Breaking News: WOMS to pay $1000 to win in 2009

The Wolverine Outlaw Midget Series is proud to announce they will be paying $1000 to win at all of their hosted events in 2009. Vans Pattern Corp out of Grand Rapids , Michigan has picked up primary sponsorship for the WOMS 2009 series. Van's is a leader in the construction of polystyrene stamping dies for the automotive industry and to this day continues to be at the forefront of technological advancement in this field. Also renewing their sponsorship this year will be Corrigan Oil. Corrigan oil is a leader in the distribution of petroleum products in Mid and Lower Michigan. Without the help of these two companies, it would be very difficult for our series to survive and prosper.Let's all thank them for their generosity.
On another note, our 2009 rulebook is currently being updated. With many new engine options available and also weight and tire rules to consider, it will be March 16th before our new revised 2009 rule book will be posted on line. Membership applications are being revised and will be available on line after March 9th. This year you must have a current license and membership from WOMS or a current memberhip and TP from UMARA or USAC to race with WOMS. There will be no TP's available except for UMARA and USAC members. At this time registration for a WOMS member will be a minimum of $25 per event and all non-members (USAC & UMARA) will be a minimum of $50 but this is subject to change. More information will be posted on our web site as it becomes available

Here's hoping some of you Indiana boys will come up and race with us this year. We usually get one or two but we are hoping to see more of you regional guys come up this year.

I would have sworn I read in another post on IOW a plea for more cars for WOMS. With all the restrictions and fees I'm reading in the first post, it doesn't sound very inviting. Maybe I'm missing something that's not posted.

There are no extra restrictions then there have ever been. Our members always pay $25 for a pre registration fee and $35 the day of the race. We accept the license from USAC and UMARA who usually do not pre register. If you do not pre-register and your not a WOMS member but one of our co-sanction partners your fee may be increased to $40 or perhaps even $50. You are running for a $1000 dollars.
Personally I think this is great news for midget racing but I am always reluctant to post anything on this forum because finding fault or negativity in anything posted seems to be the main emphasis for some. I think this is just great positive news for midget racing overall and especially in Michigan. This post is something to celebrate in my opinion and any amount of nit picking can not change that good news. Name any pavement midget series that pays $1000 to win for all of their races in the Midwest, no matter the registration fee. If interested in our series please check out our web site at www.wolverinemidgets.com . I think I have posted only three times on this forum for good reasons. I don't think it's possible to post something that everyone can agree on. For our series in Michigan this is a dream come true so please try not to rain on our parade more than necessary.

Dan, don't listen to the naysayers...The one doing the complaining on this thread wants to have more affordable midget racing and complains when USAC won't listen and here's a group (WOMS) that is trying to do its level-best to keep costs under control and provide a place for real midget racers to have a good time and it gets bashed. I am reminded of the phrase about someone who would "complain if they hung him with a new rope".....

Racing for the purse ended years ago. That's why you see alot of people running midgets with an agenda, ie. promoting their 13 year old "rocket", trying to "make it to the next level", etc. It is nice to know there is a group where you can race a midget because you want to race a midget, no more no less. The $1000 to win shows a dedication that not many other traveling series (sprints, midgets, late models, etc.) are putting out there right now.

Bottom line - if you own a midget and want to race on tracks that were truly meant to have midgets racing on them, then consider WOMS. You won't be dissapointed - this coming from the 2005/06 champion car owner so I am not merely talking here. I believe in WOMS and had the most fun racing with them of my career.

Don , if you knew something about the Wolverine Outlaw Midget Series and owner Dan VanderMolen , you would have read the post differently. To know that this is not a " plea " , just an open invitation to other groups to come participate with the regular WOMS membership. It's what they do every year. Because they know that once you make the trip , you'll return again ! This is perhaps the most inviting , user-friendly group that anyone could imagine ! The appreciation and respect shown to the competitor is refreshing and the conduct of the event is always professional.

There are no unusual restrictions. The WOMS rules are consistent with those of UMARA and USAC to allow cross competition and ease of participation. The fee's are reasonable and necessary.

I say these things to express what I know and what I have experienced. There's really not much to criticize or find fault with in this group. A trip to Springport (Michigan) or to Grundy (Illinois) is only about a 15 minute difference from Indy. These are perhaps two of the best pavement Midget venues to be found !

