Opinion: The Sprint Week Schedule Affair

For months now, the rumor mill has been running non-stop concerning the "TBA" that filled the opening night of the Indiana Sprint Week schedule. Today we finally got an answer as to where that race would be: Plymouth Speedway. Doesn't really take your breath away does it?

For me, this one came out of nowhere. It's been 178 days since the original USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car schedule was announced and this is what we were waiting for?

Many had speculated that a temporary dirt track constructed at the greatest racing facility in the world, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, would be the site of the opening event but clearly that deal never came to fruition. There were mysterious T-shirts with the "The Dirt Track at IMS" listed on the schedule. I've talked to numerous individuals who said that the negotiations between USAC and IMS were ongoing and it was just a matter of time, and then today happened.

I am not going to point fingers as to where the blame lies in that one. A race at IMS would have drawn an amazing amount of attention to the greatest form of racing in the world, it just did not work out and I'm not bothered by it. One thing that does concern me is how long this all has taken to develop. We're just 46 days away from the opening night of Indiana Sprint Week and until a few hours ago, nobody knew where it would be. That is a very serious issue for the best fans in the world.

Take for instance, Global Speedway Tours, a tour group based out of Australia. Aussies pay thousands of dollars to come over to the United States to watch racing. Their first race upon arriving in the United States is the first round of Indiana Sprint Week. As of this morning the group still had no idea where they were going. What about the loyal fans from right here in the states? Fans take time off of work and make the trek to Indiana from places like Pennsylvania or California to come see the best week of non-wing sprint car racing in the world. It's hard for fans to book hotels when they don't know where they're going. A fan from Arkansas voiced the same concerns to me during Indiana Midget Week.

Then we have Gas City. Here is a track with a new promoter who has brought new life to the facility. I admit, I have not been there this season. That's exactly why I'm headed there this Friday because I have heard nothing but good things from drivers, owners and fans. The promoter and his staff have been very active engaging the public through social media, television and radio trying to build a following and the car counts and crowds have indicated they're doing a good job in reviving a track that has laid mostly silent for the last few years.

Gas City has hosted Sprint Week for over a decade and a half and has put on some tremendous shows. Levi Jones and Bryan Clauson had an epic battle in 2012. In 2016, Tyler Courtney spun on lap one of the feature and was forced to tag the tail. He then passed every single car to win. The track has enough room in the pits, plenty of parking/camping space and has revamped it's facilities. Not to mention it's less than 30 miles from Kokomo which makes it easy for teams to get to Kokomo Speedway for round two on Saturday.

One excuse I have read over and over online is when the original schedule was made, the fate of Gas City was still in the air. That was certainly not the case because they (USAC) had no issue giving Gas City an Indiana Midget Week date which was rained out unfortunately.

Robert Ballou voiced his opinion on Monday afternoon. "USAC let the last promoter have it (an ISW date) and they didn't even run a weekly program, have a guy now trying to make a track stay alive and strip him of it". Again, I'm not the man in charge of USAC but it's clear that a majority of the fans and drivers out there were in favor of Gas City hosting the first round if other possibilities did not work out.

At the end of the day we arrived at Plymouth Speedway. Plymouth made the transition from pavement to dirt a handful of years ago. Slowly they've gotten a little better from the Open Wheel Wednesday events in which the pavement came up through the dirt or not being finished prior to midnight because drivers were too busy shooting archery for their starting positions. I will not fault a track for trying. But was this really the best we could do?

Gas City, Brownstown, Montpelier could all be viable options. Yes, Gas City's stands aren't the most comfortable. Yes, Brownstown is a drive from Kokomo. Yes, Montpelier would have a tough time parking and seating that many fans. But each of these tracks could provide good racing. Instead, we got the one with the sub-par surface but has really nice stands. We got the one that as of the time I posted this article, has not even posted they're hosting the race on their website. The last time they tweeted something was in June of 2017. That's all I'll say on the matter.

At the end of the day I'm just a dedicated fan and part time crew member. I'm not Kevin Miller, I don't make the big decisions. I am however thankful I have the luxury of being able to go wherever I want every weekend and take in some sprint car racing. But this whole ordeal has been odd and we, as a community, are better than this.

Indiana Sprint Car News

Opinion: Things you, as a fan, can do to make this season better

I've sat around the past day or two thinking about some of the little things that you, the ordinary fan, can do this year to help support and grow the sport that we love. We could go around and around about things that are detrimental to short track racing around the country but I would like to be more proactive about things.

