Originally Posted by Kirk Spridgeon:
I personally love the USAC format. I thought the Sprintweek heats were every bit as good or better than the Midget Week heats simply because you had less guys running away from the front row.
The inversion in USAC heats is what sets USAC apart from other series. People I know who rarely go to USAC races just rave about those heat races. It is pretty cool to be able to watch guys race that hard ALL night long, and not just in the feature.
Like I said, I would lock in 40. Still invert 8 in the heats, so qualifiers 33-40 are in row five of heats. Tack on four more from an LCQ so 44 guys total race in the four heats. No more than four, please....you're just diluting the talent.
I would give everyone their time back from the B, but you can't start any better than row five, which is what CRA does. The first four rows would be made up of the top eight qualifiers who transferred through their heats. It's the best format I've seen, by far....
I can save myself some keystrokes by agreeing with everything Spridge said above......and so, I will. OTOH, I could not agree less than I do with those who are advocates of the blind pill draw so that "locals" can luck into making a USAC feature. I've seen too many 'Burg heats where guys transfer only because all the faster combos were grouped in different heat(s) which conversely sometimes resulted in a top car/driver missing the show. I doubt that even Chuck's Dad would like to see Stanbrough loading up early because he drew a 73, started in the back of a loaded heat, and got taken out in the "B". :wink1: I recall heats in '07 where Brandon Petty, Dickie Gaines, or another frontrunner would start heat races in row 1. Some exciting races those were. :sleep:
I would likely favor format tweaking (transponder qualifying, 10 car heats, whatever) that would result in a more orderly show, track preservation, more 50-50 ticket seller trips through Section "A", etc. but not at the expense of compromising the great competition I almost always get at a USAC event.
And just to further alienate even more USAC critics :angry-smiley-007:, I have no problem with provisionals. In USAC, unlike NASCAR, a provisional starter does NOT take the place of another car who would otherwise make the show. They just tag the back of the 22 other feature starters. :checkered: