[hoosierhillbilly]

Is at

http://www.powri.com/newsdetail.asp?NewsID=6322

Sorry if this was already posted

[ClaytonYeley]

7/4 Haubstadt, IN
:respect::applaud::thumb

[racephoto1]

I wish these guys would run more shows in Indiana. Good car counts and great racing. Haubstadt last year was just spectacular.:thumb

I wish POWRi had been able to make that many appearances at Jacksonville a few yers ago when I could make the races their.

I won't make a single one this year

Makes West Burlington, IA on Saturday nights look better and better all the time. :thumb

[D.O.]

2009 POWRi Schedule

3/28 DuQuoin, IL

4/24 Jacksonville, IL

4/25 Macon, IL

5/1 Granite City, IL

5/2 Belleville, IL

5/15 Jacksonville, IL

5/16 TBA

5/29 Knoxville, IA - @

5/30 Knoxville, IA - @

6/5 Donnellson, IA

6/6 Moberly, MO

6/12 Granite City, IL

6/13 Belleville, IL

6/19 Jacksonville, IL

6/20 Highland, IL

7/4 Haubstadt, IN

7/8 TBA

7/17 Macon, IL

7/18 Jacksonville, IL

7/26 Cameron, MO * #

7/27 Rising City, NE * #

7/28 McCool Junction, NE * #

7/29 McCool Junction, NE * #
8/12 Belleville, IL

8/21 Macon, IL

9/11 Jacksonville, IL

9/12 Canton, IL

9/13 LaSalle, IL

9/26 Macon, IL

10/3 Belleville, IL

10/8 Granite City, IL

10/9 Granite City, IL

10/10 Granite City, IL

Co-Sanction - @ USAC * SMRS # RMMRA

[DonMoore10]

First of all, I would like to commend POWRi owners Jim Siner and Kenny Brown for developing a midget series and keeping alive the great tradition of midget racing in the St. Louis based area. And they do a great job of presenting their product to race fans. The shows move along in clock like order with generally no nonsense in between. So great job guys in keeping midget racing alive.

I do have some concerns as to where this is all going. If you're like the biggest majority of people in the US, your investments and retirement accounts have been gutted nearly 50%. There is no news that's good news regarding the economy. The St. Louis area has been hit just like every other area in the United States. Since the last outdoor POWRi race in October 2008, the nation has taken a dramatic downturn. Where are all the cars going to come from to support all the races on the schedule? I hope I'm wrong, but, really how much money do teams have (especially after many of them spent $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ at Tulsa, OK ) to keep going as in previous years?

Now, I'm speaking for myself and no one else about the following. You two business men (Siner and Brown) are both racers or former racers and are well aware of what it costs to put a midget on the track. Every dime that I spend comes from my own pocket as far as race cars go. I haven't bailed out YET like Kasey Kahne has when his sponsor went away. I have no tire deal, no outside sponsor and my purse winnings are reduced by half since I hire drivers. And I have to travel, with the exception of 6 short track midget races in Indiana (300 miles), 500 miles to race my cars, either to ARDC East Coast, POWRi St. Louis or BMARA Wisconsin. That's a thousand miles at least on my towing equipment for a weekend. Heck, midget teams based in Indianapolis have a heart attack when they have to travel 50 miles out of their way.

My next question is: In view of the terrible economic conditions we are experiencing, what have you two business men implemented to reduce the costs of midget racing? Maybe I missed it, but I haven't read one item (or heard) regarding costs from ANY midget org in the United States. And despite the POWRi schedule and the 293 cars at the Chili Bowl, midget racing is in serious trouble. If you haven't recognized that, you're in denial. If you don't believe me, check out what is going on in Wisconsin. BMARA car counts are down 50% from 1999. And from the number of teams that I have seen bailout recently in that area, where are they going to get enough cars to fill the field???? And that club operates with the exact same rules as the POWRi org.

My unscientific research tells me that most midget owners have a life expectancy of not more than 6 years max. Many are around for only a year or two. If you don't believe me, check back around the early 2000's and see who owned a midget back then and then check the owners presently. I'm now in my 7th year as an owner and the constant high costs are, for the most part, way over the edge.

