[old timer 38]

What about USAC turning their back on the US Auto industry an picking A Toyota for the official vehicle of USAC . They just took the US out of the organization maybe it should be JAPAC. No more USAC for me.

[Charles Nungester]

Originally Posted by Tim Clauson Only from the stand point that Compact Drags and Drifting are becoming a more viable form of motorsport for todays youth. And Sprint Car and Midget racing are becoming less and less relevant in the motorsports market place. The drifting craze has not hit the midwest ... but on the coasts it is a big part of the motorsports culture and in fact probably has a grass roots base to rival any racing venue. 5 years from now where is the fanbase going to come from (or going to)? As far as drivers moving on, the way to keep them in USAC is simple ... Pay them. When the top drivers in USAC who run 100 + races a year win or contend for championships have to have a part time or winter job to make ends meet there is something wrong and anybody in their right mind would move on to a career that they can actually live off of. To discredit their love or passion for Sprint and Midget racing simply because they want to have a career in motorsports where they can actually sustain a future for themselves is laughable. I told Greg a few years ago when we were debating the relevance of message boards that I felt that as long as people were talking complaining ******** or praising that they still had a passion for USAC the problem in my eyes would be when people just stopped caring.. I wonder how close the Fans, Drivers, Owners are from just not caring anymore?? Just some thoughts i had bouncing around my head ... Tim Clauson

Great post Tim, IMHO it's Kevins job to go out and get the Drifting Generation to come see the ultimate power slide show in the world

[Kirk Spridgeon]

The only thing that worries me is that these drivers who are trying to "move up" will be catered to more than everyone else. The important thing is keeping names in the series and making sure they're paid well enough to hang around. There are some really good guys out there right now who are on the verge of having to decide if they are staying with USAC or finding a real job - we need to keep these guys in USAC and make sure they turn into the kind of names that make people want to come to the track!!

It's all gonna come down to money. Everybody wants it, but nobody has it. If we were all rich, we would all be able to watch sprint car races and none of our favorite USAC drivers would ever go to NASCAR. Unfortunately, in the real world, people like to make money. And now, those drivers want to make NASCAR money so they can start USAC teams. Let's hope they can fill those cars with incredible drivers who are going to be able to make solid livings racing the cars we all love so much...

[Chris Nunn]

They can all buy Late Models ....










Just Kidding.... All this negativity needed some lightening up

[Sprint63122]

Kirk you are pretty good at keeping the statistics on races and the drivers I would like to know lets say over the past five years of all the drivers who went on to tuna boat land, Nascrap that is what are they up to now and what are they doing.

[Kirk Spridgeon]

Without getting into specifics, some are racing while others are working real jobs. The ones who really have a love for sprint cars and midgets have found a way to stay involved while others haven't. All of them made more money on their contracts in NASCAR than they could have dreamed of making in USAC.

Honestly, Brady Bacon is the one living the dream right now...

[AustinSprinter]

To all who missed the Kevin Miller interview on Mon. nite at Kelley's Pub Too...Its up on Archives on RaceFanRadio.Com dated 5-12-08....Warning tho....it's bout an hr. long,with "Rac'n with D.O". and crew.....Brucer'

[sceckert]

Aussie-
You are 100% correct in dismissing the jingoistic nonsense about the Toyota/JAPAC blather. On my way to Haubstadt I pass the huge Toyota plant every time, and that's merely the one here in Indiana. I don't care what corporate entity gets to inhale the profits, and what language they speak--although, let's face it, the Toyota CEOs likely speak several, fluently--the point is They Are Employing American Workers. Unlike hundreds of American companies that put red white and blue packaging around a product built in Taiwan.
Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees. When the All-American manufacturers finally grasp the change in the economic climate, and cease devoting their energies and efforts to the newest, biggest, gaudier Hummer-sized gas guzzlers, and begin to put some thought into safe vehicles of elevated fuel-efficiency standards, they'll only be about two decades behind the curve.
To actually break any emotional ties to USAC after all these years for this "transgression" is, frankly, funny to me. It's like finally getting angry at a decades-long, known arsonist because he burned an American flag.

[JstAbvVMC]

Maybe, just maybe, Mr Miller might have his finger on the racing pulse of American better than we, or some here, might think. Has anyone given a thought to where all of this up and coming young talant is going to go in a few years? What I refer to as the "Jeff Gordon Era Kids" are coming of age (almost) and their parents are POSITIVE that their young son or daughter is the next coming of Jeffy or Tony in Nascar. Just go to any quarter midget track, or the Chili Bowl for that matter and you will find the pits full of the next "Superstar", just ask their parents. (Or read their websites) And the truth be told there are some darn good shoes out there. BUT, the million(s) dollar question is can they ALL go to Nascar? I'm no expert, but I don't think so. And I'm not real good in math, but it looks like we have more talant coming faster than Nascar has space available. Just look at the talant pool entered at this weekends midget races in WI. Anyone of a dozen drivers could win those races. Is it possible that Mr Miller can build USAC to become the place to race for those not able to squeeze into Nascar? USAC needs the Corporate Sponsorship, Target Marketing and all of the things that Nascar did years ago and still does to bring cash into their sport. Enough support/cash so that USAC drivers don't need to work in the winter just to live as Mr. Clauson so correctly put it. At the same time building a fan base who root for drivers that are in USAC to stay and not just one year wonders and then off to the big Nascar show. Don't get me wrong, I don't think, nor do I want USAC to become Nascar. What I would like to see is that a business oriented, non political good ole boy runs USAC in a way that MAYBE just MAYBE it can pay it's players a livable wage while making USAC the PLACE to go race real race cars on real race tracks with real race fans that know real racing when they see it. Based on USAC's history, I am willing to give Mr Miller some time to fix this troubled ship. The racing world is watching. Good Luck

USAC does indeed seem to be in need of a "resurrection". I've observed the crowd of USAC officials (paid, of course) getting in everyone's way for years. I saw office people, with little or no experience, hired to run certain divisions. I've seen college whiz kids hired to "sell" USAC. Yes, USAC does need a resurrection. But how can hiring Jason Smith help resurrect anything? Observers like myself doubt that he has ever "been worth his salt", but here is is back again, joined at the hip with KM. I observed those two at the Chili Bowl, "selling" USAC (down the river, maybe). Made me want to puke.