[D.O.]

Back when USAC was a National Series the season would start in Reading, Pa. No support classes just A.J., Jud, Red and the boys racing on a cold spring day. No Tow money either back then.
USAC was the only deal going on, NO WINGS. Because they hadn't been created yet.

The crowds filled each track they traveled to. The purse was a percentage and more if the promoter when over in ticket sales.

Russ Clendening [sp sorry Russ] had your career in his hands, He signed for you to go to Indy back then. You didn't walk up with money and by your PDM or ?? ride.

You either qualified for the field to race in the heats or went to your trailer to watch.

Narrow tires kept the dirt tracks in good shape and almost all races were day races. Terre Haute was the best cause you could get near the cars pitted in the infield. After the race all the racers would go to Tony's lake home to drink, swim, eat and have fun until late in the night.

The infield at THAT was filled, watch the old Dick Wallen movies.

That is all gone today.

Most fans just see the drivers in their cars with their helmets on. After the races you can't meet them anymore because you can't get into the pits afterwards due to support series still running.

So most fans just know drivers names and not faces. Plus bad for Tee-Shirt sales of the drivers.

So how does all of that come back???? Kevin Miller ?

yes he is a big part of returning our sport to what it was and to keep it healty into the future! But he can't do it all or can USAC.

The tracks need to work at change for the fans and teams as well.

The teams need to become more fan friendly.

The drivers need to walk into the General Admission area and pass out anything their sponsor provides them.

Drivers and Cars need to show up at Wal-Marts. Krogers, Speedway Gas Stations and do pre race promotion. We need new fans, everybody here on IOW is going to a race anyway, we need new fans.

We do have an extreme sport, anybody who saw Dave Darland eyes after his THAT flip knows that. An X gamers falls on the half pipe from 20 feet and it becomes news like Brad Sweets Haubstadt flip years ago.

Hell we have drivers busting their asses higher and long than those guys and the general public doesn't think Sprint racing is an X Sport.

Just some ideas and thoughts to throw out.

I would make all the feature cars pull into a fan area after each race with the drivers so the fans can be around those hot, oily cars with their dirty drivers. The winner can come over later.
Do like NHRA, every ticket is a pit pass. This would change how cars move in the pits but it would be worth the trouble.
Make the pits easy for fans to get near at least and get the drivers into the crowd every race and all night.
Fan driver time could be while the support series run.

Indiana Sprintweek should dump quals. Sometime they go quick but it still uses the track up. Expand the heats and stop the LCQ races. Add the cars to a heat and increase the laps.
Use passing points 1.5 per pass and only 1 point between finishing postions. Each pass would be good for a car and a half. The racers would be rewarded.

Live TV, Pod-Cast and Live Streaming all need to be used.

Create computer groups to promote the events so fans can talk and know the latest news. A bigger IOW.

I know there are a few Golden Oldies like me that saw the early USAC and USAC races and know what it was. It will never return to what the old days were but I see USAC's new Prez taking it into the new age.

Anybody have any ideas?

D.O. :dologob:

[Dick Monahan]

Originally Posted by D.O. Back when USAC was a National Series the season would start in Reading, Pa. No support classes just A.J., Jud, Red and the boys racing on a cold spring day.

We drove 5-6 hours to get to those shows. Sometimes, there were just 3 6-car heats, 2 9-car semis, and the feature. In fact, I remember their being so short of cars one March, they ran progressive heats. That means the first 3 cars transferred to the semi, the remaining cars started at the front of the next heat.

And, we came back again. As D.O. says, it was the only game in town.

BTW, now that there are always enough cars for 4 heats, I think we should go back to semis. That way, the only required intermission is between the 2nd semi and the main.

[SpfldMile]

Make the right rear 2 inches narrower. Branch out into the surrounding states more. Make sure track prep is handled correctly. Keep the veterans happy and listen to their input, not just the kids who are using the series for a stepping stone. Don't want to change too much, it's still the best entertainment dollar around, just want to keep it healthy.

[PJ Wright]

D.O. makes some good points and it ties in with the "Oakley" thread. Everybody on this forum KNOWS we've got a great 'product'. Sure there are some different opinions on ways to market the sport but the bottom line is that sprint car racing is loud, colorful, fast, rough, dirty and competitive. MOST of the people involved are genuine 'what you see is what you get' kind of folks.What's not to love? Looking through my mud splattered, rose colored glasses, I don't understand why everybody that walks through the gates just one time doesn't feel the same way.

[Al Consoli]

I must be one of the "golden oldies" because I know how to spell CLENDENEN....:O:

I don't have an answer, but I often scratch my head when I see some of the "racing" that is on TV and know that most any sprint car show is a hundred times better!

