Hirschman, for one, thinks the series needs to get out of New England more.
"We're pretty much stuck in Connecticut. The tracks are great but we shouldn't be running half our races in one state. It will take some effort to get out there but, together, a larger geographical area and more TV would give us something to sell.
"This year we're not at Holland, New York, a good track where you can really race. Everybody loved Jennerstown, Pennsylvania. It was a big trip from New England, but once they got there, they loved it. We used to look forward to going to Oswego, New York, where we had good paying races that were exciting. And I think there are tracks in Ohio and Indiana that NASCAR should go after. The Super Modifieds go out there and do well and I don't understand why we couldn't. Travel is expensive, but everybody here has bought these big tow rigs. Getting there shouldn't be a problem."
Chris Boals, director of regional touring series for NASCAR, says Modified participants shouldn't expect major changes in where the series runs.
"We have three national series, Winston Cup, Busch, and the Craftsman trucks, and the remainder are designed to be regional series," Boals says. "Ninety percent of the Modified tour participants are not full-time racers. If we start expanding too much, people with jobs won't be able to support the tour. There are only a few, like Teddy Christopher and Jerry Marquis, who race full-time. You can't run a race out West with five cars. When we go somewhere, we have to bring a full field.
"We always look at where to expand, but the Modifieds are primarily a regional tour. They obviously fit in the Northeast. We go to Richmond and Martinsville, but they'll always primarily be a New England series. DIRT is trying to become a national series with their Modifieds, but that's not the way we see the asphalt tour."
Another issue clouds the travel question. Marquis' success in winning the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series regional title twice, and Teddy Christopher's $159,000 payday for winning both the New England and national titles last season while racing a few miles from home are valid arguments against going on the road. The Weekly Racing Series allows racers at about 80 tracks nationwide to compete for national and regional honors.
"That does look good," Hirschman says. "We run this whole series-20 races-and at the end of the year you look at the guys running the weekly program who win their region and get as much as our national champion, plus they have a shot at the overall title like Teddy won. They can win $160,000 and we run around for $40,000 if you win the championship. Guys get that much for winning their region."
Still, Hirschman's not about to leave and be tied to a single speedway week-in and week-out, no matter how much he might win. Once a wild rookie who looked with awe at Evans, he is now among the elite himself. And while he advocates growth, his years of struggle have also made him a realist.
"I'd like to be able to say they have to raise the purses and cut the cost of racing, but I don't know how to do it," says the Pennsylvanian. "NASCAR listens when we tell them things like that but it doesn't have all the answers either. It's a tough deal. You try to cut costs one place and it comes around and bites you in the butt."
Founded: Current touring format started in 1985
Territory: Primarily the Northeast
Upcoming Events:
Sept. 8, Thompson, CT
Sept. 14, Loudon, NH
Sept. 29, Stafford Springs, CT Oct. 19, Martinsville, VA
Oct. 27, Thompson, CT