Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

I snagged this from the TJSlideways.com Facebook page...

TJSlideways.com

Curt Cavin from the Indianapolis Star reports Honda will become the new title sponsor of the United States Auto Club midget car series. More to come on this story!

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

I'm fine with it if it's manditory that 5/6 guys get a shot at Indy each year..... Make it a rule. :23:

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

Originally Posted by openwheelKT:
I'm fine with it if it's manditory that 5/6 guys get a shot at Indy each year..... Make it a rule. :23:

How about guys that are 5/7 or even taller:D

Sorry about being a smart **. But here I am stuck in a motel room still pi** off about driving 180 miles to get rained out last night and looking at cloudy skies and the same possibility tonight.:13:

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

This outta torch off some interesting speculation LOLLLL !!!!!!

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

There is only one Honda Midget engine and that is run by Jake Swanson out here in California. All indications are that this will be for the IGNITE Midgets to replace Ford.

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

They'll have to call it the Honda USAC Midget "Dirt" car series next year.

USAC is trying to kill all of their pavement series... Look at the drivers that have bailed from the very famous race "The night before the 500" midget race at what I still call IRP.
These guys like Bobby East, Bryan Clauson, Billy Wease, Coondog, etc....are all at the Little 500 this year because the writing is on the wall. Pavement Midgets are just about as good as dead! And I blame it completely and solely on USAC, 100%!
They did it with the Sprint car series and now with midgets and Silver Crown cars next.

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

Originally Posted by StevenBlakesley:
There is only one Honda Midget engine and that is run by Jake Swanson out here in California. All indications are that this will be for the IGNITE Midgets to replace Ford.

Yep - Have to hand it Chris and Jake. They busted their butts to get Jake his 1st ever USAC Feature Win at Santa Maria. It was also their 1st USAC race with the new "K" Honda engine.

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

"But maybe the biggest part of the deal - it's Honda's desire to help a USAC champion so that they can attempt to make the 2016 Indy 500 field. It's early in the process, so there are not a lot of specifics on HOW that will be done. That said, it sounds like it will be a very good continuation of the program that Randy Bernard started with Bryan Clauson."

TSO Press Release

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/H...id=Bz8aq3y0dWo

I don't see how adding another factory sponsored engine program to compete with will help the midget division. But, hey, sponsorship dollars talk.

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Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

Looks like National, Ignite, 1/4 Midgets....No mention of Western States Midgets were A Honda is actually running ?

http://hondanews.com/channels/corpor...ership-program

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

This announcement is getting national coverage.
https://www.google.com/#output=searc...w=1280&bih=602

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

" Honda K- and F-series engines, also supplied by HPD, are currently being utilized by individual teams in the USAC National Midget Series "

Who runs HPD Hondas in the National Midget Series ?

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

Originally Posted by SpfldMile:
I don't see how adding another factory sponsored engine program to compete with will help the midget division. But, hey, sponsorship dollars talk.

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It depends on what kind of "help" you are looking for. If it's to help grow it, that's a 50/50 gamble at best. If it's help to kill it, well then USAC has probably hit a long fly ball way back into right field. It will probably turn into another Ignite Ethanol fuel mandate fiasco.

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

This might stir up a hornets nest ?

Honda will be the official engine supplier of USAC's National Midget, Ignite Midget (which will be renamed Honda Midget) and the .25 Midget series.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/05/23...#storylink=cpy

Originally Posted by Roy Bleckert:
" Honda K- and F-series engines, also supplied by HPD, are currently being utilized by individual teams in the USAC National Midget Series "

Who runs HPD Hondas in the National Midget Series ?

Swanson. Not sure if Cody or Jake.

Fact is...it hauls @ss, lasts for many shows, and you can buy parts off shelf

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Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

Originally Posted by jontheturboguy:
Swanson. Not sure if Cody or Jake.

Fact is...it hauls @ss, lasts for many shows, and you can buy parts off shelf

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IIRC Jake has run them in Western States, is he running the National series ?, I was wondering who was running them on the National Circuit

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

Does this mean that current owners have to junk their engines and buy a new Honda?

Originally Posted by Dick Monahan:
Does this mean that current owners have to junk their engines and buy a new Honda?

Problably...Kevin Miller already re-wrote the rule book to let Gary Stantons new motor in...why not make it easy for Honda too...Money talks after all with the "New" USAC...

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Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

You can bet that Gary Stanton has been anointed by Kevin to be part of the Honda program. Read into that what you want.

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

We debuted our Honda motor in the Illini series at Rockford in 2011 but had some driveline issues and went back to the Focus for 2012. Fred Teer Sr. ran a similar 2 liter motor in the IRS in 2012; my driver Jason Allen even drovecar #54 at the DuQuoin indoor. The 2.4 K motor will be a worthy successor to the Focus motor. Personally, I'd like to see the Ignite series be open to all 2.4 liter dohc production motors. The Honda guys are big boys, a little competition won't bother them.
In fact, it was Honda that insisted IndyCar have more than one motor supplier so it wouldn't be out of character for them to insist that other motors continue to race in "their" series.
Lets be honest, the specially built midget motors have priced the blue collar racer out of the sport. A great DOHC OEM based motor can be built for around $11,000 including all the racing parts needed to make around 325 HP. The OEM core can then be replaced for $5 or 6 grand after 40 or 50 races. That won't win races against the specialty built $30,000/2.7 liter 375 hp motors that need rebuilding every 10 races. Whatever is done, it will ding some wallets and light up this board.

