Forum: SCRAFAN.COM Forum (go)
Moderators: ljennings

My two cents:

- Congratulations to Darren Hagen and the entire Keith Kunz / Pete Willoughby Motosports team on their USAC-CRA victory over one of the most stellar list of entries I've ever witnessed. What an impressive display of patience!

- Congratulations also go out to Cruz Pedregon Motorsports and drivers Sammy Swindell and Darren Hagen for the 1-2 finish in the USAC Western States Midget main event. Too bad Jerry Coons Jr's car broke a rod earlier in the heat race...he'd have been up front too for sure!

- The Kaedings are always worth the price of admission. Both brothers always impress me. I was completely amazed and truly pleased to see Bud jump out of his heap of smoldering, bent tubing without a burn or broken bones. Thank God. As for Tim...wow...did anyone else see him come from the back to the front at least two times in the heat race (with a killer push)? That was some serious hammer-down action. Look out Oval Nationals competitors!

- I understand that cars are built lighter and with less cross-bracing for flex nowadays. And I do understand breakaway designs to dissipate energy in a crash, but c'mon...you can't tell me that Bud's Maxim was supposed to completely crumble in the cockpit like it did. Anyone who saw the chassis after the crash knows what I'm talking about. At least the seat held up...even though it was bent in two directions.

- It was good to see Mike Sala bring out a 410 sprint car again. Hope he can manage a way to get to Perris this week. He's not 100% sure right now because of commitments at work. I totally understand why those guys didn't run the tire-gulping semi...first time the car had seen dirt of any kind and with a driver foreign to the car...it just wouldn't make much sense.

-Robert Ballou set fast time in the sprint car, ran sixth in his heat, then loaded up...huh??? That's a lot of $$$ to spend on fuel getting to Las Vegas only to save a few bucks on a couple tires. I was really looking forward to seeing the kid in action...oh well...

- Group qualifying. I just don't get it. When you have four laps and someone spins on Lap 2, you suddenly lose all momentum. And who picked 8 cars? I could see 4...one in each corner...working much smoother. With eight out there, you're gonna have some passing...and passing slower cars does not help your lap times!

- Is anyone else as excited as I am to watch Sammy Swindell in Woodward's #2 this week after watching the "old man" school the midget field at LV?

- Tony Jones showed championship composure and did what he had to do Saturday without his car owner / crew chief to dial in the setup.

- Levi gave Glenn's #97 a good ride...wonder how Jon will do this week...can't wait to see...

- I hope Alan Ballard wasn't too sore Sunday. That looked like it hurt!

- I hadn't see a midget race all year. All you read about is low car counts. Well, Vegas changed that. What a killer field of cars. And how cool is it that Cruz Pedregon and Gary Scelzi had entries. I think they were just as excited as us fans watching the races in the pits. Both of those guys are first-class by the way...great for our sport!

- And last but not least...the track conditions. Who cares that it had zero clay. Who cares that the mains looked exactly like the drag races next door. The best drivers in the nation were there in the best cars. They all had the same track. They all had the same tire choices. They all came into the event knowing what to expect. These are professionals...they can deal with it. That's how I see it. Why complain about it? I, for one, like seeing different surfaces and watching the drivers adapt to them. One word: Challenge. Winners don't cry over the obstacles and challenges...they just figure out how to overcome them.

Doug Bushey

Passionate Fan / Announcer / Media & Public Relations 
Agent 

Heard ythat Ballou loaded up because they were out DT3s at the track and they didnt have any.

Ahhh...that makes more sense. Well at least we'll get to see him run Perris...should be fun!

Thanks Wayne...see ya Thursday...

Doug Bushey

Passionate Fan / Announcer / Media & Public Relations 
Agent 

We will be there ready to go C ya

Come on Doug, every driver and team should have did what Ballous team did and headed south. The track or facility didn't deserve to see a demolition derby on that track let alone the quality of drivers like was there Saturday night. Not just the fans deserve to see a good show, but the teams that make the drive all the way to a track deserve the best the track has to offer. If that was the best, then we will not be seeing CRA here in Vegas again. I am from here and I was embarrassed. I have seen many races on many tracks and guess what Doug, they were all clay, not rock hard dirt dirt! And real fans care that the teams got cheated by a multi million dollar facility that put on a low budget show. Come on, wouldn't you have liked to see a track half as nice as the rest of the facility. I don't care what the outside of the catch fence looks like. I care what's inside. That is what we all came to see isn't it? And as for obstaclew, the way I see it the only real obstacle the drivers had to deal with was the tire that wipped out Bud Keadings car. And no thanks the the track and the officials, thank god he was alright. You peopl down south in Ca. are blessed to have a facility that cares about its fans and its teams. It didn't happen in Vegas. Thank god What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.I'm going to the Oval Nationals. See you in turn four

Frank Lewis

Hey Frank...

I respect your opinion, and you make good sense. I was simply stating that, coming from a hard-core sprint car fan (and yes, a spoiled one that now lives 10 minutes from Perris, CA), I like to see some "different" track surfaces every now and then and to see who really knows and understands what the phrase "throttle control" means. That's all.

As for the facility, I really don't know. Heard some bad things (sound system, etc.), but I was in the pits all night. Couldn't tell ya what the show was like from over there. I did, however, find it quite amusing that the local stock cars were used as push trucks...there were some scary moments with that!

Anyhow, I do feel for the teams who made the drive and were handicapped by lack of tires. I was enlightened by Rob Hoffman and others on another board about USAC's failed attempt to clarify to all teams and tire suppliers which tires would be allowed. Apparently, only a few had F-55's or DT-3's(sprints) and SP4's (midgets)...the rest had to make due with what they could. So I do realize that circumstances were not ideal from a car owner's perspective. That wasn't my point with my statement about tire choices in my original post.

It was just an enjoyable weekend for me as a racing fan...sitting up top of the pit grandstands watching sprint cars and midgets, while turning 180 degrees to see the Top Fuel pros making drag runs. I love the smell of burning rubber and fuel...plain and simple...

Doug Bushey

Passionate Fan / Announcer / Media & Public Relations 
Agent 

ok Doug, I agree with you on some points because I am a die hard fan also. But at a decent track the tire compound the teams had to beg, borrow or steal for shouldn't even had to be an issue. But in closing I will say that The USAC officials and the track owe Bud Keading more than an apology! From the pits you might not have been able to see the turn four tire issue, but he could have been killed in that flip.

I agree with you Frank, there is no sense in accepting what shouldn't be!

Bob Whitaker