by John Rittenoure
TULSA, Okla. (December 28, 2023) – For the past two years Michael Tyre has been the face of the United Sprint League as Competition Director. That role is not changing for the 2024 season, but it is expanding.
Tyre has purchased the series from Kerry Gorby and is ready to hit the ground running.
“I am very thankful for the opportunity that Terry Mattox and Kerry Gorby have given me to work into this role,” said Tyre who also served as AmeriFlex / OCRS competition director for one season in addition to USL. “They were very instrumental with helping me get the experience I needed to take the bull by the horns and take off with it.
“I felt the series was already in good shape and it was good money. My hope is to make what is already a good thing even better.”
Tyre had been contemplating purchasing the series for quite some time and finally decided to jump in with both feet.
“There was some uncertainty in what the future was for USL and the longer I watched and waited for something to happen the more eager I got to move forward,” Tyre said. “I had a conversation with my wife and felt my heart was in trying to move the series forward with us being the owners. That opens up the possibility for me to move forward with things and work a little bit harder.
“I am not looking for a whole lot of change within the series in how its ran and what the schedule might look like. We are shooting to be in that 10 to 12 race range.”
The wish for a new direction in racing without leaving the sport saw Tyre climb from behind the wheel and get involved behind the scenes.
“A couple of years ago I felt I was close to the point of racing less due to the grind of week in and week out having to work on the race car every night. But I was not ready to get out of the sport,” Tyre explained. “I wanted something else on the other side of the sport and that is one of the reasons I started Passing Points podcast.
“I have always loved the non-wing stuff and felt it had room to grow here in Oklahoma. As a racer I feel like I can look at it from the angle that would benefit racers and teams. There is nothing I can due with this series that can make me a living, I just want to cover my costs and get marketing partners and get money into the teams hands.”
As the series owner Tyre hopes to make changes that will make racing with USL more affordable.
“I am working on getting some marketing and sponsorship partners so we can increase the payout that goes to the drivers like heat race win money, hard charger and things like that,” he said. “I hope to get enough marketing partners to institute some sort of tow money program. Just trying to increase the opportunity for money for the drivers on a weekly basis to run up and down the road. I think it is more beneficial for drivers to get money as they race then to wait until the end of the season.”
The 2024 schedule will be released very soon and Tyre is looking forward to what can be accomplished this season.
“I can’t stress it enough, I want to be for the racers, that is my number one goal,” said Tyre. “It is just about bettering the sport for me.”