[Deansnuts]

How Important Are Videos And Results To Our Sport And Who Is Keeping The Candle Lit?

[Jerry Shaw]

Videos and the people who create them are an important part of keeping the sport alive. There is no doubt about that. They lead the way in the sport's exposure and are the recorder's of it's history. But, the candle remains lit because of SO MANY people. The track operators, who risk their financial ass, week in and week out to put on these big events. Not only gambling on if their promotional efforts will pay off, but are also praying that Mother Nature won't come along when they've got a grandstand full of customers and ruin everything. Their track workers, from the track prep people, to the folks that hand you your cheeseburger. When they have pride in what they're doing, it can totally shape the experience of seeing a race at their track. The car owners, who out of love for racing, spend a ton of money, with very little hope of financial gain. The sanctioning bodies, who provide an order, structure and standardization to everything. The photographers, that are lugging around a load of camera equipment, so they can stand in harms way, in the infield to get that one perfect shot. Often with no place to sit, during downtime, leaning against the sheep's foot or a big tractor tire. People like Bill Gardner, who created a place that everybody who loves racing can come to, to not only connect with one another, but also to find out the very latest, most up to date information on what's happening in the world of open wheel. Thanks to Shondra, for keeping his dream alive. The hard core race fans, that you see at every race, even though the track may be 250 miles or more from their home. And not only do some of them show up, but once they get there, they immediately go to work once they get to their seats, doing updates, so those who can't be there will know what's going on. The writers that share their race experience. Or the security workers that are there to make sure people aren't beating the hell out of one another. And most importantly, that breed of individual who is so competitive in nature that they'll let them selves be strapped into a 1200 lb rocket and be turned loose on a oval made of dirt, so they can prove that they are faster than others of their kind, who are here for the same reason.

One thing Midget Week has reminded me, is that this candle is still burning brightly. From time to time, the flame may flicker. Occasionally, the flame may look a little different. But, as long as everybody knows when they go to a race track, a magic event, like the feature Thursday night at Putnamville might happen, we'll be alright.

Jerry

[racegal]

Thank you Jerry! You have an awesome way with words! Every word you said is true.
And thank you Deansnuts for asking so we could read such a response.