On Dec. 4, 2007, Kevin Miller was named President and CEO of USAC and appointed the daunting, yet very necessary task of restoring the grand old organization to the position it once held as the most formidable racing organization in America.   
Talking to NSSN at that time, Miller discussed a plan that can be capsulated in a three-part strategy: 1. Improve communication with the USAC membership; 2. Emphasize being an entertainment entity; 3. Aggressively market the USAC product, some of the best racing in the nation, in order to grow the audience. 
Today’s technology is one tool that Miller has chosen to implement those objectives. “It’s a different world today than the one USAC grew up in,” observed Miller. “It’s a technological world. We plan to use the Internet to expose the sport for growth, to eventually conduct business with our competitors and to communicate with our fans.”
To accomplish that, USAC hired a film- school graduate to create and maintain a new Web site. It was launched a few weeks ago. For the recent Richmond Sprint car/Silver Crown show, they elevated the site to yet another level by introducing live video streaming.  
“We didn’t announce it,” explains Jason Smith, vice president of racing operations, “because we didn’t know how it would work. It worked great! It’s part of our plan to attract new fans. We won’t stream the races live  because we don’t want to affect the track’s gate. Rather, we’ll do a pre-race show, complete with a set and a couple of commentators.” 
It’s this type of quick, positive response that has impressed those long associated with USAC.
“Besides the new marketing strategy that they’ve formulated and that I believe has a lot of potential,” commented Tommy Hunt, USAC vice president of Western Operations, and a 22-year USAC stalwart, “they have laid out a business plan that has a lot of promise. Also, I see willingness by management to participate in areas where there was reluctance before. I realize that this is still a work in process, but I sincerely believe that we’re going in the right direction. I’m looking forward to the future.”
Darryl Guiducci, one of the owners of 6R Racing and involved with USAC for nearly 20 years, agreed with Hunt’s summation, adding, “I like the way that they’re starting to think more like marketers. A lot of us have been telling USAC that for years. Hey, if you don’t market, you’re not going to have anything to sanction.
“And, I’m not saying this to bash any former administration,” continued Guiducci, “but they are listening to us now. The best example of this is their action with the new Silver Crown car. They formed a team to look at how to fix it, and they have given the owners, drivers, chief mechanics, everybody, a say-so in it.”
“We looked at the way the car was launched initially, and said that’s not the approach we want,” said Smith. “The impression then was that it got shoved down people’s throats. They had no input. Those who should have been involved in its development weren’t.
“So, we assembled a seven-man committee to redevelop the car, with the members elected by those involved with racing the car. When the panel gets their work done, we’ll send that out to the membership for their input. If they don’t like what they see, then we’ll do it again. We want to get this right.” 
Bruce Ashmore, former Indy car engineer with Lola and Reynard, leads that team. While he does not work directly for USAC, he has dealt often with it in the past, and sees a decided change in their approach.
“They are definitely more marketing oriented than I’ve seen before,” said Ashmore. “You notice it when you go to the office. And I think a reflection of that is their intent to refurbish the new Silver Crown car that was introduced a couple of years ago.
“They want to improve the aesthetics of the car, to make it more appealing to the fans. More marketable. And they’re attempting to do that without a lot of additional expense to the car owner. With some minor exceptions, the car raced very well, so the goal is to use the existing chassis, and only have to replace the body panels.”
Their entire approach to the new-generation Silver Crown car typifies the mind set of the new USAC. Other than just better communication and efforts at holding costs down, it involves a completely different strategic direction. 
Unless there is a title sponsor, the series will be known as the Gold Crown Series, targeted to launch in 2010. The last USAC cars to be designated were the Indy cars back when USAC was battling CART for supremacy. And, in a complete departure from the recent past, the aim is to make the Gold Crown Series a destination for racers.  The current Silver Crown cars would continue to race on dirt.
“When we thought about redeveloping the car and the series,” explained Smith, “we questioned what it should be. Should it be a development series targeting NASCAR? Or the IRL? Or, should it be the top rung of USAC’s ladder, a place drivers strive to get to with their careers? We chose the latter, with the idea that we would also get it to the point that the car owner can make money racing in it. They could actually make it a business.”
At the other end of the spectrum is the Ford Focus series.
“The Ford Focus was the other big issue that Kevin and I believed needed to be addressed when we came into USAC,” Smith said. “That’s supposed to be our entry-level series, but it has huge cost issues. I’ve heard of guys paying $60,000 for a car. That’s with an $8,000 spec engine. That’s crazy.
“We’re working on how to bring those costs down. Do we limit the materials that can be used in the car? No carbon fiber, titanium? Or, do we spec out a car where a guy can buy one, race it for a couple of years, and be able to sell it because the rules haven’t changed?
“These are the things we’re working out now. We had planned on an announcement concerning our intentions in about a month, but it’s probably going to take a little longer than that. We want to be sure we’re doing what’s right for everyone before we make a final decision.”
Electronic communications. A focus on marketing. Lowering racing costs. Involving the participants in the decision making. A career destination series. This indeed sounds like a new USAC.
As with any effort of this type, there have been some better than expected gains, and some less than expected. There are still many challenges ahead. But, USAC it appears, is moving forward. 
“I heard the head of the Department of Energy talking about high gas prices the other day,” chuckled Guiducci. “He said what it took politicians 30 years to mess up can’t be fixed overnight. It took years for USAC to get in this shape, and things won’t turn around overnight. But, we’re on the right track.”