FIRST SALVO FIRED, BUT WHAT DID IT HIT?

This week is the week when the SCRA vs USAC/CRA battle hits the fan. When the first USAC/CRA meeting was held two weeks ago, they laid out the goals and scheduled a meeting for three weeks ahead to allow owners and drivers time to think over what they heard that night. They agreed to come back on February 5th and finish the discussion and let the new member car owners vote on what few rule decisions might go into play for the 2004 season. Keeping in mind that there are just a few differences in rules from the existing SCRA and USAC, but some things needed to be defined like final tire rules, what about the offset for 2005 etc. etc.. Everyone is invited, that means fans, owners et al, with only the new USAC/CRA members getting to vote on any action items.

In the meantime the SCRA wasn’t sitting still as President Ron Shuman published two letters, one for the fans and one for the owners, both asking for understanding and to hang in with him. It appears he is trying to dispel some of the reasons why the split came about with a plea to support the 10 year old club. He is trying very hard to save the thing we all are involved in and love, the SCRA. Then the shocker, he scheduled a meeting for the same time and date, but at a different location, as the already scheduled USAC/CRA meeting! This can work both ways in the simmering situation, as it could help him or hurt him. The show of support for either location might dictate if SCRA is going to go on with 2004 like nothing happened. The SCRA schedule is out, complete with the annual tour, and SCRA is going ahead full speed. But, the USAC/CRA effort is strongly backed and will continue on because of the three tracks who wanted the change and two new tracks added. The SCRA future depends on how many cars hang in there, knowing some have already committed to the new group. This isn’t IRL vs CART, but one might draw some comparisons from that mess on how unhappiness breeds more unhappiness.

What do I think? I have strong opinions on what I have seen in print and what I have heard in person, but let’s look at the real picture here. In order for change, something “bad” must happen, as in the SCRA/CRA split ten years ago when the membership wanted to oust the president, but he owned the club, so they started a new one. When there is enough unhappiness about something or somebody, it creates a chasm and then other incidents open it wider and wider as time goes by. It probably all started last year when Ron Shuman, trying to protect the clubs earnings representing the SCRA, wouldn’t budge in his negotiations with Don Kazarian for the 2003 season purse money. Don finally backed off on his desired cuts and said 2004 would be a new negotiation. He let that simmer during the past season and then a number of things during the year began the route that made the split become first a possibility, then a reality.

One of the many financial problems for some car owner’s was the high cost of traveling on the NWWC tour back east, and it hurt some bank accounts enough to cause some to miss regular nearby races late in the year. Some teams were left with no choice but to go back east if they wanted to stay in the point’s race with SCRA. Many still were grumbling about the USAC cars running their offset cars in the NWWC series that were SCRA point’s races, saying it was unfair. Late in the year the SCRA disqualified Cory Kruseman at Ventura for the offset on his USAC car, after letting him run it back east with them. It cost Kruseman a chance at winning the "home" race where he aways did well, but he just smiled and went on about his USAC business. That decision by the SCRA might have been the spark that started the fire under Jim Naylor, because later he got involved with the new order.

Other “things” were rumored to be on the minds of some unhappy car owners. One noted item was the NWWC tour was a Ron Shuman Production and should be separate from the SCRA, without points. Another negative for some was the Presidential term increased from 2 to 5 years. This was so the club would have longevity in leadership, and that would attract bigger sponsors. I don’t know if it helped or not. Another eye opener was when Paula Shuman ran unopposed as a car owner for a board position. She quietly stepped down, after some objections to her not owning a car. The fact that no annual general membership meeting was held to air the annual opinions and discuss the usual direction was a problem. Perhaps these are a few of the things that started the split movement, not one of which would make or break the situation. Perhaps the combination of a strong leader and an apathetic membership allowed this type of aggravation to happen, I don’t know, but it is here.

I don’t know when the official first call was made to USAC to see if they were interested in coming west with a 410 division, when Don Kazarian officially informed Shuman that the PAS would not pay the purse structure as it was, and told him what he would be willing to pay out. The problem escalated for Kazarian, and later Ventura and Manzanita, when Shuman was not willing to sit down face to face and negotiate with him. Shuman then announced he would go on without Perris and that was the last straw for the PAS management. Then the search for an answer began with the “big three” (Ventura, Manzanita and Perris), as they conferred and agreed to not pay the SCRA purse any longer. Don Kazarian said at the USAC/CRA meeting, that he made one last pitch at getting an agreement with SCRA in early December, but had already staged a direction with USAC, just in case this last attempt failed, and they were waiting for his reply. Now we know what the answer was and the new order is reality.

