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I have to agree with Duke...the sport was much better off when a hardworking auto mechanic or someone of similar economic status could afford to field a sprinter. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to go to your GM dealer, buy a 350 long block, add an oil pan, injector and mag and be able to keep up motor wise??? I wish today the cost versus purse would encourage owners to hire drivers based on merit instead of how many decals they can plaster a car with.
Here is something to think about regarding car count in Florida this year......
32 cars at the USAC race, plus around 40ish cars at the ALL STARS/WOO races. Right there shows around 75 top shelf sprinters in Florida (410 cars). I looked quickly and didn't see any of the same cars running winged and nonwinged but may have missed a few.
Then lets add in another 50 plus cars who are going to run the king of 360's race next week. Out of those 50 figure 25 of them also already ran 410 races so now our Florida sprinter total is over 100 cars. However, many of these guys use a different car for the 360 and the 410 so you could say there were more like 115 different sprinters racing in FL this season so far.
OOPS!! Almost forgot the TBARA winged asphalt guys...what will they have, 20ish cars???
Now we are up to the 130 car count in Florida "JUST LIKE" in 1979 with one exception....FREAKING DIVISION!!!!!
Winged cars, non wing cars, 410s, 360s, Dirt cars, asphalt cars....blah blah blah... THERE'S YOUR PROBLEM!!!!
Used to be sprint car racing, same car with or without the wings, same car dirt vs asphalt with a few exceptions. Now there is no such thing a a sprint car race.....you have to have some other word or number in front of sprint car. And sadly, there are just enough deep pocket guys in each of them to keep me and you from being able to have a legitimate shot. Also sad is the fact that the type of sprinter requiring the least amount of motor budget (non wing) is the type that runs for the worst purse and gets the least number of races booked. It would still be feasible for a middle class guys to field a winning non wing car just about anywhere but the winners share of most races wont even cover fuel, tires, rig fuel and pit passes after the driver gets his 30-50%.
So whats the fix???? Throw the wings in the trash, go back to M&H racemasters, chuck all the cokpit adjusters??? Can't do that, all the rich people would quit..haha
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