Before the races:

This one is huge. Bring a friend with you to the track. Tracks depend on fan turnout in order to operate. I guarantee you there is at least one name in the contacts in your phone that has never been to a race and will have a spare Friday or Saturday this year. Get them to the track, who knows, that may be enough to turn them into a lifelong fan. 

If any of you know me, you know I get to the track early. I like to make my rounds in the RV lot and visit with friends. One of the things I always see a lot of is trash on the ground. Whether its wrappers from the food fans have been grilling, empty beer cans or cigarette butts, there is always a lot of trash. Do whatever track you are at a favor and pick up after yourselves. I always have a roll of trash bags in my vehicle during race season, I tie one to my tailgate almost as soon as I arrive at a track. If you are a smoker, save an empty can or bottle to put your butts in. Before you head into the track or at the end of the night before you head home, tie off your bag and throw it any one of the many trash cans found around the facility. I promise you the track workers tasked with cleaning up the grounds on a Saturday or Sunday morning will appreciate this gesture.

Many of us cannot afford to sponsor a sprint car team but if you feel compelled to help out a team there a number of things you can do. Buy a pit pass for a driver prior to them arriving at the track so they will have that surprise waiting when they do roll in. Bring a case of water for a team during one of those hot summer shows in July or August. The littlest thing can go a long way, particularly for smaller family teams that don't have big money behind them. 

I tape my seats down at big shows at tracks that allow it. That said, if there are only two of you. Don't tape down enough blankets for five people. I see this a lot at the track, particularly during Indiana Sprint Week. Don't be that person. be appreciative. 

Finally, know the rules of the track you are at. I cannot count how many times I have seen fans upset at gates of various tracks because they are not allowed to carry in a cooler full of beer or their large boat seat. There is no reason to be rude to a worker at the gate who is simply enforcing the rules that more times than not they did not make up. We've got the links to every track's website on this blog and we have most rules posted on our various guides. Take a minute and have a look before making a trip to a track and see what is and is not allowed. 

During the races:

I am really bad about this one: watch your language when you are in the stands. Indiana sprint car fans are some of the most passionate fans in the world and we can get excited but not everyone wants to hear it. It is something I am definitely trying to work on. Same goes for drinking, if you are around perhaps a family or kids make sure you are drinking responsibly. 

If you plan on heading down to the pits during the course of the night be appreciative of the teams and drivers. Make sure you are paying attention as there are almost always cars being pushed off, coming off the track, or being pushed to the staging lane. Additionally, I know fans love to be in the pits, particularly when there are big names present such as Tony Stewart, Rico Abreu, Kyle Larson and so on. If you are looking for an autograph most drivers are very gracious after the racing is over but do not bother them while they are working on their car or trying to put tear offs on. You would not want someone constantly bothering you at work so give them the same courtesy. 

As far as racing on the track goes just enjoy the show but do not do anything that may hinder the experience for yourself or others such as standing on the fence when cars are green or trying to get on the loud pedal. This is obviously a major safety concern and some tracks will not throw the green if there are fans right up along the fence.

After the races:

I only have one for after the races but it is by far the most important.

DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!

I get it, it is the best form of racing there is, in the capital of racing itself and we all like to celebrate it with a few cold ones but be smart. I have spent the night sleeping in my truck at tracks all over the state because I knew I was not good to drive. You are better off getting home later than anticipated than ending up in a jail, the hospital or even worse sending someone else to the hospital. 

If you're going to drink at the track get yourself a DD or a cab if possible. If you absolutely have to drive then cut yourself off whether it is after heats, hot laps or earlier. Make sure you're drinking water and you've got some food in your stomach that way by the time the feature is over you're good to make it home safely. The last thing I want to do is get on the internet or on a social media app on my phone and find out someone I know from a track has been injured or worse.

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I hope everyone has a great year at the track and I look forward to reconnecting with old friends in a month or two and making new friends as the season moves along. 

Indiana Sprint Car News

Opinion: The trouble with live stream

It's that time again, the 31st Annual Chili Bowl Nationals are taking place in Tulsa this week and of course the majority of us cannot be in Oklahoma so many of us have gone ahead and paid money to watch the Chili Bowl online.

Last night was night one of the event and already we have seen what can happen when it comes to watching live events online. There were three main points/problems I took away that groups providing this type of service should work on to not only help themselves but also help grow the sport. I don't want this to sound like I'm just complaining because I'm not. These are takeaways that even I myself am taking into consideration since we may just be stepping into the podcast realm this season.

