Its sad whats happen to sprint car racing
 

Back in my day 1979 we raced east bay non- wing as it should be!!!!! They had 125 sprint cars qual. Every night! For 3 nights! Drivers like s kinser r shuman d wolfgang the swindells ferkel allen smith anderson saldana sheldon kinser at the time the best from coast to coast! By the way for my fans i started 6th in sat a-main and finnished 14th! Was up too 2nd and blisterd a new rr after winning my heat 3 nights in a row the only usac driver to make the a main!!!!! Ok my point is now we have 32 cars there? Why? Whos fault is it? Back then we had $5000 steel engines $ 80 rr i know its 2010 so just think how all this happen and what needs to get back there!:22:

Re: Its sad whats happen to sprint car racing
 

Do you know what the purses were at the time? I punched numbers into an inflation calculator (yeah; I'm a dweeb). The RR wasn't too far off ($80 in 1979=$234 in 2008, although that obviously doesn't take into account the tire's longevity). The engine cost definitely isn't close though ($5000 in 1979=$14,643, again, not taking into account legitivity). Do you have any purse numbers from back then, or any insight as to how many races a RR lasted in '79 vs. today, and how long engines were lasting in 1979 vs. today?

Re: Its sad whats happen to sprint car racing
 

Super Duke.............I'm a Lee Kunzman fan from way back and it is sad that USAC ruined their deal. Back in the day USAC was filled with "Characters"..........Kunzer, Saldana, Sessions, Puterbaugh, Olivero, Beale, Cassella, Sheldon, Astone, Walkup, Chassey, Gary B..........and of course the "Super Duke" and many many others..........I used to look froward to USDAC coming to my hometown of Reading, PA to watch you guys race........but now its just a bunch of rich kids driving for their dads or rich parents buying rides for their kids...........and then the few who love the sport trying to make it without $$$$$$$.

I long for the good old days !!!!!

Re: Its sad whats happen to sprint car racing
 

I personally think 32 cars in todays economy is pretty damn good.

Re: Its sad whats happen to sprint car racing
 

Please check your calendar, It's not 1979. There are many things (probably thousands) in this world that are not the same as they were 31 years ago.:17:
Just a crazy thought!!;)

If you are not happy with any of these said things, stay away or distance yourself from them!!!!!!!! PLEASE

Originally Posted by Geoff Kaiser:
I personally think 32 cars in todays economy is pretty damn good.

I believe Super is referring to the 79 Winternationals(???) I'd love to read that entry list top to bottom.

I wonder what they paid for tow money back then. 100 cars not making the show costs somebody something. Was it the promoter or the racers?

I hope the promoter had Knoxville type stands to hold all the fans it takes to adequately pay all those cars.

Of course, I can't understand why that kind of success would keep USAC away for 30 years.
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Re: Its sad whats happen to sprint car racing
 

Duke's right-

population is growing, 35 million + since 1979, yet the car counts are dropping. So is attendance.

Those seats you see outside the track are to be filled, making it profitable. Giving you a place to run.


You sir, may be better off withan SCCA club car where spectator attendance is not an issue.

---------- Post added at 06:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:14 PM ----------

Car count and attendance go hand in hand--more moolah from the stands and concessions-more moolah fo' the racers.
Filtered by your popular local promoter of course.:2:

Re: Its sad whats happen to sprint car racing
 

Originally Posted by itsanonwingthing:
Please check your calendar, It's not 1979. There are many things (probably thousands) in this world that are not the same as they were 31 years ago.:17:
Just a crazy thought!!;)

If you are not happy with any of these said things, stay away or distance yourself from them!!!!!!!! PLEASE

That's right, chase fans away because they see problems and bring them to light. Problems that show just how bad racing has gotten with costs, interest, and competitiveness.

Superduke has some very interesting and often "right on" posts. Too bar the powers that be won't actually look at them and fix them properly instead of throwing money at BS things like RPM limiters.

