..... and meanwhile, Midget racing as a whole continues to turn laps around the toilet bowl. How many more times can we circle the drain before we go down for good?
I don't give a damn about any other kind of racing except Midgets. I don't even consider myself a 'race fan', I'm just interested in Midget racing, and I have been since my Ascot days back in the '70's. Here's the deal;
1. Midgets are now officially a vintage racing division. Joe Fontana is a great man and I grew up idolizing him - his shop was right down the street from my dads. But Dammit, a side-breather pushrod motor from the '40's is a vintage motor no matter how much Ti or 2024 you stuff into it. When your cutting edge, state-of-the-art engine is a Pinto, you are officially a vintage division. Vintage divisions don't race for big money. They are typically dominated by a few teams with deep pockets and an agenda of one sort or another. These teams have huge egos and a lot invested, and they aggressively protect the rules that keep their particular design in front. Sound familiar?
2. Midget racing is the best short track oval racing on the planet. and back in the old days, it was what you did if you wanted to race at the local short track. These days there are more choices than you can count when it comes to this type of racing. None of them are as exciting as midget racing but ALL of them are far more affordable. These competing groups have embraced technologies and/or alternatives that have enabled them to out compete Midgets for track time. This is not an opinion, it is a FACT. Go to your local track this saturday for proof - no Midgets will be running but there will be 4 or 5 other divisions of 'track lice' out there stinking up the place. WE LET THIS HAPPEN. By refusing to evolve, by refusing to remain competitive in an increasingly competitive market we, as midget folks, LET THIS HAPPEN.
3. There are alternatives out there, right now, today, that could serve to begin infusing new blood into the sport by offering a product that could be respectably competitive on-tractk vs. the vintage engines while at the same time offering greatly reduced cost of operation. These kinds of alternatives have been introduced in other forms of racing that have faced similar challenges. Without exception, the divisions who chose to not go the vintage route were successful in implementing these new choices, and those divisions who either chose vintage, or (as in the case of Midget racing today) refused to recognize that what they were becoming was in fact a vintage division, have continued to decline.
This is the point in the rant where I used to make an impassioned plea for those concerned to please take a look at state-of-the-art alternatives that have proven to be more cost effective and could appeal to the young new drivers out there looking to move up. These days, my 'Give-a-crap meter' is pegged at about 0.5. I don't depend on racing to make a living anymore, and let me tell you that feels really, REALLY good. I still love it, I'd still like to contribute what I can, but I'm done beating my noggin up against you idiots.
Good luck,
Keith
