I agree with Dick. The poll answers don't correspond with the question and is very confusing at first.

I was at Eldora in October of 1973. The grandstands were not in the best of moods to begin with. We had just witnessed Eastern sprint car driver Carl Bergvisdt(sp) crash to his death and it cast a pall on the proceedings that day. Shortly thereafter the announcement came over the loud speaker that, in so many words, USAC was banning the rear-engined sprint car from competition starting in 1974. The result of the announcement was a huge ovation from the crowd, a larger cheer then the winner of the feature reecived. According to those in attendence it was the right call then. I think it is still the right call.

I've heard from those ad nauseam who think USAC screwed up and short track fans are following a dying form of racing. I am one of those who this mindset think am stuck in the 1960s. But here's the scenerios I see what might have happened if USAC would have left well enough alone. The pavement portion of USAC sprints would suffer because the less affluent car owners would not fork over $$$ for a pavement rear-engined sprinter. The upright non-wing sprinter would have become a museum piece or converted into WoO winged sprinters. Eventually half-mile tracks like Eldora and THAT would become paved race tracks. My firm belief of what would not happen is the road to Indy would not be kept open to the short track guys. The formula car set has a way different philosophy, not the least of which is the dream that Indy Car racing being an American F1 series with lots of international flavor. "How much money can you bring" would have still happened. Young Jeff Gordon would have still been shunned. No matter what USAC did, it would not have mattered much. CART was all about control and in 1978 they got their chance to do so.

As far as "Yes a ban in the regular division, but should have set up a seperate division" this was tried a couple times by USAC. Mini-Indy brought Tom Bagley, Howdy Holmes and others but apparently not long-lasting success. Later F2000 went the same way.

I will take USAC, warts and all, over a failed CART and a possible financially strapped IRL any day.