#1 The Feed: This one is pretty foreseeable anytime you are watching something live online. For a bit last night, screens across the country, and around the world, went dark. This kind of thing is common when it comes to live video on the internet. Hell, it happens on live television at times. However, I have to think that for the group supplying us with the coverage this week, this has to be their biggest and most watched event of the year. If there is one event you want to get right, it has to be this one.

Across social media and online forums there were many angry customers claiming they didn't get to see any racing or the racing they did see was not streamed well. Personally I missed a half of a D-Main and both C-Mains. I'm not that mad about it but if that is going to be a trend this week I may change my thinking.

That said, the group got the problem fixed and I still got to see the grand finale last night. However, I do think this is a major problem for our sport. We do not get a lot of live television coverage so live streams over the internet need to be good in order to attract new fans and keep old ones. Problems will always arise but make sure when you are faced with a problem you have a quick solution.

#2 The Commentators: I went to school for communication so this one is a personal pet peeve for me.

Whenever you watch a sports event on ESPN, FS1, etc. do you ever notice how commentators seem to know every name, every number and random facts and stats about anyone and everyone? That's because those men and women do their research before the event. They study rosters and media guides so they at least can somewhat sound like they know what they're talking about when they are on the air.

If you are going to call an event then you should know about the cars and drivers in the event. Multiple times last night the commentators messed up names, hometowns, teams, numbers and so on. There were also endless uh's, um's and periods of awkward silence.

I get it, 350+ car numbers/teams/drivers is a lot for just one week of work but when you're messing up the names of well known drivers that have won in Tulsa before, that is a bit embarrassing.

Again, by sounding unprofessional you are not going to sell your product or help grow the sport.

#3 Camera Coverage: The final one is easily fixed by a good producer. If you're a fan of Sean Buckley's GoJackslash podcast then you may have listened to a recent show featuring Dan "DO" Laycock. Dan talked about his time working for ESPN when a common problem was the cameras following the leader when the real show was deeper in the pack.

Last night was a perfect example of that type coverage more times than not. At one point there was a three car battle for second place in one heat race and the cameras and announcers were fixated on Alex Bright who had checked out on the field by half a track.

If you're going to ask fans to pay $100 for an event then give them coverage that is worth the money.

Like I stated before, this is not a complaint against the group supplying the coverage this week or anyone else. But these points can certainly be improved on. The better the coverage is during these live PPV events, I'm willing to bet the happier the fans will be and probably the better your business will do. That goes for anyone whether it's The Cushion, Speed Shift, Dirt Vision, etc.

What I do on this blog is purely for the fans, I don't charge for it but still try to give visitors to the blog or the followers on social media accurate and timely information. Groups that charge money should definitely be providing good services. Not the mediocre type services I described above.

Indiana Sprint Car News

Opinion: Accountability

A piece by Ryan Kent Jr. who will be contributing to the blog during the upcoming season from time to time.

In a time of lackluster upbringings and some subpar society standards, holding people accountable for what they do is at an all-time low.   

                                                    

Racing should come at no less of an expense. From karting tracks in Michigan to dirt tracks in California and right here in Indiana there seems to be an issue with people being accountable for their actions, on and off the track.

With society today being all about getting participation trophies, having your feelings in a bullet-proof box and being entitled to whatever it may be, I believe we can all agree that dirt track racing has seemed to always have its own way of doing things, this old fashioned, All-American bad ass, rub some dirt on it and suck it up kind of attitude. Change is imminent however and the ever-changing revolution that we deal with today in the world I believe could help improve some things in racing.

Although racing will never be 100% safe, the strides to keep everyone as safe as possible have to keep moving forward. Throughout the course of the PRI show, multiple professional organizations announced plans or proposals to try and make racing safer. Whether it’s putting lights on a car, testing for drugs, creating new safety procedures after a wreck or what the instance may be, I give credit to series, tracks, promoters, drivers and teams who allow new things to be trialed and tested.

The racing community is a very tight-knit group. Everyone has some connection to someone and, in the end, it is one big family. The members of that family care for each other and, in the wake of a tragic incident on the track or off, those members try to find solutions to problems.

