Been waiting on this announcement. No distinction between wing or non-wing, only 410sprints.

Let's see, how many of the sprint tracks in Indiana currently run UMP sanctioned support classes? I'd say just about every one of them. Time for the World of Non Winged Outlaws.

Will be interesting to see how this unfolds with respect to monetary payouts (local, regional, and national).

Probably mean another sprint race at Eldora since they always hold the UMP Fall Nationals for Mods and Late Models.

I have to wonder what they're thinking. What area(s) of the country would they hope to get a foothold in? Nobody in Central PA. needs them. The Middle Atlantic area is covered by URC. Upstate Ny & Eastern Canada has a proliferation of sprint car groups - ESS, ASCS Patriots, and SOS. There is not one track here in Indiana that would benefit by a weekly sanction. In the past the only sanction of weekly sprint car racing was the old KARS series started by the late Jack Gunn in PA. And I don't see any DIRT officials that remind me of Jack Gunn. While they might get a few tracks scattered across the country I don't expect them to have any more impact than the current IMCA sprints. DIRT is on the verge of bankruptcy and this appears to me as nothing more than an attempt to generate needed revenue. The racers will get little if anything in return. JMO

This could be a blessing for Illinois nonwing sprintcar racing. Many tracks run UMP (Morgan County Speedway for instance).

If it means I have to sufer watchng those :censor: :censor:ing tin tops to see a quality race I'll do it.

Bring it on.

Basically anything DIRT/UMP does is to get more money in their pocket. As a business that is perfectly normal, but they honestly provide very little in return to the racers, tracks, and fans - the customers of their business. In the last several years they have added about a dozen new classes to their original late model and modified sanctioning. More classes means more members, and of course more members = more $$$ for UMP. UMP sanctioning will probably have very little impact on regular sprint car tracks. Based on what they normally do, I would imagine any track that is going to be UMP sanctioned will require Hoosier tires. Many tracks already have a DT3 rule or something like it, but I would say they will require Hoosiers on all four corners. Other than tires, they usually don't implement any real rules changes or unification of rules, they just want your money.

I have to disagree that anything DIRT/UMP does is to get money. If you replace DIRT/UMP with WRG, then I agree.

If you go to the website (UMPRacing.com), you'll see the multitude of series they are involved in. Most of them have been in existence for many years and are all reputable series that put on good shows in the Northeast and Midwest. Don't forget, two of dirt late models crown jewels, the World 100 and the Dream 100 are UMP. I think it would be safe to say that the World 100 is the most successful race of its kind.

I suspect this would follow the same structure as the UMP DLM and Modified regional points. As Chris pointed out on the other thread, the DLM champ gets 30grand. Not too bad.

And, this would not interfere too much with other series. Again, look at the dirt late models. You have UMP sanctioned tracks running for regional UMP points but that does not keep any drivers from racing with other touring series.

Hell, if all of the Indiana sprint tracks signed on, here could be your new sanction for Indiana Sprint Week. Ironic that thread challenging USAC's sanction of ISW was started here one week before this announcement.

World Racing Group has pretty much allowed the sanctions that are under their umbrella to operate as is. And most of them, (WoO, DIRT, UMP, NALMS, ALMS) are pretty good at what they do. All WRG wants is the money.

I'm not going to shoot this down until we know more. We don't know enough at this time. It could be one of the best things to ever happen. Maybe not. But I'm going to take the high road until proven wrong.

Just like someone on here recently was bashing the hell out of ASCS, and look what they've done in the last few weeks: Landed full time corporate title sponsorship, will increase prize money thru out the field, will increase annual point funds (I believe I heard a quarter milion dollar point fund) and will be getting weekly TV exposure. Not bad for a sanction that supposedly screws it competitors.