Open-Wheel Predictions

Don’t get me wrong, the unification is what open-wheel racing needed. But here’s what’s wrong and what’s going to happen:
First of all, the Champ Car guys are 99 percent foreign drivers. The IRL is about 50 percent foreign drivers.
Don’t get me wrong, I like most of these guys — Kanaan, Dixon, Wheldon, Castroneves. They have great personalities and are great drivers.
American drivers always get bounced out. Some are P.J. Chesson, Jeff Simmons, Bryan Herta, Buddy Lazier, Jacques Lazier, P.J. Jones, Jimmy Kite, etc.
First, Sam Hornish, Jr. went to NASCAR and Scott Sharp left the IRL. Then, current Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti went to NASCAR. Yes, he’s not American but he’s a great personality that’s gone. Scott Speed should be in Indy cars, not NASCAR.
One guy they need is Paul Tracy — he is a plus to any race.
You will see the decline of oval races and more and more street- and road-course races, and it will be CART all over again.
Oh yes, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Casey Mears, J.J. Yeley, Robby Gordon and John Andretti are all former open-wheel guys who went to NASCAR. Can you imagine an Indy-car race with these guys. The stands would be full.

No Place For Politics

I’ve subscribed to NSSN since 1971 for the auto-racing coverage. My last issue contained in the Public Forum a letter from Stan Alsman. In Mr. Alsman’s letter, he spews the typical far left-wing mantra that Bush lied and NASCAR is a Republican think tank, while his Democratic party is pure and unable to lie or be corrupt.
NSSN is not the place to vent your political views. If I wanted far-left gibberish, I’d buy the New York Times or tune into the major networks. Please don’t soil this fine auto-racing publication with politics, left or right.
Steve Lowe

Dodge’s Dilemma

With General Mills dropping the No. 43 car of Petty, is this the beginning of the end for Dodge?
Bud can’t be happy with the TV time the No. 9 car is getting, the No. 41 and No. 42 cars are not running fast enough for TV. The No. 19 car isn’t in competition with Stanley. The No. 10 can only be found a lap or two down.
And the Penske cars with Mobil, Miller and Alltel are trying, but not getting better.
Maybe Honda or Kia could bail them out.

Owners Helped Kinser

Being “almost an old timer,” I regularly enjoy your “Through the Lens” page as you generally feature some racing personality that I have known or watched race.
In your April 2, 2008, issue featuring Sheldon Kinser, I believe you missed a great opportunity by not acknowledging Doris and Grant King, Kinser’s car owners.

Show Anthem Respect

My husband and I are real race fans. He got me interested in it about 20 years ago. Although he knows a lot about the drivers and statistics, I just enjoy the races. We held season tickets to Phoenix Int’l Raceway for many years. Upon his retirement, we could no longer afford the tickets but watch the races on TV.
Now, to the point of my letter: I must protest the actions of the drivers and the pit crews when they play the National Anthem. Most of the drivers do not put their hands over their hearts, many keep their caps on, and a lot of them are visiting with others or hugging up on their wives.
I think our forces both at home and abroad, and our country deserve more respect than they are giving them.
These men and women put their lives in jeopardy daily, just so these guys have the freedom to race.

Calling Real Race Fans

I would like to make a call out to all true races fans — not the guy who sits in front me at NASCAR events and proclaims what a fan he is, and then spends more time B.S.-ing about what a fan he is between trips to the can or concessions. I have been to a few NASCAR events, and let me tell you fans who have never taken short-track racing seriously, you are missing the boat.
First off, I am still a NASCAR fan — hanging by a thread. There are 43 cars, but nowadays how many really have a shot at winning? After a green flag and 10-15 laps into a green run, it’s boring. Your only hope is for a yellow to create any excitement again. You are much better off watching it on TV. Then, you don’t miss a thing. I could go on and on about how boring a NASCAR race is.
The real reason I go is for the “fairgrounds” atmosphere before the race. The race itself stinks unless it’s a short-track race.
This brings me to the real reason I am commenting: Get out you “real race fans” and support your local short tracks. Spend time getting to know the local drivers. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. You will see and feel the drama up close, and when there is a boring race, don’t worry, another heat race is coming.
Personally, I love the dirt tracks and sprint cars. These are truly the best drivers in the world. I challenge you “true race fans” to get out and get dirty and feel what real racing is all about.

Danbury Memories

A big thank you to NSSN and Al Robinson for the mention of the Danbury (Conn.) Racearena. I grew up one mile from the speedway and fairgrounds, and on June 7, 2008, I will celebrate the 50th anniversary of my first race at Danbury. It was the very last dirt-track event held there. The third-mile track was paved the very next week.
In addition to the LaJoie family, ex-NASCAR star Jerry Nadeau grew up at Danbury, watching his dad, Jerry, Sr., race stock cars. He was nicknamed, “The Crazy Frenchman.”
The Raceareana changed many lives — mine included. I will always miss her.

Response To Letter

I’m not sure what country Duane Du Puy watches his races in — it must not be the U.S.
Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the racing season, Americans can be found at the race tracks across our great nation. You can count on one hand those tracks that run rear-engine cars weekly.
Why is that?
And how can you call open-wheel cars second-best?
It was not USAC that allowed all those foreign drivers to take over Indy. USAC is the largest sanctioning body of open-wheel cars in the U.S.
I went to 13 straight years of Indy 500 first-day time trials, then back for the race. I stopped when our front-engine open-wheel guys could not get a ride. I could care less about some foreign hot shot that no one else has heard of, no matter how good he is. I went back to Indy only when Steve Kinser and Jack Hewitt had rides.
People like Ron Shoeman, Doug Wolfgang, Sammy Swindell and Iowa’s Randy Smith would have been our new A.J. Foyts.
If Indy would have run front-engine cars, they would have to have six days of time trials to time all the cars. The stands would be full of fans every weekend watching local heroes try to make the big one.
I have written to NSSN several times requesting a poll be taken of how many people want rear-engine cars and the current driver crop, or who wants modern front-engine open-wheel cars with America’s best open-wheel drivers.
But just like our government, no one cares what the people want. If the front engine doesn’t win the poll, I’d send Mr. Rear-Engine Du Puy the price of a good old Iowan steak dinner.