How the big three actually perceived and put together this path is not known by me, but they decided if USAC could come up with a plan equal to the SCRA dollar wise, they would book dates with the new club. One thing came out of this for sure, clearly the big three did not want to “own” or run their own association like Jim Naylor’s VRA or Keith Hall’s 360 group, but would like someone other than Ron Shuman to provide their 410 show for them.

Most of the membership would surely like to keep the SCRA name, but like ten years ago, it isn’t likely to happen, so they have to make a decision. Nobody wants to race for less money, but the facts shared by Kazarian at the USAC meeting, drove him to ask for a reduction in the SCRA purse. The racetracks run a business and as long as they think they are not making money, they will always look for another way. Santa Maria dropped SCRA because of money and now three more tracks have. The SCRA wouldn’t budge, so the big three found another way with USAC.

I know many car owners have already made up their mind on where they will race, or not race, but the question is, can two clubs, with virtually the same membership, exist if they run head to head 9 or 10 times in 2004? I doubt it, but this week should tell who is staying with the SCRA and who is breaking the ranks and going over to the other side. What will they base their decision on? Already Steve Ostling broke the driver silence and stated that his team will run for a USAC/CRA championship because they don’t have to travel back east to get one and I think others with the same mind set will follow suit. Some teams might even send a rep to both meetings to make sure they get it all first hand. How long can this go on? Hopefully the answers are coming, be patient.

I learned in the past that what Wags does means nothing if I don’t pick the right horse in a race. I also learned that what I do collecting money is valuable to the “little guys” of racing, yet it won’t matter to the top dogs it doesn’t affect. The Wagsdash will still go on, I expect, but what to do, what to do about the situation now? Follow the car owner’s as usual and park the Wagsbucks for now.

I want to know as a fan who is going to run the new club and what are the rules. I want to know if the USAC/CRA can make it happen for our racers, because I don’t think the SCRA can last running Borona and Tulare against events at the big three, plus Bakersfield and Hanford. Can I last without going to the big three tracks? No, and so I want to make sure the new club is run by the west coast club members with help from the parent club in Indiana. We will see on Thursday just who still supports the SCRA or who wants the change USAC/CRA provides. Hopefully, the final path for both sides will be on the table for all to see. You can make the choice, but again, the car owners are the decision makers, so let’s just follow them. Hopefully, we won’t be split up too long and the meetings can give us the answers we all want. Get out and see for yourself, especially if you are a member of SCRA.

SCRA’s meeting will be at 7:00 PM @ the VFW Hall, 1822 W. 162nd st., Gardena, Ca. 90247, (310) 324-6161 and it is for fans, SCRA members, car owners, & drivers. The USAC/CRA meeting was already set for 7:00 PM @ the Elks Lodge, 11233 Woodruff Ave, in Downey, CA. 90241 (562) 803-3557, and it too is for all interested parties including fans, SCRA members, car owners and drivers.

I am over 100 B ball games now in two months of going, but the playoffs are coming and the numbers will slow down. It sure takes me away from the pressure of all the above. Basketball is just like racing, in that it is exciting and can drive you crazy, but you do it because you love it. In racing if we don’t get our act together, more and more fans will decide to find something else to do while the powers to be fight it out. We don’t have enough fans as it is and now we are asking them to take sides and they don’t like it! The damage control messages by the SCRA gives cause to something’s wrong, but the only way to get the real answer is go to the meetings and decide what is said there and make your own decision.

Most fans can’t attend meetings so they have to live vicariously thru rumors they hear, what others say they heard, what’s in print and a very small group will rely on the message board tirades that stir the pot. Some will go to where they have been going in the past, while others will be willing to break ground on the road in a new adventure. Perhaps some will go to both. Still others will go nowhere and that’s a bad thing.

As I key this today on Super Boring Sunday, I am very unhappy over the thing I have no control over, but that’s par for the course. I have invested the last 20 years in the local racing scene and it’s in trouble again! I am tired of the possibility of the future being so bleak. I am looking forward to everyone being under one banner and getting the 2004 season off on the right foot. Will we know this week if and when this will happen? Everyone just pay attention and make the right choice. Stay tuned as the bloody war is just starting and I know from history, there will be some very unhappy people holding grudges, again. I may just have to retire and park my Wagtimes action and move to Las Vegas, like my wife wants me to, and start my own basketball league, or something and enjoy my grandkids more. I have always liked being part of things, maybe now I can be more involved……..? Hark, is that sunshine I see peeking into Southern California? We’ll see, we’ll see.