Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
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Rico posted this on twitter:

We’re in a fantastic time in sprint car racing and I still see negativity and closed mindedness. Our sport is on a legit path for growth and all we have to do is embrace the challenge in front of us. We all can have a role to play in this. If we really look close an opportunity has taken shape for so many people. We have race tracks that have two legit series to market major crown jewel events. They can utilize these two sanctioning body’s to create competitiveness and uniqueness in how they promote races. Through this balance they can ELEVATE their schedules they’ve created. We have a 5 X World of Outlaw Champion that has found a way to ELEVATE his position as a racer and become a series owner. We have a pit reporter that’s found his way to becoming an announcer and ELEVATE his career to the next level. We have racers staying with the brand they love and pursuing life long dreams driven by the core goals they set to be a World of Outlaw Champion so they can ELEVATE their brands and achieve greatness with their car owners, crews members and sponsors. We have teams signing up for a startup series that offers unique transparency, an innovative ideas for charter ownership and a fair format to gain those opportunities. The hope is a stronger ability to acquire capital to help pay for the overhead of a race team. This chance is a clear opportunity to ELEVATE one’s team compared to any previous model. We have two sanctioning body’s in a direct competition for fans, drivers, employees and events. In the end the fans are guaranteed a better and more ELEVATED product. Competition exists in every part of our society. Through the increased activity in our sport. There is going to be a need for more marketing, more employees, more services required to support all of this. That’s more jobs that will require ELEVATING individuals to the next position. I could go on and on about the opportunities I see opening up for people. The event growth at tracks. The increased local action at new tracks. The increased purses. The strong involvement that streaming is and will have on our sport. The motivated individuals behind closed doors to work towards creating an incredible experience for the fan and viewer. We are in an exciting time and to pick a side and truly wish for the others failure is sad to see. I can only speak for myself and my team. We will be running the schedule we run because we believe it’s best for us and our partners. But as I say that I see the growth and competition all over. I see multiple paths teams can take that have value and opportunity. No matter the event I’m at I refuse to be apart of the negativity. I will be apart of the growth in this industry. When we show up to the track it will be with respect and integrity to the officials and sanctioning body. It will be with excitement to engage with our fans, interact with new ones and enjoy the people who chose to be with us at the track. When our car rolls on the track we will do our best to race hard, race clean and try to win. I’m excited to get 2024 rolling and together ELEVATE our sport to the next level!!!

The older I get the faster I was

Agree completely with Rico. Most of what I have seen has been Outlaw fanboys bashing the hell out of anyone running HL and crying about a second series.

Here's the most important line of what Rico tweeted: "We have race tracks that have two legit series to market major crown jewel events."

As long as both series, meaning the public, influential leaders within both series, all work to protect the major crown jewel events.

The first time either one of them schedules on top of one of those crown events, then they've done great damage to the overall sport.

He forgot the part about dumping on the history of the ASCOC and the promoters who didn't get a show. Hard to dislike like the guy but he is only telling half the story. 

Seems you bash Outlaws and their fans on every post you make.

I am an outsider and be truly honest with yourself. The Allstars were dying. Tony would not have sold it if it was not. Only 2 drivers were able to run the entire series last year (Windom and Morrell) The rest were either replaced or missed time because they were injured. Only a handful of teams ran the entire year. Look at the last 3 years of the series. That is why the championship was based on owner points not driver. Now a series like the FAST series has a chance to grow.

Ask Rico about the HL scheduling against long standing WoO events and why I should be excited about a series that doesn't race in the upper Midwest.  Ask him if he will be racing at WoO events up here like he did last year.  Or will he be racing in Missouri at an event scheduled against a market that has hosted WoO races since 1979?  
 

Last year HL said they wouldn't schedule against WoO dates.  This year it is obvious that their assurance only applies to select big WoO events.  I'm guessing that Rico won't skip the Jackson Nationals or High Bank Nationals but not everyone can afford to drop $1k to attend those big shows.  I'm not a HL basher, I just like seeing full fields and big time racing not splitting yet a third time.  I enjoyed watching all the drivers who ran with High Limit.  It was often the best racing of the weekend between Flo and DV.  
 

To the contrary, I'd like to see HL but the only times they're anywhere in our five state area are two nights in Iowa 350 and 399 respectively.  I will be fine, I'm a fan of Knoxville and Husets weekly and IRA and watching my neighbors transition to 410's.  My whole point is that if I want to see HL drivers it's going to cost me a road trip instead of a short drive to one of the two WoO races within an hour of home.  From my perspective HL is not a national series until they race in the Minneapolis/St. Paul market like WoO has done for fifty years.  

Stan Meissner

Competition is a great thing. Here you have one of the best Sprint Car drivers in the country saying it is a great time for Sprint Car racing, and all Outlaw fans do is say that they don't want anyone to compete with the Outlaws.

Rico is obviously just a Flo puppet!

Here we go again.

Please answer this question honestly: do you guys really believe that Tony Stewart would not have sold the All Stars to someone else had Brad and Kyle not expressed an interest? Seriously?

Who knows who would have came along and bought it - and what they would have done to it? Does the name Guy Webb ring a bell to any of you.

You guys act like they went in there and held a gun to Tony's head to make the sale.

You're running out of reasons to bash HL. This one has gotten old.

Only two drivers endured the Ascoc season. Evidence that the woo is smart in signing in teams and paying them to be part of their entire travelling entertainment package.  If there was an incentive to endure the Ascoc more would have.   Same will happen to the HL. They will not be able to guarantee cars and that's probably why they aren't going into these markets people are mentioning.
 

what is the incentive to race as a HL in the 3rd season. Can they give away more of their business each season? I know that answer is NO! 

