Indiana Open Wheel - View Single Post - Some Solutions for the Betterment of Midget Racing

Revolution Racing · 7/21/09, 11:09 AM

Mark,

You are a good man and you always put a real nice car on the track - I'll always have a lot of respect for you and what you do. And, I really don't think we are having much of a disagreement here. In fact, your team was a perfect example of what I'm talking about. I'll say it one more time - I really don't favor any kind of one-design engine formula for National Midgets. I'll define "National" as any group that can bring thier membership to Bellville or ORP and hang with the front runners. These days, any group that can do that has some members that don't mind spending a lot of money.

Now, we can talk all day about how to get to a point where guys can buy a wrecked Pinto at the junkyard, change the oil filter, and go win Bellville. I'm not sayin' I'm FOR that or AGAINST that - I'm just sayin' it ain't gonna happen. Ever. I don't make the rules - I just know what they are...

I did the focus program so that competitors - you and your son are a perfect example - could get INTO Midget Racing. I never meant for it to be the final destination, only the starting point. And, nobody can deny that for all its faults, the program got a whole lot of new drivers into the Midgets. Look at the finishing order of just about any Big Sprint or Midget race these days and you'll see that ~1/4 to 1/3 of the competitors graduated from the Focus division. That is all I ever intended the program to do.

Now this new engine program is something a little different. It offers a whole bunch more performance than the last one. But, I STILL don't see it as something that could/should replace the National division, or even be PART of it. Frankly, I don't WANT to be part of that mess...

You stated that you believed ALL Midget Racing, even regional, should be professional racing. Well, I agree with that too. But the reality - the cold hard facts - are that at this level, today, Professional regional Midget racing just does not pencil out. Much of the debate within this thread centers around ways to MAKE it pencil out. I believe there is more than one way to do it - my solution is just one of them.

Best of luck,

Keith

7/21/09, 11:09 AM	#72 Re: Some Solutions for the Betterment of Midget Racing
Revolution Racing Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 222	Mark, You are a good man and you always put a real nice car on the track - I'll always have a lot of respect for you and what you do. And, I really don't think we are having much of a disagreement here. In fact, your team was a perfect example of what I'm talking about. I'll say it one more time - I really don't favor any kind of one-design engine formula for National Midgets. I'll define "National" as any group that can bring thier membership to Bellville or ORP and hang with the front runners. These days, any group that can do that has some members that don't mind spending a lot of money. Now, we can talk all day about how to get to a point where guys can buy a wrecked Pinto at the junkyard, change the oil filter, and go win Bellville. I'm not sayin' I'm FOR that or AGAINST that - I'm just sayin' it ain't gonna happen. Ever. I don't make the rules - I just know what they are... I did the focus program so that competitors - you and your son are a perfect example - could get INTO Midget Racing. I never meant for it to be the final destination, only the starting point. And, nobody can deny that for all its faults, the program got a whole lot of new drivers into the Midgets. Look at the finishing order of just about any Big Sprint or Midget race these days and you'll see that ~1/4 to 1/3 of the competitors graduated from the Focus division. That is all I ever intended the program to do. Now this new engine program is something a little different. It offers a whole bunch more performance than the last one. But, I STILL don't see it as something that could/should replace the National division, or even be PART of it. Frankly, I don't WANT to be part of that mess... You stated that you believed ALL Midget Racing, even regional, should be professional racing. Well, I agree with that too. But the reality - the cold hard facts - are that at this level, today, Professional regional Midget racing just does not pencil out. Much of the debate within this thread centers around ways to MAKE it pencil out. I believe there is more than one way to do it - my solution is just one of them. Best of luck, Keith