Remove the exotice metals, mandate tires be made to last longer (hard compounds) and force chassis's to be universal.

Do you think I should distance myself from racing now because I agree with Superduke?

Re: Its sad whats happen to sprint car racing
 

Originally Posted by gene franckowiak:
super duke.............i'm a lee kunzman fan from way back and it is sad that usac ruined their deal. Back in the day usac was filled with "characters"..........kunzer, saldana, sessions, puterbaugh, olivero, beale, cassella, sheldon, astone, walkup, chassey, gary b..........and of course the "super duke" and many many others..........i used to look froward to usdac coming to my hometown of reading, pa to watch you guys race........but now its just a bunch of rich kids driving for their dads or rich parents buying rides for their kids...........and then the few who love the sport trying to make it without $$$$$$$.

I long for the good old days !!!!!

your 100% right! Lee and i had a apartment in indy for several years! Neat guy good friend and a great driver!!!!!!!!!!!!!:9:

---------- Post added at 06:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:17 PM ----------

Originally Posted by short track scott:
i believe super is referring to the 79 winternationals(???) i'd love to read that entry list top to bottom.

I wonder what they paid for tow money back then. 100 cars not making the show costs somebody something. Was it the promoter or the racers?

I hope the promoter had knoxville type stands to hold all the fans it takes to adequately pay all those cars.

Of course, i can't understand why that kind of success would keep usac away for 30 years.
posted via mobile device

no tow money!! You raced for it!!!!!!!!!!! It was a woo race!

Re: Its sad whats happen to sprint car racing
 

East Bay Raceway Park - Winter National preliminary,Tampa, FL
Date of Race: 2/7/1979
A Feature
1: Wolfgang, Doug (20 - Trostle) 2: Williamson, Kramer (41 - Karwaski) 3: Carson, Shane (6 - French) 4: Pitzer, Paul (29 - Weikert) 5: Beaber, Johnny (3x - Kemenah)
East Bay Raceway Park - Winter National preliminary,Tampa, FL
Date of Race: 2/8/1979
A Feature
1: Anderson, Johnny (21 - Woodruff) 2: East, Bob (4c - Cook) 3: Wolfgang, Doug (20 - Trostle) 4: Kinser, Steve (11) 5: May, Dub (28)
East Bay Raceway Park - Winter National preliminary,Tampa, FL
Date of Race: 2/9/1979
A Feature
1: Shuman, Ron (721 - Mecom/Kalb) 2: Kinser, Steve (11) 3: Anderson, Johnny (21 - Woodruff) 4: James, Lee (15) 5: East, Bob (4c - Cook)
East Bay Raceway Park - Winter Nationals,Tampa, FL
Date of Race: 2/10/1979
A Feature
1: Wolfgang, Doug (20 - Trostle) 2: Anderson, Johnny (21 - Woodruff) 3: Ferkel, Rick (0 - Daugherty) 4: Shuman, Ron (721 - Mecom/Kalb) 5: Kinser, Steve (11) 6: James, Lee (15 - Pettet) 7: Williamson, Kramer (41 - Karwaski) 8: Carson, Shane (6 - French) 9: East, Bob (4c - Cook) 10: Brooks, Mike (12 - Annett) 11: Marshall, Bobby (19) 12: Smith, Randy (43 - Graham) 13: Pitzer, Paul (29 - Weikert) 14: Cook, Duke (6 - Siebert) 15: May, Dub (28) 16: Mack, Don (4 - Howells) 17: Daniels, Ronnie (38) 18: Gray, Terry (10) 19: Smith, Robert (3) 20: Saldana, Joe (70 - Snell) 21: Beaber, Johnny (3x - Kemenah) 22: Nichols, Rick (32 - Haines) 23: Kinser, Bob (65 - Shields) 24: Allen, Bobby (1a)

This is from http://www.openwheeltimes.com, I was only about one and half years old back then. Where does Eck get all of these results from?