Quote:
Originally Posted by indycar45
Don has made it a point to NOT conflict with any of the USAC Regional Series races at the Speedrome. I am sure USAC would not have extended the same courtesy since their intent is to stomp out each and every club that even remotely threatens to compete with them. This is in effect a continuation of the series started by Don 4 or 5 years ago. USAC effectively thumbed their noses at this series mid 2009 when Don wanted to combine the Focus and Kenyon cars into one feature event (which by the way produced some EXCELLENT racing with features of 18-20 cars). Car counts have suffered across the board. I don't see this series "diluting" the sport of midget racing...I only see it as another alternative to the high dollar craziness of USAC National Midget racing. It is also a good starting point for young racers that are ready to graduate from Quarter Midgets as you will notice the age limits have been lowered. For anyone who has never had a chance to catch a Kenyon car or regional midget show, they are great entertainment for the low admission price. I applaud Don for caring enough about the sport to once again spend his own money on this series. USAC was a poor excuse for a sanctioning body for this series. There was a time when the USAC name meant something..Those days are long gone..good racing is good racing, no matter what the name of the series is.
|
Very Very true...I, too, wish all midget organizations the best. Unfortunately, as Speedwrench mentions, this development does absolutely nothing to change the landscape of midget racing in the Midwest IMO.
Once again, sides were drawn & thus further diluting the midget racing product here in the Great Lakes area. SO, once again, it will be a free-for-all to get car counts & races scheduled against each other. Everyone will get frustrated & still stay home unless it's the Chili Bowl or Tony Barhorst's Rumble Series Indoor shows.
People, this situation hasn't really changed for decades. It helps to show some history here to understand. It has really become a convaluted, jumbled up mess from a fan perspective IMO...
Let's lay it out in general terms and how I perceive it:
>> Outside of USAC, the 80's had ARCA & UMARA who seemed to co-exist together pretty well on pavement. ARCA had some races on dirt but more dirt races were with USAC & if you wanted to scoot over to ARDC in PA.
>> The early 90's had the same groups but, let's face it. ARCA stock cars was their bread & butter & the midget series suffered. Plus, running to IL to race with UMARA at Grundy, Rockford, or Illiana made for a long trip for many. Hence, the birth of NAMARS on/around 1993-94. NAMARS had a very diverse lineup of dirt, pavement, & indoor races on tracks big & small in MI, OH, and IN. It became a very good training ground to move up to USAC - much like ARCA as a stepping stone to NASCAR. Across the spectrum, purses & car counts were pretty good. Solid series sponsorship was established like Lincoln Electric w/ARCA & Auto Value w/NAMARS. If memory serves, USAC had Skoal Bandit & MCI WorldCom series sponsorships.
>> The late 90's was a great time for midgets as far as places to race for both dirt & pavement. You had ARCA, NAMARS, UMARA, and USAC races. The Speedrome & 16th Street had weekly midget shows to augment all (4) racing bodies. Kenyon cars also started around 1998 primarily at the Speedrome & w/NAMARS. NAMARS really prospered & really began to threaten the livelihood of ARCA, UMARA, and even USAC. Co-sanctioning started with ARCA & UMARA. People still talk about the great things that NAMARS did for their racing teams, host tracks, & fans. Their banquets are legendary.
>> Then, the big news, Jack & Rose Calabrese sold NAMARS after the 1998 season to Joe Mershon from the Speedway, IN area. Immediately after the sale, Auto Value pulled their NAMARS sponsorship & went to ARCA midgets and also started to back the winged Super Sprints in MI. Most would agree that NAMARS was never the same & a real mess. (I believe NAMARS disbanded after 2003.) ARCA midgets were also done after the 2002 season as their stock car program continued to flourish.
>> Wolverine Outlaw Winged Midgets (WOWMS) then started in 2003 w/Auto Value series sponsorship. USAC FFocus Indiana started in 2003 which then became USAC FFocus Midwest in 2004. X2RA starts & folds in 2006. USAC Regional starts in 2006 through Don Kenyon Promotions & triple-sanctions with UMARA & WOMS (who then took off the wings). As expected, Kenyon Midgets become involved w/USAC Regional in 2006 as well. USAC FFocus MWest then becomes pavement only & also partners w/a new FFocus division w/UMARA in 2007.
>> Let's look at what we have today in the "full-sized, outdoor" midget racing world in the Great Lakes region:
UMARA (who had partnered w/ARCA, NAMARS, WOMS, & USAC Regional) now co-sanctions w/new USSA & Don Kenyon
UMARA FFocus & Sportsman Divisions remain
Kenyon Midgets move from USAC to USSA (obviously)
USAC Regional partners w/Wolverine Outlaw Midgets (WOMS) w/new ownership
USAC FFocus MWest stays w/USAC Regional
"New" USAC Junior Focus Series w/restricted motors (which directly competes w/Kenyon Midgets)
Everybody got all this?
How many people think that car counts will be up in 2010? How often will these divisions compete against each other on a weekly basis? How many people think that the average fan will be able to differentiate all of the different midget classes? Does anyone honestly think that purses will increase when a track promoter has so many choices? It's a buyer's market!!!!!!
Again, I wish all midget organizations the best. 2010 will be a tough road.
I realize that some opinion has been inserted here - but, if any facts are unclear, feel free to correct. Thanks.
Jimmy Baumgartner