Best Wishes to Dan & WOMS in '09 ! :Steer



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Dan, don't take anything by what Don Moore says. All he does is complain about everything that is good or bad with midget racing. Next he will be asking you to waive the cost of his pitpass because he doesnt feel a car owner should have to pay for one. You guys have some of the best tracks in the country to race at and the Guess/Anderson Motorsports 36 will try and make as many of your shows as we can.

It's never a dull day here on IOW. Let's try this again and if you're going to get out the axe handle, please post your full name. You have no credibility when you hide behind the computer. I take full responsibility for what I post with my name clearly posted. You do the same. Thanks.

Now...... It's unclear to me after reading the original post as to what the fees are.

Specifically:

1. Total cost to register the car, license or whatever BEFORE the season begins?

2. What is the cost to run PER RACE? For example, entry fee, pit pass etc.

I really don't know a thing about your group, but if you've read my posts on here, you know that I am not from the "That's the way it's always been done" school of thought. I don't accept things at face value. I'm a very cerebral person who is usually ahead of the game with innovation. With that comes some pain for a lot of people who have a hard time accepting change. In my business and as a teacher, I've been a pioneer in looking for contemporary ways of improving the product. I've been very successful at it.

Race car drivers and owners are "hired" entertainers for race promotions. I don't think you go to the track to see the maintenance crews or the race officials. Ironically, those people don't buy a pit pass or pay an entry fee to enter the grounds of a race track. On the other hand, the entertainers (car owners, drivers) are charged all kinds of fees, e. g. registration fee, pit pass fee, license fee, etc. etc. I have been in the entertainment business since I was in junior high school and not once did I pay a "fee" to entertain people. The "fees" charged race car owners and drivers are based on the "that's the way it's always been done" mindset.

Case in point: Last season, my team raced outdoors at one of the biggest paying purse events of the year. We just missed the feature by one spot. I had a very high profile driver in my car and we were part of the "entertainment" that the crowd came to see. Now to "entertain" the crowd that evening, I paid an entry fee of $100, a registration fee (pre-season) of $130 (at this particular track, there was no discount for being a member of the midget org) and $30 for a pit pass. If you are counting, that's $260 (not including the expense of traveling and funding an expensive piece of machinery). When the evening was over, I received a check for $30 from the promoter. Yeah, $30 from the promoter for entertaining the promoter's audience. And it gets better. I actually "hire" drivers to race my cars. Yeah... one of the few left in the United States. Kind of a novel idea. So, after splitting the $30, I had $15 left. Now, if you're still with me, the bottom line is that after "entertaining" the promoter's audience and putting my equipment and driver at risk for the sake of "entertainment", I left the track "in the hole" for $245, and that does not include travel, tires, fuel and misc. expenses.

So... Let's make this perfectly clear. I am against all fees charged to car owners and drivers to entertain the promoter's audience. No, I'm not talking about ex-wives, pit crew, sons, daughters. I'm talking about OWNERS and DRIVERS. Nowhere, but nowhere in the entertainment business, except at a race track, are the entertainers charged a fee to entertain. NOWHERE. For lack of organization, e.g., a union for drivers and owners, the race promoters and midget orgs have made prostitutes out of the entertainers, that is OWNERS and DRIVERS. Yeah, there's no organization so let's just charge the %^&* out of them.

Keep in mind that my blog is not directed at WOMS specifically. I'm talking about the midget entertainment industry as a whole. IMO, this is just one part of the mystery of why midget racing is on the ropes across the country in general.

Yeah.. That's the way it's always been done!!!!!!!!!!!! Let's make it perfectly clear, Mr. Guess. I'm against ALL fees charged to the entertainers (drivers, owners) at a race track. Nowhere but nowhere in the entertainment industry is this practiced. Thanks.

I have to agree with Mr. Moore on this one, the driver and car owner should get a pass in my opinion, after all they are the show and without them there would be no show. I do not have a dog in this fight but to bash Mr. Moore because of his opinion on something that he has so much invested in just does not make sense. This is just my opinion and I do not mean to offend anyone in any way.

Jerry