Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

Personally, I think the front straightaway antic can and will be forgiven over time in fact it will become a moment in time "I was at VCS when ....."

However if I was an official at any track in the country and I saw the 4m of John Memmer pull in I would refuse for the safety of my life to step foot on the speedway. If not for the quick feet of that official the results could of been horrific. I have seen officials hit on accident and that is bad enough but to have a driver purposely take aim at an individual standing on the track is inexcusable. Call it what you want, Idiotic, a bad moment, a hot head, whatever it was ******** in my mind and if he can't keep his composure and tries to hit an official over that what happens when he really has a reason to be pissed ??

Tim Clauson

Re: John Memmer
 

I got one opinion on John Memmer. "YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID!"

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

Personally, I think the front straightaway antic can and will be forgiven over time in fact it will become a moment in time "I was at VCS when ....."

Yes Tim that is the stuff you leave the track with thinking " What a Dumb Azz" and talk about it and ends up being water cooler PR.

BUT - taking a shot at the offical in turn 3 is bad stuff. What if he had hit him and killed him? State Bail Bonding wouldn't be able to get him out.

Then the rumors from what happened in the pits afterwards requiring police cars shouldn't happen and is reason to be set down. I've heard everything from grabbing torsion bars to looking for a 9 mm. in the pits. Ask Colby Smith about gunfire at a track?

As far as MSCS and it's officals and rules, sure they could be better and make mistakes. BUT MSCS provides the racers a good payout and a title to claim. I don't care what the letters are USAC, NASCAR, WoO or F-1 they all have problems at times.

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

Very Well Said D.O.

Greg Hedge

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

Hey D.O., although this is about the 4m incident did you happen to get any footage of the stock car idiot when he found out he didn't win and was scored 3rd after rough driving?He almost hit at least one person while pics were being taken and who knows what else happened in the pits. Hilljack? Contagious? Methanal fumes? Full Moon last night?
:31:Kokomo bound:23:

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

i agree D.O. - what a lot of folks don't realize is the mscs people all have full time jobs and regular lives they do the work they do for the series on the side. I know some of them use their vacation days and time away from family to be there to work. They don't get paid a salary like usac or any of the others. I'll be the first to point out or question when I think they made a wrong call but for a driver to try to hit them is inexcusable.

Greg
Posted via Mobile Device

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

We have 2 posts that run the gammut.... you have Deans which is a great post and well said...

And on to the most moronic one I have seen in a while... This one will have the part in question...

Unless someone has taken the time to get to know John Memmer then they do not truly know who or how he is. His "yank the crank" does not define who he is. Have YOU taken the time to get to know Memmer, D.O.? I highly doubt it.... or else that nonsense would have not been said. Its people judging someone by what they see in a video clip who are truly pathetic. I said it about Truckers when they were needlessly bashed and will say it here.... GET TO KNOW SOMEONE FIRST BEFORE YOU ASSUME ANYTHING ABOUT THEM OR THEIR FAMILY.

Dean, your post is 100% right on as they almost always are. Thanks for saying that eloquently.

John..... who I do consider to be a FRIEND.... you screwed up buddy. I know you are a hot-head..... I know you are tightly wound beating your head against a wall to get that first win...... I see the frustration trying to win... but none of this excuses what you did. I sincerely hope you realize it and do whats necessary to mend the fences. I look forward to seeing you at the races again soon!

In closing... the Memmers ARE good people.... take the time to find out on your own. Not everyone will like them... thats just how it is... but until you have who are YOU to judge them in any capacity??? To say someones actions are unacceptable or foolish is one thing.... the personal attacks and cheap shots are sad and pathetic.

Flame away at me while you are at it..... I know certain individuals will do just that now.

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

After watching the video, it was mild compared to the Ed Spencer stories that I've heard about his racing days in central PA.

No flames throttle - I see where you're coming from. But maybe the memmers are GOOD people as you say - they just can't be good at the track perhaps? You have a post from sandy Lowe on the updates thread saying they have had problems with him. Vcs officials saying he has caused problems there this year causing an earlier suspension. His dad was the one on the 4 wheeler doing donuts on the back stretch in the video screaming at people in the pits - not discouraging his son when he pulled out a tortion bar on security and threatened to go get his 9mm.... Maybe they are GOOD...just racing brings out the worst? In which case they should take up golf maybe. They clearly (father and son) have a problem acting in a sensible manner not just last night but several times at different tracks and with different series.

