what speedtv.com editorials thought of the Copper World- not good...

[Stick500]

http://speedtv.com/commentary/21664/

http://speedtv.com/commentary/21659/

two editorials about the Copper World- I had to scroll down a bit on the first link as there seems to a bit of a glitch

doesn't sound as if Copper World will be around in future- at one time it was awesome event...

[Professor Joe]

The first one was Robin Miller - predictable.

Jeff Olsen made some good arguments.

[Ringleader]

Well Olsons coment about no one remembering in three years is true. There won't be any in three years.

[TomL]

I knew before reading birdman's article that it would be Tony George's fault.

[Professor Joe]

Well Olsons coment about no one remembering in three years is true. There won't be any in three years.

I think there will be. They are going to be racing in front of new NASCAR crowds, filling a role with a short sprint race on Saturday to add to the value for fans that are already there. USAC couldn't turn down that opportunity for stability. We have to face it that the niche USAC audience can't support the next stage in USAC's development. We will still have the good car counts for the dirt races, but they are moving to a new fan base for the pavement races.

I will still be at IRP in August, and now I have the opportunity to go to Kentucky and Chicago as well to see the SC series race. I would pay to see Dave Steele drive anything on pavement.

[flatlander_48]

I don't have a particular problem with the way the cars look, but I do have a problem in the way that USAC changed course. In part, this is what Robin Miller talked about. To me it would have made more sense to find some way to transition from the old to the new. See, there's 3 parts to this: The reason to add big tracks to the schedule, What the cars need in order to run on big tracks and The transition from old to new. So, running the 1.5's gets USAC in front of larger crowns and potential team owners (from a driver's perspective). The cars needed more downforce for higher speeds on pavement. But, was it a wise move to render all of the previous rolling stock obsolete?

Regarding the Copper World, I attended in '95 and have been looking forward to going back ever since. However, this recent incarnation sounded like it was just a shadow of its former self.

Sad, very sad...

[gofastturnleft]

This year it was a shadow of previous years. But Prof Joe is spot on, it will be here in three years and the fields will be full. Most of the old teams will be back as they find no other reasonable alternatives to doing what they love. Most of the Champ Car teams won't be found running a regular Saturday night Sprint show nor are they going to move to the 44 race National Sprint tour. They are going to want to race for the biggest purses at the best tracks with the best drivers. This is what drew them to the Silver Crown Series to begin with and it is what will draw most of them back in.

Could it all have been handled better? I'm sure it could have. But teams had over a year to prepare. Everyone knew this was coming and they had a year to run out their old equipment and make plans for 2006. Everyone wanted TV. Everyone wanted more race. Everyone wanted bigger purses. All of this comes at a certain cost. To the race teams this cost is a new car. If it takes two years to get everyone updated and back to full fields then that is also part of the price that USAC pays. But the bottom line is that everyone knew this was coming, everyone had over a year to prepare for it and only the unrealisitic thought they could change the course of things.