[Charles Nungester]

You want to grow USAC you have to grow the sport. Im sure in the diversity category they're talking more forms of motorsports. Really don't care if the people are blue with yellow polka dots as long as the best for the job are in the positions they earned.

My first move would be to simplify and economize the path to the top. Quarter Midgets, 1000cc Mini's And a crate sprint. The more of them out there, the more will find a way to race top tier. Id also be more worried about the back of the packs purse than to top five. It cost you a grand just to get to the track, pit pass, tires and fuel. That's where the tail of the feature should start.

[openwheelfan1]

Originally Posted by RacingFan52 I hope one of his duties is to find series sponsors so that we can get off the minimum $5k to win. I know lots of races pay more but the minimum needs to get up up there higher. We claim this is the pinnacle of n/w racing; let's pay like it is. I realize that we are in a moment of time where these sponsors are hard to find but the winged world seems to be finding money somewhere. I just want a piece of it for n/w!

I find it interesting that while winged racing is in the midst of POSSIBLE power struggle, crowds for the WoO shows have set at least 3 attendance records at tracks. Volusia, Kennedale and 81 Speedway all have set attendance records this year when the WoO showed up.

I know when we were at Volusia on the Sat. Night they set the attendance record, they suspended ticket sales with people still in line. While the crowd for the USAC/Dirtcar LM shows at Volusia on Monday and Tuesday night were decent, they were AT BEST 60% of the crowd Saturday night.

Sponsors go where they get the most “bang” for their buck. Based solely on what I have seen over the past 3 years, more eyeballs are seeing sponsor names and more ears are hearing sponsor names at WoO events than they are at USAC events.

It is my opinion that the “casual” sprint car fan doesn’t recognize a good dirt track race from a bad one. They are attracted by the “event”, see drivers they get to see once or twice per year, cars going fast and turning sideways and leave excited. It is actually to the sponsors benefit if their sponsorship is seen by more new fans than veterans.

So is it promotion, name recognition or familiarity that is driving the large WoO crowds? I really don’t know. I certainly hope that Mr. Smith has answers for moving USAC forward and increasing fan attendance and team participation. I feel like sprint car racing at all levels is nearing a crossroads, and the decisions and events over the next couple of years could have long reaching impacts.

[stp6237]

I have always felt that if I owned a race car I would race where the purse was the highest for 4th, 5th and 6th. There can only be one winner who may get $10,000, but in many cases these "front loaded" purses drop off quickly where 10th payout will hardly cover the night's costs and 15th through 24 is $200 or less. There is a 305 group in PA that has a rule that 24th place must pay NO LESS THAN half of the winners purse. They had enough cars at Port Royal to run six 8 car heats and two b-mains. That kind of tells you something about cost/benefit ratio. $1000 to win and $500 for last, means no one is making money, but it also looks like no one is loosing a lot of money. I do not know what the spread was for 2nd to 23ed and I know it was the first race of the year and everyone was itching to go racing, but I have never seen this group as a support group that they did not run at least four heats. I am sure the promoter was happy with the back gate.

[flagboy55]

We all understand the back gate and why promoters need it. This is especially true for a weekly show. The story above is a great example of a way to generate a strong support class. But therein lies the rub. Who wants to come watch it. I know I don’t. We’re talking about the highest level of wingless sprint car racing in the world. Are we going to grow it? Can we? I really don’t have a good answer because the more I look out in the world, the more I realize just how small of a group we are. My wish would be that everyone could turn a profit. Those who make a living at it can do so. I don’t care if anyone gets rich over it. Because if you can make a living in racing, you already have a better job than me

[BrentTFunk]

Does anyone really want or need the next level? Yes, I would like to see participants make more money. Usually that just makes them spend more. Go through the pits at a big wing race, and look at the amount of money being spent on things that do nothing to increase performance.
Another problem for a promoter is when you pay more, you may actually get less cars. It happens a lot in this area. Guys don't really care what it pays to start. They are racing where they feel they can run up front, even if they make less money. That is their decision. Not saying it is wrong.
Fans want to see races pay what wing races do, and then complain because it costs more to get in. Some go to a race that costs $5 less to get in, but pays 60% less for the purse.
I am sure that most people feel that when NASCAR grew it alienated its old fans. I feel like the Outlaws also did that. When TNN brought better sponsors, they felt a need to protect their investments. Gone were things like heat inverts, and now racing is pretty much non existent, except when lap traffic comes into play in the feature. Which those guys are the best at lap traffic.
If USAC paid a WoO type purse, how many would go to more races? I would say most would go to less.
If you want more people to go to the races, bring someone with you who has never been. I have brought a couple of people, who now go to 10 to 15 races a year now. You won't hook everybody, but you will get a few.

[Chase Hightower]

They have turned their backs because they are smart buisnessmen. This in response to why "Larson and Stewart have turned their backs,"