I'm sure they're not terrible people - but they can't put on a display like that and not expect people to think otherwise. Perception is reality these days - regardless of the truth. And a lot of people just got the perception that the memmers will act crazy and threaten bodily harm if things don't go their way. Case in point - none of us *know* oj Simpson but most of us perceive he was guilty and we don't *know* Michael Jackson but most perceive him as a weirdo that possibly messed with kids bleached his skin and loved some plastic surgery.

I'm just saying maybe they are good - but its hard to overcome a first impression or second or third depending on the track they're at.

Greg
Posted via Mobile Device

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

I was there at this event several years ago.........The 71M tirade seemed at little bit more severe than what I have seen on this video of last night. That driver had to be stopped by push trucks if I remember correctly.....................Not condoning anything........but, dang, all of this cause his nutz itched............Life is too short to get all bound up by certain things...............

:34:

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

Another wild one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGk9sSK6lwM

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

I have never had a problem with the Memmers, but facts are, this is not the first time he's had an unbelievable hissy fit at the track. I saw him throw another one at Danville once before, and I've been told he's done similar things at North Vernon and maybe Haubstadt? It doesn't seem like he learns his lesson...he's only gotten worse!

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

I am certainly not condoning what happened.... that should be said first. I will say that recreational activities do bring things out in people that normally would not happen. That was said as neither a shot nor defending.......

Your post is well thought out and well said Greg. Thanks for wording it the way you did. Its too bad not all are like that. We can all agree that we will disagree with some things. Taking the time to think about what you say before saying it is the way to go about it.... as I have learned the hard way on numerous occasions. And yes unfortunately perceptions are reality.... something I have always had an issue with.

Discussion is what message boards are all about and I am all for that. Cheap shots and blind accusations are spineless IMO.

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

I was at VCS last night and witnessed the multiple incidents involving Mr. Memmer. I don't know the young man and I am not trying to throw him under the bus. I will say that from a fans perspective however, it was inappropriate, childish, immature, stupid and low class. The show he put on was right out of the WWF and Jerry Springer show type performances. I saw a few kids around us and they were really getting into it. A great time to teach a youngster that this is totally inappropriate behavior and shouldn't be tolerated. Hopefully the parents were able to get this accomplished.

As a former track official, I will say that scoring a race is one of the toughest jobs ever. I applaud the folks that week in week out "enjoy" doing this. It certainly wasn't a job I ever wanted to tackle. I realize that MSCS has had some challenges with scoring a race but I have also seen USAC,IRL, NASCAR, ARCA, ASA, CRA, and various other sanctioning bodies have less than stellar results in that department at times. I recall a NASCAR race a number of years ago where it took almost 20 laps to get the lineup sorted out. And technically they have top of the the line scoring equipment. The fans in the stands were not impressed and neither were the drivers. That of course is another story.

Being a former track official I realized the danger that we were all in under "normal" racing circumstances and we accepted that as part of the job. I always felt safe because of the people we worked with and their safety practices. It has to be a clear understanding between officials and competitors as to the safety concerns and understanding the policies in order to provide a safe atmosphere. Knowing what was acceptable and what wasn't. The line has to be clearly drawn by the track or sanctioning body and the offenders punished accordingly. With that being said however, we still had some close calls and thankfully I can only recall one person getting seriously injured and it was an accident.

I don't know exactly what caused the whole thing from the start last night, but if it was over his place in the lineup, he should have taken what was given to him and moved on. I have seen very few instances where arguing with an official has gotten your spot back. I could have even understood him stopping on the track to get an explanation and letting the official know that he didn't agree and then move on. However, to endanger another persons life by swerving toward them is totally unacceptable and inexcuseable behavior and he deserves to be suspended in my opinion. And then to perform his tirade on the front stretch was way out of bounds and borders on the insane. If I was a competitor, I am not sure I would feel real comfortable racing with this guy.

As to what happened in the pit area, I didn't see and certainly can't comment on that directly. I am sure that the ones who were in the pits can and probably have give a description of what transpired in their opinion. For the police to be called, I am sure it wasn't for exemplary behavior.

In the coming days and weeks we will undoubtably hear more about this incident. For this young man's sake I hope he can get some help in managing his anger. IF, and I say IF, some of the posting on here are correct, then this certainly isn't his first time of having anger issues. If this is a reoccurring pattern, I doubt that it will be tolerated much longer and it could adversely affect his racing career if it hasn't done so already. These are my opinions only adn I don't expect everyone to agree. I have also signed my name, so I am not hiding behind a screen name.

