[DonMoore10]

We've all said things from time to time that we wish we could take back. Tony Barhorst has made a commitment to do better next time around, so let's leave it at that , folks.

[D.O.]

Monday's show we will talk about this with Tony Barhorst, Jason Smith and Greg Staab. Kevin Miller will be out of town but has offered to call in.

I understand what happened, I wasn't there, but Tony still put on the show and paid the money.

I can understand why Tony called out the drivers who left. Tony had been bustin his ass to fix all the problems and I'm sure everybody has said things in the heat of the moment. The teams have a right to pack up and leave. If the race wasn't going to pay points for USAC Midgets I can see why the USAC teans left. Why take a chance on tearing up at a non-points event when you have 3 more nights to run.


I have noticed that other tracks have problems and us at IOW call them out for the problems. That's a good thing because many track operators and USAC do read what everybody posts even those who don't have the balls to fess up their real names with their post.

But how many of those tracks and races that IOW posters call out respond?????
Kevin Miller, Tony Barhorst and Dave Rudisell are the only ones who do step up and respond. They deserve some credit for that.

It's easy to point fingers here from home, office or moblie device. But until you work at or with a track to put on an event you really don't know what went on. It takes a lot of work from a team to make any race happen good or bad.

What has happened has happened, the sun still comes up and goes down.
Enjoy the races you go to. If you think everything is bad think about how lucky we are to have as many tracks as we have in the mid-west to pick from.

:dologob:

ps - What would Ted Horn of done?

[aXe]

I dont live up there but go up most spring time for the 500. I go to as many open wheel races as time and rain allow. There is a more underlyng set of problems going on up there than what transpired at the avoided track shall we say.
When I get up there it seems I have been transported back 20 years to where I was brought up. most of the facilities remind Me of the less than stellar tracks out west back then! and there really werent that many, But come on now that was 20 years ago. Short track racing in this country is at a cross roads imho.
That group that left the track because of unsafe conditions were correct.
Some of The blame can be put on a lot of folks who havnt done their home work to have facilities that will cause fans & Racers to come back to it. There are lots of reasons for the myriad of problems affecting open wheel short track racing not just up there but from coast to coast! Wake up before it is to late get your house in order so the fans want to come back to it!!!
I am tired of hearing about the low buck racer who cant compete with those high doller teams! "SEE Chuck Gurney JR!". Racing is an expensive sport and has always been. the tracks with those high doller teams consistantly draw the best fields of cars and crowds that want to see more of them, Not those low buck teams that cant get it done properly. Not to take anything away from them some of the best have come from low buck teams.
Tracks operating in the dark ages should go see
TMS Dirt track
Lowes motor spwdy dirt track
I understand Lawrenceburg is now in that Class
Houston motor sports park dirt track
and many others around the country that have kept up with the times.
I just dont understand how a track operator thinks a person with a family that could come to thier track to be covered in dirt for about $10 a piece rather than go to a movie theatre for $7 or $8 sit in an air conditioned and heated building to see some of the best actors in the world! I just dont sse that happening?
Big big dirt problems abound at lots of dirt tracks.
back there some car owners and drivers are to blame but like most of this the blame can be spread around, I wont get into how those big tires make it allmost impossible to prepp a dirt track properly. :shoutEnough of My ranting, If I lived up there this would be twice as long as it is, Because I enjoy watching dirt track auto racing as much as any thing else I really like to do and it is real hard to do up there at most tracks even thougt the operators work their tails off trying most of the time to have good surfaces, come on it wont happen any time soon with those big tires they run now adays.
One more parting shot, race track preparers you HAVE to get the water into the track and it can only be done by turning over the dirt as water is added in track prep before race day!!!!!
aXe:checkered:

[IndyBound]

Originally Posted by Mud Packer Patti, I am sorry to hear about your friends son Kody as well as his grandfather. You wonder at times just how much a family can take. This just goes to show that we need to live for today and pray for tomorrow. This type of thing makes the cancellation of a race seem like nothing. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you Mike, since my earlier post I have learned Kody could possibly be released from the hospital today. I am praying he makes it home and there are no further set backs to delay his coming home. I certainly do wonder at times how much a family can take. I continue to kep your family in my prayers and look forward to the next picture of Andrew you post with his beautiful little smile.

