USAC’s #1 job is not to be a training ground for a “pro” level. Their number #1 job is to do what is best for USAC. That means putting on the best racing they can to benefit USAC which in turn benefits the fans that come out. They are not to worry about helping to promote a driver to another series. If someone does move up racing with them, then that is great. Makes the series look good. However, they have to worry about their racing first and not worry about anything else. So “dropping dirt” doesn’t make any sense. That’s what is profitable and where the car count is now….and what the fans overall of USAC love the most.

I’ve said this once and I’ll say it again. The ONLY way a young open wheel driver gets into the IRL without a bunch of money is to get into Indy Lights first. NO team is going to hire a 20 year open wheel driver straight in….even if it was ALL ovals. Just not going to happen in these times. Even though most of them are better than the “foreign back markers who bring money” (no doubt there are too many of those), it’s still not going to happen. Lucas Wolfe has an Indy Lights deal for next year. We’ll see what he can do with it….

There is such a catch 22 right now. You need better TV ratings to get sponsors (meaning the team getting the sponsors and then hiring the driver they want). To get better TV ratings you need more American drivers that people can identity with. Those drivers aren’t hired because teams need drivers to bring sponsor money. American open wheel drivers don’t have sponsor money so they aren’t hired.

You can’t argue with who Penske and Ganassi have in their seats. It would be great to see Clausen in a Ganassi Indy Car, but he’s not better than the two in the seats right now. Two champions and two Indy 500 winners. I have no doubt Bryan would be good, but those two are as good as it gets, foreign or not. I also have little doubt open wheelers could be great road racers given time which is what it takes for a full time ride now. Unser Jr. was one of the best road racers of his era.

I think with Nascar not having many open seats anymore it can only help open wheel drivers move up in open wheel (not saying it will happen, but it can’t hurt). They are not all scooped up right away so maybe something can happen. I think the key is to get into Indy Lights and then hook up with a lower funded team and hope to impress. Hornish, Jr. worked at it and was able to do that. I would have been a shame for him not to have been in the IRL, champion and Indy 500 winner. There was an article in Speed Sport recently on Santos. He said basically everybody wants money to move up….Nascar too. Just sad….

They are missing on a lot of good drivers and it’s a shame. There is a way there, but it’s a hard and expensive road right now. Rick Mears would never be an Indy Car driver today…would have never gotten the chance. That would have been very sad….. Many others would have fit that category as well.