Don competition among manufacturers drives a lot of BS sessions in the stands. The sound that emits from the exhaust is different between some engine manufacturers, this could lead to a pride in what I drive discusion if one manufacturer dominates the race over another. Chasis well, from where I sit I can't see the difference. Some may know but as of today they all look the same to me. Tubed frame to hold everything together. Since you bring up fuel, if the fuel they ran changed, say to an E-85 blend, this would lower the compression ratio allowed to run due to self detonation over Methanol. Would this compromise the safety of the racers envolved?

I raced with them twice two years ago. I don't want to open a can of worms on here, but that club goes about racing in a different way than the midwest clubs and the purse to win is not very good. We won the first night at Grandview from about the 20th spot. The next night at Big Diamond we were required to start in the back again. They start about 28 cars. As you know, there are more risks when you start in the back because you have to work your way through traffic and they only give you 20 laps. Well, the big wreck happened infront of us and we had nowhere to go. About 12 cars piled up. My car and Dave Darland's car were wrecked big time with a huge repair $$$$$$$$ bill. I was not a happy camper.

Don,
I'm just a fan, and don't get to as many races as I would like, but I could care less about the tires, chassis, or oil being used. I do care about the fuel though, the smell of burning methanol as I approach the track always seems to make me walk faster towards the track!! I'm there to see a good RACE. I want good close racing, passing for the lead and passing through out the pack. If a car comes from the back and makes a charge to the front, well it doesn't get much better than that.

What it takes for me Don, is following the friends I have made over the years in there racing endeavors. I rarely go to a race track that I am not there to support one of my friends running their race car in whatever division I am watching. An while my racing background has been formed growing up invovlved in open wheel racing, at least 5 or 6 times a year we would run special shows with the modifieds, late models, or taxi cabs as many IOW members call them.

In late 2007 the family that I go racing with in AZ. parked their sprint cars and started racing a late model, is that my favorite form of racing, no. Do I go to the race track with them, yes, every chance I get because they are my long time friends. An I support their racing endeavors in whatever way I can.

My first venture to a dirt track was years ago when a long time friend bought Brewerton Speedway in N. Y.. Did I have any interest in dirt track racing at the time, no. Did I go as often as I could to support my friends venture in track ownership, yes.

Am I the type of person that will go down stairs to the bathroom or get something to eat if a form of racing is on the bill that I don't care for, you bet I am. I have a bad back and sometimes I am worse than a kid when it comes to having to get up and wander around at a race track.

Do I feel that race tracks need to make it easier for the fans to have access to drivers? You bet I do, that is what builds a race tracks fan base. At Manzy you have to wait forever to obtain access to the pits through the cross over gate at the start finish line after the races. They need to shorten their post race festivities or find a way to allow access at the same time.

I like to see good racing where ever I go, but usually that will not be the determining factor for me going back. In my case it will be whether my friends are racing there or not.

Patti

So I would assume that if the midget is not as wide, there would be the potential for more passing and closer competition?

What a way to spend your 17th birthday, you are so right the TQ racing members were some of the most friendly fun loving people I have ever known. While your car looks familiar, I can honestly say I remember very little of the racing action from back then. I followed Andy Mackereth at the time, his family and I have been longtime friends since his Dad ran supers. You would also find me cheering for all of the super drivers that tried their hand at Niagara, Dave McKnight, Gary Morton, Joe Gosek as well as Bob & Lou Cicconi and Noki Fonoro from NEMA middets. Actually two or three years ago I ran into Bob Wood that owned the TQ midget Joe Gosek drove here in Az. at a Walmart by my house, just goes to show you what a small world it is. He and his wife were staying at an RV park just a few miles from my house. Enough off topic, glad to meet you.

Patti

WERE NOT WORTHY ... WERE NOT WORTHY ... LOL

Glad to see you spend a lot of time making yourself look good in print ... what a joke.

Who else on here needs some attention?

I personally don't see how a fan watching the Badger cars and the IRS series on the same night wouldn't view the IRS series as the opening act and the Badger series the headliner. What I mean is that the IRS series may put on a good show and have a great race, but the Badger cars are what I would remember. You wouldn't think you could notice a second to two seconds difference with your eyes, but you can.

That is just me though. I am not trying to pick on IRS as I feel that they have a place and a good product, but to me it's not the same. If I want to see cars from the 80's race, I'll close my eyes and remember or look at photos.

As a team owner(If I still owned one), the only way you could get me to switch from my current program to a different one would be a raise in the purses for at least 3-5 years. In order for me to go with a deal like ASCS would be to know that I would be able to collect more purse money to offset the cost of the new motor. I want to earn more money as well as save money. If my only benefit is saving money, but racing for less, then I'm not interested because it still costs me the same to roll up and down the road. The comeback for that is that the motor is cheaper to operate, but that is only in theory because each persons experience is different. If it's for the same purse or less I am then limited to only one group to race with.

If you want to take tire width from the cars, go to two left rears on 8" wheels. I am not a fan of the Mini-Mod tire deal. It doesn't matter though as the teams will figure how to hook 'em up. No matter what anyone on here thinks, the best teams(Not the best funded) the best teams will still win. If USAC brought a truck load of spec cars to the track and you drew for which car you got each night, the same people would still win. Narrow cars,wide cars,sideways cars; it doesn't matter.

There may be an exception here and there, but that is how it is. That is why it's hard to get Don out of the barn when Jerry or Tracy or Kaiser aren't available. I don't blame him. As he and I talked in the past, why hire anyone when you can hire the best. I would be the same.

In many ways I am just a fan today. Maybe not your average fan, but a fan none the less. I like todays product. I think today's cars are fun to watch. I enjoy the fact that any car from pretty much any group can compete with any club. AS A FAN, I would have started Don's car at the rear as well because that was the show.

If anything, I feel that todays racing is as good if not better than the 70's-90's. Why the drivers aren't more of household names or the races aren't more popular is anyones guess. You say Bobby Olivero, I say Jerry Coons. You say Rich Vogler and I say Tracy Hines. You say Tom Bigelow and I say Dave Darland. On and On. (I am not comparing styles, just off setting names.)

Presentation, age of drivers, lack of promotion, sport watered down, too much other entertainment, etc. are all cited as reasons from time to time. Probably a combination of all of those things. Sometimes things ebb and flow and often an overnight sensation is 10 years in the making.

JShock66: Apparently reading comprehension was not your best subject, nor your ability to respect others, nor your ability to sign your full name. The paragraphs you quoted were requested by an IOW member. You keep posting the same off topic personal nonsense over and over and over.

Almost all of you are doing a great job with this topic. Very interesting. Keep posting your thoughts!!