God Bless You,

Patti

[767]

Ok diehard usac faithful, you want tony to answer questions, now you guys answer my question. WHAT WAS UNSAFE? 3 things were mentioned. 3 things were fixed. USAC did not deam this track unsafe!! period. Some of you say that the wall was only waist high, thats because you were standing on the outside! I have not seen a car get out of that place yet, been there 15 times in the last 3 years. The last 2 years the surface was just terrible. No one has left the track, and yes the all start sprint are faster than any of you guys, and they had no problems at all. ok i have read all the information i can find on this topic. FACTS: USAC did not deam the track unsafe to run on. A small group of drivers said they were not running I.E. million dollar teams---- so USAC said it would not be a points race. I am tied of hearing the SAFTEY B.S. when no one will come out and say exactly what the fricken problems were. Right now the older group of driver that were setting behind me are exactly right! Its a generation problem. The guys that are in USAC passing thru to something bigger are ruinning the sport. Josh spencer was describing an event in hagerstown Maryland, the track sounded alot worse, and they did not even have a emt on sight. USAC did not load up that night. He said he should have. What time is the D.O Show monday, i don't want to miss it. last thing to defend tony, usac does not deam the track unsafe and teams pull out what would you be saying?

[aXe]

How about an insurance issue that help you out? Just guessing here.
aXe

Originally Posted by DonMoore10 I've been reading these posts for the last two days and I have just a few words about this. The blame lands squarely on the shoulders of the United States Auto Club... PERIOD. Currently they are trying to impress the public with their HUGE 18 wheeler with expensive graphics, fancy SUVs, too many personnel falling all over each other etc etc etc and not tending to business. They are still offering their $2500 to win which was ancient history 20 years ago while trying to act like a NASCAR organization. I'm surprised that Mr. Miller and his vice presidents still have jobs. Lay off Tony Barhorst. He was pissed on by the United States Auto Club and the million dollar teams that abruptly took their dollies and went home. What did all of you expect Mr. Barhorst to do in that situation. The United States Auto Club had plenty of time to call the race before one dime was spent by the fans for the show.

Well said Don, well said !!!!

Originally Posted by Tony Barhorst These high dollar midget race cars...are a whole new deal....

YEP !!!! Which brings up another topic related to this thread. Some in the motorsports industry say these “high dollar” teams are bad for the sport. I couldn’t agree more. While the big rigs and multi car teams might look cool, and might look impressive - behind the scenes, truth be known, they only impress a selected few in the sport. While on the other hand, interpretation wise, to the common grass roots racer and fan, it places the wrong emphasis on the long-term growth of the sport, and the wrong emphasis on the end result. If given the opportunity, talk to a motorsports industry manufacturer president or its upper level representative, and I’d say listen very closely with both ears. The logic pertaining to what some of these knowledgeable industry gentlemen are saying on how the “high dollar” teams are pricing the little guy out of the sport is spot-on. As the economy continues to weaken, coupled with the eagerness to cater to the “high dollar” teams - it will only make it harder for the little guy to participate in the sport, no matter the form thereof. As it’s been said ….. “The new guard at some of the sanctioning bodies will figure this out, after it’s to late, and their customer market base has moved on, spending their expendable income on something else. We’ve tried to help a majority of those in charge of the sanctioning bodies understand how all of this works, in the long-term, for long-term growth, and they don’t want to listen. Undoubtedly they’ve been taught otherwise in college marketing classes, but we’ve been doing this for years and we know what works, and what doesn’t, we’ve seen the trends - yet they still come to us in swarms, asking for series sponsorship.”

Originally Posted by Chris Nunn We are aware he hit the grader, it was a simple mistake of not putting the grader far enough behind the wall. It was a simple oversight which was fixed in a matter of moments. I just didnt see how you could compare the Brownstown event to what happened Thursday night.

With all due respect Chris, the comparison is rather simple, and described in your own words above. Please re-read what even you’ve stated - “he hit the grader”.