Mike Padfield

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

MSCS needs transponders. It's been an evident fact since they're formed that scoring is an issue. Two restarts at Terre Haute, they went extra laps to line me up in front of cars that had passed me 3-4 laps prior, I knew this, knew it was wrong, but the repeated the action not once, but twice. And on top of that, they stopped for a red flag fuel stop, then it still took another 5-6 laps on the half mile to get everyone lined back up where they belonged..

I enjoy racing with MSCS, enjoy the tracks, everyone is friendly.. but the scoring needs help. No offense to the scorers that work really hard trying to keep track of so much going on around them, but somewhere the system is flawed.

Vennard

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

Watching last night's saga unfold, I was disappointed that John's Dad, who came out on the 4-wheeler, did not do anything (seemingly) to restrain his son. I thought the tirade was over with until the race was over and here comes John running back out onto the track with Dad watching. I just kept thinking "Don't do it John, walk away John, don't make it worse." Then to hear that John and his Dad were "laughing" about it afterwards is disappointing.

I understand that it's a teaching moment for young kids, but I'm glad my son wasn't there to see it. We had such a positive experience with the Memmers at Lawrenceburg earlier this year that I would've hated my son to have seen John act the way he did.

Hopefully John will learn from this and understand what true sportsmanship is.

Funny how Jon Stanbrough was chastised earlier in the year for openly saying he was pissed off about the outcome of a race (because of a mistake HE made, no less, not because of a scoring issue) and that he didn't want to talk about it. I believe some called him a 'sore loser'? If he gets called a sore loser for that, what do we call Mr. Memmer, who did far worse than I've ever seen the likes of Jon Stanbrough do?

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

Well I just watched the full heat race that D.O just posted that Memmer was in. After watching it several times, I would say that the MSCS scoring and officials blew the order of the line up. However, although this is an obvious mistake in hindsight....Mr. Memmer himself would have to admit that he acted like a completely childish moron in public and in front of a lot of impressionable young children.

As the old saying goes...."Two wrongs don't make one right!"

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

While viewing the VCS update posts last night and hearing of this episode, I misunderstood. I thought he had performed the act at officials, not the fans. I just viewed the video. Young Mr. Memmer, in my opinion, showed absolute, incontrovertible, and 100% total lack of respect for the folks who decided to use their hard-earned dollars to come out and watch him race rather than spend them on another form of entertainment. The fans came out to give him some of their money to watch him race. There are just no words to express my disappointment. I'm a pretty forgiving person, but this one's gonna take some time.

Tim Simmons

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

I like what you said here DO. I’ve gone to many races in a lot of different series and believe that there is no perfect system. It is easy to criticize a call after watching replays. I just know that I appreciate all the officials out there for putting themselves in danger to make sure the show runs smoothly for all of us. I also know I would NOT want that responsibility.

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

I'm sure the Memmers are completely nice people 95% of the time. The true measure of an individual is how they handle adversity, and young Mr. Memmer totally flunked that test. To put an official in danger deserves some painful punishment.

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

I was there and I didn't take it that it was at the fans but for the scorers tower. It just happened that the tower is behind the fans.

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

And where is Tommy Ellis and his pipe wrench when you need him:9::20:

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

I really think this whole post has been taken to far. I am D.O's daughter my name is Teri and I was there and I am good friends with John and his dad. Yes I do not condone what John did. I was in his pit as soon as he got there. The rumors about them having a gun or beating people with a torso bar are completely untrue. Yes he did grab a torso bar he had it resting on his shoulder. He set it down and went to calm down in his motor home. John then asked to have an official from VCS to come and talk to him so he can apologize to them. Yes he was extremely upset I would be too. As for placing that other car in front of him even if we went back a lap he still was ahead of the green car. He had no problem giving a stop to Hess. He did that with out protest. As for running over the MSCS official there was no need for him to be that far out on the track. Yes john did look like he was trying to hit him and what he did on the front stretch is by all mean was wrong and he should apologize for it, he is 18 years old and I ask all of you to think back to when you were 18 and how hot headed you are. I am sure even now no matter how old you are you still get a little hot. I read earlier that someone said that Jon Stanbrough never did anything like that but that he did say he was pissed off and was called a sore loser. Again I say there is a different between an older man that has been racing for years to an 18 year old kid that has only been racing for 3 years. Yes there are some drivers that are around John's age that you wont see act like that but I am sure that they had someone who as been in racing and was able to show them what is expect of them. Again I do say that John was out of line that evening but don’t chastised him for being a child in a sport where old men run. Allow him time to learn from his mistakes tell him where he was wrong but say it in a way that he will want to learn from instead of making it so he wants to piss you off more.

I ask you though to go and talk to John and you will see that what you are seeing in a few minute clip that has been edited that is not the John Memmer that I know. That is not the John that the fans and drivers know either.

