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Chronicle # 19The CASA Chronicles
(No. 19)
Keeping up with the California Asphalt Sprintcar Association
By Glenn Hopper
January 27, 2006
San Jose, CA.
Rumor, rumor, anyone heard a rumor? Beware: I may end up on my
soapbox!
The California Asphalt Sprintcar Association, like every racing
organization, is preparing for the upcoming 2006 season. Like every
other organization, there are a tremendous number of things to be
worked out – schedules, which revolve around every race track
considered for the season, potential rule changes including safety
updates, manufacturer input, insurance, fees and more.
With the state of racing in the west, and California in particular,
all clubs, tracks, and divisions are jockeying for position,
looking to build alliances. Absolutely everyone is looking to
better their previous campaign and build for a 2006 season and
beyond. The Reno RPM show serves as a general starting point for
many and the process continues well into the winter, sometimes into
the early spring, before all the complicated details can be
secured.
Secured is the operative word here. While I appreciate everyone
wanting to know what’s coming and trust me, as an owner/driver I
fully understand safeguarding one’s investment, wanting to see a
schedule, knowing the latest potential rule change or track
addition or deletion, certain things must be aligned before any of
that information can be offered - either to the public or to the
stakeholders (members, racers, owners, crews).
It seems at every juncture of this complicated process, many people
are hungry for “inside” information. They ask around at the speed
shops, probe those they believe might be “in the know”, talking to
vendors and suppliers, making phone calls, searching the web and
looking under every rock for clues. Hey, I understand, it’s the
off-season. And I fully appreciated the passion behind the search,
but just like the weeks leading up to baseball spring training,
everyone wants to know how the team is expected to do this season.
But like those “Hot Stove Leagues” the most common thing that
happens is arguments based on all the rumors and half-truths that
participants find and/or unwittingly fabricate.
CASA has been working very hard this off-season to bring the best
possible racing season to its partner tracks, fans, and
participants. And in servicing that commitment we take in a great
deal of feedback from everyone we deem important to the process. We
work on the details, which means we often look beyond the scope of
the detail to find its rightful place in the big picture. We
sometimes need to open dialog with different players, we research
the pros and cons of everything relevant, and we must sometimes,
like all the other racing organizations, play our cards close to
the vest. Face it, sometimes its just plain politics.
But, because information is not being posted does not mean nothing
is happening. Quite the opposite is true, but until all the
excruciating details are worked out, up to and including the
signing of legal documents, anything that might be published would
only be a rumor or half-truth at best, and this potentially
misleading information would just serve as fodder for those who
might not recognize the difference.
I know everyone wants to know everything, and be the first – so do
I, but until things become published fact, I suppose the rumor mill
will continue to churn out its product. It’s just frustrating
putting out fires that detract from working towards our goal. As
the CASA PR guy I expect some of the heat, but as a participant in
the process I’m not going to compromise CASA, or myself personally,
by divulging information not yet substantiated by fact. So, I’m not
withholding anything and I AM doing my job – by ensuring what I do
publish is the whole truth, when it becomes so, and not before.
Keep in touch with all CASA racing activity through the CASA
website: www.casaracing.com
Chronicle # 20
The CASA Chronicles
(No. 20)
Keeping up with the California Asphalt Sprintcar Association
By Glenn Hopper
February 27, 2006
San Jose, CA.
The California Asphalt Sprintcar Association held it’s annual
preseason membership meeting Saturday February 25th at Sacramento’s
RPM Karting Center to outline the upcoming season. As with each
previous meeting of this type, anxious racers and interested
parties gathered to hear CASA President/CEO Scott Clough and the
CASA board layout the 2006 season and it’s expectations.
This season will see major changes in a number of areas, primarily
the joint effort of CASA and USAC to work together to co-sanction
the bulk of their respective events throughout California. The
joint effort was a result of area track owners and promoters
insistence that larger sprint car counts prevail at their tracks.
Clough outlined the situation that required this type of
cooperation and compared it to a “fire triangle”, which requires
three elements necessary for a fire to burn; heat, fuel, and
oxygen. Remove any single element and the fire ceases to exist.
“Racing has a similar formula; tracks, racers, and fans – remove
any required element and the fire goes out,” said Clough.
Tracks need to have secure car counts in order to draw fans and run
a profitable business. Racers need to consider their part of the
equation as providing a product. And paying fans want and deserve
to see a quality product. While CASA is deservedly proud of it’s
product, the reality of the situation, or gravity of the situation
depending on one’s point of view, is that 15-20 car fields limit
opportunities for tracks to promote shows to paying fans. USAC
Western States has also hovered at or near the 15 to 20-car mark
for some time as well. The CASA and USAC cars have been essentially
identical, each able to run the other’s series, which many
individual competitors from both sides have done - on occasion.
