It just has to be said that in the racing sporting world we inhabit today, as fans, as sponsors, as competitors, as owners--any of us--it can't be denied that what floats the average person's boat, if all else is equal, is SPEED. Not only do the winged cars go faster than the traditional sprinters, the sensation of that increased speed is dramatic on the smaller tracks that are the lifeblood of the sport.
Now, we who watch both traditional and winged sprints may know with absolute certainty that all things are NOT equal from a competitive and aesthetic standpoint between the two disciplines. But in any geographic area where the predominant version of sprints to watch are winged, the first impression many fairweather observers have is that the traditional sprints are demonstrably Slower.
So these folks, if they are inclined to watch maybe a race a month or so, are inclined to feel that "bang for their buck" means seeing the fastest go at it. Thus, an entity like the WoO is absolutely ideal for them: they come into town sparingly (optimizing buzz), put up a track record to verify their alpha status, and move on down the road. Crowds may be down these days, but there was nowhere to go BUT down when capacity was the norm only a few years ago.
What this essentially does is put pressure on bodies like USAC to have their product 's house in order to such an extent that the undeniable superiority they possess from an on-track-action standpoint somehow wins the day when the "swing voters"--those who aren't addicted the way most on this here board are--decide to spend their money.
Well, USAC's house is...not..entirely Ordered that way. The Silver Crown Series is an anchor as an expense to the teams, and an albatross around the necks of management, who haven't figured out the way to maximize that division's value since....I give up. Someone tell me. Quasi-fenders; No fenders; Starters; No starters; Mostly dirt miles; Mostly paved supertracks; Stand alone division; Craftsman Trucks's stepchildren; Day Races; Dusk Races (after Nascar's flavor of the day has finally finished). Oy.
We can only hope that we aren't going to live to see the demise of traditional short track racing, but who would want to wager that possibility? For sure, the Heyday is long gone. As in, loooong gone. We can all strive to keep this sport relevant with our moral and financial support, but even from last year to this year there has been a depreciation: As of now, Hockett, Clayton, Ballou, Bacon and Schuerenberg are outside looking in. Or maybe not. Maybe looking forward. If every race last season would have been a top five tussle between just those names, would that not have been a time capsule event? Now, they're subtracted from the show (at least for now--hopefully to return).
Someone asked last week about the "If you won the lottery"-scenario. I'd hope almost any of us would invest in the payout improvements to the teams that compete, just to make it so that they didn't have to grovel for sponsorship just to exist. Hope one of us is holding the winning ticket.

It is my opinion that more sprint car drivers -- traditional and winged -- make their living today by just racing than at just about any other point in history. You have 10 or 12 guys that do so with USAC. The same number with the Outlaws.

Thirty years ago, very few did. Guys who ran outlaw like Rick Ferkel, Chuck Amati and before that Jan Opperman did. In USAC, no one earned their living just racing midgets, sprints and Silver Crown. Pancho Carter was one of the most successful drivers of the period, but much of his income came from Indy Cars. Same with Tom Bigelow and Gary Bettenhausen. The Kenyons supplemented theirs with their shop in Lebanon. Sheldon Kinser worked construction. Larry Rice taught school. Bob Kinser was a bricklayer.

It was only in the advent of the Outlaws that more than just a handful of sprint car drivers started earning their living racing cars. Whether you like wings or not, they were the catalyst to help make this happen.

Car owners, on the other hand, are a different story. They always amaze me.

And owner-drivers have the toughest row to hoe. The spiraling costs that some teams are willing to pay to win make it very difficult for these folks to survive in the sport they love, a sport that needs these owner-driver teams to survive itself.

Jim Morrison

As times get tougher, I don't necessarily think the sport has to disappear. I think the national/traveling (USAC/WOO etc.) stuff might be in trouble sometime down the road but, these racers may just have to live within their budgets and race locally, as many of us do anyway. Clayton, Bacon, Ballou and Schuerenberg all probably had family owned cars before they caught on with the Jeff Walkers, Kasey Kahnes and "Truckers 24Hrs" of the racing world. They may just have to go back to their sprint car roots and run closer to home as the majority of us do. 99.9% of the racers in the sport today have no illusion of making a living driving a sprint car or midget, nor should they. It's just not that kind of sport. Anyone who is making a living at it is doing so at the expense of someone else who can afford to throw the money away. Nobody is "making" money running a sprint car/midget.

I am totally against paying more than $5,000 to win in any Sprint Car Race.

What I would like to see is more 2 - 3 day shows that paid the same to win each night with a grand prize for most points or best finishes or a event champion. Pay 1 entry fee, race 2 or 3 nights at the same track, leave the haulers in the pits (with security) and just race.

Have the portable showers come in, food vedors come in like at the fair, etc. Put the FUN into the event for everybody.

Paying GREAT BIG 1st place money just doesn't seem like the answer we are looking for at all.

[QUOTE=itsanonwingthing;84686]

Kings Royal - $50,000 to win (probably $3,000 to start), lucky to get 40 cars. If Steve Kinser is .00002 seconds off the fastest car in Hot laps, he goes and changes motors, because he has one in the hauler that dyno'd 5 HP more. Oh Boy!
On the same night, USAC Sprint Week is running, 55-60 cars, for what, $230.00 to start, $4,000 to win.:confused:

QUOTE]

hey if a usac'er wanted to race for 50k all he would have to do is STRAP a wing on and head to The Big "E".. LOL:rolling

Sceckert hit the nail on the head with this comment
"As of now, Hockett, Clayton, Ballou, Bacon and Schuerenberg are outside looking in. Or maybe not. Maybe looking forward. If every race last season would have been a top five tussle between just those names, would that not have been a time capsule event? Now, they're subtracted from the show (at least for now--hopefully to return)."

USAC started seeing a decline in spectators when Nascar and WOO ramped up their exposure. The same could be said for the dirt late model crowd. What these groups have that USAC doesn't have is recoginzable drivers year in and year out. Nascar has had some of the same names racing for twenty plus years. WOO has Steve Kinser, the dirt late model crowd has Scott Bloomquist...and they promote the DRIVERS! Granted, USAC does have Dave Darland, a perenial favorite..but who else that has been there for years?

Racing fans like to cheer for their favorite guy, and while we all like to see drivers better their career, I wish that some of the guys could afford to stay in USAC so they could build a loyal following. When Tony Stewart left for the big leagues, some of his loyal fans went with him, never to see another sprint car show again. Jason Leffler likely brought some fans with him as well. Could you imagine a speedweek show with all of those guys in ther today? And again next year?

Payout is obviously the issue. If they were able to score a major series sponsor, that could be helped. And that would allow some drivers to be content where they are. You can blame the Jeff Gordon syndrome on alot of this.

I talked to Ballou at Craig's show today. No wings and no races under 5k to win.Alot of guys will be doing that, at least the guys I talked to. Like I said earlier , real outlaws maybe back.

Also remember, if the drivers good, he can make a living on 40 to 50% of the purse money. Not so for the owners. It is going to be a very interesting season this year.

I guess Ballou won't be racing much this year. Really makes you wonder where his heart is? Or isn't???

Your a DOPE:rolleyes:

all these drivers mentioned are great.... as for the modern day cowboy he should try to win a weekly show.. the only reason there isnt enough money in the nonwing shows is because he doesnt win.. DUH!!! he is lucky to be in the top 4 in a b-main. i know ill catch a bunch of crap outa this but theres gotta be some people behind me. i know he won that race at tri state. did he win anymore shows in indiana??