[miledirt]

Haubstadt is flat out one of the best, regularly runs shows in a prompt fashion and gives a great racing surface. Thanks to Tommy and crew for going above and beyond

[Chief Wahoo]

Originally Posted by ryan84 I'll be there sprint week section c, would love to buy you a beer. I love this track and always sing its praises. Just simply thought tonight might have been a good night to get racing instead of track prep. Either way the biggest loser in this is Tommy, and I hate it for him. Hopefully sunny skys the rest of the year for Tri State.

Hate you drove that long, we all know the feeling. I was thankful I got 2 outta 3 races in this week. If you come in the front stretch entrance, turn right and go up the stairs towards control booth. Will be in about 4-5 rows from top. I’ll be the Dork in the Cleveland Indians baseball hat.

[Rpracing1]

Originally Posted by Chief Wahoo Hate you drove that long, we all know the feeling. I was thankful I got 2 outta 3 races in this week. If you come in the front stretch entrance, turn right and go up the stairs towards control booth. Will be in about 4-5 rows from top. I’ll be the Dork in the Cleveland Indians baseball hat.

Get a room please!!

[SoIllSprinter]

What a bunch of bs. Few run a tighter race than Tom Helfrich. I have never been to Tri-State when they didn’t do their best to get a race in. Nothing they could of done tonight would have resulted in the show beating the weather.

[kdobson]

O.K.,, i’ll stay home, no problem.

Can we get a Hell Yea!

Look back at your last 20 or so posts. You know what hurts our sport worse than Joe showing up to see tractors and eating a reasonably priced Hot Dog? It's when Joe is kind of curious about going to a race track and he knows you are supposedly "into it", and asks you a little about it. Then he hears how he can't go to this track because they are idiots... and this other track up the road are a bunch of idiots too... and this sanctioning body doesn't get any cars anymore... and the announcers suck and the old PR guy sucked, and the fans are idiots and can't spell etc.

I have a relative who claims to love Italian Beef. I've been with him to over 20 restaurants where he orders the damn Italian Beef and then gripes about it... tells the waitress why it sucks and how this one certain shack up in Chicago does it right... and has even walked back into the kitchen to tell them what they are doing wrong. Every Easter we have to go to his house to eat Italian Beef. Guess what? His sucks.

What he needs to do is give up Italian Beef and start eating hot dogs - because he's never going to be happy when he orders Italian Beef. His opinion of what good Italian Beef is just doesn't jive with the rest of the world. Try something else on the menu of entertainment options. With the time a promoter has to go through to listen to your opinion and try to make you happy, he could easily do something else to find a few new fans to replace you.

Please don't try what we serve up as racing at Jacksonville Speedway. Your ticket isn't worth hundreds of people having to hear how we suck... and I know you are going to find something to complain about - because we don't do it half as good as Tommy, Loris and the Tri State Speedway gang.

[Crankin]

Originally Posted by kdobson Can we get a Hell Yea! Look back at your last 20 or so posts. You know what hurts our sport worse than Joe showing up to see tractors and eating a reasonably priced Hot Dog? It's when Joe is kind of curious about going to a race track and he knows you are supposedly "into it", and asks you a little about it. Then he hears how he can't go to this track because they are idiots... and this other track up the road are a bunch of idiots too... and this sanctioning body doesn't get any cars anymore... and the announcers suck and the old PR guy sucked, and the fans are idiots and can't spell etc.

You know Kenny, you can't be further off!
1st:
"last 20 posts" is a MIGHTY exaggeration... You're not even on my list of recent visitors, so you haven't read more than the last few from this weekend. I invite you to actually research that statement, and look more than 3 posts deep. 20 posts ago for me was Sept. 27, 2018.... Do a little research before saying crap like that.

2nd:
I NEVER TELL ANYONE not to go to a racetrack... NEVER! NEVER have said ANY of those things you claim, TO ANYONE. Those that do know me, know this for a fact, and to be honest, your crap is slanderous! Ask the guy who owns one of you're favorite Midget sanctioning groups about my passion for this, and how deep it runs. Ask your co-promotion buddy Sargeant where my heart is. Get a bigger picture before you claim crap like this on me!

3rd:
I actually owned a place that served Italian Beef, and it was damn good! BUT, there are places around that just don't get it.

4th:
Promoters will never learn anything if they cannot handle any criticism. You especially. I've run your track, I love your track. You even cancelled a group I run with(s) race last year, just a couple days before those of us that took off work, we're to drive down to your place and run (after being on the schedule for months). That was lovely, because you claimed you didn't even know who the group was!!? You also claimed that you suddenly just realized that if that group came, you would run past curfew.... Which you did anyways, by quite a bit, without us there??