[Wolfe-e]

Damn DO, you sure can make a guy feel old. I wish I could say I remember those days, but in truth, I don;t think I say my first Sprint car race until the 70's. All I knew about racing was from the Bootleggers and the Local Road Races. These generally started out as Drag Races and ended up running for miles over State and County Rds in Ky, Ohio and West Va... Nothing legal about it, but it did get the blood running.
I can agree with about all you've said, especially about getting the Fans involved with the Drivers. That has to start with the Drivers, The Fans are ready, they just need the chance to meet these guys. Give them something to root for besides a number. Don;t just take for granted that they had enough money to come watch a race, or that they will have next week.
One of my favorite stories is about AJ Foyt at The Action Track. As they say, back in the day local guys used to volenteer to help out on the cars. I guess back in the 60's or 70's they helped him out and sure enough, he took the lead. So he comes out of turn 2 and flips them the Bird and the next lap there up on the fence, returning the favor. So a few laps latter, they stand on the fence and flip him off with both hands. Sure enough, next time by, AJ is up in the car, driving with his knees, giving his crew a Double Bird. That story has to be 40 years old and still these guys laugh everytime they talk about it.... We just don;t get those kind of things anymore, do we.
How about this one. Some of these teams need to start going into the stands and "recruit some help" before the races. I'd bet that Jiggs and Mike Miles and some of the others would help them out with the pit passes.
Money is the Problem. Not just in what it cost but as Steve Stabb? said at the Storytellers, everyone is busy trying to keep up with the Jones's. I have thought for a long time, that if a Promoter, would have some races, and perhaps promise or gurantee just a small amount of money for the purse, but offer a Percentage of the Gate on top of that, it would help out everyone. For one thing, tracks wouldn;t have to fill the pits with support classes, instead they could have just 1, not 2 or 3 or even more. These classes, all deserve to race, but if you did the same for them, they would still come out and support the track.
The Tracks and The Drivers both need to get more involved in there Local communities. At Terre Haute, for instance, other than the diehards and local racers, the Fan Support is nearly all from out of town. The Promoters, no matter who they are, have got to get involved with the Local Community, with the Schools and with local Charities. If your Track Supports and is Involved with its Community, then that Support will be there for them on race night as well. Then at least when they have to Pay 20 Bucks to watch a USAC show, they know the track will do something for them too.
I,m not sure how too go about things, but I really believe, Racing needs to Take a Giant Step Backwards. Back to were the FANs are. Think about how much better Indy would be, if we kept the safety improvements but Lost the Turbos and Computers and such. Back to something more naturally asperated. Back UP so that guys like Mel Kenyon and Bill Puterbaugh and those guys can build cars again...
Those were the days werent they.........Wolfe-e

[Gasman fan 50]

Well put DO.
USAC pulled the plug for the Copper on Dirt, TV deal. No, money in it for them!:thumbsdown:

[D.O.]

Remember when Terre Haute did a Calcuta [sp] for the Hulman Classic. Normally who ever who that won more than the race paid at times. They use to have a party in town and all the businessmen would group up and buy a driver.
The best days were racing at Terre Haute while the fair was on.

The locals at everytrack have to be a part of the big show. Racing today is show up and race and head home right after. No passion anymore. It's all big money and keeping up with the Jones. Look a few years ago with JJ and the sway bar? Did it work? Didn't matter JJ had it and was beating everybody so everybody needed one.

That stuff drivers the cost of racing up to the teams but doesn't make any difference at the front gate with the fans who pay the bills for the tracks.

Nobody would go for it but the cost of racing would go down if a National rule requiring a sealed spec motor of 9 to 1. Everybody can build their own motors if they have to but most choose to buy from an engine manufacter. If you had a 600 HP sealed motor that cost 10,000 that lasted a full season, cost would go down. But that's pie in the sky. Just like making the rear tire 2 inches narrower. Nobody wants to give up what they have now. Maybe the head deal isn't that bad of a deal.

But if everybody had a good long lasting cheap engine then it becomes a Drivers series that all they can do is adjust the cars and drive them. It would equal up the field.

The fans want to see close racing, they can't tell or care if they run a 22 second lap or a 20 second lap as long as the field is close and wheel to wheel. Look at Daytona[sorry] From 205 mph to 190 change and it tighten up the racing. Too tight for a fast place like Daytona.

People like to say well go to the 360 rule. I think the price is about the same as a 410. I'm sure somebody here knows they cost. Are they better for racing??? I don't think so but I have seen some fast big dollar 360's.