Make no mistake. CASA and USAC have had very different business
models. Each firmly believed their own methodology was the best.
Each had good reason to believe so, and each organization worked
diligently to prove their point. CASA’s belief was based on making
sure CASA had regional tracks at which to compete and they worked
hard with those tracks to find a mutually affordable framework to
do so. USAC, nationally, traditionally runs for premium purses and
is more willing to travel to realize those benefits for their
racers. Both series could justifiably claim successes.
However, CASA’s intentions slanted towards the track promoters, and
USAC’s racer-based program, both miss the mark when it comes to the
true benefit of the fans. Both clubs put on excellent shows, both
have loyal fans, but neither running separately can expect to
significantly expand the fan base of asphalt sprint car racing in
the region - this point was hammered home by the new management of
Altamont and Riverside Motorsports Parks, who insisted that the
only way sprint cars would be competing at their tracks would be
with the full force of both clubs efforts to provide 30-plus cars
deserving of premium promotional status.
Altamont/Riverside Motorsports Parks CEO John Condren, in
attendance, basically assumed responsibility for insisting Clough
and USAC’s Tommy Hunt somehow find enough common ground to make
this work for the overall good of every stakeholder in the process.
“Throughout the industry, we need to put the puzzle pieces back
into the bigger picture,” said Condren, “Scott and Tommy Hunt are
to be commended for the hard work they have done on behalf of
everyone. This is a positive step.”
While highly unlikely as little as six weeks ago, Clough and Hunt
stood together answering questions regarding both the process and
the details of this 2006 venture. To summarize; both clubs stand
completely independent of one another in structure and makeup. CASA
is CASA and USAC is USAC. Each will have their own membership and
administer their organizations independently. Each will have some
of their own separate events, maintain their own programs,
sponsors, point funds, point standings and crown their own
champions. However the bulk of both clubs events will be
co-sanctioned. These co-sanctioned events will be dubbed “The Best
in the West Series” and a champion will be crowned specific to this
series using a unique point system. For all events both CASA and
USAC members will be administered to by their respective clubs but
may choose to join both organizations if they feel it in their best
interest.
Other major issues involved tire rules and format changes. After a
trial run co-sanctioning one event last season, it was agreed the
best way to maintain competitive balance was to have each club on
similar tires. While no contract has yet been signed, it is the
intent of CASA to return to Hoosier tires pending a best offer from
the manufacturer and distributor to satisfy CASA memberships need
to continue with an affordable tire program. Many CASA members
reluctance to compete in previous USAC events is based on a
significantly higher tire expense over CASA’s very affordable
American Racer tire program. Hunt said the Hoosier tire details are
being worked out and an equitable program should be in place soon.
Significant format changes will be in place for the “Best in the
West Series” and reducing tire expense is an integral part of the
change. To begin, a single marked right rear tire must be used all
event long, qualifying, heat race and feature event. To facilitate
further reduction in tire use, cars will qualify for the feature
event based solely on time trials. Co-sanctioned events will not
use progressive qualifying heats therefore using a new tire in the
heat races to ensure a transfer position to the feature will not be
necessary or allowed. Traditional progressive heats will be
replaced by two nine-car heat races made up of the fastest 18
qualifiers who are assured of a spot in the feature event. Heat one
will comprise qualifiers 1 through 9 in inverted order. Heat two
will be qualifiers 10 through 18 inverted as well. All top 18
qualifiers must compete in their respective heat races in order to
retain their qualified spot in the feature event. To encourage true
competition in heat races, overall championship points will be
awarded for both heats.
Another significant format change will find an effort to present as
many cars for the feature event as can safely be allowed on the
track. This numeric formula is still being worked out for each
track and may have revisions made as needed, but the intent is to
have all or as many competitors as feasible participate in the main
event for the fans. The 18 fastest qualifiers are locked into the
field and may be subjected to a track size/car count specific
inversion. The balance of the field, 19th and slower, will run a
last chance qualifier that will transfer the remaining cars into
the feature event field based on finishing the order of the last
chance qualifier.
To this point a great many concessions and compromises have been
made by both clubs as well as participating racetracks. Not to keep
score here, but in general CASA is making concessions on potential
tire cost, USAC on traditional purse expectations, and to the
track’s credit, CASA negotiated purses have been increased to
reflect the larger car counts both clubs will provide. Said Condren,
“There will be some teething pains with this program but know this,
there are many in the racing industry watching these two
organizations to show how this can be done.”
In all, the meeting was a success and hopefully with the efforts
put forth in the last several weeks of intense negotiations, both
clubs will benefit and emerge stronger for having done so. The
tracks should see outstanding car counts, even better racing, and
the fans? The fans should be the biggest beneficiaries.
Keep in touch with all CASA racing activity through the CASA
website: www.casaracing.com
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