Wow...this topic is shocking! So, USAC thinks the next direction for the Gold Crown series (formerly known as the Silver Crown series) car is road course racing.

I'm not so sure I see how that benefits the series...

I kinda understood putting fenders (okay, they called 'em pods) on the open wheel cars and trying them on the superspeedways. The theory made sense, try to appeal to larger (Nascar) audiences and wider exposure. That didn't work so well.

But road courses? What is the intent? Crossover to IRL? We all know Tony George's attempt to put open wheel, short-track drivers into the Indy 500 didn't work so well.

Lets see...a series that runs traditional, open wheel dirt-track cars as well as completely different, purpose-built "roadsters" on pavement. Who will be the drivers? Who will fork out the dough and be the owners? Who will be the sponsors? What will each get out of their respective efforts, time and money?

I don't get it.

It seems like USAC is taking two steps backward to make one step forward. Champ cars from the glory days split into entirely separate beasts...the (front-engine) Silver Crown dirt car and the (rear-engine) Indy Car (or whatever it's called today). Silver Crown has launched several drivers into Nascar and elsewhere. Indy Cars have vaulted some to Nascar, Formula One, etc. Both already have development series, quarter midgets through midget and spint for dirt, and Formula Atlantic or Indy Lights, etc. for pavement.

This article is the first I've heard of this new direction. I hope someone can point me in the right direction or shed some light on the subject for me.