Nuts and Bolts: Open-wheel needs to keep stars

Next to the Knoxville Nationals this is my second favorite weekend of the summer. Few people realize this weekend we have the opportunity to see a modern version of open-wheel racing’s glory days. Knoxville plays host to the USAC Midgets for the Knoxville Pepsi Midget Nationals and the IndyCar Series tackles the high banks of Iowa Speedway. USAC racing is the root of open-wheel racing. In the 1960s, USAC was the pinnacle of motorsports. They had three divisions of cars: Midgets, Sprints and Champ cars. Today, IndyCar teams have to worry about oval and road course packages, but in the ’60s Indy cars raced at Indianapolis then would hit the dirt at DuQuoin or Springfield among other tracks. Drivers that raced a USAC or Outlaw sprint show at K