I think maybe some rules changes might help some.But I think the big thing needed is what Kevin Miller spoke of on our show. Promotion!!!

He said that USAC will be helping and working more in that area in 2008 and beyond. The cost of promotion for the tracks is very large. TV ads, Radio ads, Posters, Personal apperances, TV Media coverage of per race events and on site promotions.

We like to think that there are Millions of open wheel fans, if that was the case then TV ratings would be up a lot compared to what they really are. Buyt the fact is look at your local track or USAC event and who many people do you see at the races that you have seen before. Promotion will bring in NEW fans. Once a track can fill their grandstands then the money can increase. Ask a track operator about their cost sometime. Insurance, food, purse, security, help, promotion, rentals, printing, water for the track, push trucks, water trucks and equipment. The day of making a lot of money is gone for the tracks.

Then what about the cost of going to the races as a fan, team or even the track owner. All has increased with the rise of the cost of oil.

Another problem is the cost of land will take some tracks soon, like it did at Hinsdale. You can hardly build a new track today with all the restrictions you must meet.

Is there a cure?????
I'm happy with what we have but would like to see it get better for the future for everybody.

:dologob:

DO, it's like Economacki said in his book, "Sell it! Sell it! Sell it!"

I sometimes think that too many people involved with our sport forget about the importance of promoting it. This and the Oakley threads are both very interesting to read.

[Charles Nungester]

Originally Posted by D.O. Back when USAC was a National Series the season would start in Reading, Pa. No support classes just A.J., Jud, Red and the boys racing on a cold spring day. No Tow money either back then. USAC was the only deal going on, NO WINGS. Because they hadn't been created yet. The crowds filled each track they traveled to. The purse was a percentage and more if the promoter when over in ticket sales. Russ Clendening [sp sorry Russ] had your career in his hands, He signed for you to go to Indy back then. You didn't walk up with money and by your PDM or ?? ride. You either qualified for the field to race in the heats or went to your trailer to watch. Narrow tires kept the dirt tracks in good shape and almost all races were day races. Terre Haute was the best cause you could get near the cars pitted in the infield. After the race all the racers would go to Tony's lake home to drink, swim, eat and have fun until late in the night. The infield at THAT was filled, watch the old Dick Wallen movies. That is all gone today. Most fans just see the drivers in their cars with their helmets on. After the races you can't meet them anymore because you can't get into the pits afterwards due to support series still running. So most fans just know drivers names and not faces. Plus bad for Tee-Shirt sales of the drivers. So how does all of that come back???? Kevin Miller ? yes he is a big part of returning our sport to what it was and to keep it healty into the future! But he can't do it all or can USAC. The tracks need to work at change for the fans and teams as well. The teams need to become more fan friendly. The drivers need to walk into the General Admission area and pass out anything their sponsor provides them. Drivers and Cars need to show up at Wal-Marts. Krogers, Speedway Gas Stations and do pre race promotion. We need new fans, everybody here on IOW is going to a race anyway, we need new fans. We do have an extreme sport, anybody who saw Dave Darland eyes after his THAT flip knows that. An X gamers falls on the half pipe from 20 feet and it becomes news like Brad Sweets Haubstadt flip years ago. Hell we have drivers busting their asses higher and long than those guys and the general public doesn't think Sprint racing is an X Sport. Just some ideas and thoughts to throw out. I would make all the feature cars pull into a fan area after each race with the drivers so the fans can be around those hot, oily cars with their dirty drivers. The winner can come over later. Do like NHRA, every ticket is a pit pass. This would change how cars move in the pits but it would be worth the trouble. Make the pits easy for fans to get near at least and get the drivers into the crowd every race and all night. Fan driver time could be while the support series run. Indiana Sprintweek should dump quals. Sometime they go quick but it still uses the track up. Expand the heats and stop the LCQ races. Add the cars to a heat and increase the laps. Use passing points 1.5 per pass and only 1 point between finishing postions. Each pass would be good for a car and a half. The racers would be rewarded. Live TV, Pod-Cast and Live Streaming all need to be used. Create computer groups to promote the events so fans can talk and know the latest news. A bigger IOW. I know there are a few Golden Oldies like me that saw the early USAC and USAC races and know what it was. It will never return to what the old days were but I see USAC's new Prez taking it into the new age. Anybody have any ideas? D.O. :dologob:

Call me impressed and in total agreement with almost everything.

Exception, You can't even see the drivers in the cars anymore. I know getting the sponsors out is important but can't we get like Plexiglass side shields and put a piece of sheet metal on the right nerf ?

Chuck