During times of change in racing, people have had to adapt and grow. There's far too many people who are lazy while sitting back on their hands and do nothing. On the other hand, there are those who take the initiative to make motions forward in safety and for the betterment of their form of racing.  Then, the sport as a whole gets ridiculed and spit on by those aforementioned folks doing nothing as if it’s something they don’t happen to like or care for.

There is no way to fix a person’s attitude, what they care about, or how they will react to this or that to the news of something new in racing. Times are again starting to change in racing, and people are not adapting and growing as much as they were before.

If it’s lights, drug testing, wings, no wings, formats, purses, track prep, medical information, schedule dates or whatever, some people become frustrated. Remember, people didn’t take those actions to upset anyone. Those who are accountable for the success of a given track or series are taking steps to make racing better and safer for the most important factor of all, the race fans.

As the entire world around us changes day to day with new this or new that, perhaps take a deep breath and look at new innovations in racing. Who really knows when an innovation could end up being one of the best decisions ever made by a track, series, promoter, driver, chassis or manufacturer. Give them a shot!

Tony Stewart

Again I'm going to stray from the normal Indiana sprint car talk but bear with me.

With the Indiana sprint car season coming to a close that also signals the end of the season for many other forms of racing. Formula 1 only has a handful of races left, NASCAR has started the "Chase" and our friend JR Todd only has a few more chances to collect another Wally.

However, I want to focus on NASCAR and one driver in particular: Tony Stewart. Tonight I got home from an evening out with my lady friend and was making my rounds on social media. I saw that Stewart had been eliminated from the "Chase" along with another of my favorites, Kyle Larson. I think most of us are use to seeing negative remarks about Smoke in the comment section these days, I wrote a piece about that back in January. But for so many fans to be disrespectful and hateful to a driver and more importantly a person that has given so much to racing makes me mad.

In terms of racing I'm a youngster. Tony Stewart has been in NASCAR for my entire adult life, I missed the majority of his open wheel years, or at least I was too young to comprehend what he was really doing at the time. However, in the time I've been able able to actually watch and know what's going on I've seen Stewart do some incredible things. But lets start at the beginning because that tells a lot of the story.

Tony Stewart was not born into some well-to-do household like many of his NASCAR counterparts. Tony had to race his way through the ranks with, for the most part, the help of some good people along along the way. Stewart won karting and TQ titles before he moved up to bigger and better things.

He was the USAC Midget National Champion in 1994 and would follow that up with the coveted USAC Triple Crown in 1995, a feat accomplished by only 5 other drivers in USAC's history (Pancho Carter, Dave Darland, Jerry Coons Jr, JJ Yeley & Tracy Hines). More impressively, he did it all in the same season. This feat has only been repeated one other time when JJ Yeley did it in 2003, with the help of Stewart as a car owner.

Beyond that Stewart went on to become a winner in CART and then the Indy Racing League where he won a championship in 1997 before moving over to NASCAR. He won Rookie of the Year in his freshman year and then won his first title in 2002 for Joe Gibbs Racing, following that up with another title in 2005. He won another championship in 2011 after they changed to that gimmick "Chase" format and he did it with a team he co-owned. Kevin Harvick won another championship for him a few years back as well. During that time he also won an IROC championship. But all of that is just on pavement.

Can we really forget that Tony Stewart has won two Chili Bowl National titles (2002 & 2007), a Turkey Night Grand Prix (2000) and multiple World of Outlaws features? The list goes on and on and were not even going to try to touch the local level. Oh yeah, he did show up at the Fort Wayne Rumble a few times over the years. He has 9 feature wins there against the likes of Dave Darland or the late Tony Elliott.

Off the track, Tony Stewart stepped in when the legendary Earl Baltes was getting up there in age and bought Eldora Speedway off of him. The track conditions may not always be the best but I can tell you that the facilities there are top notch and Smoke has tried to do everything he can when it comes to promotion. There are USAC/WoO doubleheaders, the 4-Crown Nationals have now added the All Star sprint cars and oh yeah, there is a damn NASCAR race at the track now. Who would have thought that 10 years ago? That's due to Tony Stewart. Lets not forget that for a time he brought the Prelude to the Dream to Eldora  which brought in premier drivers from all ranks to run dirt late models for charity. People paid big money to go to those shows and Tony turned around and gave that money away for a good cause.

When the All Star Sprints were struggling, Tony Stewart bought them, now they routinely have better car counts than the World of Outlaws. When a young motocross rider named Eric Saunders crashed and found himself paralyzed, Smoke stepped in and got that kid in a race car. I forgot to point out Stewart has his own dirt team.

