Kevin only hit a small part of "IT" and pardon me for being no expert but some things are obvious to USACs pros and cons.
The Pros.
3 different divissions. Could be four with a Gold Crown and Im excluding the .25 focus and consentrating on the top. Provide a wealth of experience in what experience a driver gets
Pavement, IMHO both a pro and a con. IT makes winning a championship harder than dirt alone. The con of it is the enormous cost it adds to the program of any team. Whens the last time a dirt sprinter/midget won a USAC Asphalt show? IMHO All rules should be the same except ride hieght and axel lengths.
The best racing insurance out there...............
The best all around field out there. I totally agree others on this board that on any given night there are 15-20 potential winners compared to a WoOs 5-10 and a good local team can give em a run.
Side by side racing. I have almost given up on wing shows entirely because I seen little side by side racing for more than a lap or two. A NW show often has three our four guys swapping the lead, sometimes multiple times in the same lap. I CAN THINK OF NOTHING More Boring than a Winged Heat race started straight up.
Finally, It still has the eye of some NASCAR and Indy teams. That however seems to be closing a bit with the troubled economy.
The Cons.
Telelvision, Major sponsors want as many people viewing as possible, both of its participants and the series itself. I fully apreciate the simocast that USACracing.com has given. When at all possible I make it. The problem with a website cast though is it does't get your product out to NEW People. This isn't a slam and for all I know something is being worked on. it does kinda surprise me that the USAC/CRA got more exposiur on national media than the NATIONAL series
From what I've seen lately with tires and hookups, You darn near need the Outlaw motor to compete on some of these tracks anymore. But from what I've seen the family of four cannot afford to compete with them anymore on any sort of a regular basis.
Hundred dollar tow money or 200 for 20th don't even come close to putting a dent in travel cost on these PA, CA, AZ, Knox trips. Don't get me wrong, its better than nothing but you aren't going to get many following who can't afford to at least get to the next race and thats barring any repairs.
Like others have said. USAC is basically paying what it did ten years ago and the gate is the same too. This is both pro and con for me. Its pro because I can make more of them than the 35-50 dollar Outlaw shows. The con is were loosing good drivers because the purses aren't higher and there aren't more bigger paying shows.
My Perfect world of USAC?
25-30 dollar gates
5000 to win 500 to start. 150 tow money.
Why there isn't ten 10000 to win shows in the series I don't understand and a handfull of 20-40g to win races
I see some changes for the good being made and bad. Getting Knox back and that 30g show in the midwest is good, Getting PA is good. That catches on and tracks like The Grove and others can pay some higher purses.
Just some views. I said a year ago the big sponsorships and teams can dissapear as fast as they came on the scene. If cost and return isn't the major factor on why Hunter, Ballou, Hockett, MDC and others aren't leaving, What is?
IMHO they will make the major shows that don't conflict and those not in a points hunt near the middle of the season will go where they think they can get the best results.
Who's to say we don't have as much new tallent entering than leaving?
All said and done IMO Id still rather watch Levi, Coondog, Hines, Cottle, Boat and a several others and locals that can compete with them than that follow the leader stuff
Chuck, thinking to run for less money, You gotta make it a little less costly to race.
