Originally Posted by sceckert:
Am I incorrect, or are Drift events decided by a panel of judges? No matter if I am right or wrong about that, the fact that this is a competition designed in the video game era, for video game enthusiasts, and for video telecasts, explains a great degree of its instant popularity in this "That's-so-ten-minutes-ago" culture.
What exists as tradition for open wheel dirt racing in particular is a legacy that stretches into the absolute soul of the American racing heritage. The young drivers of today are broadsliding in the tracks of Ted Horn, Jud Larson, AJ Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Dick Tobias, the Unsers, Jan Opperman, the Larry and Gary show, Steve Kinser, Jack Hewitt, Kenny Weld and Sheldon Kinser, to name barely a few.
Sponsor Dollars are the Holy Grail, and, I expect, exactly what Kevin Miller was brought to USAC to facilitate the investment of. If the sanctioning body can lure the Corporate Cash to the sport, the drivers and teams will be better taken care of. If the fans end up not having to pay the freight, and are equally catered to, then we really have some kind of progress.
I don't care if Drift Racing gets pay-per-view subscriptions greater than a De La Hoya fight, or if it simulcasts during half time of the Super Bowl. There is more nobility and prestige in winning at Putnamville at 2 AM than I'll ever ascribe to a champion of a drift event.
With all due repect - I am not comparing the sport of drifting to the sport I love...what I am saying is that it is a new sport - and is much more advanced than ours - this is evident in the huge corporate support of this sport(drifitng)....everybody wants to complain about the cost rising, not this, not that being addressed and in the same breath they (you) we dont want to our sport to sell out to corporate America - well you cant have it both ways....this "so ten minutes ago culture" that you mentioned should be the exact target of our sport....these are the people that will buy drivers shirts, models of midgets etc...As far as the hereos of the sport you mentioned - I am the last person that needs a history lesson on USAC....I personally mentioned this very subject to Mario Andretti at the CART Grand PRix of Miami about 5 years ago....his repsonse was "nobody knows who they (USAC) are any more". Thats the whole point that obviously you did not get. NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT IT outside of a few hundred mile radius of Indy and a small pocket in Calif......