Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

I think longterm, this is fantastic news!
So happy for Davey, he is a great guy and will do a great job!

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

Back in the day, 60's USAC ran a stock car division. Remember some great racing at Indiana State Fairgrounds and the road course 250 at IRP. I know its wishful thinking but would be great to see again.

I cannot criticize USAC on this move. This is great news. There is hope after all. Now there is finally going to be someone running the racing side that actually knows something about racing.

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

This is huge! I can’t believe that there hasn’t been a bigger response to this. USAC can’t take an extra five minutes in the bathroom without somebody on this site complaining about it. And here it is, probably one if not the biggest thing to happen to open wheel racing this year and there are only three responses.

I had the pleasure to run Davy Hamilton’s King of Wings series last summer. I have to say he was great to work with and I really feel he treated everyone equal from the lowest dollar guy there (Me) to the biggest teams with the massive haulers and multiple cars. As a racer himself, he understands what it takes to get a car to the track every week.

Right now, I have more questions than answers. It said the press release that the KOW and the Auto Value Sprint Series will run under the USAC banner. Since we run with these series’, I’m sure that will mean changes in our racing program but right now I’m not sure how large or how small. But since our first race is in a month (April 10th in Pensacola, FL), I’m sure I’ll have some answers soon.

So I’ll say congratulations to Davey and I wish you well. And if I can give you one bit of advice, it would be to not listen to all the Negative Nelly’s. You know what’s right for short track, open wheel racing, just do it.

Tom Paterson
PDP Racing

So does that mean the pavement shows will pay 5 grand like the dirt?

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

I didn't see one critical post yet there are two post criticizing the critical posters?

WTH?

I'd say they are flying under the USAC banner to get the insurance and things offered by USAC, basic pay scale and things, without additional sponsorship, I don't see changing this soon.

I'm hoping Davey does good things and can help grow the USAC product to something bigger, but it all takes time Rome wasn't built in a day.

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

Charles,
I am of course speaking of the past. You must admit there has been a lot of critical posts in the past. Some of it justified, but in my opinion, quite a lot was not. I am very optimistic about the future and I hope everyone else is too.

Tom Paterson

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

one word...pavement. without such, usac is just another weekly show. usac championships used to mean versatility to tackle all types of courses,usually not less than half miles,for the sprint cars.

Awesome to have a former racer actually runnin the show, now usac has listened to our complaints about some things and if davey can fix some of our complaints, let's put butts in the seats and pack the grandstands, it's one way to show appreciation. More people show up, maybe the purse goes up, who knows? Bring a friend. All it took for me to be hooked was one time. One race and I was hooked

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

First Hillenburg and now Hamilton - all I can say is bravo USAC!:8::9:

I was raised on pavement since 1955 on AAA an USAC. I'm in the minority here, I know that. But Davey, please bring back pavement racing to USAC. It's where my heart is since the '50s.

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

Where does this leave the Must See Sprints? Will there be a Florida trip to run with Tampa Bay Auto Racing Association (TBARA)?

___________
Wes Stafford

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

w/o wings

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

Must See was not associated with the King of Wings or the Auto Value Super Sprints. And they did not have a race in Florida this year. Nothing should change with Must See because of this.

Tom Paterson

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

Yes, their stock car division was almost on an equal level with NASCAR back then. The races at IRP were originally 300 miles and they used the entire road course. They ran clockwise then, but they shortened the race to 250 miles and started running counterclockwise in either 1965 or 1966. I know for certain they did in 1966. I remember a car driven by Herb Shannon of Peoria, IL blowing it's engine on the main straight and hitting the flagman, John Shipman, then coming into the pit area, which was near the track, hitting and scattering parts and tools over a considerable area. My parents and I were standing near the chain link fence behind Paul Goldsmith's pit, and we were certainly shaken up by the experience. John Shipman was fortunate that he received only a leg injury.
In the 1964 race, every big name driver in USAC and NASCAR was there. That was the only time I got to see Fireball Roberts race. The race was on May 3, 1964, three weeks before he was burned during the World 600 at Charlotte, leading to his death on July 2, 1964. Fred Lorenzen won the race on May 3.
I believe USAC signed a do not compete clause when they finally disbanded the stock car division, but I cannot state that with 100% certainty. USAC ran stock cars up into the eighties, but they had switched to pony cars.
Some of the best stock car races I ever saw were put on by USAC at DuQuoin and Indianapolis.

