[riskybrisky5]

Kirk again you are spot on. I am not arguing trying to get a format change. I just want some money back when I have those bad nights. I have always tried to be a guy that stands up for what is right. To me this is wrong and I will stand up against it. I have no ill feelings toward USAC. But I will not compete with them until everyone is paid for competing. If I am the only one that does this nothing will change, that is why I think all others with the same passion about this issue should stay away and let USAC and the promoters know. Then it might change.

$100 Tow Money Against Winnings Friday May 16 Vermilion County Speedway Danville Il. $1000 To Win 150 To Start Feature. Thanks Phil 202-6588

[Knoke77]

Kevin, I appreciate your statement. I was very fortunate to have the opportunities that I did and the success that I was able to achieve in this very grueling and competitive sport.

Kirk, I know you typically play devils advocate on topics and I agree with quite a few of the points you bring up but can you really see it from the driver/owners point of view? You say that not just anybody can show up and run against the top tier USAC teams? I'm sorry but if I'm going to spend the money to race that night then I deserve to be out there just as much as anyone. If I'm not good enough to make the feature I think I should deserve more then 10 laps total to prove it. I'm sorry but if I'm going to take the chance to run with these guys and support USAC, then send me home with some reprieve for my efforts.

From what I can see though it looks like people could give a crap less if anyone but the USAC "stars" are their or not. Maybe one day you will get your wish and have a dedicated 20 cars that only show up to USAC races. Your shows will get over quick and you will get to see the best of the best. I know!! Have pre-entries only! First 20 received are the ones that get to race!

Kevin, there are no drivers in this business that I have more respect for than you. I wish that your goal could be achieved but I seriously doubt USAC is going to give a flying fudge if low budget teams show up. This will make people like dshort36 happy though since we should be playing the nickle slots anyways.

I hate coming off sounding bitter about this but come on, things need to be looked. I've paid my dues and ran my laps and watched my family spend almost every last penny we had to be a part of this sport we love.

[Kirk Spridgeon]

Kevin - If that's all you're asking for, then sign me up. It's a pretty simple request, and as I said before, I think it's ridiculous to see the teams putting on the show have to pay so much when some will go home with nothing.

Jason - I'm not saying anyone shouldn't run, but if you go out there without being ready to take on the best and expect every break in the world just to compete, then you're asking for a bit too much. You illustrated the frustrations of going to USAC races early in your career. Those frustrations didn't crop up later in your career when you could compete with those guys night in and night out, did they? I think less guys would be disappointed if they took an objective look at themselves and realized that some of them are not ready to compete at that level yet. If you just want to be out there and take what you're given, that's fine. But it's not a charity case....sometimes a guy needs to train himself at local races, where everybody gets laps, until he's ready to take on the best guys.

At the end of the day, you are given the same exact chance as any other guy at that race. The driver next to you has to qualify, run a heat and transfer to the feature just as you have to. You want more than ten laps? Well, this guy just wants to qualify. Unfortunately, neither one of you are happy with the format. That's the way it goes. How would you feel about running a pavement stock car somewhere, and spending lots of time and money to practice and practice all day....then you qualify, and you don't make the field, so you load up and go home. You had two laps to prove yourself - against a clock and not your competitors. But that's the format, so that's the way it goes...

Everybody wants to see the USAC stars and the best local guys racing each other. No one ever said they didn't. And as long as everyone didn't have to pay a fortune at the pit gate and received something at the end of the night, I just don't see why all the best guys wouldn't be there?!

[Charles Nungester]

These guys you speak of, rarely qualify but consistantly run up front. Given a C, B main they could probably put it in the show and at times beat the best in the nation.

Im not saying penalize the top qualifyers. Im saying give the guys that for whatever reason didn't, a fair shot and some return than a 6 lap NQR. Those guys running the C,aren't gonna be in the top dogs way and if they make it all the way to the A, They deserve their spot. IMHO much more than anything more than two provisionals, Who also didn't make the show for whatever reason.

