rather "do" than "watch" and I can't blame them. The sport of racing is so diversified today with all of the different racing options that many of the people who would have been sitting in the stands on Fri.-Sun. are off racing something themselves or their kids are racing.

There are the rare days such as the sometimes rescheduled Oct. day race at Winchester when all of the other racers aren't racing and it's a nice Oct. day when you are reminded just how good the crowds can be. It is more of a mirage than anything because of the reschedule, but as a longtime fan it makes you feel good to see so many people enjoying the same thing you are.

Re: Racing tires! Midgets & sprints!
 

in reply to mr. moore's statement about ARDC not allowing esslingers and the bigger fontana...the 172 fontana and the rhino spec motor are not allowed. as far as the essingers, there is discussion about not allowing any overhead cam motors but as of now, the 155 is still legal. the rhino and the ST were voted down because of not having the ability to properly police the tech aspect of the motors.
ARDC is a working mans club...plain and simple. they try to keep a strong watch on costs and do what is best for the club and the racers. there is money being spent, but not at the rate of some of the more national level org's.
the difference, IMO, is that you dont need to run new tires every night out, or a new "national" engine because the majority of the tracks we run on are slicked up modified or late model tracks where horsepower isnt the most important thing.
since the club has grown over the past few seasons, there is more of a demand for bookings and the money is getting better...both are factors in the continual growth.
taking the wings off a few seasons ago has lead to more of a fan following and a very unique presence in an area where most everything else runs wings.
promoters and tracks are starting to promote ARDC races and are seeing the results pay off at the FRONT gate, which leads to them wanting more shows and the willingness to pay more for those shows.
i know this reply is not in direct response to the original post. it is more directed towards everything discussed in this thread and how, by not doing everything "the way usac does it", ARDC is one of the few clubs to be growing as others lose cars.

usac seems to control how all the sprint and midget groups do things, just like the world of outlaws seem to control all of the 410 winged sprint stuff around the country.
both usac and the WoO are controlled by a few well financed teams/manufacturers whose interest isnt the local 410 racer or the ARDC midget guy....their interest is to sell their products....so they leverage the org's to make things legal so they can make a nice profit but from where they sit all the way down, it costs everyone else more.....the ford focus series is the textbook on how the system works for those with influence....and also how those with influence took a perfectly good concept and series and destroyed it.
maybe its time for racers, teams, clubs and org's to stop worrying about usac's "guidelines" and worry more about how to get more cars in their pits or signing up with their club.....then promote the hell out of it locally. only then can you expect to be able to get the purses up. the best racing in the world doesnt mean a thing if there is no one there to see it.

Re: Racing tires! Midgets & sprints!
 

When was the Rhino voted down? Why was it voted down? It's a restricted motor with low RPM's. Whats the difference in the tech of a Esslinger ,Fontana or Gearte? Why not allow an overhead cam motor? To me it's all the same.

Don't think for one second that a new GB Series Gearte style isn't an expensive motor.

ARDC is a thriving club, but it is because they have found a place where they are unique. They run non-wing when no one else does. They also where lucky to have someone like Mike Miller who was willing to bring 3-5 cars to the races and run the club when it was in trouble and had low car counts.

I'm not saying that ARDC isn't on a good path as it is a great club, but too much regulation can back fire as well.

Re: Racing tires! Midgets & sprints!
 

I could not have said that any better!!! Congratulations on a GREAT POST!!!

This is the EXACT REASON that you haven't heard from USAC or any other midget organization on this subject.

Re: Racing tires! Midgets & sprints!
 

the rhino was voted down at the last rules meeting, a couple weeks ago.
the 2 issues were that SOME people claimed the motor was too fast, which it is, under the right conditions and the right setup under the car (discussed in my previous post) and that it would be a lot harder to tech due to it being sealed in 3-5 places...among other reasons. the opponents of this motor felt it would be to easy to cheat it up and reseal it. my thoughts are that if it starts to show a performance advantage on tracks where it is at a disadvantage, that would be a pretty good tip off that someone was playin dirty, but if it continued to run well on the slicked up, no bite tracks, it is doing what it was built to do.

there is a line of thinking regarding this and other motor issues that i wont get into here due to lack of space, but would gladly discuss on the phone with you, if you would like. nothing real dramatic or negative but it all goes back to trying to keep the playing field as close to level as possible within the club. IE...not allowing motors that would immediately obsolete anything currently being run (NEMA allowing esslinger XT's, for example)

mike miller did a fantastic job helping the club to get back on its feet. but the "burnout factor" became too much and he took some time off. it was nice to see him get back out with his daughters and run a few shows again this year.

"I'm not saying that ARDC isn't on a good path as it is a great club, but too much regulation can back fire as well."

absolutely! i dont attend the meetings very often because i hate the ******** of racing. i did go to the last one and it seems that most of the problems of the past year were discussed and measures taken to rectify. the biggest problem i see is that the club went from 16-17 cars per race to 25-35 and with it brought a lot more people, personalities and ideas to have to deal with and keep as happy as possible. showing again the importance of the saying "shut up and race"

Re: Racing tires! Midgets & sprints!
 

Just remember that the Esslinger XT is still cheaper than any Gearte, Mopar and Toyota.

Re: Racing tires! Midgets & sprints!
 

You can buy a new Sesco Mopar in the very low 20's. That's cheaper than all of them, I believe.

Re: Racing tires! Midgets & sprints!
 

Duke - That is the most intelligent thing I've ever heard you say.