This is the Statt Mann Baby!!  Time to Scatt a little bit.

As economic news devours motor racing, I think of a statement from legendary journalist Chris Economaki who once told me that more than 100 cars showed up in Langhorne, Pennsylvania during the height of The Depression for one USAC race weekend.

He said this maybe five years ago when American racing was flying high and the big checks were flowing everywhere.  His point: racing was too expensive and it will pay for it one day.  That day is now. 

We couldn’t decide if racing was competition or entertainment or research & development or marketing, so we supported it in all those budgets.  But racing didn’t return non any of those investments.

We didn’t research or develop new technologies to meet 21st century needs.  We didn’t market well enough to sell enough products.  The competition suffered and the entertainment waned.

So don’t blame the economy for all the current failures.  Racing hasn’t delivered on its promises.  All we’ve created are fat pockets for a few promoters, owners and drivers.

They got it right 70 years ago.  We have another chance to get it right now so we can get back to simple racin’ fun.

Peace.