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

Does anyone remember this discussion in the link below?....I certainly do!

https://www.indianaopenwheel.com/showthread.php?t=77359

I will be the first to be negative! I am NOT happy about the USAC sanctioning the AVSS and King of Wings races.

I don't care if it's for the sole purpose of obtaining insurance or the notoriety of the name "USAC"! The owners of the winged sprint cars are all going to pay for this.

In the past 15 years, they have done nothing but ruined pavement open wheel racing as we've known it. All 3 divisions! Why would we want them to take something that is working and "fix" it?

That's like giving a guy that has ran his business out of business, the control over his competitions business that has been doing well for years! Not a wise decision IMO!

I really hope I'm proven incorrect! I hope Davey is ready for the challenge he's facing.

Greed! The root of all evil!:7:

I'd love to have ossuks opinion on this....Bill, you listening?

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

This is great news for short track racing. Davey has the passion for the sport and sees all 4 corners of the square. from #1 family owning a race track in Idaho. #2 owning a series #3 being a competitor #4 owning race teams. The key is to keep it all connected. Remember Davey can't walk on water and is not going to change the state of short track racing over night. However if we all get behind him on this. If we are all passionate about the sport, and have NO negative comments on here it will be fine. Think of it this way, What about the person that has never been to a short track and people tell them all negative things about the place why would the person want to go there. So everyone if you truely love and have the passion for the sport you all will post or have positive comments.

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

Posted by SP motorsports on 5/27/14 at 1:15 pm in a thread that was named "Night before the 500:

I provide the following information for fact purposes only. Not to support any particular view. It has been stated that they are a non-profit which is a realm I make my daily living in. So here is some publicly available information that may or may not support some viewpoints.

According to their IRS form 990 for the fiscal year ended 11/30/2012

Total Revenue: $5,102,264

Total Salaries: $1,393,999

Total Expenses: $4,583,733

Revenue less expenses: $518,531

Total Net Assets: $2,249624

Reportable Compensation:

Kevin Miller $434,000
Jason Smith $95,000

Two main sources of revenue: (not a comprehensive list of all revenue sources)

Race Revenue: $3,013,203
Sponsorship Revenue: $1,530,502

*****All of this information was taken from a 29 page document that is public information.


Now I have a question for all of you.
This information was before Davey was brought on.
Who do you think is going to pay for this?

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

I started this thread about the hiring of Davey Hamilton not for somebody with an axe to grind. Can this thread be removed?

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

I appreciate your effort, Vukie; some people can't seem to see good news for what it is...

I posted that information last May to be factual financial information about USAC. I certainly hope it was not the poster's intent to bring it back up to malign USAC.

Also for the record, I enjoy USAC races more than any others. I think it is a great product for the fans.

I am excited to hear about Davey being given this opportunity and I wish him and USAC the absolute best!

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

Realize Must See is a separate entity. Just wondering if Hamilton might reach out to them, also. I was also wondering if USAC (under Hamilton) might schedule a trip south for the winged sprinters. I didn't make either points clear, Tom. Sorry.

___________
Wes Stafford

Actually, the King of Wings with support of the Auto Value Super Sprints have a race at Pennsacola, FL and Mobile, AL on April 10th and 11th. These were MSR dates last year.

Tom Paterson.

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

Always have been a huge USAC fan. So much so, that I dedicated over a decade of my life to trying to do something that would help keep competitors coming into USAC instead of losing them to other, dead-end series - that was why I worked so hard on the Focus Midget program. Very happy to see Davey coming on board, he's a really good guy. Unfortunately, it won't make any difference and you old timers reading this know it, and you know why.

USAC is top heavy with board members that nobody ever hears about - guys that contribute almost nothing to the organization or the sport but make the organization a crippling bureaucracy. They bring in bright, energetic guys like Davey and everybody gets all excited…. and then nothing happens. We've seen this over and over.