5th:
You didn't like that someone (me) actually called you out on that move. Wondering how a guy who has been promoting so long, could make this type of mistake??? With that said, I NEVER said to anyone, not to run there. And we would go run there in heartbeat!

6th:
This is all I said at first tonight (the later post is just a reaction to people that offer nothing but things like "growing some", and their supposed expertise. "So last night we wait for one driver to show up, and throw the checkered flag at 1:30 in the morning.
Now, we have a massive storm barreling your way, so we do track prep, intermission, and opening ceremonies?

It's wonder anyone goes to races anymore"

And like my other (read that other, not last 20) post Saturday Night: "HORRIBLE decision making on this one.
Don't know if it was the promoter, USAC, All Stars, or all 3 to wait for Larson..... I have never heard of such a thing happening before??? You're late, you're late... Start at the tail. It's not like anybody wouldn't understand why he was late. Besides, Kyle shows up late, starts at the tail of everything, puts the show on that everyone would love, and the legend grows even more!!

May not be the best example, but Charlotte/NASCAR weren't going to wait on Kurt Busch if he was late after running the Indy 500.

Those who did go to this race, just because Larson was there, did not sign up for what they got. When diehards are leaving after the B main, what did the people who showed up just to see Larson do??? I know one thing they won't do, come back to another dirt track race.

On another subject surrounding this race, what could possibly be the reason for Flo not showing the ALL Stars, and Speedshift not showing the Midgets?? Brilliant. What possible good does this do for anyone, and what possible harm could be done by each "network" showing the other class?

If you say it would hurt the one off sales for the ppv, you're wrong. People that follow the All Stars know where to buy their PPVs, and vice versa for the USAC PPVs. So one off sales are not the reason.
With that said, can someone give me a legitimate reason why each "network" would not want to expose their product to a different audience??? DUMB.
All Star fan tunes into watch his sprint car guys on Speedshift, sees some really cool Midget racing, and possibly buys a future Flo Racing telecast to see more Midget racing.... Vice Versa for a USAC fan seeing the All Stars... They may go out buy one of their future PPVs.

Not Rocket Science that any extra exposure is a good thing for everyone involved. Now, with the way it was handled, All Star fans paying for the telecast are less than thrilled that they have to just sit there waiting for those damn Midgets to run while they watch commercials or replays. USAC fans are less than thrilled having to sit thru endless race replays (some twice), while those damn winged cars are running.
Please tell me what was accomplished by any of this."

I am dying for anyone to give me a legitimate reason why these things are happening. Not because I secretly desire for all things racing to fail, but because they shouldn't be happening at all!! In other words, for the betterment of the sport. You, and others just can't deal with the fact that I will not be PC about it. For the most part, I am telling facts with some opinion involved. Not crap like this racetrack sucks, or this promoter needs to go. Au contraire. I want to people to step up their game! Quit pissing off customers to our sport!!...

Recent examples of this:
POWRi Midget Week at Fayette County. Which had 5 OTHER CLASSES of cars. I believe there was a point in the night that the midgets weren't on the track for 2 hours!!!?? The featured show in town, and 2 hours go by of other classes before the star attraction come back out??? What is that? After the midget main, If i remember, it was after midnight, and they still had 5 other classes to run??.... The racetrack is smack dab in the middle of town... WTH? (sure that does wonders for public relations in town) Through it all, all you do is see people leaving before the midget A.

Up here where I live now at Sycamore Speedway. They have the Hell Tour in town (not sure, but it may have been a while since they last ran Sycamore... Sorry, not LM literate)! The house is packed, and of course, for some reason, they add 5 other divisions? The grandstands are obviously packed because of this big show in town. Ahhhh, but here too, they add 5 more divisions of cars??? WHY? This is not what these folks came to see! Again, a whole lot of time goes by between Late Model appearances on track. Rain is on the way, but first, we must sit through a 10 car field of mini stocks runniing 2 heat races (among others). Nothing against Mini Stocks, or the other small field divisions, but they are not what people came to see!
So sure enough, they managed to run what were all the needless heat races (remember rain was coming). and of course just before the big main attraction, it gets rained out!
Tell me the logic here Kenny. 5 other divisions, when maybe 2 were plenty. A huge front gate, and you send people home disappointed when they didn't have to.

Like tonight (and many other nights in your case), rain happens... It's been a horrible year on that front.... For racing and farming.
But like tonight, it could have been handled better. YES I KNOW TOMMY WAS DOOMED no matter what, but average fan does not understand tractor work when rain is coming, no better than Hell Tour Late Model fans understand 15 undercard heat races when rain is coming.

