Quote:
Originally Posted by D.O.
Back when USAC was a National Series the season would start in Reading, Pa. No support classes just A.J., Jud, Red and the boys racing on a cold spring day. No Tow money either back then.
USAC was the only deal going on, NO WINGS. Because they hadn't been created yet.
The crowds filled each track they traveled to. The purse was a percentage and more if the promoter when over in ticket sales.
Russ Clendening [sp sorry Russ] had your career in his hands, He signed for you to go to Indy back then. You didn't walk up with money and by your PDM or ?? ride.
You either qualified for the field to race in the heats or went to your trailer to watch.
Narrow tires kept the dirt tracks in good shape and almost all races were day races. Terre Haute was the best cause you could get near the cars pitted in the infield. After the race all the racers would go to Tony's lake home to drink, swim, eat and have fun until late in the night.
The infield at THAT was filled, watch the old Dick Wallen movies.
That is all gone today.
Most fans just see the drivers in their cars with their helmets on. After the races you can't meet them anymore because you can't get into the pits afterwards due to support series still running.
So most fans just know drivers names and not faces. Plus bad for Tee-Shirt sales of the drivers.
So how does all of that come back???? Kevin Miller ?
yes he is a big part of returning our sport to what it was and to keep it healty into the future! But he can't do it all or can USAC.
The tracks need to work at change for the fans and teams as well.
The teams need to become more fan friendly.
The drivers need to walk into the General Admission area and pass out anything their sponsor provides them.
Drivers and Cars need to show up at Wal-Marts. Krogers, Speedway Gas Stations and do pre race promotion. We need new fans, everybody here on IOW is going to a race anyway, we need new fans.
We do have an extreme sport, anybody who saw Dave Darland eyes after his THAT flip knows that. An X gamers falls on the half pipe from 20 feet and it becomes news like Brad Sweets Haubstadt flip years ago.
Hell we have drivers busting their asses higher and long than those guys and the general public doesn't think Sprint racing is an X Sport.
Just some ideas and thoughts to throw out.
I would make all the feature cars pull into a fan area after each race with the drivers so the fans can be around those hot, oily cars with their dirty drivers. The winner can come over later.
Do like NHRA, every ticket is a pit pass. This would change how cars move in the pits but it would be worth the trouble.
Make the pits easy for fans to get near at least and get the drivers into the crowd every race and all night.
Fan driver time could be while the support series run.
Indiana Sprintweek should dump quals. Sometime they go quick but it still uses the track up. Expand the heats and stop the LCQ races. Add the cars to a heat and increase the laps.
Use passing points 1.5 per pass and only 1 point between finishing postions. Each pass would be good for a car and a half. The racers would be rewarded.
Live TV, Pod-Cast and Live Streaming all need to be used.
Create computer groups to promote the events so fans can talk and know the latest news. A bigger IOW.
I know there are a few Golden Oldies like me that saw the early USAC and USAC races and know what it was. It will never return to what the old days were but I see USAC's new Prez taking it into the new age.
Anybody have any ideas?
D.O. :dologob:
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Call me impressed and in total agreement with almost everything.
Exception, You can't even see the drivers in the cars anymore. I know getting the sponsors out is important but can't we get like Plexiglass side shields and put a piece of sheet metal on the right nerf ?
Chuck