|
1978 was the critical year. USAC was in the process of updating itself from the old days of the AAA method of operating in which it attempted to control all important racing in the same manner it had existed for many decades, worrying only about sanctioning races, leaving all promotion up to individuals of widely varying competence, each of whom only worried about his own local track(s).
Then, the disaster of the 1978 plane crash killed some of the people who were the most forward looking of the USAC management, forcing those who remained to spend all their time recovering from that, leaving no time for planning any changes in their operation.
Meanwhile, Ted Johnson, a real salesman, came up with a new idea, managed to sell it to a group of some of the most independent people ever born, the racers called "outlaws", then traveled the country and sold the package to some more very independent folks, the smaller tracks who couldn't get a USAC race. Considering how good Ted Johnson was, it might have been a success in any event, but with USAC in no shape to defend itself, it ran off with the market.
Then, when a series of bad accidents, leading up the the twin fatals at Knoxville led the WoO to mandate wings, they also jumped on the opportunity to label their cars & drivers the "newer", "faster", "better" racers. USAC tried to follow, but the fans in USAC's limited area didn't like them (showing their superior judgement, in my not very humble opinion), so they took the wings off, leaving us with the current situation, where they have been just another class of racers in a local area.
There are some positive signs these days. In spite of the fact that one would think that Pennsylvania would have all the sprint cars it needs, USAC has really expanded there. They seem to be moving into the area just west of Indiana also. Unfortunately, the West Coast seems to be going downhill, but I think that's all racing, not just non-wings.
As a result of all these things, I'm not surprised at Tim Clauson's statements, but times do change, so I'm optimistic that USAC's recent trend can continue, and we'll see better days ahead.
|