Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

http://www.speedtv.com/video/popup/63143007001/595223643

Link to clip from The SPEED Report on January 24 in which Robin Miller talks with short-track stars about making a living as racers without big-league opportunities (includes interviews with Dave Darland, Jerry Coons Jr., Levi Jones, Tracy Hines, Bryan Clauson, Cory Kruseman, Cole Whitt & Joey Saldana)

While I'd like to see more dirt track drivers move up to asphalt, it's not gonna happen very often. Most of the skills learned on dirt tracks are NOT transferable to asphalt; yes, you learn how to race, but it's a different animal to RACE on dirt vs. asphalt..

You learn different car control skills on asphalt; most of what you learn and master on dirt is not transferable or applicable on the hard top stuff. And most teams that develop drivers tend to go to short track asphalt racers first; why? It's what they know......

And the development curve of a Bryan Clauson, while fairly short, was not quick enough to KEEP sponsors interested; granted, the economy didn't help, but he's not the first to lose an asphalt ride......

Chuck.....

That was the "good thing" about the IRL/indy car circuit when it started. It was the avenue for the short track open wheelers to make the jump up to where the money was. That is what helped Tony Stewart and others to where they are today.

Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, ...even AJ and Mario... all started on the dirt.

If you've got it, you've got it.

I respectfully disagree with your position

Well, miledirtfan, I'll respectfully disagree with you. These days it's not talent that gets you rides, it's money. If talent was all that mattered, someone like Tim McCreadie would be a NASCAR star by now. He lost his NASCAR deal with Childress because of a lack of sponsorship. He couldn't bring enough money with him.

And when the three dirvers that you named moved to asphalt, they had very patient owners/sponsors who allowed them to develop/learn their skill set; heck, Stewart never won a Busch race until after he got to Cup, while Kahne won one! And Jeff wrecked a lot of Hendrick cars when he first got to Cup.

The fact that no one from dirt sprint ranks has made it in 6 years says something; Hamlim, Sorenson, and others are all from the asphalt short tracks. Bowyer and Edwards came from dirt modifieds, and Leffler has had two shots at Cup - and is still awaiting his next opportunity.

I never said that it couldn't be done; I meant to say that it was higly unlikely in these economic times.....

Chuck.....

It was not more than a couple years ago many people were complaining about all the young dirt talent being signed to developmental contracts and leaving for NASCAR. The dirt drivers were the hot thing to sign up and truck and ARCA cars awaited them.

Now the economy has soured and the bottomless wallets of the big NASCAR teams are long gone and the first thing cut are the funds allocated to their whole stable of developmental drivers.

I understand that the professional racers (Coons, Jones, Hines, etc) run for a percentage of the purse. I don't understand the expenses portion of the equation. Does the driver pay for his own pit pass? His own food? His own motel room? Who pays for the travel to the races? Does he ride in the hauler with the crew and the cars?

Thanks

Where would you place Justin Allgaier then Sprinter?

That is the really sad part. It isn't so much a question of dirt or asphalt driver. It is more a question of how many cubic dollars you bring to the table.