THE HAVES AND THE HAVE_NOTS! I feel so sorry for all you poor guys that only spend $100,000 racing and get back nothing. This is a total joke. Who are the big teams??

A guy that worked in a DQ?
A guy from a town in "NO WHERE" Washington!
A crew cheif that ran his Dad's TQ?
A crew cheif that ran his 1st race with his brother at Winchester in a home built car?
A guy that followed his legendary father around and refused to go away?
The HAVES would'nt quit, they were the best, they didn't spend their time ******** on a message board. They out worked, out raced, out wanted it!

To the fans that want to ***** about the cost of going racing start with the gas prices.
To the racers that want to *****, get off the message board, get your ass in the garage and make your sh1t faster. Then this Sat. Cowboy _ UP! Then maybe you will be the next HAVES!

Being broke sucks, but why take it out on those at the top. Why is the MSCS the new savor? Their pay off looks like a hobby rather than a race.

$200 with tow money for missing the show, $225 for 10th place?? Why not just let them in for free, race for a $5000 purse and only pay the top 5 spots??


DM-10 please find another hobby and quit bashing the sport many put their heart and sole into.

KB- nothing here aimed at you, you have proved yourself to be included in the term "racer".

Im not knocking the top teams for what they have, What they've put together thru money, hard work or both.

Im KNOCKING THE FACT that is it is damn near impossible to beat em in that format let alone make the feature and they get nothing if they don't 1 either qualify well (For whatever reason, bad magneto, flat. Inexperience ect. that then puts them in 2. a very short race with a LOT OF CARS.

They never get the chance in which racing skills pervail. Put Stanbrough on the tail of any 12 lap 15 car consi and nine times out of ten, he'll transfer..

Im not asking for miracles, A total revamp. Im asking for a fair chance and the opertunity SEE IT!

Well, regardless of anything, If you want change.... then do something, If you don't then don't do anything.. it will all balance in the end. Hitler wanted change, he got it. (bad example , but still) Germany was weakened...and its people were unhappy. Well.. ironically enough, people are un happy with USAC... so find a leader, a group, whatever a regime WHATEVER.... and begin the change.... to talk and agree and post will do nothing. The haulers will still be heading to Pennsylvania, the locals still running local shows.. sprint week will start out with 48 cars and end with bout 36ish... and gas will still be reaming the americans butthole. SO....with that being said... MSCS.... take a look at it, yes they travel some, yea its not ALL the time, but you find a core group of officials who use personal means of transportation, their own atv's.... their time, for hotdogs and a coke and a pitpass. Where else do you find officials thanking your for coming, passing out info on next events.... not to many places anymore. If more support comes to the MSCS then maybe they can build a bigger purse... accomodate everyone.... just my 2 cents. Yes USAC does have "The Greatest Drivers" persay.... but they don't have the nostagia of having the little guy, with mom, dad, brother and sister working on the car on an open air trailer.... and at this point in time... they never will again... IMHO I am just a fan who also agrees, but also sees that changes just doesnt happen...

DM10 - Apologies for not making it clear, but I was referring to the sprint car side of the equation. Midgets have been over the top for years, but honestly, when midgets race on a small track, equipment is not as bad a factor as people seem to think. Jerry Coons, Jr. could win USAC races in your car, just as he does in Wilke's, against any midget team out there...

I agree that the fees are outrageous. I don't even know when those numbers got so dang high. And really, the guys not getting any money back is ridiculous. Any reputable organization has a payoff for all competitors...

What gets my blood boiling is the notion, preached by Mr. Nungester more than others, that the racing isn't fair. The rich guys are dominating. The draw isn't favorable to the local guys. The format needs revamped.
That is BS! You obviously don't go to many USAC Sprint Car shows, because it's honestly the most competitive form of racing out there right now. Now, I will say that I would lock in more cars to the heats, but there has to be a cutoff somewhere, and I'm all for it!

Why can the local guys come out and beat the USAC teams in any other format than the USAC format? Chuck, if your guy is not ready to come out and run his ass off from the first green flag until the last checkered, then he shouldn't be there! I don't want to hear excuses.....because this year I've watched Brady Short, Tracy Hines, Shane Cottle, Darren Hagen, Dave Darland, Kevin Briscoe, Chris Windom, Chad Boat, etc. have to fight to make it in the show. And every guy on that list has missed a feature this year or been forced to take a provisional with USAC. It's not supposed to be easy - that's why it's a USAC event!

They know what they have to do when they unload. They have to qualify well. They have to race hard in the heat races and/or B Main. Then they're out there with the best in the feature event, where it's an all-out battle just to run in the top-ten....and that's why it's such a great show to watch.

Although I should keep my thoughts out of this I will chime in on what Kevin is trying to say.

