Don't fool yourself, it's always been about the money.

You know the glory days when they talk about "Barnstorming". Well Barnstorming is when a group of people(Racers,Basketball/Baseball people etc...) go on tour to cities. Many of the races were staged and the outcome decided before the race started. The promotor would pay a flat fee to everyone and they would go out and put on a show. There would be staged passes and crashes with steam pouring out from under the hood.

Not knowing any better, the crowd would go home excited and full of wonder and would want to come back again next time.

The other sports did basically the same thing.

Well over time that happened less often and real races took place. The empahsis to all of the old timers was how much money they could make. That led to faster cars and innovations and the evolvement of the sport into what you see today.

There is not one old timer I have met who has told me that the money paid to them was not important.

All of of this sport has been driven by money and it's close relative;Glory.

Your right though Tim; as a fan, what the heck do I care unless it is someone I am rooting for.

The Pros: Damion Gardner. Gas City. Last Week.
The Cons: Michael Trimble. Every Race. Last Sprintweeks 2007.
So long as the Promoter agrees ahead of time that HE is paying the purse for the add-on, and doesn't have some total no-account like Trimble foisted upon his event like a bad cough, it should be allowed as a "Promoters Option", or as a Once-A-Season occurrence. To have a guy perpetually benefit from one is an insult.
And don't get me started on non-heat transfers getting to start on the pole........

I agree with this. By this I mean promoters should not plan on a 22 car feature being 20 cars and 2 provisional. If you want 22 cars qualify 22 cars then add your provisionals. Step 2 if you take a provisional you do not get bottom pay. If bottom pay is $200, what ever place you finish, subtract $200 from the payout and that is what you earn. that 200 pays for the guy that qualified for the race that you just bumped down to bottom pay.

I really don't think people would have had problems with provisionals until guys started going out turning 1 or 2 laps then pull off. THAT ANNOYS ME!

Personally,I don't like em but understand the need for a couple.

I say no more than 3 at any race. Two for the highest sanctioned not making the show and one for promotors option (Probably past track champion not making the show)

Expecially on the quarters, We don't need 28 cars on the track and I must say I was a little upset seeing Trimble start every show in which he only qualified for one over say even the first non qualifier from the B. Thats rediculous.

Chuck

Let's talk about the USAC provisionals:

You get a limited amount during the year. I believe it is 4.

They are available to a certain # of car owners based upon points standings.

You get to tag the tail of the feature.

You are paid the purse money for the position you finish MINUS last place (22nd starter money). For example if you start 23rd with a provisional and you race to 12th you earn a whopping $150 for your efforts! PA purse below
1. $4,000 2. $2,000 3. $1,300 4. $1,050 5. $925 6. $825 7. $700 8. $675 9. $650 10. $625 11. $600 12. $550 13. $550 14. $525 15. $500 16. $450 17. $450 18. $425 19. $425 20. $425 21. $400 22. $400

FACT: USAC does not genneraly pay tow money. Some occasions we do receive some money but it comes nowhere close to covering even the fuel costs to get to those races. The locals don't have to incur the cost as they are "local".

You earn at least 13 additional points in the championship to start the feature. This is the most important item for teams traveling across the country chasing a championship.

So what does this mean to the fans:

They genearlly get to see an additional top team/driver compete in the feature event.

It does not cost the promoter any additional money so it should not cost the fan any extra money either.

They may get to see a great run like Darland at Gas City and Brownstown this year.

Where is the downside? It does not negatively affect the locals since the provisional is not taking a spot in the feature from them.

Rob Hoffman

It cheapens the records of those who earned their way into main events. To me, it used to be a huge achievement to race yourself into all the Sprintweek races. Nowdays, all you need to do is make half on your own and take provisionals in the rest.

It cheapens the points race. As Tim C pointed out, you can have a situation where a guy who uses no provisionals can finish 2nd in the points behind a guy who uses all his provisionals to earn enough points to finish ahead of 2nd place. You are telling me that's a *win*?

I can understand that the Krogers of the world wouldn't be happy to not see their car on the racetrack. So to appease the sponsors, I say let em use provisionals but receive no main event points. If by chance you happen to come from the back of the pack and win the race, it doesn't count as an official win because you weren't supposed to be there in the first place. Yes, your win will probably go down as one of the epic comebacks of all time but it won't count in the record books or points.

I really don't have a problem with all that. I do have a problem using a team cars provisionals over your own and even another cars not on the team your with.. Didn't they give you two additional for Sprint Week and the CRA guys two based on top points not qualifying? Thats more than the two or whatever you get for the whole year thats possibly six and when you add other teams and changing car numbers to do it. Well, I agree, it cheapens the whole deal.

Id much rather see a couple more cars from the B who earned their way thru racing in than someone who qualified bad, finished out of a qualifying possition in both the heat and consi and/or never really had to race at all to make the show

IM possitive it's needed for some teams to even consider traveling. However that was a little rediculous. I think the Williams Grove National open last year started 31 cars. 9 of which were provisionals of some kind or another.

Chuck, leaving it alone from here. The question was to the fans.

I Hate provisionals!!! I am just a fan but I dont want to see some one race that didnt earn a spot in that race i dont care if it is my favorite driver or not.

There are no additional provisionals given for sprintweek. Total of 4 for the year.

I have benefited from provisionals and been hurt by provisionals. My point being, if it is the same for all those in the points championship race and it does not take money from anyone else where is the problem?

p.s. If we had exercised our provisional at IRP last year we would have finished 2nd in the points instead of 3rd.

Rob Hoffman

I think in the national tour you have to have provisionals, expecially if your not going to pay tow money. maybe they should make some exceptions to sprint week and not have any, but then again sprint week has always been biast twords the dirt. What about the asphault guys competeing for a national title. the bigger point is no matter what happens not everyone will be happy. Don't tell me none of the great drivers of the past such as an AJ Foyt never got a promoter option to start on the tail, and came up thru to win. Things like this have been happening for a long long time, they just change names or ways that named or dedicated drivers make the field.