[Shawn]

Very nice post, Mr. Brewer!

It's kind of funny that you brought up "popping your top" or "keeping your cool", since I've pretty much witnessed all of the UMRA Officials do the same thing numerous times, including yourself. I'm not saying it's wrong, since we all have our moments, but it's kind of like calling the kettle black, right?

It really amazes me that all of these people come out of the woodwork, don't sign their names. How are we supposed to know if you're Carin Campbell, Kevin Alford, or even Tony Keith? They can't take the fact that someone might say something negative about their beloved series. How can you sit there and play it off like UMRA is perfect? Plus, when someone mentions starting a new series, they get all defensive. If UMRA is so great and doing so well, then why worry about it?

The fact is that there are a few people that want to start a new series. A fresh start for those we might be fed up with the UMRA antics. I'm not going to say that it'll be a perfect series, but all for finding out what it can bring to the racing scene.

um shawn I am an official have you ever seen me pop my top? Im not going to get into an agruement on this site I was just curious.

[Shawn]

That's fair, Kyle. I apologize, as I didn't quite word that correctly, or how I meant it. My words should have read "I've witnessed pretty much all of the UMRA Officials do the same thing numerous times", not "I've pretty much witnessed all of the UMRA Officials do the same thing numerous times"...

"Jim, I think what set Bob Lowe apart from the others is he ran the club as a dictator. He did it his way and if you did not like it you could go home. I think that is needed at times because as I am sure everyone will agree, racers like to ***** ALOT!"

J.L. I really couldn't agree with you more on this. No polling the pits to find a concensus on what should be done. Bob called it like he saw it based on his many years of experience in many forms of racing.

But, everyone understood that Bob was doing what he believed was best for UMRA, rather than what was best for his race team. That's been the problem for 18 years, even if a president or a member of the board of directors tries his damndest to be impartial.

I think Travis Stickles tried very hard to do the same thing. He worked extremely hard to improve the types of facilities TQs raced at, though I must also agree I miss some of the old stops where UMRA was THE SHOW rather than a filler class with the feature ran after everyone else went home. They can put on some great racing that too many people miss.

While there definitely needs to be new attitudes in the direction of UMRA and TQ midget racing, and maybe even another benevolent dictator like Bob Lowe, what's been happening with the negative comments on here achieves little constructive.
Again, I sign my own real name, like others are afraid to do.

JIM MORRISON

[TQ2M]

T.Q. midgets are the last openwheeled race car with a conventional driveline that you can't just spend money to go faster. In other words rich daddy's can't just write a check and get results. You can still bulid your own stuff and beat a factory car. That is one of the reasons I stayed so long (also I had a lack of a rich daddy). I was proud to see the Berry 29 win this year. It about made be bring my 20 year old car out.
It is hard for a president to run a club having to not only get 8 board members to agree with your views but then bring it in front of 150 general members and accomplish anything. This is the system UMRA has in place. It has worked and with the right person in charge it can work again. This person has to be neutral and not a driver. Ron Ambrose has told me time and again "you cant govern from the drivers seat".
Through all the ********, racing and crashing I was involved with in UMRA I can not think of an enemy. I am still friends with the Goff family. I am friends with people who don't like the Goffs. When our engine and car were outlawed in the 80's we were mad for about a while and then decided this is where we wanted to race. We built a new car and moved on. This is what made UMRA special in my era. Will it ever be like this again?
J.L, yeah that was me. Clarian Healthcare. My 15 minutes of fame::O:

Joe Monroe

J.L. & Shawn, I do not disagree that I have popped my top, But I do not think that in the past 4 years you have not witnessed this type of action from me. I am not proud of some of the bonehead decisions that I made while I was Chief Steward. Some were bad and I had to live with them. That is in the past and I have moved on. I know I lost respect from some of the competitors and fans, and that has to be made up all over again. I think that is happening at remarkable rate. As far as negative, I disagree with starting a new club. Jim Morrison said it best. BOTH SIDES need to find neutral ground and help make the club UNITED again. If it makes some people mad then so be it. I can take negative comments towards me(always have). But I have also tried to learn and go forward from that. I can also take positive comments (though they were few and far between). I will have to say that this has been talked about for a good 6 years. And it looks like it might actually happen. I hope not, I care very much for the TQ's. Geeze find a solution and help fix the problem. IT CAN BE DONE.