LOL..You guys may need to go re-read Rico's post.   Elevate everyone does not mean taking pot shots at the other group.   It does not mean bitching about schedules.   It does not mean to complain about the end of the All-Stars.

It means to Elevate.   When the Outlaws are nearby, go watch an Outlaw show and enjoy it.   When a High Limit show is nearby, go watch a High Limit show and enjoy it.   When talking to fans, try to find the good things of both series not the short comings.   

Spot on Jon - most of the comments are 1 vs the other, it's the opposite of what Rico was trying to get across.  As have many others, whether they work/drive/own for WoO or HL.  There's pro's and cons with every series. 

- So many picking sides, when it's not necessary.  More races across the US benefits the Owners, Teams, Tracks, Promotors, Sponsors and Fans.  It's a win/win.   Each race will stand on it's on merrits on whether it's better than another.  One week, the WoO races will be better... another week it'll be a HL race. Many times for race fans of more than just winged 410s, it'll be a USAC race or Xtreme midget race or whatever.

Series can hype for bragging rights (like WoO vs Posse do) at the big races and thump their chest when their driver wins Knoxville, the Royal, Husets, etc... Wishing for either series' downfall would be wishing for 410 racing to take a step backwards, and I don't want to see that. 

I will be at a track every Friday and Saturday and some during the week.  WoO, HL, USAC, Xtreme Midgets, Maverick Series, GLSS, Boss or local.... I'll catch the races I don't go to during the week on FLO/Dirtvision replays on the nights I'm home during the week. 

 Not a WoO fan or HL fan.  I appreciate what the WoO has done and is still doing.  I also can appreciate what HL is doing. It don't have to be one or the other, it really really don't.   I'm a race fan first and foremost and I'll be at the races. 

How does High Limit elevate World of Outlaws shows they schedule against one event that goes back fifty years with Knoxville's weekly show in the state between the two.  The Sprint Car teams are more spread out in this part of the country so one or two states away is a big deal when drawing enough 410's for a 24 car minimum.  It's one thing when they're in PA or WA but does have an effect when they're in three neighboring states.  High Limit is not a National series for a lot of people.  I'm not seeing any benefit from it with the exception of an occasional televised race.  They don't come within 350 miles one date and 399 miles another.

I have been a fan of Sprint Cars since 1960 and my mother died in 1962 so I'm not some kid in his mothers basement.  I'd just like to know how High Limit is benefiting those of us in the upper Midwest?  It's only effect so far is negative the way I'm seeing it.  

Stan Meissner

Rico to me is a bigger draw than Brad and Kyle is basically part time but  Rico,Kyle,and Brad can win on any night . Macedo would have been big for HL and would bet Roth cars split. Rico couldnt have said it better two top series and HL will all be at the big money races and WOO guys will be at the 4 top money if they can.

Rico is cool and everything, a fan favorite, and finally ha$ his 410 progem humming. His racing views and opinions are like every persons, they are $elf $erving.. 

Do your research. Brad said they thought they had dates in the upper midwest, but politics got in the way and they were not able to schedule in this area. If I am not mistaken SLS Promotions are huge in that region. They are tied to WRG. Any track that is tied to Dirtvision could not schedule a HL race. The Outlaw pretty much race every weekend. There are only 2 off weekends this year. Fourt of July weekend and weekend before World Finals. It was inevitable races were going to be scheduled against, The crown jewels are safe. Knoxville outlaw dates are safe. I don't think losing 2 or 3 cars will make a difference in those upper midwest shows. In the late model scene it has not been an issue.

I have sixty three years of upper Midwest racing.  I think that I have a pretty good idea of what to expect after all those years and going through the splits in 1989 and 2006.  Good point though, HL didn't schedule against the high paying shows in the upper Midwest.  Just the one that I'm most likely to attend.  Can we just admit that everyone is not excited by the repercussions of the High Limit series?  It's ironic to be scolded on a Sprint Car forum for wanting the best possible show to roll through our area.   It isn't in my job description as a fan to negotiate a peace treaty between sanctions.  The only research I need to do is to look and see that there is a pissing match in Sprint Car racing that will hurt fans in some areas in the sense that their favorites won't be with the Outlaws.  I say that because I like those drivers and not because I dislike any sanction.  Rico, Brad, Jacob and Kasey all have a lot of fans that will miss them this year.  In my book that and whatever politics you refer to are both a negative if that is what happened.  
 

It's OK to like the High Limit concept, have watched all of their weeknight races and still not be happy about it having a negative effect on fans in some cases.  I just happen to live in one of those of places that High Limit felt was OK to schedule against.
I'm never going to like that move after they assured everyone last year that they were just a little 'ol midweek deal.  

Stan Meissner

I can only speak from my experiences as a latemodel fan that watched the growth of 2 seperate national tours the last 20 years, it will be ok. In the end it comes down to the quality of race for me. You can give me the best drivers there are at the best track, but if the racing sucks it is diappointing. I am blessed to live in the central midwest and have the pleasure to attend both series multiple times at multiple venues. 

In the latemodel ranks I have witnessed drivers go from one series to the next and back again. Drivers have won chapionships with both and rookie of the years with both. Tracks have flipped from one series to the other and back again. Perfect example Deer Creek's (maybe in your area) Gopher 50 is back to outlaws this year after being Lucas Oil past couple of years. This race was outlaws before that.

Point being don't be surprised in the near future tracks in your area having both HL and outlaw shows.

The ASCOC has a long history of only a few owners and drivers going the distance. It was still a good money maker for promoters, many of who no longer get that revenue. Fields were always full too no matter how many full timers they had. Hopefully you are correct and FAST can get the job done. Maybe they can even wrestle the ASCOC moniker away from the Cali clan someday as well.