I have been on all sides of this business, and have a passion for it that runs very deep. So for you to say, basically carp about me, with absolutely nothing to back it up, is pretty lame. I'm not sorry that I don't bow down to every promoter like you guys are used too, but I do wish nothing but the best for all of you. With that said, once in a while when I see something (and I wasn't alone tonight, or last night on my thoughts), that just comes across wrong from a possible new fans perspective, I will speak up. Deal with it. I am not saying these things to my neighbor who might someday go to a race, I am saying it to those that (at least in some case), should be looking at it from a new fans perspective too.

A bit of the greatest sarcasm I have seen, was just posted last night by another person on this board (ossuks), in relation to all the folks not happy about the Joliet mess. He says: "Boy, we are not happy , but , what about the " you should feel it a privilege to spend your money and get to be at the track", "do not complain you are lucky to get to see such quality shows", "it is people like you that cause tracks to close" ect.... Just saying as the frog looks out the window!!

Perfect. As all sheep must obey. Don't ever point out obvious flaws in the system... For this you will be crucified.

Oh, keep your "Hell Yea" for your local strip club, and do some research before you slam... Because you just helped my case that almighty promoters don't know all.... In fact, none of us do.
Hammer away...

[kdobson]

My point isn't about your opinions... many of which I wholeheartedly agree with. And yes, I reviewed your posts before posting: https://www.indianaopenwheel.com/sea...archid=2221669

But find me your 5-star Yelp-ish reviews on here where you tell the world about a time when someone "Nailed it"... got it right... when you enjoyed it with the same passion and intensity you were burning down the Tri-State house with last night.

Criticism is a great tool. Private criticism that is going to get to the decision-maker even better. The criticism you directed at me above is totally valid, but I can't publicly tell you the whole story about that. There are times where its better to just fall on the sword instead of telling the world of the behind-the-scenes factors that would do nothing besides destroy relationships or confidences. I don't owe you every fact and detail in public. But if you approach me privately in an off-the-record conversation where I know it's not going to affect relationships or be blasted for the whole world to be privy to - I can give you more details as to "why" on any decision you might be critical of. You might not agree with it, but at least you'll have the facts on why it was made.

There's almost always more to the story far more times in this racing game where it looks like something dumb happened. I really don't know too many totally dumb track or series promoters.

Regarding Joliet. I have no idea if this is true or not, but I heard from someone earlier on Saturday way before this show that for some technical reasons a show can't start at the dirt track until everything is completed at the big track. He was telling me this because he was expecting a later than usual night. That could totally not be accurate. I could make a call and get the facts, but I don't care to - You might try. But if that's true... the dirt track wasn't "waiting" on Kyle and your facts are wrong. Something that if true, you probably won't hear outside of a private conversation. Maybe they did wait on Kyle... maybe they didn't. And I agree - before you say it - that communication would go a long way... assuming it's something that can be communicated.

[SoIllSprinter]

Thanks for your insight Mr. Dobson, I enjoy the fact that you give us the promoter’s perspective. I have been to your track and it is a first rate operation, after seeing your posts here I certainly understand why.
As for Crankin, if you are so concerned with giving the promoter your constructive criticism, how about taking the time to write them a letter, or email them, or even call the track? Blasting them in this format is doing exactly what you claim to NEVER do, discouraging others from attending a sprint car race. In addition, the way you presented your opinion here certainly doesn’t sound like “constructive” criticism to make the promoter do a better job, it sounds like what it is, someone who wants to debase another not make things better. Based on the many I have talked to who attended last night as I did, they were disappointed in the weather, not the promoter. In fact not a single one of the 20 do people I associate with saw any issue.

[racenut69]

Fayette County isn't the only track that does this,you gotta pay the purses somehow.....I don't like it either,but I understand why......

[Big Willy]

Just a quick question... What time should the races have started at TSS last night? Weather radar showed storms approaching at about the 9pm mark when i left Evansville for the track at 6:15. They moved everything forward about a half hour trying to beat the weather, so an attempt was made to get the show in. Should they have moved the start time to 5pm, 4pm????

Do any of you critics ever consider what goes into putting on a race with regard to expenses and sweat equity? The Helfrich family lost a week of labor, diesel fuel and time on his equipment getting the place ready to go on Sunday. The advertising budget for this event was also wasted (again). The track probably also paid wages for employees on the day of the race, MADE NO MONEY and has to clean and prep the facility again to get ready for the next event (oh by the way did i mention that they didn't make any money for Sunday's effort?). I suggest you try to be a little more understanding or take up seeing movies instead of races as they aren't affected by the weather and always start on time - unless you count the previews one has to sit through before hand. I'll try hard to continue to convince a new person or two to take in the races sometime so you won't be missed...