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

Sneek Peak at the 2013 Honda Triple X D33 midget coming out of the Quick Racing Products shop in the near future. Look for talented drivers such as Brett Anderson,Chase Stockon,Chase Briscoe,Hunter Schuerenberg,Bubba Altig to name a few that will pilot this car on the dirt bullrings of the POWRi Series. Jim Stewart of Stewart Engines in Indy has been behind the development of this package. Jim has already had success with Todd Bertrand winning in the NEMA series with this package this year. Look for Todd to be at IRP Saturday. We've been working with Jim the past couple years putting together a nice clean new cost effective package to bring to the midget racing community.

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

Originally Posted by Davis33:
Sneek Peak at the 2013 Honda Triple X D33 midget coming out of the Quick Racing Products shop in the near future. Look for talented drivers such as Brett Anderson,Chase Stockon,Chase Briscoe,Hunter Schuerenberg to name a few that will pilot this car on the dirt bullrings of the POWRi Series. Jim Stewart of Stewart Engines in Indy has been behind the development of this package. Jim has already had success with Todd Bertrand winning in the NEMA series with this package this year. Look for Todd to be at IRP Saturday. We've been working with Jim the past couple years putting together a nice clean new cost effective package to bring to the midget racing community.

If I was Honda, and was backing midget racing, I'd be doing POWERi, where the racing is.

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

Originally Posted by Dick Monahan:
Does this mean that current owners have to junk their engines and buy a new Honda?

That would be a yes for the Ignite midgets. The ignite series is already on life support so now they are introducing a new "spec" engine program. That will really help car counts. A few years ago they wanted to return to combo cars only but dropped that as too many people would have pavement cars that were rendered useless. But apparantly having to buy a completely new engine program will be fine.

As far as the national midgets another engine supplier in the mix is not a bad thing.

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

#1

I thought i read that before ford got in with the focus that honda was orginally approached to be the spec midget series engine.

As mentioned, i would like to see a spec engine seies based on production engines. There are all of these spec series out there with ecotech, speedstr, etc, it would be awesome if there was a standard.

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Thank you Mr. Davis!! His comments above are by far some of the most factual statements on this post. I myself have known and worked with Jim Stewart of Stewart Engines for nearly a decade. I consider Jim a mentor and great friend having worked for Jim for many years. Jim himself has nearly 25 years of professional engine development and construction. Jim is not a proponent of self promotion that's why I have taken upon myself to write this post. Stewart Engines has worked on the development of this engine, the Honda "K" Series Engine
for many years now. And is by far not only the most knowledgeable engine builder in the country on this engine but arguably the planet. Stewart Engines has multiple wins in the NEMA National Midget Series in addition to wins this past winter overseas in New Zealand. This weekend Stewart Engines will once again power the #39 USAC National Midget in the "Night Before The 500" for the second year in a row. Not only is this engine capable of putting your midget into "Victory Lane". The best part about this engine combination is the fact that you can purchase this engine at a fraction of the cost compared to the competition. We at Stewart Engines are very excited to have the opportunity to compete with the Honda "K" series engine this year in the POWERI SERIES with our customer Jeff Davis. POWERI A National Dirt Midget Series that has been very receptive to the idea of an affordable, competitive midget engine. Kind of a no brainer from the sanctioning bodies perspective. More affordable engines, more competitors, better racing, more fans equals more money for the sanctioning body. In closing I would like to say GOOD LUCK!! to our Stewart Engines team competitors in they're upcoming events this weekend and for weekends to come throughout the summer. For more information on the "K" Series Midget Racing Engine you can email Jim Stewart at stewartengines@msn.com or my self Joe Warfield Jr. at jrwarfield@sbcglobal.net

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I may have missed this but what is the cost of one of the new Honda engines???

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Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

Originally Posted by KMS2683:
That would be a yes for the Ignite midgets. The ignite series is already on life support so now they are introducing a new "spec" engine program. That will really help car counts. A few years ago they wanted to return to combo cars only but dropped that as too many people would have pavement cars that were rendered useless. But apparantly having to buy a completely new engine program will be fine.

The Focus Series should never have gotten away from that but that is another topic for another thread.

Originally Posted by :
As far as the national midgets another engine supplier in the mix is not a bad thing.

I am not so sure about this. Over the years when a new engine supplier joined midget racing, it has only increased the costs of racing andd right now, those costs are so high as it is that racing is suffering and we see a drop in car counts. Any which way you want to slice it the fact still remains this: high costs equal lower car counts and lower car counts equal low attendance. Fix the cost aspect and you will see growth. Since Honda is coming in, then what needs to be done is that all engine suppliers need to be held to a fixed price on their engines. That is sort of along the lines as what is used in Indycar except that in USAC (or any other series) the teams still own the engines and they are responsible for rebuilds and all parts. That isn't the way the Indycar series does their engine as far as ownership and rebuild responsibilities. This will be interesting to see how two or three years from now it looks to see if it works out or sputters and falls apart.

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

I know :deadhorse: but engine cost and rebuild cost every 10 -20 races is what is keeping us from going to the next level. WE WANT TO real bad. I guess we will have to :44:

Re: Honda USAC Midget Car Series in 2014?
 

Reading the release, I see nothing in USAC's decision to go with honda as a "sponsor" that benefits the competitor. I see new car's and ATV's for the hard workers at the office. Ignite midgets have to buy a whole new motor, i.e. "motor sales" The rule book was changed to get the mopar overhead cam legal and will be changed until the honda is a "winner" at the competitors expense. The rules were already changed recently for this motor, more to come for sure. Another personal gain for K. Miller, NOT the sport!! These guy's are one not to follow. Ask yourself when was the last decision USAC made that benefitted the sport, not themselves??