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Blame it on my roots, I showed up in boots.... oops wrong song, but it fits the current IRL/CART saga. When will Tony George wake up and find out that we true fans of open wheel racing don't want to be like CART or F1. We want to see American drivers, running ovals period! We want to see the drivers compete not only in IRL cars, we want the championship to include the REAL DIRT CHAMP CARS, (the name was stolen by CART by the way). We want a true AMERICAN champion. Let the F1 guys go away and play in Europe. Cheapen up the cars, get rid of all the computerized intelligence (Data) and get back to good old fashioned RACING. Where the mechanics were just as important as the drivers. Guys like George Bignotti were household names. Other than a handful of carry overs from the old days, I bet if you walked up to someone on the street and asked them today who won the Indy 500 this year, you would be hard pressed to find someone who had the right answer. (I know it was a Penske driver, but can't pull the name myself...)
I can tell you that Foyt, the Unsers, Rutherford, Sneva, Mears, Bigelow, Snider, etc were all household names where I grew up. (Sorry if I left anyone else out) (OK Ziggy?)
I know there are a lot of like minded guys that feel the same way. Make a deal with USAC and bring back the championship based on drivers running both series. It worked, and I can bet that the existing money would stay, and new and old money would flock in to support the AMERICAN style of racing series.
NASCAR is a good example of that. For the most part, it is OVAL racing, and mostly American drivers. No offense Christian, but it is true. I think Mario Andretti was one that proved he could compete on our terms.. I see no reason others can't do the same... but the point is, making the series more like CART or F1 is the WRONG way to go, and one that will in the long run drive more fans to the NASCAR whatever-cup seats... and that Mr. George is the decision that is on your shoulders. Get out of that million dollar corporate suite and start talking to the real fans that have grown up on the thrills of seeing AJ Foyt dualling it out with Don Branson at the Springfield mile for a hundred laps of position swapping action. Or maybe watching Bob Tattersall ride the rim and pass the entire field from the back in one lap. Guys like Rich Vogler, or Kevin Olsen, who were masters on dirt put on wild shows over the years.
I bet old Tony Holman, who is your namesake, would roll over in his grave to see what his series has become. Shows of 15 to 20 cars are a JOKE! I remember when fields used to be full, and pits were overflowing with cars. Heck, you had to run your butts off just to qualify....
Heck I have seen better racing at a quarter midget race lately.
And race fans, you have to voice your opinion to the people that matter. Call/email the speedway, get the word out that this is what the paying public wants to see, and is willing to spend their hard earned dollars for. Until then, let's fill the seats of the local tracks that still run the dirt champ cars, midgets, and sprint cars, and tell the sponsors that you want to see our heroes like JJ Yeley, Tony Stuart, the Fike brothers etc back in open wheel chariots of glory.
I can tell you that Foyt, the Unsers, Rutherford, Sneva, Mears, Bigelow, Snider, etc were all household names where I grew up. (Sorry if I left anyone else out) (OK Ziggy?)
I know there are a lot of like minded guys that feel the same way. Make a deal with USAC and bring back the championship based on drivers running both series. It worked, and I can bet that the existing money would stay, and new and old money would flock in to support the AMERICAN style of racing series.
NASCAR is a good example of that. For the most part, it is OVAL racing, and mostly American drivers. No offense Christian, but it is true. I think Mario Andretti was one that proved he could compete on our terms.. I see no reason others can't do the same... but the point is, making the series more like CART or F1 is the WRONG way to go, and one that will in the long run drive more fans to the NASCAR whatever-cup seats... and that Mr. George is the decision that is on your shoulders. Get out of that million dollar corporate suite and start talking to the real fans that have grown up on the thrills of seeing AJ Foyt dualling it out with Don Branson at the Springfield mile for a hundred laps of position swapping action. Or maybe watching Bob Tattersall ride the rim and pass the entire field from the back in one lap. Guys like Rich Vogler, or Kevin Olsen, who were masters on dirt put on wild shows over the years.
I bet old Tony Holman, who is your namesake, would roll over in his grave to see what his series has become. Shows of 15 to 20 cars are a JOKE! I remember when fields used to be full, and pits were overflowing with cars. Heck, you had to run your butts off just to qualify....
Heck I have seen better racing at a quarter midget race lately.
And race fans, you have to voice your opinion to the people that matter. Call/email the speedway, get the word out that this is what the paying public wants to see, and is willing to spend their hard earned dollars for. Until then, let's fill the seats of the local tracks that still run the dirt champ cars, midgets, and sprint cars, and tell the sponsors that you want to see our heroes like JJ Yeley, Tony Stuart, the Fike brothers etc back in open wheel chariots of glory.
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