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CASA
Chronicles (No. 9) : Keeping
up with the California Asphalt Sprintcar Association |
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June 22, 2004 - San Jose, CA. As the California Asphalt Sprintcar Association’s second season nears the halfway mark, some remarkable things have happened thus far. First of all, the racing has been outstanding. But most notable is the fact that after a nine-race season last year, we had 27 car/driver combinations on our roster. This year, after only eight races, we have 37 drivers who have scored points with CASA - ten more drivers, in fewer events. On many nights CASA has had the largest contingent of cars competing at Altamont. Altamont management is very pleased that with each race we have added at least one, sometimes more, new cars to our count. On more than one occasion, CASA has had the largest car count of any pavement sprint car series competing in the western US and/or California. CASA’s first venture to Carson City, Nevada on Memorial Day weekend, and the excitement resulting from that fantastic 100-lap race, has prompted several new teams to contact CASA offices to learn more about running CASA shows. We have received inquiries from other Nevada racers, extreme Northern California teams, Washington, Oregon, Salt Lake City, Utah competitors and others who have heard good things regarding CASA events. While CASA is still expecting to keep travel to a minimum, CASA shows are becoming an attractive option to many teams. As CASA continues to grow, provisions are already in place to ensure those competing in CASA events will receive purse money worthy of making a commitment to running with CASA. The issue is that all these provisions are based on car count. Twenty cars is our magic number. All track promoters ask of CASA, is to bring enough cars to the track each race to ensure their fans of a full and complete sprint car show. With 20 cars they guarantee all prize money and pay bonus money for each car over twenty. Promoters are not interested in having the same small handfuls of cars running multiple races in order to fill out their program for the fans. And CASA is working hard to show these promoters what can be done when a dedicated group of racers have a common goal. However, towards that 20-car issue, it is apparent that the core group of CASA racers is carrying an excess of the load. Those most committed to the CASA cause are giving their all to the dream of quality, professional, sprint car racing with reasonable travel expectations and expenses. This commitment includes working as partners with track promoters to find common ground solutions to enable pavement sprint car growth in the region. It takes a tremendous amount of work, for anyone, to start a series from scratch and make it into something all can be proud of. That the “anyone’s” involved in CASA happen to all be car owners, requiring the same level of commitment to running a competitive car, and all the resultant hard work and expense required, on top of their CASA duties, proves just how committed they are. The core group of dedicated CASA racers is always excited to see new cars and faces in the pits. Obviously, more cars equals better health of the series. Specifically, more CASA cars equals higher purses for all sprint car competitors that night. As a new and growing series, CASA has created a unique formula for success. Simply put, the racers control their own purse based on their own, individual level of commitment. Those individuals who commit collectively can reap the benefits of higher purses. Those who leave their cars at home waiting to see what happens with CASA also have a direct impact on the purses they want to see paid; a negative impact. No race promoter has put a cap on the number of CASA cars it wishes to see compete. They all respect what we are trying to accomplish. They are equally committed to seeing this series grow and actually anticipate paying the kind of purse money racers want to be paid. But none of them are going to pay top dollar until the pits are full of sprint cars. While CASA is proud to have had more cars compete in our second year, there is a concern that many of our occasional competitors do not yet grasp the car count issue at hand. We have heard these teams express their satisfaction with running CASA races, and how they enjoyed the racing. We have seen teams pleased with the quality of our cars and drivers. They like the option of having CASA races on their schedule. Yet we have seen some of those same teams, skip non-conflicting races in which they could have run CASA races. Admittedly, some are reluctant to race for a purse less than they deem worthy. While that position in understandable, it is also near-sighted. We all want higher purses, everyone does. And we know exactly how to get them - we earn them. We earn them by showing a sincere commitment to pavement sprint car racing in the region. No one owes us anything. We show up, prepared the best we can and we race the same way. We understand we can’t put the cart before the horse. We are a new organization, without a fifty-plus year history to fall back on. It will continue to take hard work and dedication to build CASA. Car count is the most important component in demonstrating that dedication. Does anyone truly think other successful racing organizations were built otherwise? |
