[Revolution Racing]

The comment was made here that the changes BCRA is making would be of maximum benifit to my company. That sounds really good to me, but I am having a hard time understanding why that would be. I just make an engine product - you could put that engine into a dirt car, or a pavement car, or a dune buggy for that matter. The only thing that is of benifit to my company, is when MORE competitors get involved in the sport, so maybe that is what was meant in which case I agree - I believe that next season will see more competitors taking part in BCRA pavement racing, and yes, that will be good for anybody who makes thier living supporting this type of racing. Meanwhile, does ANYBODY reading this think that west coast USAC pavement racing will see growth for next year? For that matter does ANYBODY reading this think that the West Coast USAC pavement program will not shrink further still?

A lot of people commenting on this topic have felt the need to first weigh in with thier "credentials". So, here are mine: In 2001, with cooperation from Tommy Hunt, we brought the Ford Focus series on line as an economical way to race midgets on the west coast featuring the combo car concept as a key component. For those first few, golden years, the program was awesome. Then the era of Eric Bunn, pavement-only Focus cars, High dollar "driver development" teams (barf....) and the rest of it took a perfectly good idea and completely screwed it up in the finest 16th street tradition. My point is this - I too, have been on both sides of this fence and I want to share an observation with you all. This year I have been to several BCRA shows and what I have witnessed is a group of people out having a great time racing. Good car counts at the dirt shows, great racing on the track, good crowds in the stands, awesome little race tracks.... not much to complain about at all. Saturday night at Placerville they had a nice, full field of cars, a good crowd in the stands and they were the headliners for the night. To take what they have there on the dirt, and transfer it over to the pavement also, makes perfectly good sense to me. Especially... ESPECIALLY when you consider what the current pavement situation looks like.

I hope that the other club gets it together, and figures out a way to save themselves. But I do not see how it is any of BCRA's responsibility to do anything other than what is right for their own constituents, and it looks to me like that is what they are doing, and it is working. Hats off to 'em.

[sbow]

Please explain how you are going to regulate what a COMBO car is. You may find that there are cars that could conform to Combo specs, but are designed and built with all of the pavement advantages. Are you Ok with these cars?

Sean

[Revolution Racing]

..... and now, the other shoe drops. THANK YOU, Sean, for raising this very important issue. And how appropriate that it comes from one of the most fiercely competitive crew chiefs in the game. The question you are really asking here of course, is; "HOW DO WE SAVE THE RACERS FROM THEMSELVES?"

This is an age-old question within Midget racing and unfortunately, up until now, the answer has been "We Can't". Rick Young from Capital City Midgets is fond of saying that the phrase "We Can't", is simply code for "We Won't".

Too often in our past, officials simply threw up thier hands and said "We Can't". What we are starting to hear now - finally - are some officials who have the huevos to say "We WILL". Sean, you and I have only had this convesation about a thousand times already. You KNOW what I'm about to say....

There are only about a jillion ways to set and maintain a group of parameters that define what a combo car is. This is not rocket science. The difficult part - the part that has been a failure by sanctioning bodies up until now - is PICKING A SET OF PARAMETERS AND STICKING TO THEM. Long story short, up until now, officials have not had the sack to stand up to guys just like you, and say "NO". And after all, in the final analysis, isn't that what we pay the officials to do? Finally, FINALLY we are starting to see some clubs around the country who are willing to take a stand, and back up what they say instead of caving in to the various special interests that have been pushing them around.

There is a way to set and maintain a combo car standard in Midget racing. It's called LEADERSHIP, and finally, it appears as if the local clubs around the country are getting tired of waiting for leadership to fall on them from above, and are taking the issue into thier own hands. Not a moment too soon if you ask me.

[plum]

When it comes to rule changes 1000 people 1000 different ideas. As far as me I can live with no brake bias and one shock adjuster. But to get 55% left weight with a car that is built for 57-58% its harder than you think. I"m not sure I would want to drive it with that chassis set up . I could make one change to the car at the track and make myself illeagl. I guess i would have to scale it for every change. Would i want to run a combo car against a purpose built dirt cars i would not. These pavement rules effect sarale,cortez,mckenny, mcqueen, nichols, de george, chevello, bedford.dickerson,foster,prickett, pierovich,alvis,gundo, faeth, roza rosen, arata, eskesen. And im sure more.These are bcra members and supporters. All own purpose built pavement cars which is most of your current inventory of pavement cars. So if you sell pavement shows will you promote them as a limited midget show. Because you will probably get 1-3 combo cars and the focus cars.

Duane Mcqueen.

[Revolution Racing]

Duane, You know I have a ton of respect for you and what you do. I'm not going to disagree with you here. What I will say to you is this. There IS a way. In fact, as I have said many many times, there are probably about a JILLION ways, to formulate an equitable set of parameters that allow combo cars to compete on the same track as the purpose built cars What is important here, is to decide once and for all that we WILL accomplish this goal for the betterment of the sport overall, and then to make the committment to DO IT. It is not important, and in fact i think it is counter productive, to get too bogged down in the fine details right now. If 55% is not the right thing to do then lets make an adjustment there, but lets keep our eye on the prize - lets not say "We Can't"

For God's sake - we put a man on the moon... You trying to tell me we can't do this if we put our minds to it?

