“If there is no accountability for what they tear up as the driver, whether they are 12 or 25, they are going to race like it is somebody else’s equipment and they don’t have to worry about it,” Mounce said.
He does feel that some racers are pushed forward too soon. “Everybody’s dad thinks their kid is the next Kyle Larson,” Mounce noted.
He also understands how this happens. There are more chances to race at a younger age and at some point, racing a midget seems the next logical step.
“In a perfect world that sounds great,” he said. “But the midget game is the closest and most competitive it has ever been.”
Mounce believes the development process begins at the most logical place — how a person was raised. However, he also senses owners and officials bear some responsibility.
“These kids get into these things and they just want to go like hell,” he said. “But you have to keep them reeled in to a certain extent before you release them all the way. They have to have all the tools they need to be that good when they are that fast.”
Mounce also believes officials need to be a bit more aggressive.
“No one likes making a judgment call,” he acknowledged. “But if you are tagged for rough driving and you get disqualified or have to go to the tail in the first race of the year you can begin nipping that stuff in the bud.”
Some point to the lack of veteran leadership and wonder if the expectation that experienced drivers take neophytes under their wing is a lost tradition.
“I was 16 and I can remember this as clear as day,” Boat recalled. “I got into Levi Jones at Perris (Auto Speedway), and he came down to talk to me. That is whereas a driver you think ‘this is something I have to fix.’ I made those mistakes and I learned those lessons. It is trying to eliminate repeating these things and one way you get the message is having someone you respect tell you that’s not acceptable.”
Before he was renowned as a constructor and mechanic Jerome Rodela enjoyed a fine racing career. He remembers taking his lumps coming up. However, the world is a bit different now.
“There were times when you would get pissed off at someone and punch them,” he said. “But you can’t punch a kid, or you will go to jail.”
Rodela remembers one of his first trips to the fearsome Belleville (Kan.) High Banks.
“Jerry Coons and Tracy Hines, grown ass men, veterans, came over and tried to help me,” he said. “That is lacking in this sport.”
He’s right. In the USAC midget ranks, Logan Seavey could be considered a grizzled veteran and he is just 26 years old. There is also one simple truth. Men like Justin Grant, Thomas Meseraull and Seavey aren’t worried about the next level. This is what they do for a living so they’re only willing to help so much.
Rodela, who turns wrenches and more for owner Tom Malloy, understands the peril of painting with a broad brush. When he discusses the acumen of young drivers, he always has one story close at hand.
“I remember going to Tucson when Chad Boat first started racing for his dad,” he recalled. “He had the littlest baby seat and he looked like a little boy. It was like this just doesn’t look right. Then, he goes down and takes the green flag and it was, whoa, there was another guy we had to worry about because he just had good speed. It didn’t matter how big he was or how old he was because he was going to be fast. Therefore, suddenly, these drivers gained respect and you gained respect for them.”
Rodella believes one must take each situation on a case-by-case basis.
“Out there right now are some of the greatest talents we have ever seen at a young age,” he noted. “But there are some whose parents are forcing them into a sport they are probably not ready for. Some are just trying to learn about life and school and deal with all of that. Some drivers are mature for their age, but I have a 13-year-old daughter who is very mature, but I still can’t imagine putting her into a race car.”
Rodela is not about to condemn a new generation of racers.
“I’m all for it,” he said. “If they aren’t a menace to the racing society, they deserve a shot.”
He is also willing to provide the support he got years ago from those who came before him.
“In life you have to take a chance and you will never know unless you do,” he said. “The fact that these kids are doing it is quite a feat. You have to have respect for that. You can’t beat them down, you have to help them grow and get better at it.”
If anyone seemed likely to look askance at the demographic change in midget racing it would be owner Dave Estep. In 2023, his two-car team with Grant and Meseraull was the most senior duo on the tour.
“I think a lot of these kids matured incredibly over the past two years,” Estep said. “I am very comfortable with them. I think they have learned really quickly. I don’t know if they are seasoned to avoid some situations, but they will get seasoned in a hurry.”
Estep isn’t even sure the sport has really changed all that much.
“You have to learn that type of racing,” he said. “In my mind, it has always been this way. Drivers have banged wheels, bent nerf bars and moved guys out of the way. I remember seeing Rich Vogler at Santa Fe Speedway chasing another driver with a hammer. This stuff has gone on for years.”
Just how much does Estep remain bullish about the sport? He’s ready to bring a younger driver up the pipeline, too. He understands the wave of the future and he isn’t prepared to be left behind.
This story appeared in the Jan 3, 2024 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
