I just wanted to also state that I am in no way bashing the promoters or sanctioning bodies as well. I am just stating my opinion and answering questions. Anyone that know's me know's when you ask me a question you get my my honest answer, no beating around the bush, like a Jack Hewitt approach. Like I said earlier the promoters are only being good business men. That is what they are in business for to make every dime they can. How can you blame anyone for running there business the right way. I for one can see in the future that things will change for them though if they don't stop and see what is coming ahead. Please no one take offense to what I am going to say. I do not begrudge anyone for having more than I and would spend my money for my son to race with the best I could afford. But here is what scares me, the future. Where is the next Dave Darland, Jon Stanbrough, Jack Hewitt and so on going to come from. How many guys are really getting in to this sport to race sprint cars? Please anyone correct me if I am wrong, but I believe very few. I believe that if most of the drivers of todays youth movement do not make it to either NASCAR or IRL by the time they are 21 that most of them will be done with sprint cars. We have already lost Hockett, Clayton, and Hessert. I decided not to use names but you can fill them in how many of the dad's do you really think that will keep funding sprint cars spending 100s of thousands of dollars a year for there kid just to run sprint cars. Once the dream of NASCAR is over they are gone. We all know that the kid will probably want to stay and drive but where are they gonna find a ride. Dickie Gaines a proven winner and has had a hard time just finding a ride. There are really only a few rides out there. Now we hear that Stewart is scaling back to a 1 car team and Kahne is down to Sweet and they are running just as much wing as non wing. So what teams out there are hiring drivers the Hoffmans, Stewart, Kahne, Fox, Eddison, Gorbic, Dallas Mullvaney, Pottorff, Hurst, Tate, Benic, Hazen, Truckers and I know I am missing a few but that is not very many teams paying drivers to drive. I am telling you if we do not watch out down the road it is only going to be a driver development series with no veterans to compare them to. I may be way off base but this is just my opinion. You do have guys that just want to race sprint cars and that is all they want to do. But they are the ones that have a hard time getting the rides that are available. Look at Scotty Weir he will drive the wheels off a car and would love probably to make a career out of this but has struggled just go get a ride. Until purses go up where car owners can afford to hire drivers we are not going to see this problem change. Also for teams like the Niflis's until purses go up how long can they hang on? Not very long the cost keeps going up but the money keeps staying the same. I said it a few years ago and I will say it again it will catch up to us I just hope that the promoters and sanctioning bodies are smart enough to start now and try to take care of the problem instead of waiting until it happens. I only say these things because I love sprint car racing and i want to see it succeed to me this has got to happen for it to suceed in the future. The only other alternative is to lower the cost but you still have not fixed how the drivers can make a living when you do that. Best case scenario increase purse and lower the cost.
