Posted By: cubicdollars on October 24 2007 at 12:24:56 PM
It's not a question of slower, only a question of cheaper, hence the moniker cubicdollars. Have never heard anyone complain that sprint cars are too slow, only that they are too expensive.
"Quotable Quotes"
Doug Auld
If the saying "It's always been expensive to race" is true, how come so many of the legends of our sport were from poor families... and many fielded their own cars?
If taking away some wing and some tire to loosen up winged sprints would put the skill of the driver to the forefront. How could any real racer be opposed to that?
Gary Beam
"In 1984, I bought two Gaerte Engines for $25,000," said Beam. "I can't buy (an engine) today for under $38,500. Then we're looking at a $3,500 freshen-up job every 10 shows. Some things have remained in the same range price-wise, but the engines have escalated and the purses haven't risen to offset the cost."
Butch Beasley
"Where do you see Sprint Car racing in 5 years from now?"
"I think that there will only be rich people with sprint cars and car counts will be down. Tracks will have to pay more on the lower end to keep people racing."
Jeff Creasy
"This is the last driver (Heimbach) I'll have," Creasy says. "Wherever he goes I'll go. As a sponsor or team manager or whatever. But we don't know what to do. I've been to this point two other times and now I have to make that decision again…The last two weeks he got his feet wet racin' with Rahmer and guys that he looked up to, which is more fun for a kid. But it's a costly endeaver to attempt to do that."
So, will Creasy and Heimbach continue to dominate the 358s or start over with the big boys?
"I don't know," Creasy says. "I just don't know."
Lance Dewease
"Al is a businessman and if he can save money, he is all for it. What businessman isn't?"
"You could buy an engine for $16,000 to $19,000 in the mid-1980s," Dewease said. "Now the engines average $40,000."
"When I started racing in 1985, car counts averaged in the mid 30s and there always seemed to be fans in the stands," Dewease said. "We do have a 358 division now, and that probably has something to do with it. I think more than anything, it is to expensive and purses haven't gone up that much since then."
Dewease thinks the problem (not being able to pass) is easily solved. "The late models went through this years ago," Dewease said. "They had a big right rear and had all these wedges to put in the car, and it was too easy to go fast. We have the same problem. They went to a narrow tire and unhooked the cars and now, they have to race."
"That's what we need to do. The tires have gotten so good, that we need to go to a smaller tire."
Walter Dyer
" The promotors in our area need to stand up and save local racing."
Doug Esh
" An interesting conversation with Doug Esh taught me this: these cancellations shouldn't be frowned upon by the fans. It's saving the teams money, possibly $2,000 per cancellation. This means teams can run longer into the year." - Jerry Reigle
Mike Erdly
"I won't be here 10 years from now talking to you about this," Erdley said, who is employed as a service technician. "There's no way I can afford to do it."
Emmett Hahn
"This is for the working man to be able to come and race. This is for the guy that works a 40-hour week to be able to come and race and think he has a chance to win the feature," Hahn said. "Those engines with -12 heads are the ones we want to see in our races. They've been sitting in garages for two or three years and not being raced. We want the guys with those engines to come race with us..."
Greg Hodnett
"Honestly, if I had to own my car, there is no way I could put my family through the financial hardships it takes to field a race car"
Then Hodnett dropped the line that should be a motivator for all involved.
"No one has the answer to fix it," he said. "But I do know that not doing anything isn't enough."
Chad Kenemah
"Where do you see Sprint Car racing in 5 years from now?"
"Hopefully down a little on cost so all racers can enjoy what they are doing and not be out of money so fast."
Terry McCarl
FlatOut: Is local 410 racing in as bad a shape as it seems, with tracks dropping them and car counts falling?
McCarl: I think it is in really bad shape. I live around Knoxville so it is hard to see. The local tracks need to quit worrying about running with the Outlaws. Stop it…
FlatOut: What about the 360s? You raced them quite a bit last year. I know you don't think that is the answer.
McCarl: 360s are not the answer. I hate them. I don't care what anyone says, it takes the driver out of it…
Andy McKisson
"Where do you see Sprint Car racing in 5 years from now?"
"I see a flaw in the local system where as the costs of owning and racing a Sprint Car are rising every year, but the purses are staying the same and sponsorship is getting harder to come by. So to sum it up, I see in five years the blue collar teams that race with limited budgets no longer being existent."
Dave Middleswarth
"I'm all for anything that cuts my expenses. Even if it was putting toy motors in the cars."
Bob Miller
"We need to get the promoters together and then meet with the drivers and owners."
"The costs in the sport are too high, and something needs to happen. We need to get all the cards on the table and work on the future."
Brian Montieth
"I quit there for a year or two...I just couldn't afford it."
Kevin Schaeffer
"Where do you see Sprint Car racing in 5 years from now?"
"I hope they can get the cost under control. Western Pa. pays the least and the parts cost the same everywhere."
Todd Shaffer
…"I think technology in the motors and the tires has made it more difficult to move around," said Shaffer. "It seems like a driver needs to make a huge mistake in order for you to pass them."
"I don't know what the answer is to make it better."
Jack Sodeman Jr
"Where do you see Sprint Car racing in 5 years from now?"
"I see sprint racing getting bigger and just too expensive for a working man to keep up with."
Daryl Stimeling
"Where do you see Sprint Car racing in 5 years from now?"
"Some type of limited racing like 358 Sprints."
Brian Woodhall
"Where do you see Sprint Car racing in 5 years from now?"
"Way too Expensive!!!"
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