Yeah I remember the NASCAR/GoodYear/Hoosier fiasco. They are pretty lucky they didn't kill someone. The problem there, I'm sure you recall, was NASCAR dropping the ball...i.e. testing the product. Each week the tire companies showed up, threw on the latest, greatest tires and turned them loose.
As I'm sure you also know, Hoosier is very successful in ARCA. Proper testing would make competing tires a non issue.
The whole point is this. If chassis company 123 pays X amount of dollars into a clubs year end point fund, then demands everyone has to use their chassis....how would that go over? Or a shock company? What if my sponsor is Valvoline but Pennzoil is the series sponsor? I'm forced to use Pennzoil? Bottom line, it's wrong, nuf said.

[I]"As far as the Focus/Kenyons being created to be more affordable ... well, I would have to say that experiment has failed to this point. I saw several races that had less than 10 cars. Why is that? If cost was the bottom line, that division should be taking off."[/I]

You're right, that experiment has failed. Why is that? Well, it's common knowledge that Focus midgets are now, damn near as expensive as a full midget. That's why you will continue to see less than 10 cars. This season it will be 5. Next year they will be gone. It started off as a good idea, but...well...I should just leave it at that.

[I]I agree 100% with the lack of promotion ... but even if we had 5x the people in the stands, that still would not affect the cost of having a race team. If anything, it would bring even more money into the sport and the cost would go even higher.[/I]

I'm not really sure what you mean. Not being a butthead, I honestly don't know what you mean. If more fans in the stands creates more money into a series, and the organization continues to enforce the rules and control costs, how would it cost more to run the team?
David.

Sorry if this is not what you want to hear. Midgets are O.K... but much rather watch full size sprinters or big cars any day of the week though. Winged or Non winged. Just my humble opinion.

Nothing wrong with that, everybody likes something different. I compare it to the NFL. In the big picture it doesn't matter which team you're a fan of, it just matters that you're a fan. :thumb
David.

I'm having a difficult time understanding why race fans would get on a public message board and tell cars owners to stay home. I don't get it. Be careful what you wish for............

Same here don.I dont understand it either.Id rather see 50 low budget teams racing than 20 High High budget teams.

Always glad to see you at the track and hope to see you more in 09 Don. :thumb

Ovalmeister I do enjoy your posts.I remember 33 cars starting the hut 100.What a site.As far as why midgets are more expensive.????.I was once told by someone probably 5-7 years ago that they have littler parts there more expensive to make.Uhhhh what?They obviously arent making them right if there more expensive.You can make 6 radius rods for a midget compared to 4 for a sprint car.But it costs more to make 2 more cuts.(?)This is what I purpose as I am a midget lover and always have been.I would just love one chance at running a midget.But a micro is as close as Ive been.Instead of complaining and saying this and that lets all on IOW put or thoughts tegether and come up with a series that we think would be affordable for the owner and driver and see what we come up with.Not that I have money to start a club but this is a public board that ANYBODY can read.If I can figure out how to go about the start up cost I would give it a shot at starting a group of midgets.Being winding down somewhat in my racing I think that would be fun.Ill throw some things out there and you guys go with it.But before I do I dont understand what Charles is saying about "watered down" by mini sprints and micros.I being a driver of micros will say we are boring at 1/4 mile tracks.Dont understand why they even run us.It should be during snack bar time.But have you been to a 3/16 like logansport or anything we normally run on?If you ever get a chance to strap in one get back on here and tell me how watered down it was.Ok.Motors in midgets need to be sealed as of focus.What is it $7,000 for a brand new motor.And you can run one for a year or more.Tires as you guys have said are an issue.Run any tire you like,American Racer,Hoosier what ever as long as it durometer's so much.In micros its durometer 40.Which is a 30 hoosier.Not sure about American racer.Every tire gets marked at the beginning of hot laps.You run that tire all night.What is your thoughts on chassis?Nothing newer than 2 years old?Then you also have pay.I personally run at peru.Reason being its $25 a pit pass (actually $20 and $5 for the car)If you make the feature last place pays $25 dollars.Yeah you spend gas money traveling and fuel for the car but that is to finish last in the feature.I do believe that a payout for a $1000 to win race should look something like $1000 for 1st.$850 for 2nd.$650 for 3rd.$450 for 4th.$300 for 5th.$175 for 6th.$150 for 7th.$125 for 8th and $100 for 9th and 10th.$75 for 11th thru 15th and $50 for the rest of the field.Now if I have that figured right that for a 20 car field would be $4475.I think thats feesable with a sponsor or two and the right person working with people.WARNING. These are just ideas dont put me on a stake for something I was thinking.

I think the point was why do you continue to race when all you do is complain about it ... most people do what they love ... not what they love to hate.

Anyway, the tires are a lot different than any other part of the race car, it is the single thing that is in contact with the race track. Tires, unlike almost any other part of the race car, can give a car such an advantage that it really doesn't matter what you do with your chassis, shocks, oil or wheels. Tire deals with one manufacturer is not a new concept, I don't care what type of racing you are talking about ... NASCAR, IndyCar, F1, ARCA, etc.

Isn't one of the reasons for having a single tire manufacturer to keep the cars more equal thus having better competition on the track for the FANS. Maybe I am wrong ...

My point about all the fans in the stands is that if all those people are in the stands ... it will be easier to get sponsors ... more money will come into the sport, which means teams will be able to spend even MORE money ... therefore increasing the cost.

I am sorry I look at midget racing from a positive standpoint and truly appreciate the great racing we have today. I refuse to believe that all the organizations and all the drivers that support them without complaining are stupid and part of some Purple Conspiracy.

How does everyone running the same thing make racing better? Look at Napcar and the joke its turned into. Next thing is they'll all be driving Honda motors.

Yeah its true for the most part sprint car racing is small block chevy based on where there are tons of parts ect available making it cheaper. Its also harder on midget motors. The compression rates these cars are running today. Step hard on the brake you stall the car....

Still I think there are more competitive cars today than say 15 years ago. The shame of it is, You can barely get a full field.

Chuck

So??What are you saying?Make it a steel block and use whatever make you would like?Just make the injectors a certain size to not maximize a certain size or to make it whatever make with whatever injectors and not to exceed a certain hp?

hey man nothing wrong with a honda, i've had a honda 4-wheeler thats been through alot and it still keeps going. i've only seen one midget race( powri at haubstat last year) and i was sold on them as putting on a heck of a show. on the tire thing we've ran mc creays sp? numerous times on our mini sprint and there just about better than any hoosier or AR we've run, in my eyes the spec tire rule is hurting the sport. look at f1 two brands and the best racing going :checkered: