USAC VISION FOR A LADDER GROWTH SYSTEM COMES TO THE SOUTHLAND.

As the wet winter weather played havoc with NHRA’s Winternationals opener in Pomona, it also flooded dirt tracks to the point of canceling most practices in the area. Pomona was done after Thursday and will return next Friday. I have always said you could tell when NHRA comes to town as rain seems to be part of their annual show here. Maybe the local farmers should schedule in NHRA for their crop welfare. Not to worry, Monday will dawn bright and clear with the snowy white capped mountains majestically standing out in our skyline like normal for this time of year. And with all this going on, the Sprint car opener looms around the corner.

As the SCRA continues to try and do business as usual by getting commitments from car owners and fans, the new order is doing the same. SCRA has scheduled a practice at Barona for this Sunday, but it probably won’t dodge the rain that is in the air. In order to get the new tow money this season for all members, Ron Shuman announced the car owners must join the club by March 1st. He also announced a special deal for the top ten finisher’s at Oskaloosa’s $30,000 to win event this year in August. They will get to run at Knoxville the next night, after the WOO main, for a reported $10,000. This money is put up by Kevin Zimmerman, son of our long time friend Rich, who passed away last October after the first night of the Western World in Phoenix. He says it will be a 12 lap race with maybe two "promoter option" adds. Interesting deal, and the format is immaterial as can you imagine the shape of the track after the wings get done pounding it all night? If you go by last years results at Oskaloosa, it will only affect a couple of our drivers anyway. Too bad it couldn’t have been at Phoenix during the Sokola Memorial Classic.

The wheels are still turning as the new USAC/CRA club continues to pick up speed. They are close to signing a race director, one of the key ingredients to a successful racing effort, and are building the club from the experience of USAC’s long history. Rollie Helmling, President/CEO of USAC, quietly directs this effort and has a “vision” for Southern California to grow under the USAC banner in the years ahead. USAC is dedicated to building a "ladder system" to bring new participants (drivers, mechanics and potential owners) along. They are focusing on the complete open wheel racing path, from quarter midgets up thru graduating to IRL race cars. The path to the top is clear as drivers can move up from their childhood racing in the Quarter Midgets to the new Ford Focus class, then TQ’s, Midgets, Sprints and on to the big $$$. This path, all under one roof, is similar to our educational school system. As drivers move through the system they can learn with the support and backing of this national racing club that has a lot of clout, and move to the level their skill drives them to. It looks like USAC is committed to making the new division work.

There was a time when I felt that the CRA had the best non-wing drivers in the country. Given that most of the drivers and car owners have always been weekend warriors racing for fun here on the coast, still some stepped up to the WOO wars or USAC to go full time away from our world. When the CRA went off to the early Sokola created tours in the mid-west in the mid 80’s, Lealand McSpadden was one of the stars that proved how well we competed back then on the road by winning a lot of races. The rest of the CRA stars won their share, as they were on the leading edge in those days in our non-wing racing. USAC was running a little wing and non-wing at the time, but soon dropped the extra hardware and concentrated on traditional sprint cars, thank goodness.

Those CRA tours must have woke up the Indiana non-wingers, because over the years, not only did the state go totally topless, the car and driver growth was outstanding. USAC had a big part in this resurgence and when the SCRA started going back on tour six years ago, it wasn’t a slam dunk for the travelers like the early years. Tony Elliott, Dave Darland, Boston Reid and a ton of other top notch drivers showed the best of the west their tail and our heroes struggled. Part of the change over those years of growth in Indiana particularly, was that track prep people went to WOO school of dry slick and most tracks in the mid-west are now glazing over by feature time. The California boys don’t get much practice on those kinds of tracks, so they were somewhat shocked when they couldn’t compete on the road like before! A lot of things went into the drastic change, but the numbers game is the major reason. There were so many more non-wing sprint cars in the Indiana world, and plenty of tracks running them, they had to step up to be competitive, and they did. Plus many of the USAC drivers ran three divisions on dirt and pavement, not to mention several times a week, and shazaam, their experience level grew and grew until today, our local drivers need that heavy “home” track to make them competitive as they scratch their heads on the dry slick tracks wherever they go. But at home they still are tough to beat!

Competition is what has changed USAC’s drivers in these past 15 years or so, and Indiana has that now hands down with the hundreds of sprint cars that now live in the little towns of the Hoosier state compared to the less than about 75 or so of the 410’s that have been running with SCRA. So add it up, we have less cars, less tracks, and run less races so we have to step it up and maybe USAC is the way to do it? Remember, where do all the good drivers from SCRAland go when they want to step up? Indiana’s USAC world is the answer. Jay Drake, JJ Yeley, Cory Kruseman and many others who had an inkling to go to the big $$ world of IRL or NASCAR have all gone to get the experience in USAC races to move on. It is the way it is, but we still have some of the top drivers in the country right here in the western states, so lets get out and support them, they can compete just fine today!

