|
No doubt about it...rules could be made so a car could run both dirt and pavement. I still don't believe that would do much to get cars because not everyone who owns a pavement car is running as it is.
(Nor would I want to run todays dirt cars on pavement without some significant chassis changes.)
If 95 percent of all of the pavement cars available to compete, were competing today, then I would say that is something that should be looked into. Thats just not the case. There are people out there who have already made the investment in the car and equipment, but still do not race on a regular basis because of tire and testing costs.
From Kenyon cars to Sprint cars I hear the same two words that are citied as the reasons people don't race anymore or as much.....testing and tires.
Solving these issues aren't that easy either.....many of the tracks won't schedule pavement shows if the sanctioning body limits or bans testing. They feel they need that income. The sanctioning body does not have the leverage of a guarenteed large car count nor the more important factor....a large fan following to entice these tracks into booking races.
The tire company is paying the sanctioning body not as a sponsorship, but more of a kickback. The tire company providing tires for USAC makes the bulk of it's money from racing and in doing so it has to generate profit margines and show growth each year. By taking the kickback...the sanctioning body basically gives up any leverage it posseses in limiting what the tire company does. The mice are in charge of the cheese.
All of this leads to small car counts and the cycle continues to feed itself because of one thing....Money. When the sanctioning body lost sight of it's true core, what it's main products are and how to generate income based on selling it's product verses SELLING TO it's product....well you have what you have today.
If we fix the core problems....then we could look at things like chassis. A chassis rule may work for a race or half a year, but by the end we will be back were we are today, except now the people who were really the supporters of pavement racing and had the pave only cars are now pissed and won't run at all.
|