I bet there were alot more spectators there in 1953 than this year. Russ thanks for posting those old Knoxville pics, man I was born a little too late.

OUCH !! and DOUBLE OUCH !!

Yeah, not sure where that low blow came from. I guess asking a person who probably knows what his competitors are saying as much or more than anyone else is a bad thing? What's with the bitterness? Is it jealousy? Tonight is my 86th race of the year...it's just easy to pick up on these things when one hits that many as an objective observer...
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Is the Kool-aid at the USAC offices cherry flavored or grape flavored this week............

I keep hearing about core drivers in this series or that one. All I know is that USAC doesn't pay near the purse WoO does. USAC also doesn't get the media coverage WoO does. Today in the Indy Star , a couple paragraphs about Knoxville. Not even a rundown on Salem. To get people interested in your product, they need to know you have one. We on the forum know it, what about the guy on the street? Not a clue. Somebody needs to give them one. In the old days Thursday Night Thunder gave a lot of clues.

Don't whine about the cost of TV either. It takes money to make money. If you want to step up you have to spend some cash. If you aren't willing to do that, be prepared to stay this way or a long time. Publicity brings attendance, which brings interest and cash. Where is Bill Hill when you need him? He could sell shoes to a snake.

Also improve what you have, don't try to appease someone else. Gold Crown anyone.Trying to kiss Nascrap a$$ went absolutely no where,to thine ownself be true.

There are a lot of problems , and a lot of answers, I just hope somebody can figure out the combination.

Not to split hairs with you David, but I counted 12 sprints and 10 midgets in the pits at Salem.

I don't get it; 42 midgets at ORP a month prior, is Salem that far to travel or are they all just that afraid of the highbanks?

Anyone remember the weekend sprint and silver crown doubleheader at Memphis. I believe it was in early may in 2004. Great crowd at the friday night sprint show. Saturday afternoon silver crown show had to have been a financial disaster. There may have been 300 people in the stands.
Seems like if it was that easy to schedule a silver crown race and MAKE MONEY on it then the promoters would be standing in line to schedule one.

Tim Wolffrum aka Cowboy

I was there for the weekend the friday night non wing sprint show on the dirt was great and the stands were packed went back on saturday for the silver crown on the asphalt and lets see nicely put that show sucked big time but we were still able to make the drive back up for the regular saturday night show at pevely so we could see some racing saturday.The thing that is so funny is they took the dirt track out of the memphis motorsports park completely now they have nothing worth a chit to race on there.

Kirk, your posts are all over the map tonight. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt my friend, you've had a loooong night of trying to defend USAC from the disgruntled masses, and I commend you for that.

Now to the point you obviously missed. There was no "low blow", just a fact you're having a hard time grasping apparently. I understand, you're tired. Allow me to explain:
If a guy accepts the powerful and influential position as president of one of the most historic motor racing clubs in America, it surprises and troubles more than a few, to learn he seeks advice from a kid. This is the PRESIDENT, doesn't he have a staff? A plan? Like I said earlier, someone of the caliber and experience of Ron Shuman would take charge, he wouldn't ask people what to do, he would TELL people what to do. No offense, but are you even old enough to drink yet? No offense, please believe that Kirk! I totally don't mean that as a slam of any sort. I'm just trying to emphasize the point! And that IS the point.
You can "observe" your entire life. And this part you won't understand or believe I'm sure. Until you actually drive, own, wrench, etc..., you really don't know nearly what you think you do. And I say that from experience.
Much like yourself, I thought I knew pretty much all there was to know when I was 20-25 years old. And that was from hanging around Bettenhausen, Pancho, Bigelow, Sheldon Kinser, Louie Seymour, etc... Yup, I knew it all. I was a bonafide expert.
Then I purchased a car. About a year later I realized how little I really knew. I could bore you with the millions of details, emotions, trials and tribulations but suffice it to say, you know that "blood, sweat and tears" thing people talk about? It's true. Twenty years from now all of this will make sense to you.
Just a slice of advice that may prove helpful to you, from a "bitter old man" as you've labeled me:
If you choose to be the self proclaimed expert of USAC and all things racing, you should actually walk a mile in their shoes, instead of "observing" the walking. I promise you, it will be a VERY enlightening (and educational) experience.
Much love,
David.
ps....bitterness, jealousy? I thought we were past that in our relationship.

Ya know, David, it has been tough to keep up with all these ill-informed posters tonight, especially since I was AT A RACE.

And your thinking is wrong. The part I like about being me is that I'm completely objective. I don't have a dog in the fight - all I want is a strong, well-supported series that puts on great shows and pays the racers well. I want everybody to be a winner.
You can just look at me as a reporter. I'm out here at the races just talking to people...I just sponge up everybody's thoughts - their bitches, their compliments (although no one likes to give any about anyone or anything). Then I spit them out wherever - either to each other, provoking more thought (because it's obvious to me that each racer, car owner, crew member, and sanctioning body is looking out for themselves - not that it's a bad thing), or to everyone one on here.

Quite honestly, I can't take seriously the opinion of a person or people who rarely, if ever, attend races anymore. This ain't the '70s. Shoot, it's not even 2008. This is 2009! What you did thirty years ago or last year doesn't get you anywhere if you don't know what's going on now. And you can't know if you're sitting at your computer in Minnesota and not at the races.

And about Ron Shuman: He was one of my favorite racers and I thought he did a helluva job running the SCRA. I think he does a great job. But am I right that he was basically mutineed against by his own club? He had a club, and I thought he treated them quite well, and between the racers and tracks, he was basically forced out. So apparently quite a few people were unhappy with him too! Am I wrong?

As I've said a million times on here (some people can't keep up quite like me), my goal is to be a car owner one day in the future. But I have that as a goal after careful research and consideration...and spending a lot of time picking the brains of car owners from the biggest and richest to the most local.

Finally - I had a chat with a person tonight about things like this after it was pointed out that I am always defending somebody or something. I described it this way - I am pretty hard on my friends and family. I'm not afraid to call them out and point out mistakes and whatnot. But when someone chops them down for something they don't deserve, I'm the first to speak out vehemently against said "hater." In just the last few weeks, I've had to correct naysayers of USAC, WoO, ASCS, POWRi, Pennsylvania Posse, California, a bunch of tracks, and a ton of racers...if people would only educate themselves and try to get a clue about the topics they are going to discuss, things would be a lot more simple!

Now with that, I have to join the Bacon family along with the ASCS officials to celebrate his win tonight. Goodnight.