Originally Posted by Kirk Spridgeon:
It seems like the people out here are on two different ends. Most fans are crazed - they come out in droves, love the racing, buy a bunch of t-shirts. Others complain like this....and the racers don't even show up for $700 to start.....and today is cancelled without a real strong effort to get it in. I'm puzzled!
Kirk, The problem is the PA drivers don't know anything about non-wingers other than the crash tapes. They think it's just too dangerous, and the way they drive it might just be. They're all aspiring to be Donny Schatz, not Dave Darland or Jerry Coons Jr. Most of those guys probably don't even know who Dave or Jerry are, let alone guys like Hines, Jones, Clauson, Whitt, Sweet, Hockett and all the other stars of USAC. So that answers the driver deal, and truthfully I'm glad they didn't have a bunch of URC or Posse drivers there last night. It wouldn't have brought anything to the show, except crashes and a drawn out show. The quality last night out weighed the quantity big time.
As far as the track canceling that's easy too. The Grove never really wanted USAC here. They don't want the local fans to know there's something better than what they see at their track each week. The only reason they booked the show from what I've been told is Bob Miller forced their hand after he brought USAC back here 3 years ago. He told Williams Grove management that he'd wanted to lease "The Grove" for a USAC night like he does with Grandview for the Thunder Series. After the fan turnout reported at Big D & Grandview the first year "The Grove" thought they'd better get their share of the pie instead of Miller, so they brought USAC in, however I think reluctantly. I'd almost guarantee announcer Bruce Ellis is happy it rained today. Hell, he probably did a rain dance. I know he's publicly denounce traditional sprintcars as being inferior to his beloved winged garbage more than once in print and over the public address system at The Grove. I think he's probably a closet non wing fan, but for the sake of job security he can't promote non wingers as being better than the weekly winged shows that pay his wages. Self preservation you know.
Anyway, that's my conspiracy theory take on the subject. LOL
Later,
Jeff