Yes, Tony Stewart Racing shut down it's non wing program but not before he helped guys like Josh Wise or JJ Yeley win USAC championships. By the way, they were in the NASCAR race today too. As far as his non-wing program went he also helped out a young guy named Bryan Clauson, he was pretty good I think, along with others such as Levi Jones, Bobby East, and Jay Drake. Championships are always good and that group has plenty of them.

On the winged side Stewart may have been critical of "The King" Steve Kinser at times but when you're flipping the bills I think you're allowed to do that. He supported Kinser in the later years of his epic career when many others were constantly saying he should hang it up along with helping Donny Schatz win his last six World of Outlaws championships if you include this year. He helped Danny "The Dude" Lasoski win one as well as an owner.

I'm not blind and I saw all the drama up in New York in the winged sprint car race a few years back but I was not there, I was not in the car and I can only gauge what happened by the facts laid before me.

On the other hand I can tell you for a fact that Tony Stewart is a wheel-man. He's one of those few talented individuals that can be put behind the wheel of any type of car and can race it and probably win in it. He gives back a ton of his fortune to charity and also has helped grow the local short track circuit whether it's funding a team, buying a track, or funding an entire series.

Tony Stewart may not be your favorite driver and that's okay. But he should get a little bit of respect and not the badmouthing I see on social media. So you're sensitive and you don't like a guy that speaks his mind? Okay, but I better not see you wearing a Thomas Meseraull t-shirt at the track. You don't like a driver that's willing to mix it up with another driver after the race in the pits? I better not ever see you cheering for Robert Ballou then.

Every driver is unique, every driver has their own personality and you may or may not like them. But don't be disrespectful. If you do not like a driver, don't buy their t-shirt or cheer for them during driver introductions. DO NOT trash them on social media or in the stands for everyone to hear. This goes back to helping grow the sport. Be proactive, not destructive.

Tony Stewart, you have my respect, you always have. You're a passionate driver that keeps his foot in the gas. There have been some rough times but your good days far outnumber the bad. You've done more for the sport as a whole from karts to NASCAR than any other driver in the history of the sport could ever hope to do. I personally want to thank you.

Nate

Opinion: Dirty air? Smoking in the stands

Tobacco use has always been a hot topic when it comes to smoking in public. Many restaurants, bars and sports venues across the country have outlawed the practice. However, in an era of political correctness and changes in protocols at athletic venues, Indiana short track dirt racing has been mostly unaffected.

Saturday night we were at Montpelier Motor Speedway to watch and provide updates for the inaugural visit by the USAC AMSOIL sprint cars to the track.

Halfway through qualifying I noticed the gentleman in front of me light up a cigarette. Did it bother me? No, not really. For years I used smokeless tobacco before quitting recently because of a cancer scare. What did bother me, the kids sitting in my immediate area.

There lies the question. Should smoking be allowed in the stands at the track?

Many tracks on larger stages that host sanctioning bodies such as NASCAR, IndyCar and Formula 1 have banned smoking in the stands while others have chosen to continue to allow it.

My take

If you want to smoke, why not simply exit the stands and go to a place where there are not so many people? Sure, there might be people around such as myself that do not mind but when there are kids around, be respectful. A good approach might be to ask the folks around you if they mind.

In the grand scheme of things it is not that big of deal to go have a smoke behind the stands and come back. An evening at the track takes a few hours, it takes a few minutes to smoke a cigarette. You can go have one, or as many as you want, during intermission, track maintenance or during racing classes you are not particularly interested in.

If someone around you does not like you smoking, you may say, "Why don't they move then?"

That could be a solution but if it is at an event like the USAC event at Montpelier on Saturday night that may not be an option. The stands were packed with fans and the chances of finding another seat were slim to none. You certainly cannot do that at a venue that has assigned seating.

Tracks could also help the situation if they are facing some criticism when it comes to the subject. Some tracks, such as Talladega, have implemented smoke-free sections at their facilities. Why not have a smoking section just like Eldora has a non-alcohol section? Then there is no problem.

I'm not one to preach about the health effects of using tobacco or alcohol. Adults know what is good for them and what is not. But if you are in the stands and lighting up and do not plan on moving, at least check to see if there are kids around, I'm fairly certain they do not want to smell the stuff nor do they need to be subjected to it.

Sound off

We posed the question to our followers on Twitter asking if they were okay with fans smoking in stands at the track, this is how they responded.

