Originally Posted by Jonr:
I agree with your statement, but not the method. In my mind, the national midgets should be the biggest and the best cars out there. Then there should be a set of rules that allows for a more cost conscious solution. Badger, USAC D1, ARDC, etc shoud all have the same rules.
If you can afford to run a national midget, there should be a set of rules that all series follows. If you need to have a more cost conscious solution, there should be a set of rules that all series follows.
I was following Cale Coons run over the weekend, and his mom posted that his D1 engine was about 100HP lower than the Badger midgets. This is where we need stop the different rule packages.
There is extreme danger in holding onto something that is failing. You hang on too long and it will go extinct. Midget racing using purpose built engines has been in decline for decades. There used to be healthy series with 30+ cars all across the United States running the same purpose built engine rules (California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn, etc). Now POWRI has races with 7 cars. Xtreme and USAC share the same 6-9 multi-car teams to get to 20 cars.There used to be big paying races like Hut 100, Gold Crown, Turkey Night, Pepsi Nationals, Knoxville, Night Before the 500, Chili Bowl etc. The only ones left are Turkey Night and Chili Bowl. All the high paying midget races are gone.
Keep hanging on and you will lose the thing you love all together. The Badger engine rules are a path forward. They provide exceptionally good racing and they still perform at a level midget racing fans approve of as was shown by Parker Jones out qualifying USAC with a 65lbs heavier car. There are two (Badger & MARA) and soon a third series all running the same Badger engine rules. There are only two series with any legitimacy left running purpose built engine rules. I personally do no want to see midgets become a specialty sport that runs one race (Chili Bowl) a year. We are already too close to that for comfort.
One thing everyone can do if you want to see midget racing surive....quit playing down the Badger series. Build it up. The cars are FAST and they arguably put on the best midget racing in the country right now. All you have to do is watch the highlight videos to see that.