Big announcement on Chassis and a Road to Indy program with USAC

[Mark in Oshawa]

http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.co...e=blog&id=4727

According to the link I found from my FB news feed, NSSN has a story on how tomorrow Bernard and the IRL will release the details on the new car and how they will sponsor a USAC champion into the IRL or something to that effect.

IN short, meeting my main priority (opening up the car/engine rules) and Scotty's...(getting more OW guys from USAC land). Hopefully they can prove me wrong and be competitive. I still think the evolution of who gets these rides is based more on the skill set you get from driving rear engined formulae on road courses as opposed to Sprint cars on dirt or ashphalt. Regardless, if they are given a shot, it is theirs to do with right?

[Scotty G.]

http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.co...e=blog&id=4727

According to the link I found from my FB news feed, NSSN has a story on how tomorrow Bernard and the IRL will release the details on the new car and how they will sponsor a USAC champion into the IRL or something to that effect.

IN short, meeting my main priority (opening up the car/engine rules) and Scotty's...(getting more OW guys from USAC land). Hopefully they can prove me wrong and be competitive. I still think the evolution of who gets these rides is based more on the skill set you get from driving rear engined formulae on road courses as opposed to Sprint cars on dirt or ashphalt. Regardless, if they are given a shot, it is theirs to do with right?

Mark, I think we actually are kinda on the same base here.

I would put the top 4 or 5 drivers from USAC up against anyone, from any genre, as far as pure racing talent.

Give the TOP guys a legit shot with a stable team, who will give them the finances and team to work with, and they will adapt.

What we saw in the late 90's and early 2000's were usually not the "top" guys and gals from USAC. Carpenter was a decent USAC driver, but never a top guy. Fisher was so young that she didn't have time to develop in USAC. Kite was not a top guy. Beechler was good, but not great.

Stewart was the best guy. And he adapted quickly. Hamilton was a top super modified guy. He adapted quickly. Boat was really good and it didn't take him long once he got with Foyt's team (although he did have some Indy Lights experience in the late 80's). The other top guys (Irwin, Newman, Kahne, Gordon, Yeley) went to NASCAR.

Just like if you give a Hinchcliffe or a Morad or a Wickens a legit shot with a stable team and finances, that they will adapt as well.


Its very smart what Bernard is attempting to do. We have seen this "lip service" from the early IRL too. A few guys got shots and a few got tests, but it was a whole lot of hot air and the AOW oval fandom lost interest quickly.

Its also very smart to go after the best young American/Canadian road racers as well. Conor Daly (if the Euro aspirations don't work out) NEEDS to be here. Daniel Morad NEEDS to be here. John Edwards NEEDS to be here. And I think Bernard knows it and wants to do something about it.

Bernard wants more of the "BEST" in this sport. Good for him for wanting that.

[SarahFan]

Scotty.....honest question

how much does a top USAc driver make ?

Are they making 1 or 2 mil a year?

[Scotty G.]

Scotty.....honest question

how much does a top USAc driver make ?

Are they making 1 or 2 mil a year?

Are the top guys making money and being paid to drive by owners? Yes. Are they living a comfortable life just from racing? Some are. Are they making millions? No way.

The top guys in USAC's midgets/sprints/silver crown series are professional race drivers. That's their profession. Some of the youngsters are on Ford or Toyota's payroll or are a part of a NASCAR developmental program, so they might be making a little more off of that. But the Tracy Hines or Dave Darlands (the older veterans) of USAC are paid guns whose primary finances come from their racing results.

[the bro]

Assisting younger drivers is the way to go. If they need a program to pattern it after they should look at the Players driver development program from the 90's. That program was responsible for the many Canadian drivers that made it to Indycar. They had a program right from go karts to Indycar.

[Easy Drifter]

The top half dozen WOO drivers make a reasonable living especially ones like Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz, both of whom drive for Tony Stewart.
Some of the young Outlaws could adapt. Steve and even Donny are too old. Steve has driven at Indy in a 3rd rate car.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Mark, I think we actually are kinda on the same base here.

I would put the top 4 or 5 drivers from USAC up against anyone, from any genre, as far as pure racing talent.

Give the TOP guys a legit shot with a stable team, who will give them the finances and team to work with, and they will adapt.

What we saw in the late 90's and early 2000's were usually not the "top" guys and gals from USAC. Carpenter was a decent USAC driver, but never a top guy. Fisher was so young that she didn't have time to develop in USAC. Kite was not a top guy. Beechler was good, but not great.

Stewart was the best guy. And he adapted quickly. Hamilton was a top super modified guy. He adapted quickly. Boat was really good and it didn't take him long once he got with Foyt's team (although he did have some Indy Lights experience in the late 80's). The other top guys (Irwin, Newman, Kahne, Gordon, Yeley) went to NASCAR.

Just like if you give a Hinchcliffe or a Morad or a Wickens a legit shot with a stable team and finances, that they will adapt as well.


Its very smart what Bernard is attempting to do. We have seen this "lip service" from the early IRL too. A few guys got shots and a few got tests, but it was a whole lot of hot air and the AOW oval fandom lost interest quickly.

Its also very smart to go after the best young American/Canadian road racers as well. Conor Daly (if the Euro aspirations don't work out) NEEDS to be here. Daniel Morad NEEDS to be here. John Edwards NEEDS to be here. And I think Bernard knows it and wants to do something about it.

Bernard wants more of the "BEST" in this sport. Good for him for wanting that.

I said when Bernard was hired he was going to make this thing go or die trying. If he has you and I on the same page, he is doing something right.

I think the rub comes in the money. Where will the money come to fund the top USAC young stars to come over to the IRL and not get their clocks cleaned until they figure out that this car doesn't like to slide? I have no doubt a great racing driver can adapt to anything, but the problem will lie in getting these guys in cars. Bernard cannot be funding the whole exercise out of the IRL coffers, I think that was tried and it is the reason Tony George has to buy tickets to sit in the family race track.

Corporate America is the real villian. They have abandoned this sport, and on business grounds maybe it is justified, but I do think it is a short sighted thing to do, and to spend the money to grow a sport and grow with it into a marketing effort that pays back down the road I think should be sold. I hope Randy does it.

[anthonyvop]

Corporate America is the real villian. They have abandoned this sport, and on business grounds maybe it is justified, but I do think it is a short sighted thing to do, and to spend the money to grow a sport and grow with it into a marketing effort that pays back down the road I think should be sold. I hope Randy does it.

You cannot be more wrong. The only "villain" here is the IRL who have produced a poor product.
Why would any company look the the IRL 10 years ago and invest to make it grow when there was no sign of it happening?

If the USAC rumors are true it may attract some potential sponsors but it will drive away others. Business is business.

[chuck34]

You cannot be more wrong. The only "villain" here is the IRL who have produced a poor product.
Why would any company look the the IRL 10 years ago and invest to make it grow when there was no sign of it happening?

If the USAC rumors are true it may attract some potential sponsors but it will drive away others. Business is business.

Why would anyone be driven away?

[Mark in Oshawa]

You cannot be more wrong. The only "villain" here is the IRL who have produced a poor product.
Why would any company look the the IRL 10 years ago and invest to make it grow when there was no sign of it happening?

If the USAC rumors are true it may attract some potential sponsors but it will drive away others. Business is business.

So Randy should just stick his head under a pillow and cry until the world stops? The IRL is in a fight for its life, and you figure they are doomed. That's great, I am rooting for them to get back out of the hole, you seem to be a vulture waiting for the heart to stop beating...