I honestly haven't the inclination to read the hundred and forty so posts on this subject. I have spoken to some of the folks here about the "What ifs" in the past and I am not a competitor who is financially-affected by any of this. But I hear and read often of the "(such and such) admitted their mistake and has moved on"-declaration, used above with regards to USAC and the apparent debacle at Mr. Barhorst's event. What has to be taken at full face-value is not only that the fans as well reach a point where they face a tipping point and "move on", but the fact that for many this "moving on" is irreversible..
For every fan who moves away from regular race attendance then eventually returns to select events that hold a special place for them, there are an equal number of fans who just Move On. As in: Go Away. Many draw a line in the sand, see it crossed, and turn their backs. Others approach a routine event, see something so unforeseen, amateurish and irresponsible that they find themselves almost surprised to say "Never Again!" on their way home, or in the days after.
From a fan's perspective, occurrences, events or debacles whittle away the tracks, races or sanctioning bodies that a fan feels willing to support. For myself, I've never returned to an Eldora winged event since I left before seeing Jason Sides take the checkered flag at The King's Royal some years back in the most offensive tire-eating travesty I've been subjected to. Similarly, when Farmer City had midgets shredding their tires at a ridiculous rate at a race around the turn of the century, I Q-Tipped away the debris from that track and haven't gone back.
There are quite simply too many occasions where USAC has fundamentally offended/betrayed/disappointed fans in the many decades in which it has dominated the traditional sprint scene, and the decision to abandon an entity that seemingly abandoned them cannot be marginalized or reversed. The consequences of causing this kind of fan upheaval is that these former fans find other alternatives and become loyal to them.
As much as this appeal to the creativity and suggestions of the rabid fans of open wheel that inhabit IOW may be well-intentioned and somewhat progressive, the genie is out of the bottle here. Re-acquiring a large fan base would take a sea-change of every kind of involvement in open wheel: Greater affordability of cars and equipment; Greater participation of lucrative sponsorship; Significantly diminished admission cost, particularly to full families; Greater care provided to track surfaces to ensure action-filled events; Shortened durations of racing programs (perhaps fewer underclasses, by consequence); Improved facilities(restrooms),Improved interaction at earlier hours between fans and teams......
Can ANY of this happen? Can MOST of it happen? What domino would have to fall first? Sponsorship holds the obvious Master Key to all the other locks, but what incentive is there for high dollar sponsors to indulge what appears to be a sport with an ever-decreasing fanbase? TV can't happen without sponsorship, but without TV, where is the sponsorship incentive? Must there come a figure like a Forrest Lucas, Tony Stewart, Humpy Wheeler or Bruton Smith who simply says "I will prop up this sport on my money and effort and force it back into the limelight"?
That pie-in-the-sky scenario seems silly on its face, but the notion that a coordinated effort can be orchestrated throughout the racing community to limit costs and synchronize a cooperative towards a greater good is every bit as silly.
Tradition will NEVER offset what is known (in some cases, ironically) as progress and the "tradition" of progress is ever-increasing costs, and regress is punishable by irrelevance and fiscal death. The fate of Manzanita Speedway is a grim testament to the power of the bottom line. It is unimaginable that Terre Haute is not going to suffer the same fate, so catch it while you can. Every time you attend a race at an event and notice new residences in view of the facility you can begin the countdown to extinction.
Many among us have seen the zenith, the glory days of this sport. In terms of relevance, in terms of financial rewards and in terms of fan support. Many will continue to provide their limited financial support through attendance and enthusiasm, despite expecting to live long enough to witness the near-extinction of the sport as it is currently recognized.
I support all progressive thinking and clever ideas that would bring stability and opportunity to teams that deserve them and most of all, the Drivers. The ONLY constant throughout all of the eras is the unwavering competitive spirit, will, bravery and extraordinary resilience of the drivers themselves. From Ray Harroun through Wilbur Shaw and AJ Foyt to Jan Opperman and Bubby Jones and Steve Kinser through Bryan Clauson and all his contemporaries. This isn't a steroid-driven sport or a physical specimen-filled league. Lloyd Ruby likely couldn't have vertically-leaped over a carton of cigarettes, long-side down. But nobody would bring a watch to Tony Stewart's attempt at a 100-meter dash, either; they'd bring a book to read.The drivers haven't gotten bigger or faster, stronger or less-given over to "vice". They haven't demonstrably changed as characters or heroes, as talents or enigmas. Jesse Hockett could jump into Jud Larson's seat today and Brad Sweet would fit nicely into Mario Andretti's. They'd race cause they do.
It's the cars that have gotten faster, the crowds that have gotten smaller, the bills that have gotten bigger. The dangers are the same type, just far fewer thanks to equipment safety and recuperative medical advances. I am pulling for the drivers and the fans in this economic grind that limits us all. Whether a sanctioning body survives, particularly one as rudderless and mistake-prone during so many critical eras and decisions as USAC has often been, is of next-to-no concern to the greater narrative.
I'll still go to Bloomington for The Sheldon, to Kokomo for Midget Week, to Oskaloosa for the two nights of Challenges and to Eldora for the (three or) Four Crown. Hopefully, I'll be able to afford to attend the Perris Oval Nats. They all deliver Bang For The Buck. And my buck is one that you'd better be willing to bang hard for. USAC...How Hard Are You Willing To Bang For My Buck? I know with total certainty how hard the Drivers are willing to bang for it. How hard are you?