I have wondered this for along time. Did USAC make a mistake banning the rear engine sprint cars from competition outright?

This is a two part poll. Should they have made them a seperate division?

This comes from a long time debated idea and often contentious at that on a few other sites. The posters there seem to think those of us who are fans of front engine open wheel racing are following a dying form of racing. They also feel that USAC screwed up royally by banning the rear engine cars and I want to know what the people who follow this form of racing more fervently than anyone else feel about it.

Maybe it's just too early in the AM, but your poll question seems backward. Does a "yes" mean they made a mistake, or they should have done it? Having lived through the NEMA wars, I believe banning them was the correct move. The separate division might have been a good idea if there were enough of them, but wouldn't they be supermodifieds? Of course, the supers also banned them.

And, don't forget that, until the IRL/Cart guys managed to get the correct (and very expensive) chasses in use, those cars were very dangerous.

That would be the biggest mistake USAC could make, that would just be another class of cars that would be drawing money & owners/drivers away from real sprint cars & midgets. It's stupid. I was at the racetrack last week with our midget & we were running with 7 other classes of cars, all of which had about 10-12 cars. Rather then having 2 classes with 35 cars in each, this makes absolutely no sense to me. And I see it all over the country, totally idiotic!!!!!

I agree with Dick. The poll answers don't correspond with the question and is very confusing at first.

I was at Eldora in October of 1973. The grandstands were not in the best of moods to begin with. We had just witnessed Eastern sprint car driver Carl Bergvisdt(sp) crash to his death and it cast a pall on the proceedings that day. Shortly thereafter the announcement came over the loud speaker that, in so many words, USAC was banning the rear-engined sprint car from competition starting in 1974. The result of the announcement was a huge ovation from the crowd, a larger cheer then the winner of the feature reecived. According to those in attendence it was the right call then. I think it is still the right call.

I've heard from those ad nauseam who think USAC screwed up and short track fans are following a dying form of racing. I am one of those who this mindset think am stuck in the 1960s. But here's the scenerios I see what might have happened if USAC would have left well enough alone. The pavement portion of USAC sprints would suffer because the less affluent car owners would not fork over $$$ for a pavement rear-engined sprinter. The upright non-wing sprinter would have become a museum piece or converted into WoO winged sprinters. Eventually half-mile tracks like Eldora and THAT would become paved race tracks. My firm belief of what would not happen is the road to Indy would not be kept open to the short track guys. The formula car set has a way different philosophy, not the least of which is the dream that Indy Car racing being an American F1 series with lots of international flavor. "How much money can you bring" would have still happened. Young Jeff Gordon would have still been shunned. No matter what USAC did, it would not have mattered much. CART was all about control and in 1978 they got their chance to do so.

As far as "Yes a ban in the regular division, but should have set up a seperate division" this was tried a couple times by USAC. Mini-Indy brought Tom Bagley, Howdy Holmes and others but apparently not long-lasting success. Later F2000 went the same way.

I will take USAC, warts and all, over a failed CART and a possible financially strapped IRL any day.

They are doing it to get every possible car, since they are making their living from the back gate. That's the way local racing is going. All the lower classes of cars run for almost no money, but there are 6-12 people signed in on every car. Just look at the crowd that comes out to get their picture taken with the winner.

We can argue all we want about what should happen with purses, organizations, etc., but the underlying problem is that today's kids aren't much interested in cars. Yes, they want to drive one, but they have no interest in working on them as a hobby. In fact, of course, as more and more of the car gets stuffed into the computer, they become more and more impossible to work on. :-( The only places I see many young people in the stands is at tracks out in the boonies where there are fewer alternatives. Even there, I'll bet most of our potential audience is home with their video games.

Sorry or the confusing wording. I made this poll when I was pissed off from an hour long debate with posters at another site over the rear engine sprintcar issue. The options should read:


No an outright ban was good
Yes an outright ban was bad
No a ban in the regular division, but should have set up a seperate division
Yes, they should have been allowed to race in the regular division all along.


My apologies. dirtywhiteboy <---- :2:

---------- Post added at 03:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:35 PM ----------

Actually drifting is becoming popular as well as street racing and street car modifying (spoilers, rims, and sound systems) It's more like kids are not interested in racing (what we call racing) but more into computer chips and fancy paint jobs.

It's more like they cannot apply any of the technology into sprint or midget racing!!! I believe the "kids" are into their cars like any generation before them. They simply apply the technology where they can and unfortunately the sponsor money is going with them.

Mike Tekulve

The "Real" problem wasn't with banning rear engine sprinters. It was taking dirt tracks off the Championship Trail that led to the demise of our hero's going to Indy & the popularity of our favorite form of racing. If USAC would have never done that it would be interesting to see how things would be now. Steve Kinser would have probably been the first 5 time winner of The Indy 500.

Here in the USA everyone has a playground. I was at Indy when Jimmy Clark showed up. SCCA has provided rear engined venues forever (F/V,F/Ford.etc.). Go have some fun! Sprinter evoulution went laydown supermods and barley survives today. Dragsters moved the engines to save the pilots. Get twenty five guys (teams) to go build the damn things and have some fun. You don't need anyones permission or sanction. Wings are for ad space and these cars run so close its a slot car speed parade. Everyone whom has witnessed a "GOOD" traditional sprint (midget/SCrown) show now has the monkey and needs thier fix. The only thing even close is AMA FT. Please don't move my cheese. Thanks for your time, I'll get off my soapbox.