UMRA Safety Director
Tony Keith

[TP]

Originally Posted by TQ2M T.Q. midgets are the last openwheeled race car with a conventional driveline that you can't just spend money to go faster. In other words rich daddy's can't just write a check and get results. You can still bulid your own stuff and beat a factory car. That is one of the reasons I stayed so long (also I had a lack of a rich daddy). I was proud to see the Berry 29 win this year. It about made be bring my 20 year old car out.

OK, Monroe, If you're in, so am I.....I'm feeling the urge now! Gotta go check out the "Garage Sale" area now!!!

It's been years since I've been to a TQ race, but I enjoyed the show at Anderson on Saturday. Unfortunate about the accident for all sorts of reasons. I hope really cool heads prevail.

-Tony Parker

[badcoupe]

As a former owner of a TQ I have this to say. We moved to on a different series once (usac) and came back to the umra We no longer own a car although my brother does come back and drive occasionally. We too were tired of the crap that goes on esp with the goffs I lost all respect for them long ago. We bought a modified because we can go racing wherever we want, they race everywhere all weekend.I still love the TQ's have since I was a boy going to rushville. I still with the idea of buying another car, heck I still have a brand new suzuki I never to try out. I have been to 2 races this year but still talk to alot of people who still race these cars and from what I hear I'm glad we hjaven't been in it full time lately. As of right now there's no tech, the constant bickering etc gets old. Why did they fire kenny, because he booted a green car? Even the board member I asked said he wasn't given an explantion. This kind of thing isn't right. A new club or clean house and get some new unbiased people running the show in the umra either way I hope TQ's continue to thrive because they are still one of my favorite forms of racing.

Jim, out of all the people who are airing complaints and pointing fingers at people, You and Joe Monroe are the only people who makes sense. I have been involved in the UMRA since 1992 when I was on the pit crew for Ronnie Ambrose and Lynn. Collin was just starting. GREAT PEOPLE as most of the people in UMRA. And then as a driver/owner for the next 6. In the past, I have had personal "beefs" with drivers and some crews, But I treat everyone equal now. I have chose to be a part of the "Growth" of UMRA and not try to destroy it. It sounds like the cooler heads are prevailing as the posts continue and different people want to be part of the success. Hell I miss the good old boys that raced Wayne Mulligan, The Ambrose's, Bruce Leisure, Larry Martz, Dean Ryan, Jason Setzer, Eric/Dan Roberts. I'm sure some of these guys might come back????? and do quite well, But no matter what club you are with, you cannot make everybody happy, all the time. Jim I know you did not ask for being the leader in this debate, but HELLO everybody. LISTEN TO JIM AND JOEY.
Tony Keith
UMRA Safety Director :thumb

[Speedwrench]

Originally Posted by TQ2M T.Q. midgets are the last openwheeled race car with a conventional driveline that you can't just spend money to go faster. In other words rich daddy's can't just write a check and get results. You can still bulid your own stuff and beat a factory car. That is one of the reasons I stayed so long (also I had a lack of a rich daddy). I was proud to see the Berry 29 win this year. It about made be bring my 20 year old car out. It is hard for a president to run a club having to not only get 8 board members to agree with your views but then bring it in front of 150 general members and accomplish anything. This is the system UMRA has in place. It has worked and with the right person in charge it can work again. This person has to be neutral and not a driver. Ron Ambrose has told me time and again "you cant govern from the drivers seat". Through all the ********, racing and crashing I was involved with in UMRA I can not think of an enemy. I am still friends with the Goff family. I am friends with people who don't like the Goffs. When our engine and car were outlawed in the 80's we were mad for about a while and then decided this is where we wanted to race. We built a new car and moved on. This is what made UMRA special in my era. Will it ever be like this again? J.L, yeah that was me. Clarian Healthcare. My 15 minutes of fame::O: Joe Monroe

I haven't followed the entire thread, but I'm curious. When you mention having your cars and engines outlawed are you refering to your dad's car or Roy miller's car? Or both?

Heard from Stuckey lately?

Smokey