When I started sprints we had a low buck but dependable car. We ran a steel block 410 that lacked a lot of horsepower compared to 90% of the other teams. (I had a 377 that put out more power later on)

Although I was new to sprints I still tried my hand at running USAC races at Putnumviille, Bloomington, and L-Burg. At the time I was naive (which I really still am) but to me I was just there to race. In hindsight I was also there supporting USAC for the local races which helped put on a better show. Back then it was common ground to have 40+ sprints at all of these events and they weren't even the sprintweek shows. I would literally run the dog snot out of my car trying to qualify in the top 32 and more often then not I couldn't do it. Starting out I would run the NQ race then load up as I didn't finish in the top 2 or 4 due to the quality of cars still ahead of me in time.

If I would have been allowed to run a heat race and then either a C or B main my nights would have been so much better. To go to a track and run 4 hot laps, 2 qual laps, and then 6 NQ laps and then load up is a crock of crap. I spent my time and money to attend their shows and they send me home with nothing, not even a "thank you for showing up and giving us your money" and a smack on the butt. I didn't give a rats ass about making any money I just wanted to run laps but to them we were expendable.

I ran with the All Stars a few times and even though I didn't make the feature, Bert Emick still took the time to come by MY trailer and say thank you for supporting them even though we were a small team against big odds. They knew how to make a team feel appreciated for putting our money and lives on the line to provide the entertainment they promoted.

With the costs of racing being as ridiculous as they are, USAC needs to seriously rethink the top-32 rule and give people the laps they deserve to race. Give the guy that doesn't have the big motor a chance to battle later on in the evening when things might be more in his favor and instead of pure horsepower the can use experience to get to the front.
:usac::moon:

look its pretty simple........if you cant afford to play the dollar slots play the quarter.....if you cant afford to drive a cadillac drive a chevy...if you cant afford to run with usac run with another series or at a local track .... there are always options but remember a lot of those that can afford the larger things in life,or racing, couldnt always and had to work hard to get there...some people spend their money on other things and have different priorities,and thats ok.. how many spend 40.00 or more a week on cigarettes,and 100.00 a week on beer ...how many lose 100.00 or 1000.00 gambling? lets be happy we all have a place to race.......one of the nicest things about running usac is not just winning but a chance at beating the best drivers around...and the prestige and notority that comes with that win....and on that i would like to say that usac should reconsider the greg staab situation..........for sure.

Kirk great last post. You are dead on that USAC has the best competion around. It feels really good when you can compete with them. But it is wrong to send a guy away because he wasnt fast enough that night with nothing. I am making no excuses yes I dont have what some guys might have but I have what alot of what others don't. Brownstown for me was drivers and setup fault not the equipment. Like your post from before alot of top drivers and teams have already been in this situation not making shows this year. Kirk i am not whining or making excuses just upset about entry and no purse money. I definatly do not go just to make the heat races.

Knoke you are one driver that if you could have ever got with the right team could have won quite a few races.

I know all this Kirk. Im saying that a lot don't even try anymore, Not even at their local track. Theres a good shot they're not going to get any return.

It's just my opinion but there is fact to it that you can't even deny.

Stewart, Kahne and a few others can take the chances, Have every dime that can be invested in motor, research and even some testing. While even track champions can't afford to loose a chassis, Blow a motor ect.

I want to see the Briscoes, Gaines, Derek Franks, Ted Hines, Brandon Petty's ect race against them. It used to be that way and sometimes they actually won.

I watched Troy Link two years ago at a non sanctioned (Gaines Classic) in a 12 year old car and ten year old motor start 13th fall to 18th and pass cars like crazy including 4th and 5th to finish third. Yeah, there were big names and teams there but it's part of what makes a show. It's no dissrespect to the big teams to say that I want to see them as much as I want to see Levi. Levi's a great racer but so are others with far less to work with. I fully understand the sacrifice some of them make to get where they are. Im saying that without EVERYBODY, Somethings missing.

Chuck

I just don't see why guys should keep getting a reprieve to move on. Jason, I understand what you're saying, but a USAC race is not the place to "get laps." A USAC race is the TOP echelon of sprint car racers in the world - and in any other sport or job, you don't get to just show up and learn against the professionals, the best guys in the world. Really, that is what is both good and bad about sprint cars.

Kevin, you know I am and have been a very big fan of yours for a while. But when the rule changes and we get to add you to the heat races, we also might be adding somebody who doesn't need to be there at all. I don't want to see somebody out there mucking up the program with extra cautions or being in the way. That happens enough at the shows where we don't have enough cars for a non-qualifier's race.

I remember a few years ago when you missed the show, maybe even missed the heats, at Lawrenceburg during Sprintweek. At Bloomington the next night, you put it on 'em. That's the way it goes. Sometimes it's not your night, but there's always another one.

One other thing on "big motors" having the advantage. I remember our good friend Kevin Besecker, just a couple years ago, qualifying up front CONSISTENTLY against the big fields of USAC and races like the Sheldon Kinser Memorial. They didn't have much under the hood, but he stepped up and kept it wound to qualify near the front. No excuses there...

Kevin, I think I see your point and I agree. More money for fewer chances at a return. It doesn`t take a genius.

Just another one weeded out by USAC,
Kent Christian