Davey - best of luck. Do the best you can but don't piss off the board. If you do it right you'll slide yourself into a cushy, do-nothing, six figure job at the top of the management ladder like JS. If you speak your mind they will chew you up and spit you out. It would be nice to think that there is a third option here, one where you actually could make some moves and get some things done. I know thats what some of the younger readers of this board are hoping. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see any structural changes in the organization that could facilitate that.

The rainmaker pulls in half a million dollars in exchange for making 1.3 million in sponsorship. Then the big dogs get fed. Then there's not enough left to even buy stickers. That is how it is.

:32:

Keith,
I agree with every word you said. 100%!
Thank you!

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

Team 3561... Sorry, I am over this,but Keith is spot on in his assessment of the structure at USAC! Last year I did want to inform competitors that while they were struggling to make it to the next event that the President of the organisation they were supporting was taking a cool $500,000 off the top !! Seems a few went wing racing... but most continue to spend their cash supporting 'The Detriot Retirement Fund".... Me, getting my poles ready for spring, playing with the grand kids, betting the horses, and really do not give 2chits what happens on West 16th Street.

I love usac racing and wish.davey the best. I hope within the next 5 years tony Stewart will continue to make us racing fans happy. He has put a lot of great things into the things we love. ( Eldora, non wing, wing, all stars, go carts , midgets and I could go on and on ) but hopefully he can come in and save the series we all love asphalt and dirt track racing. If someone could put some butts in the seats and get back to the racing events we all enjoy he could put a smile on a lot of promoters and racing teams and racing family faces. Hopefully soon he can put usac under his belt.

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

I am not sure what the point of the numbers is. Are you posting them telling us that Kevin Miller makes too much money or that USAC rewards him for bringing in sponsorship? Without the compensation plan and bonus structure, the numbers mean nothing. Who is to say that he is not underpaid?

I would bet an adult beverage that Kevin's compensation plan reads something like this: 25-35% of his take home pay is base salary, 15%-25% is based on an agreed performance plan (# of events, # of cars,# of tracks raced at, etc) 50% is based on sponsor dollars brought into the series and overall growth of the brand. If I told you that USAC paid their top executive ten cents on every dollar that he brings in for sponsorship, would that seem like a very good deal for USAC. If the top executive could bring in new classes that dramatically increased revenues, (quarter midgets, Off road), shouldn't he be rewarded for it?

I think most people really do not have a problem with the pay. They have a problem that it is not them getting paid.

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

No. No. Don't remove it. That would be the easy way out.

Time for me to chime in.

First off, I want to state that like dirt non-wing sprints. I like Silver Crown. I like midgets. Remember that from this line on down.

As for your initial post on this thread, you are boasting Davey Hamilton being a good thing for USAC. Okay, I'll buy in on that. But when you post a link that uses the terms "improving", "making better", and "USAC" in the same context, you are going to get an argument, it is going to be a good one, and it is going to get heated real fast.

USAC absolutely DESTROYED the Silver Crown Series. DESTROYED. They bought into NASCAR and were so stupid that they never even got kissed while they were being screwed.

USAC let the pavement sprints rot on the vine. ROT ON THE VINE. Blame it on the economy, blame it on Winchester trying to pave a track and change owners (losing the best track they had), blame it on what you want. ROTTED ON THE VINE. Inept foresight. They had SO many fans in 1992.

USAC has done about..... oh....... lets be nice and say they have done NOTHING to promote midgets. NOTHING. Enter POWRi midgets. USAC is lucky Wisconsin is far enough away that the Badger Midgets cannot run in Indiana weekly. Indiana is unlucky for that.

So, all three of the aforementioned divisions - BANG! BANG ! BANG! Shot dead. Well.... two are nearly dead. Only one (pavement sprints) were confirmed by the coroner (fans) a few years ago.

Now, USAC is going to basically take over AVSS. Well that's great. Just great. USAC fans are generally anti-wing. This just looks like another mess coming up. I will have to hand it to Davey Hamilton to get his winged sprints thing in there and grab some cash to boot. He isn't as slick as Gene Simmons was with the IRL, but I still have to hand it to hi to get something for himself up front.