Responses: 82

Yes: 38%
No: 62%

Opinion: Live streaming @ the track

As some of you may have seen on social media or read about it on the thread on IndianaOpenWheel.com, Daugherty Speedway in Boswell, Indiana recently announced that it will no longer allow any streaming of live video at their facility during races.

This includes any new apps found on most smartphones including Periscope or any kind of social media app that supports video chat such as Facebook that can be used to live stream video to other devices. Any person(s) caught live streaming will be removed from the track and banned for the remainder of the season.

It seems there are two schools of thought when it comes to this rule: the first being that it is absurd, the other is that it diminishes the product in some way and lets fans stay at home and watch rather than pay money to attend the races.

Personally for me, knowing someone is going to live stream from the track has never kept me from attending a race and quite honestly I think I am in the majority when it comes to that type of thinking.

You cannot reproduce the experience of being at the track in person by watching coverage through images taken on a cellphone. To me there is nothing better than being showered by clay, the smells, seeing all those fans you often see traveling from track to track around the state and dirt sprinkles in your beer.

That said, by someone live streaming a race on their cellular device, how much money is a track losing in sales on tickets at the gate? I understand the track is theirs and they can do as they please, but the only people that would be watching a race through a live stream via cellphone probably was not going to attend in the first place in my opinion.

To me, people who would do so are the casual fans, fans with an illness or a sick child at home, or someone just too far away. As a matter of fact I have seen drivers from the NHRA, ARCA and NASCAR inquire as to if someone was "periscoping" a race from a certain track before.

So in conclusion, our vote is that tracks that have outlawed live streaming might be overreacting. But again, it is the owners track to do as he or she pleases and I will not hold that against them. Whether someone is live streaming or not, we'll be at the races. We'll see you there.

Opinion: To go, or to go home?

While making my morning rounds on IndianaOpenWheel.com this morning I noticed some fans debating whether or not ALL of the cars present for last night's USAC/MSCS Spring Showdown at Tri-State Speedway should have started the 30 lap feature event. For those unaware there were 24 cars in attendance in Haubstadt for a race that allowed for 22 starters. Therefore two cars were forced to load it up early following the B-Main.

The question: On a night like this should all 24 cars be allowed to start the feature although the rules specified only 22 cars were to start? My opinion: No.

Rules and regulations are in place for a reason. As a fan I pay my hard-earned money to go watch a great race, much like the one provided by Brady Bacon and Robert Ballou at TSS on Saturday night. What I'm not paying for is to see cars on track and in the way for a feature event that they probably don't deserve to be in. That being said I have no problem with the two drivers that did not go to the feature last night. However, both cars did qualify in the final two positions on Saturday, they both finished last in their respective heats and in the final two spots in the B-Main. Why would a fan believe they deserved to start the feature event?

I understand the thought process of some that believe racers need the experience and sending them home early is not a way to do that. My problem with the people that say that is this: Last night there were 4 tracks in action, (TSS, LPS, Lawrenceburg, and Twin Cities) if a driver is looking for experience I would hardly recommend going to the track that's going to have the stiffest competition. (Not saying the other tracks did not feature talented drivers. Meseraull, Cottle, Boespflug, Coons Jr, etc all raced somewhere other than TSS last night, but I would hope you understand where I'm going with that.)

Additionally what is the advantage of having much slower cars in the field that will not be competitive? I can recall watching Kyle Larson leading a World of Outlaws race a few years ago at Kokomo. Larson was long gone in his 1K when he clipped a much slower car as he navigated lapped traffic. Larson spun, did a 360, and managed to keep the car going but Tim Kaeding got by and ultimately won the race. When slower cars are virtually handed a free pass to the feature that's what can happen. Now, that's not what happened in that World of Outlaws race that night at Kokomo but I'm almost certain that type of incident is more likely to happen when we allow undeserving cars to start a feature.

People seem to forget we feature B-Mains, C-Mains, and so on for a reason. If a driver can't hang in one of those races why on earth would you believe they deserve to be in the feature?

My conclusion is this: If an event says they are starting a certain number of cars than that is the number that should start, it should make no difference whether there is only 1 more car than that specified number or 100 cars more. You don't see IndyCar starting 34 cars in the Indy 500 or NASCAR starting 44 cars in the Daytona 500, why should USAC (which is much better racing by the way) be any different?

Opinions are my own, I'll address various topics during the course of the season.