So how long can somebody like me keep going with this? If you look at the statistics, I guess I need to get out of racing at this point. I don't know. I'm one of a few still hanging on.

Here is what I have seen regarding the internal workings of POWRi.

The purses have leveled out with $2000 to win. After that, the payout drops sharply. Third place money is a disaster.

I paid the $100+ fee last year as a member, partly to get a reduced entry fee perk. The perk suddenly disappeared for the last three 2008 POWRi races. After spending hundreds of dollars in entry fees and pit passes for those three races, I left the track with $50. So for my economic wellness, I'm not joining this time around for the few races that I run with them. Maybe I will park my cars, time will tell. Something has to change.

Why are the owners and drivers being charged for a pit pass and entry fee? We are your life blood, the entertainment that makes money for your company. I was in the entertainment business for 30 years and never once paid for a pass or entry fee to get in the door of the businesses that I worked. Does the track crew and water truck guy buy a pit pass?

I lost count of the number of yellow/black (POWRi) shirts (officials) and red/black (USAC) shirts (officials, and some with street clothes) at Granite City last Fall. Why so many officials? Are these officials working for free? If they are paid, that's overhead not going to the owners and drivers. I don't get it.

I don't have a tire deal with the Hoosier Tire Company and I would assume that most racers don't, so we are forced with the imposed monoply to buy Hoosier Tires at $140-180. Some get them at a reduced cost and some get them for free. If American Racer can sell midget tires for $80 (check out the Illini Racing Series), why are most of us owners forced to buy Hoosier at almost twice the cost? I recently bought tires for my race trailer, a similar size to a midget tire for $56. Why are the Hoosiers almost 3 times that price? I don't get it again.

And lastly, who is checking engines at the POWRi shows? I have been running with them since inception, won several times, and have never seen an engine pumped. Why have rules if you're not checking? I see that several races are co-promoted with SMRS. That org has no engine rules. So POWRi is sanctioning races for their racers with unlimted engine rules. I don't get it again... and again.

[polecar]

it's a nice schedule powri put together

i agree with Don on the pay out. clubs need to restructure the pay out so cars that don't make the main, or finish at the back of the main, leave the track with enough money to help pay the bills. leaving the track after entry fee with 50 dollars is an insult. if you want more cars you are going to have to pay more money at the back. it's a business, race teams need to make money too. i cant afford to leave 100 to 150 dollars at the track every time i show up.

[DonMoore10]

Originally Posted by polecar leaving the track after entry fee with 50 dollars is an insult.

Yeah and that's after my car and driver (plus about half the field) entertained the crowd for POWRi and the promoter for four nights. The French Fry guy at Mac's gets paid better.

[Kirk Spridgeon]

It's definitely an expansive schedule.
I'm happy to see that POWRi is not running against the big Angell Park races, the Hall of Fame weekend and the Firemen's Nationals. Hopefully a good number of their guys will trek north for that.

On the other end of the scope, it's pretty tough to see a race going against the Hut Hundred again this year, especially one like the Knowles Memorial. That's going to make it even tougher to draw a respectable field at Terre Haute. And, even though it probably won't cause such a problem with car count, the races against Indiana Midget Week bring a really tough decision. I'd love to hit that weekend, and I realize that's a yearly date for POWRi at Little Belleville, so it is what it is...(and I just realized that the Granite City race includes sprint cars too - quite a night on the new Tri-City!)

I'll look forward to heading out for McCool again this year, and I hope to see a full pit area for that one, too. That's been a really great event in the two years I've gone. Might try to include Rising City and Cameron on the way, too. We'll see.

Dang, that's a big schedule!!

[DonMoore10]

Originally Posted by Kirk Spridgeon Dang, that's a big schedule!!

You have to give POWRi credit for promoting and scheduling midget races on short dirt tracks that are user friendly for midget racing. They've done a heck of job in that department. Quite a contrast to the big box spend spend org with the pathetic 4 short track races in Indiana and not one short track dirt race in Ohio.