"With the horsepower of 180 and the cars weighing 1,090 pounds with the driver, your horsepower-to-weight ratio is about the same as you'd see in other classes," Iaia adds. "The advantage continues to be the cost and reliability. We have people who spent less money on this program than others at a lower level. These engines can easily go the full season. We've even had some go two seasons or more."
"This has to be the fastest growing class in racing," adds Scott Denby, special projects manager for Ford Racing. "We started with six cars in 2002 and have more than 110 racing in 2004. That speaks well of the product and the racing."
The acceptance it has gained in a racing-rich area dominated by fendered cars is another indication of the program's growth. Through the persistent efforts of Tracy Trotter, the Ford Focus Midget Series counts the Carolina region among its first ventures.
"I'm originally from Houston, Texas, so I grew up being exposed to all forms of racing," says Trotter, who heads Calico Coatings in Denver, North Carolina. "When I moved to North Carolina in 1989, there were stock cars on dirt, but very little Sprint Car racing. No one in the region was prepared for cars that required a push-start."
Trotter hits on a factor that assists the series in its growth. Unlike some open-wheel cars, a Ford Focus Midget is equipped with a starter.
"One of the stumbling blocks we saw was the push-truck issue," adds Denby. "With the addition of the starter idea, that took care of that."
For an inexperienced driver, the starter provides a bit of a security blanket. For the promoter, it speeds up the show. For regions of the country that were not familiar with cars requiring a push-start, it allowed the Ford Focus Midgets to show up with little resistance.
"It makes sense to have these cars in this region," says Trotter. "Look at all the open-wheel guys who are now in [NASCAR's] Nextel Cup racing. Owners are looking for guys with open-wheel experience. We haven't seen a true North Carolina racer in there for a few years."
Trotter had some selling to do with the sanctioning body, whose plan did not include adding the region until much later. "I told them I'll be responsible for it and will promote it through the company," says Trotter. "We got it into place and last July [2003], we held our first race. We had 24 cars."
USAC offers the Ford Focus Midgets in four different regions. California has a North region and a South region. There's the Carolina region that Trotter spearheads. The Midwest region features races throughout Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and surrounding states. The USAC Ford Focus Midgets are also regular competitors at the Indianapolis Speed- rome. The series plans to announce an expansion of up to four additional regions before the end of 2004.
"Altogether, we had 97 races on the schedule for 2004," says Eric Bunn, USAC Ford Focus Midget national coordinator. "The series has been a training ground, and it's been fun to watch these kids develop their talents. There is a certain number of people who are running in it for fun, but many have aspirations. One racer called it 'the front porch to the Daytona 500' because USAC has sent plenty of talent to NASCAR."
By the nature of their design, the cars are better suited for smaller tracks, ideal for those under 41/410 mile. Some of the regions offer races on dirt and asphalt tracks. The cars are easily adaptable with some front-end changes and the obvious tire change. It provides another opportunity for a new racer to broaden horizons.
"If you're a 17-year-old racer and you think you have talent, this is the place to find out," says Dertian. "You learn the setup. It's the same car as a Midget. You just take one engine out and put another one in."