Originally Posted by DonMoore10 All of the finger pointed going on here is reactionary. If the United States Auto Club had done their job correctly in the first place, none of the issues would have happened or mattered. It's real simple.

I said that back on page 3. It’s called culpability and accountability. Once Greg Staab was removed from his position at USAC, Kevin Miller, Jason Smith, or Jason McCord should have driven over to Union County Speedway to check the conditions of a, “track, which has not held a USAC event in many years“. With ‘safety’ being one of many conditions to personally check on. This should have been done weeks prior to the event, and obviously, it was not. Tony Barhorst’s positioning in all of this aside, USAC dropped the ball.

As a fan and crew member in Midgets and Sprints since I was born, I am outraged at the comments in this thread about the teams who left and USAC. Anyone who can blame this situation on USAC, at all, is out to lunch. Please come back to reality.

I will never attend another Barhorst promoted race. The way he treated the teams and USAC and nearly incited a fan riot with his comments is one of the biggest displays of unprofessionalism I've ever seen. For someone like DO to get on here and say he understands why Mr. Barhorst would make those comments surprises me completely. I've lost all respect for DO, if he even cares. DO: Would you understand if Mr Barhorst's unsafe racetrack injured or killed a driver? I would hope not.

Those that have posted it is USAC's fault for not inspecting the track, it has now come out that Mr. Staab did inspect the track and okayed it. It would seem prudent those who posted owe USAC and specifically Mr Staab, a huge apology, for your insinuation that Mr Staab cannot do his job. It would seem Greg and Jason have differing opinions about the limits of safety, a racetrack has. Who are you to judge Mr. Smith's position or Mr. Staab's for that matter> I see a bunch of people who don't even leave the grandstands, making posts that are factually incorrect and have no basis in logic.

While I have all of the respect in the world for a man of Greg Staab's stature, I cannot understand how he would okay that track as safe. I have not talked with Greg yet but I do intend to in the future and the only conclusion I can come up with is these problems occurred after Greg's inspection. Therefore, the fault lies squarely with Union County Speedway and Tony Barhorst. Greg Staab, Jason Smith, or anyone from USAC for that matter does not have the time to hold Mr Barhorst's hand in his preparation for this race. It is Mr. Barhorst's responsibility to ensure HIS track is safe, not USAC's.

Finally, I just have a few words for Mr Barhorst. Most words I have for him would probably get me kicked off this board. Unprofessional, immature, ignorant, disgusting are just a few words I would use to describe him. For Mr Barhorst to get on her and say "In the heat of the moment I said a few wrong things". Well then, Mr Barhorst, why are you having your press puppet, Jim Morrison, slam USAC in his posts with pictures and PR from the event? I cannot believe how people can allow their unfounded hatred of an organization to blind them from such a simple conclusion that Mr. Barhorst dropped the ball, did not care at all for the safety of the racers and placed the blame on USAC.

Mr. Miller, Mr Smith, you have my complete support for your series but if you ever run at a Barhorst promoted event, my cars will stay home.

This is 100% USAC's fault.
Apperently when TSR, KKR, and Kunz decided they didn't wanna race, then USAC cancelled. :idea:
I think I even heard someone tell Ballou that he wasn't even an owner when this decision was made to cancel. HMMM ??

And as far as pansies, or whatever else was said thursday night about all the teams who left :O:... I totally agree with Tony.

I just hope the sanctioning fee Tony paid was returned in full.

Don Moore is right again !!!

Greg Staab for President !!:respect:!! :help::help::help:

Originally Posted by TopFuel This is 100% USAC's fault. Apperently when TSR, KKR, and Kunz decided they didn't wanna race, then USAC cancelled. :idea: I think I even heard someone tell Ballou that he wasn't even an owner when this decision was made to cancel. HMMM ?? And as far as pansies, or whatever else was said thursday night about all the teams who left :O:... I totally agree with Tony. I just hope the sanctioning fee Tony paid was returned in full. Don Moore is right again !!! Greg Staab for President !!:respect:!! :help::help::help:

Please post your name so we can identify those who do not care about drivers' safety.

"Fans" like you can stay home, as far as I'm concerned.