Want to talk dirt sprints? Let's go. A great series! Great cars! We all love it here! I love it. You love it. He loves it. She loves it. But where is the promotion?

Go to a WoO race and they have maybe 13-14-15 cars touring all year long. The rest are locals joining the show - filling out the field. But everywhere they race, the joint is PACKED. PACKED! People KNOW what a WoO show is.

Another point - I went down to East Bay a few weeks ago and ASCS had 67 cars there. 67! When was the last time you saw 67 USAC sprinters in the pits - ON A THURSDAY NIGHT? Hell, the All Stars outdraw USAC! Even outside of Ohio. Guy Webb or not. Now, with Stewart owning/promoting it, THAT gap will only widen.

Kokomo, Bloomington, Lawrenceburg, and Gas City (the past few years) have CARRIED non-wing dirt sprints in Indiana. Not USAC - Kokomo, Bloomington, Lawrenceburg, and Gas City with their weekly shows. You can pitch the USAC ball but I am not going to swing at it.

There are a couple of guys on this thread that when they speak, you ought to listen to them - Tom Paterson and Team 3521. These two guys have a vested interest in pavement sprint racing. Whether they are pro or con with respect to your post, stop and listen to them. They are both good guys.

But my point here is, when you post something with a link, that link is open for all to comment. I like my non winged sprints as much as my winged sprints, but I will not drink the USAC Kool-Aid, nor will I push the USAC "I Believe" button.

I wish Davey Hamilton the best, but the initial poster has to realize that said post has a lot more than "USAC is so smart - Let's clap for Davey!"

Money distribution and payment to the heads of the board aside.

In conclusion, four things:

1) DESTROYED
2) LET DIE ON THE VINE
3) CANNOT/WILL NOT PROMOTE
4) And now they are taking on winged pavement sprints

I am out of breath.

As one would say on Robin Miller's racer.com column - Thanks for the rant.

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

I bet if you can get USAC a million and a half dollar sponsor they would give you the same cut Kevin Miller gets

Stevensville Mike,
EXCELLENT POST!
I will agree with everyone of your words again. 100%!
Thank you!

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

I will disagree with some of your comments and a couple other comments are just flat wrong.

I know that I am in the minority on what USAC did with Silver Crown cars, but I think that was a risk that they had to take. If the new cars would have succeded, the Silver Crown division could have carried the rest of the brand. New cars, New markets, racing at NASCAR facilities, potential pipeline for NASCAR drivers and sponsors. It was a risk that I think was worth taking. It was deffinitely a swing for the fences for the Silver Crown cars.

You definitely have not been keeping up with the Badger midget series. They have had a rougher time lately than USAC. Thier car counts have been so problematic that they have changed to a completely different motor package to try to bring back cars.

WOO is special because it is an event. If you want to see Steve Kinser, you better get out to the track because the WOO is only in town once a year. Wingless sprints in Indianna is a saturated market. If you want to see your favorite non wing driver, you are going have multiple changes this month to do so. Hell, maybe multiple chances in one weekend. Having a strong weekly show is both a positive and a negative.

You obviously have not been keeping up with the ASCS National Series. They are having a ton of issues as well. The health of ASCS is a constant topic on Hoseheads.

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

:44:

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

see mr. helburg's post.

I will have to assume that it is correct Mr. Miller quite possibly is compensated for his fundraising efforts. I have read this and heard this for the last 2 years since we got involved in midgets and sprints.
If this is truly why he is compensated the amount of money stated, it is proof to me that USAC is not being ran as a business that plans on being around for a long time to come.
Paying any employee based only on their "sales" is at a minimum wreckless and foolish. You can sell to your heart is content. If you don't turn a profit on the work you sell what good are the sales?
If his compensation had been structured based on overall performance, I would be willing to bet there would be alot more effort put in to running USAC as a business. This would start with taking care of your customers. That list is long as I believe their customers include owners, drivers, promoters, and the fans that make all of this possible.

Well Said, this is the best post I've read on here in a long time.

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

"Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo."
H. G. Wells

https://www.citizenaudit.org/3509703...90O_201311.pdf

Re: Hamilton Named USAC Executive Director
 

Well that's appropriate I guess: USAC defended by a quote from a socialist fiction writer.