Originally Posted by Bill Gardner:
Talking about evolution... Do any of you guys have plans to move to sprint cars? If not, why?
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Bill Gardner
Take a little time and watch a mini sprint race sometime.
Racing is a very expensive sport, and mini sprints or as I like to think of them as "1000cc midgets" is the less expensive route to take. For many of us it seems to be the last stop. I am not going to go bankrupt chasing a dream. If you spend a little time looking inside a "1000cc midget" race you will find drivers racing in them with as much or more ability as anyone racing sprint cars today, but these drivers have jobs, family and pockets not as deep as some other racers.
Like I've said before if you look down the midget drivers list most of them will have the same last name as the owner of the car, those that don't have the same last name have very very rich parents. I do not begrudge them their wealth but that is a simple fact.That means they were born very lucky and are related to somebody that can afford to spend between $30,000.00 to $300,000.00 a year for them to race and get to the level where someone might think about hiring them as a race car driver. We budget about $5000.00 a year to race or "1000cc Midget" on that includes the car, tires,fuel, repairs, and transportation to the race track, and this danged $4.00 gasoline is taking away from all of that.
USAC would be considered the university of racing, Poweri would be the State College, and 1000cc midgets is the trade school of racing.
Bill May left out Shane Cottle AMSA, Jimmy Kite southern states, and AJ Felker Thunder Valley 600cc racer. AJ was a very good midget driver and is a very talented race car builder and engine mechanic.
Sure almost everyone racing 1000cc midgets would like to break out and hit the circuit. But they are also realist and know that they have jobs and family and other things that come first. They also love racing and if this is what it takes to race that is what they do.
Sometimes I feel like Rodney Dangerfield. On the smaller tracks with our wings on we are as fast or faster than anything out there that includes wingless 410 sprints, full midgets, or late models. But we are considered a support class. Sometimes our races are a little boring to the casual race fan that is because we don't make too many mistakes and cause a lot yellow or red flags, but if you watch these racers closely they are racing as close or closer than their larger brethren, and not screwing up.
Like TQ"s we have 3 types of drivers, "Young hot shoe's" (those moving up and out), we are a great starting point for open wheel racers, "Over the hill" wana be racers(those that did not get to race when young and who have got to the point that they can afford to do some racing now), and the "Journeyman 1000cc midget driver" ( those that race 1000cc midgets because that is what they can afford and over years of racing have become excellent race car drivers). These are the racer that teach the young hot shoe right from wrong and watch out for the over the hill wana be racer and do this because they love racing.
If it takes a motor change 1000cc midgets we will do it heck, we might evolve into 2000cc midgets who knows, But I do know we have earned a place in dirt track racing, and I think we are smart enough to evolve with time. Yeh some of us will move up and out and some of us will stay here and hold the fort down.
When the heck are we going to get to see that evolving Ford Duratec race car?
Honest Dad himself