I have had this conversation with so many racers for so many years.... Racers always want to get down into the fine details, they always want to give THEIR exact version of HOW it should be done. I understand all of that but what I'm proposing here is that we all, as a group, take one big step back and look at what needs to be done to save the sport. Then, we can go about the work of accomplishing that goal. Ths is not rocket science, folks.

[ryoung99]

To restate the goals that were communicated by the membership to the board...

1. Reduce the cost to race for a championship
2. Slow down the cars on pavement.

That is what drove the changes. One car, one number means that you only need to own one car to be competitive. That will make the sport cheaper.

Slow the cars down, limiting the left side weight to 55% will help do that.

By no means am I an expert on setting up a pavement car but I do not understand why getting to 55% is so tough... move the roll center of the car to the right side until you are at 55%. Move the front axle to the left and space the LR out. Yes the car will be more "unstable" but that is part of the point, slow to the cars down.

Who knows if a dirt car given the short wheelbase would even be able to compete with a pavement car at 55%, but it would stand a better chance than if nothing is done.

All I have read is how the pavement cars cannot run 55%, has anyone actually tried to get their car to 55%? Remember all the "like" cars will be at 55% on the same tire, so why would you think the car would be uncompetitive? Slower yes, but uncompetitive, I doubt it.

I am also curious if you (not specific you for any person, but used in the generic sense) were as concerned about how it would effect the sport when you bought your pavement car and put the guy with a combo car at a disadvantage when the rules changed an allowed pavement cars? My guess is no.

It is not like the BCRA outlawed pavement cars and everything I have read up to this point is purely speculative as I highly doubt anyone has tested the effect of 55% left side weight (why would you when you did not have to).

Duane,
Please stop by this weekend, I would love to meet you.

Best wishes,
Rick

[Heromaker]

I am sorry but you again have missed the point Rick.

[JstAbvVMC]

Rick, EXACTLY my point from earlier in this thread, DID BCRA OR ANYONE ELSE TEST THIS 55% RULE BEFORE THEY MADE THE RULE !!!!! Like I said before, I don't know EXACTLY what effect it will have. What I do know is that, I probably know alot more about pavement cars than you, NO DESRESPECT. But, I/ME do not think it is that easy to do by just moving the axle around and changing the role center. Duane could probably answer that better than I.

SO, did the BCRA rule make the cars very unstable and dangerous to drive at ANY speed or did they just SLOW them down?? Did they address the tech issues at the track?? One small adjustment could be all it would take. Kieth and Rick, my point here is while applaude BCRA for trying to do something, I do not believe they researched the effects of that something.......maybe I'm wrong, but I haven't heard that they did.

My frustration with BCRA is with the APPARENT lack of. What will happen and how do we tech it? BEFORE the rule was made.

I think BCRA would probably have been better off by going Focus/Ecotech engines only and leave the chassis alone. Then at least there would be a clear divide between BCRA and USAC. Let the best club or better yet both clubs win and survive with their respective teams.

[plum]

First of all how many people are going to build true combo cars. So who is this rule going to benefit. The no practice is very smart this will be a great cost savings. The tire they choose is a good tire and cheaper. the lack of cockpit adjusters I can live with. With that said, purpose built pavement cars are less forgiving than a combo car. Thay can be evil when you miss the set up. So will i run this car doing the things you suggest no I won't! I don"t think many others will either. Do you think people in the club are going to change there true dirt cars to run pavement? So once again you are going to have two or three combo cars and the cars you promote. I think bcra stomped on it's members and supporters. And please don"t tell what you think since you admit youv'e never set these cars up. I have spent countless hours in the garage on the scales.

Duane McQueen:

[Revolution Racing]

You guys.... I beg to differ but it is YOU who are missing the point. I'm going to take one more run at this then I'm going to leave it alone...

With ALL DUE RESPECT - and I MEAN that - you guys are focusing on the fine details when what we should be looking at right now are the broad strokes. Hear me out here. Let's just say, for the sake of argument, that you guys are 100% correct. 55% weight is impossible, dangerous, and will add to the federal deficit. Great. Fine. Agreed.

We have just answered the WRONG QUESTION. The question for today is (or SHOULD BE): Does it make sense for the BCRA to take steps to a) allow members to compete on both surfaces with one car? And b) commit to developing a formula that will also allow purpose built cars to remain competitive?

Based on what we all have seen (and NOT seen as evidenced by recent low car counts and outright race cancellations), The answer to both of the above questions is a resounding YES. These steps SHOULD be taken as a way of immediately increasing participation at pavement events by BCRA members.

Taking these steps will ensure that BCRA has the best car counts of any west coast group for next year. Heck, the way things are going they may be the ONLY midget group racing on pavement next year. DON'T TELL ME it can't be done (code for "we won't do it"). The first, and hardest, step is already behind us. Now, we have all winter to test, fine tune, and get it right.

Final comment - I am not (nor do I want to be) any kind of official with anybody. I don't own a car of any kind, but I DO have a vested interest in the survival of Midget racing in all of its forms. I have no inside information regarding exactly HOW BCRA intends to develop and implement the initiative they have undertaken but it makes sense to me that what they have done is declared a "mission statement" for their own future. It makes sense to me that what this amounts to is the START, not the end, of what they are trying to accomplish. So one last time, I would ask that you guys not get bogged down in the fine details but rather, get involved in the process of saving pavement racing on the west coast. We have all winter, lets get busy.