Quote:
Originally Posted by Mud Packer
Having been at this "event", here are some questions, concerns and thoughts. Lord only knows there is enough blame to go around here.
1)To Billy Daniels, Promoter/Track Owner and your right hand man Tom Wiek. Take a look around your facility and I am sure you can see some of the obvious safety concerns that the competitors saw. I doubt if you are blind so I certainly don't need to name them. Also, whoever took over the microphone and "questioned" the drivers calling them pansies, perhaps you need to take a lession in PR and tact. From this point forward I will always think of Union County Speedway as the CLASSLESS TRACK.
2)To Tony Barnhorst, Promoter. After attending an early season regular show at Union County Speedway, I questioned some of the safety issues that I saw and Tony came on this board and assured everyone that they were addressed and fixed. Did you really discuss these issues or were you just blowing smoke and turning your head. I believe this was your call to race here in the first place. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this.
3)USAC. Do you have someone in the office assigned to track inspection prior to the event being held? Please don't lay the blame on Greg Staub since he isn't employed there any longer. This should have been done early in the week at the latest and then competitors, drivers and fans wouldn't have had to show up to this fiasco. To Kevin Miller. As president of USAC you oversee an organization that is responsible for the sanctioning of this event. Exactly what is your organizations responsibility to the drivers, car owners and the fans to put on a show that has been advertised for months? This type of issue should never occur on race day!
4)The Fans. I thought the fans were great in a very difficult situation. Most sat there with no explanation as to what was happening behind the scenes, yet when the announcement was made by the track "questioning" the drivers and their bravery, you didn't become totally insane and cross the line. Please don't take this out on Bloomington, Lawrenceburg or Kokomo by not attending the balance of midget week. These tracks certainly had nothing to do with this racing be non sanctioned by USAC.
5)To the drivers & car owners. First the ones that choose to leave and not race. It takes a great deal of courage to make this kind of decision. Safety must ALWAYS be first and foremost in your minds. I understand your position and I appreciate your concerns. You made a decision and you stuck to your principles which certainly was difficult to do I am sure. To the drivers & car owners who decided to stay and race. My personal opinion says you need to reevaluate your priorities. With what has happened in the last couple of weeks, we now have 3 drivers who have been hurt racing. To push the limits of safety certainly isn't in your best interests no matter how much money is on the line. Is your health and well being worth so little that you would put it on the line by racing at a facility like this when so many of your competitors said no way.
On the hour and a half trip home last night I reflected on the event and how this should never happen. It could have been a lot worse than it was as in a driver getting seriously injured or worse, fans rioting and injuring themselves and others. I am sure we will see the PR spin in trying to lay the blame on someone else. To all parties involved, take the time to do YOUR job and make sure this NEVER happens again.
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I too was there and have thought about this since leaving the track at 7:00 p.m. yesterday. Was all set to get up and make a long post this a.m. but
Voila , Mike has said everything I had intended to say and far more eloquently than I could have. Well done, Mike.
The correct decision was made IMO, albeit at least 48 hours too late.
I quoted Mike's post in its' entirety because some of you folks need to read it again. IMO.