With all that said, it would therefore appear to be a good fit for the west coast drivers to step up their program and be part of that “ladder” of growth that USAC has experienced nationally, and wishes for the new club to continue here on the West Coast. We really need a boost now with the split problem that exists, not only for our drivers to learn that slick track world to be more competitive on the road, but to bring in more fans here to the best damn racing in the world! Now is the time to be positive and support your favorites as the March 6 opener nears at the PAS. Fans can’t change the times, but you can be part of the emerging changes that are happening and make it better for all. Just think about it, where can you find a better bunch of racers that can run the high speed half miles like Manzanita or Knoxville, and also the exciting bull rings like Ventura or Bloomington? Right here in So Cal, that’s where. I can’t pick what direction the racers will go, That is for them to decide, but I can’t help but think the answers will come on or before April 3rd when the SCRA visits Tulare and USAC/CRA makes a trip to Hanford just a few miles north of there.

We know that Mike Kirby and Glen Crossno have been working hard to get their act together as they put together this new team. The whole crew has been working to build two new cars and have actually tested one of them at the last practice at the PAS. Mike is a special driver and so is his new owner. Glen has supported Levi Jones efforts in both Silver Crown and SCRA the last year. Levi might have a visit or two out west in the new season, but has his own deals going back in Indiana. Kirby will have everything he needs to win this season, thanks to this new deal, and they should be very successful. Hopefully the usual new car bugs and settling in process will go smoothly. Kirby has won a championship and can do it again.

Tony Jones luck the last two years has not been very good. Although his Ferreira Dairy, Johnny Vermeer car has performed well for him at times, it hasn’t taken him to the pinnacle he desires. The team, always looking for more sponsorship, appears to be ready to set out again together this season. Although Vermeer has moved to Bakersfield, the car will probably be stabled locally to make it easier to maintenance when the crew is not working their regular jobs. Tony was a candidate for the “little red sucker” ride after Richard Griffin retired, but Damian Gardner showed up in that seat, thwarting what could have been a "made for the Cowboy union" with Bruce Bromme Jr and his crew. I have a feeling that my Podium Cowboy will be heard from a lot this year in whatever car he has control of.

I mourn the loss of Richard Griffin on the track, like most of you, but it’s not my selfish side that feels that way. That side always has a problem giving up the heroes that thrill us all and move on. When the wild and exciting Gasman of old stepped into the Bromme Jr/Chaffin seat left vacant by a retiring Champion, Lealand McSpadden, I knew he would do well, but never in my wildest dreams could I imagine the total success this team would string out year after year. Under Bruce’s direction, Richard became more consistent, won more races, and began to shed the wild reputation that came from experiences like the bucket loader removal from the Ascot fence at a Pacific Open event years ago. Richard still drove hard, but more under control, as he won 49 SCRA races to add to his 14 CRA victories, and became a legend we will not soon forget. The team’s domination was such that either Chaffin or Griffin won a championship every year as Richard missed by a few points twice, and this established Bruce Jr as a champion mechanic of note. So for many it became what, too comfortable, maybe we took it for granted, or we expected too much, or we were blasé because he was always there, and now he’s gone. Richard retired knowing he still had it and just wanted to enjoy his weekends with his family more, and it’s a wrap. Thanks Gasman, your exploits will live on in the minds of fans everywhere. That sneaky smile will not be forgotten!

Don’t cry as the cupboard is not bare. Damion Gardner is one of the finest drivers to come along on the west coast, since the J J and Cory explosion 10 years ago, and has his whole championship world in front of him. When Damion showed up two years ago with his silver and green car, and wild and crazy fun loving crew, it didn’t take long for them to make an impression. The first real eye-opener to me was the night he led the PMD only to be passed by the Gasman and the Kruser. Amazingly, in the short 6 lap race, he passed them back with moves so thrilling that on the podium after that race, Kruseman remarked “he can’t do that for 30 laps, can he”?

Damion went right at the best to battle with them and some great ’wars” resulted as he built a reputation for having quick reflexes and a lead foot. He had a few memorable encounters with the “little red sucker” and now he is in it! His 11 wins in his first two seasons with SCRA may not be a record, but he became one to beat along the way. Last season while driving for Harlan Willis, he won 7 races in the first half of the season and then had a rough finish of the year. He didn’t forget how to drive, but perhaps there were too many cooks in the kitchen as the team supported two full time teams, with Josh Ford being the other one, and ask the Gardner Motorsports team how much fun it is to field more than one car. I expect the # 50 car will be in the front as usual as we continue to watch the evolution of retiring great drivers and the “growing” new ones. History has taught us all is well even after Bubby Jones, Dean Thompson, Lealand McSpadden, Ron Shuman and other Hall of Famer’s have come and gone. This Demon is for real and the championship path will have to go thru him and his ”new” team.