That guy who came from alphabet soup isn't in the way, He earned it.

[Kirk Spridgeon]

They do get the chance, just the way Jesse Hockett, Brad Sweet, and Chris Windom crawled their way from the non-qualifier's race at Brownstown into the feature. The non-qualifier's race is a C Main, and they then get two chances to make the feature after transferring from the C. That's how you do it. Then, you try to pull the Terry Pletch and come from the back to the front and win.

[Shawn]

I think it's true that everyone has the same "shot", but I have a problem with running a six lap race, or you're done. Six laps and who knows how many cars, to transfer two? If you have an issue in time trials, you have no time to make it up.

Whether it's track conditions that are getting worse, something breaks or whatever in time trials, you'd still have a shot. You have a heat to race in, which is more than six laps, plus you don't load up and go home if you don't transfer. Instead, you go to a semi-feature and still have a shot to make the feature. This is still fair to everyone.

If they're going to have provisionals, I think this is even more of a case to not have a "Non-Quals" race. Why should someone come up one spot short in that race, go home with nothing, but someone they beat, goes to the "A"?

I just don't see why anyone, other than the normal USAC teams, would want to tow from any sort of distance to a show. Who are we to say that they'd be back-markers either. With a chance to show up and get nothing at all, why do it?

[Jerry Shaw]

I think it's totally reasonable to question the amount of fees and costs that running a USAC event requires. And who knows? There may some willingness on USAC's part, in the future, to work on that issue. After all, Kevin Miller did speak of the importance of using marketing to go from being a back gate driven sport, to one that concentrates it's efforts the entertainment value of it's product and it's ability to get sponsors and put people in the seats.

As far as the format goes, I am against changing it (other than possibly adding a car or two to each heat). You should have to defy the odds to come in from the outside and win or finish high in one of their programs. It makes things like Kevin or Brady winning the Sprint Week show @ Bloomington or Matt Westfall winning @ Eldora the kind of stuff that legends are made of. A real Rocky story, if you will.

Jerry

[SHORTBUS]

Originally Posted by Shawn I think it's true that everyone has the same "shot", but I have a problem with running a six lap race, or you're done. Six laps and who knows how many cars, to transfer two? If you have an issue in time trials, you have no time to make it up. Whether it's track conditions that are getting worse, something breaks or whatever in time trials, you'd still have a shot. You have a heat to race in, which is more than six laps, plus you don't load up and go home if you don't transfer. Instead, you go to a semi-feature and still have a shot to make the feature. This is still fair to everyone. If they're going to have provisionals, I think this is even more of a case to not have a "Non-Quals" race. Why should someone come up one spot short in that race, go home with nothing, but someone they beat, goes to the "A"? I just don't see why anyone, other than the normal USAC teams, would want to tow from any sort of distance to a show. Who are we to say that they'd be back-markers either. With a chance to show up and get nothing at all, why do it?

IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE EARLY IN THE EVENING THAT PUTS YOU ON THE BACK OF EVERYTHING.ONCE A LOSER FOR THAT EVENING YOU ARE MORE THAT LIKLEY A LOSER ALL NIGHT.NO CHANCE OF A HEAT RACE MEANS WITH THIS FORMAT YOUR`E OUT WITH NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT.

[dshort36]

knoke77.... i am not one to say where anyone should be playing exept for myself... what i was implying is that we should all live and play within our own means.....if we have to vacation to florida lets not be angry at those that get to go to australia... if we have to play at the 2 dollar blackjack table lets not look down at those who can afford to play at the 100 dollar table.....some people have bigger boats than others and some people make more money than others..... some people work harder than others and some have two jobs.....and some people have won the lottery..... and some people can afford to tour with usac and some cant......some can and choose to spend their moneys elsewhere and thats fine also.......oh and what makes me happy is being alive...... don short