Down here where I'm at on the racing totem pole, it seems that we as racers and organizations have forgotten where we came from to some extent. The RACERS were what made the show - that, and who had the fastest cars, and who could outdrive each other. Characters in their own right. Guys like Cale, A.J., King Richard, The Allisons - and innovators like Tiger Tom, the Wood Brothers, and Smokey Yunick. Bend the rules, bend sheet metal, rub each other till a fight broke out, and if you have to, slide 'er upside down across the finish line - as long as you won - and didn't get caught bending the aforesaid rules in the process.

I think there is still a lot of real racing to be had in this sport - we just need to look at our alternatives. As for me, I'm a firm believer that front wheel drive cars are our next logical step in the progression of the sport - both in terms of mini-stocks and real stock cars. There seems to be the impression that cars like my little Nissan are just "toys", and that they aren't really "race cars". Sorry to say, nothing could be further from the truth. My car in particular has a full cage that would pass any sanctioning body tech inspection out there - including NASCAR's. It's as safe as you can make a race car. It took me ten years to build this thing, but I did it right - because I wanted it to BE right. It has a fuel cell. It has rear jacking bolts. It has all the stuff that a big stock car has in it and more. But because it's a four cylinder, many sanctioning bodies and some racers think it's a joke. But it's not. I really want to race this car someplace like Daytona or Talledega. I get laughed at when I say that, but that is the purpose I actually built this car for - superspeedway racing.

I know NASCAR had a class for four bangers years ago - but they had to be a tube chassis car - not something that someone built at the house and took racing. I think we need to get back to the basics of this sport and let the little guy back in. A front wheel drive class on the superspeedways and places like Martinsville and Bristol would be a good primmer for some of the younger people in this sport to get a little experience under their belt before they move up. And let some of us who can't afford the big money toys to go race and have some fun too. So if anyone is listening, my birthday wish is to be able to take my FWD mini-stock to Daytona in February and run it flat out so we can see what it will do. And innovate some new stuff along the way. And bring racing back to it's roots!!