This is an argument that has been going on for 40 years. Which car is faster, the super modified or the sprint car?

Used to be the supers were always faster. Then with the advent of wings and aluminum engine parts, the sprint cars somewhere along the way caught up.

The supers have all that left side weight and that awesome big block engine. The sprint cars have the light weight and a high winding 410 cubic inch small block. The tire deal I’m not going to touch. I learned awhile back to just leave that alone. But I will say the supers always say the sprinters run on “gumball “ tires. They’ve said this for years and true fully, the sprint car tires are usually a little softer compound.

So here’s my fantasy suggestion for a true King of Wings (I had a lot of windshield time this weekend, so I had time to think and that’s always dangerous) Pick a track that both have run at a few times. Take Toledo for example. Invite the drivers from HOSS, AVSS and MSR sprints and the drivers from MSA and ISMA supers and have a head to head showdown. Make it a high paying, year end deal.

Every driver has to pick the organization they are going to represent before they get to the track. Make it so you have to be in the top 15 or 20 in points for the organization to represent it. That will keep people from cherry picking.

You run the tires and rules that each group normally runs. Run whatever preliminary events for each group to get the five fastest cars from each group. Maybe run two heat races. Take two out of each heat and one added at the group’s option.

Have the top driver from each series draw to start on the pole. Say if a HOSS driver pulls a number 1, they start on the pole, the next HOSS driver starts 6th, next 12th and so on.

Make it at least a 40 lap feature. Give guys time to move up from the back, plus give time for the tires to fall off.

The winner gets 1 point. Second gets 2 points and so on. Low score wins. This would not be about who actually won the race, but what group had the best overall finish. Give all the drives for the winning group a bonus of $500 or whatever. But make the money to win worth while.

By making it a group win, you take away if one driver dominates just because he’s a great driver in a great car. And then it shows what group is truly the fastest.

It’s easy for me to say, but if some real money was put up (at least $10,000 to win and $1,000 to start, moving up substantially every position plus the winning bonus), it would be a barnburner. Make it an annual event, something for the different series to look forward to and plan for. Can you imagine the bragging rights for the winning series?!!

In fact, I’ll make this pledge to Jim Hanks of MSR, make this happen and I’ve got a sponsor that will put in the first $50! (Jim, you’ll get the joke)

Tom Paterson