Letters.

Midgets 1, Formula One 0

Thanks to Dutch Mandel for his Oct. 21 column contrasting the F1 ``circus'' with the twin 25-lap Midget races at Indianapolis Raceway Park. The only point he failed to make is that short-track racers, who show up to ``race'' every time, offer fans the same rush, week in, week out, no matter if the winner's share is $50,000 or $2,500.

I also appreciated your comments comparing the F1's autograph session with that of Ward Burton (who offered to pay for a child's operation).

Dave Heithaus, Indianapolis

There's an inverse relationship between sanctioning body greed/driver salaries and fan-friendly behavior.

Also, good racing is about tension: Who's going to get to Turn One first, who's going to burn off his right-rear tire, who's going to take whom to the wall and who's going to win? Sprints and midget races are thankfully short (25 to 50 laps in length). You can't hold your breath any longer than that.

F1? The biggest question is who's going to stay awake to the end.