The Venard family sprinters, yes they now have two rollers ready to go in the home garage, are all ready as Grandma Rosie is very anxious for the season to start. To check them out click here. Buster Venard, father, former driver and crew chief for son Brian’s race car, says the “old” blue Ellis that took a killing blow at the end of the season’s last race, has been rebuilt and is looking just as fast as last year with the RC Performance silver bullet in it. That car received the Wagtimes best appearing car award this week as I visited their garage/race shop to see how they were doing. The second car, an Okie, now sports the rebuilt Marty Meler owned Mopar, and will be the back-up car and a ready replacement when needed. Brian had a very promising end of the year, after building the new Ellis car, and the family looks for some more podium finishes this year. Brother Steve has his usual black # 49 redone and says it resembles the original # 97 he drove a few years ago for dad. Can’t wait to see it, as that old # 97 is still one of my all time favorites.

John Scott is still hanging in Indiana as his new house is getting more homey and he is set for another year with USAC back there. John had a rough first year racing in Indiana, but his crew chief and friend, Randy Shiosaki, will still be making the redeye flights to go back and help him again this season. John too was suffering just like everyone who moved back there to compete on those slicker tracks, as it takes time. Ask J J Yeley or Cory Kruseman, it is no picnic and now John has a year under his belt and should do much better. It looks like Bubby Jones will again be working for John and the team looks for better times.

If anyone is looking for some used sprint car equipment, Elgin Freeman, who retired some years ago to be with his dad who is 90 something now, is ready to sell all the sprinter stuff and has everything on the block. For $30,000 you get a 28 foot enclosed trailer, one Drake roller, another frame with body and motor plate, a 360 Chevy motor, a 410 aluminum Chevy motor, a pit cart and lots of spare parts. The Freeman’s were best known for their injected Chevy fuel dragster that took on the blown Hemi’s back in the day. Elgin can be reached at 928-758-5026.

Allan Brown has just completed his new sprint car annual for the 2003 season. Allan’s rugged schedule each year includes a lot of travel to races all over the country and he has seen the racers he features in the annual, so it makes a great “diary’ for all fans. The 64 page magazine includes 180 photos, many stories, statistics, all the association results and champions, plus a listing of over 4000 drivers in open wheel racing. This tells everything that happened in 2003 and is a must for all sprint car and super modified fans. I got mine, so you can get yours by sending a check or money order for a mere $8.00, that includes 1st class postage and handling so you get it in perfect shape, to: National Sprint Car Annual, P.O. Box 448, Comstock Park, MI 49321-0448. You have to see this to believe what’s in it!

The CIF high school B-ball playoffs have started and if you haven’t noticed, I have a link on the front of the Wags Web that features where I go and what the results are. I really have gone to 108 games, plus about 30 more JV games I saw while waiting for the varsity game, so I am getting my “seat” in shape for the bleachers at the next race coming soon. There are some similarities for fans in B ball and racing, especially in the travel, as I experienced last Friday night. I left work in Irvine at 4:30 pm to travel East towards the Perris track, but not quite that far, and arrived at Rubidouz High School at 6:55 pm. The car pool lanes were going the same slow speeds, so even had I taken a companion along, it would not have been faster. That is maybe 50 miles in 2-1/2 hours and should give you a clue on why Perris doesn’t do Friday nights.

The Perris track is an additional 25 miles or so from where I landed, and this points out the reason why fans either must take off an afternoon to go Friday night racing from their LA or Orange county homes, or stay home when they know it will be a late arrival at the track. The LA area is not like Indiana where the path from Indy to the small town tracks like Gas City and Bloomington, noted Friday night tracks, is a distance consideration more than a time factor. It can still take time, but you are not in a parking lot for long periods like I was. We know that most families can not take the time off to make a Friday race at the PAS, and only would if they lived closer. This sermon comes to you from a frustrated driver who wasn’t going to miss the game. Not all fans have that dedication, but will go on Saturdays to see their favorite sport because they have time to make it easier then. Yes, Mission Viejo won, but they are in a tough bracket so each game could be their last!

The WOO is in town at the PAS this weekend and I hope the weather doesn’t bite them. Don’t know if we will go or not, but would like to see Art and Carol Malies, and their Workin’ Woody push vehicle, as we don’t get to see them on our path much any more. We’ll see, as I didn’t get my motorhome work done due to the rain this weekend.