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

Good post but the video is raw video which I only added graphics. Yes I did stop recording while he drove around not near any MSCS officals. That would be from turn 1 to down to turn3 or so. Even if it was edited [it's not] I don't own any programs that can make anybody aim their car at an offical or climb out and yank his crank. They cost lots of money and the people who brought you Star Wars own that kind of edit program.

What is a torso bar???

quote-
As for running over the MSCS official there was no need for him to be that far out on the track. Yes john did look like he was trying to hit him

The officals are suppose to be on the track to signal drivers were to line up or in John's case, line up or exit the track.

If this was his FIRST time at not following officals and the rules, maybe some could share the crying towel,but as posted else where it's not, Sorry !


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tAJtnl_1bQ I had to post this after last night.

The official was too far out on the track???? It was a yellow during a line up. He was moved back 2 appts for flipping off flagman - not the Hess car. The announcer said that. Before he moved behind Hess he flipped off flagman and that got him docked 2. Then he refused to move. The official he swerved at was trying to get him to move back for that penalty. That was all announced. Then they black flagged him for swerving.... And for the tortion bar and 9mm reference I know several people who were pitted next to him and heard him say "if you don't get out of me *#?! Face I'm going to go get my 9mm" maybe you just didn't hear that part.

Friends or not - swerving at an official is never ok no matter where they are on the track. And his age is no excuse. If he were arrested for that (assault with a deadly weapon) he would be tried as an adult because he is one. And "old men" that's just rude. If you want to participate in a mans sport you should act like one and if you can't then join the little league.
Posted via Mobile Device

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

I just viewed the video of the heat race...8 cars on the track and they can't get the line up straight..John Memmer ..got back in the correct spot...but his conduct was that of a spoiled child..grow up ..sometimes people make mistakes and you have to live with them....as far as corner workers going out on the track..what are you thinking..I've seen a lot of mature 18 ,even 16 year olds .but if you wish to excuse this conduct with age-if you made the age limit 30 ,some jackass would be a fool so,That Don't Fly...punishment should be ....3 races working the infeild,followed by 3 races helping with the scoring...understanding the other persons challenges makes it easier to forgive their imperfections...with that understanding I think you would get back in line and race to the front instead of this conduct..good luck.....video looked good ..gonna post the main somewhere?

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

http://www.ksense.co.jp/torsobar4fshow/map.html

It's near the KFC.

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

[QUOTE=D.O.;114573]

What is a torso bar???

QUOTE]

Thats the name of the exotic dancing bar that the Memmers went to after the show.

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

OH....... you mean that torso bar?.......................:3:

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

The Torso Bar is what he shook at the Scorers tower on the front stretch. :3::3::3::3:

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

i'll sign my name. if i had been that official and he dove at me. thered of been a ass whoopin going on and not just a dq.

the child like actions speak for themselves. Its not the first time we seen them nor will it be the last but taking aim or acting like your taking aim at a offical is UNFORGIVABLE

Charles Nungester, who from the chatter last night sounded like he litterally waved it at the crowd.

P.S. See the last LBurg thread and how I commented how good John looked that night. You get praised or frowned on by your own actions and he needs to take responsibility for himself or at least act responsible. I've seen officalls laid up for months and years of rehab from being ACCIDENTALLY HIT!

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

Your right I am not at the 30 mark I am only 21 years old and I am also a girl. That being said I am no being rude or crude in my comment of old men but look at the age of most of the people posting and bashing on here and I am sure you are over that 30 mark that you hold so highly in regards. I'm sure that your era of growing up you wouldn't dream of acting that way that Memmer did. Again even though he is my friend I did not excuse his actions in anyways. I am merely making a point that at sometime in you life you have gotten that upset. I know my dad has and he is almost 60. This is not the first time you have seen some racer act in an obscene way. As my dad did post Jack Hewitt throwing a fit at the flagman and then going back to the pits and talking sh**. It is not uncommon for people to lose their temper especially with something with such adrenaline pumping as sprint car racing.
Someone else brought up that I commented on his young age. Yes legally you are an adult but most people that are under that age of 30 still act like fools. I have not will I ever excuse his actions but defending him to such people who either were not there or didn’t see what happened in the pits I will do. Again he is my friend and I will always back my friends and tell them when they are wrong. His actions were wrong and he is aware of that.

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

There is plenty of time for Memmer to spend repairing the perceptions about himself that people now have. He has the benefit of time and the promise of more opportunities to adjust his behavior when faced with something he perceives as an unfair break. All this is true, and provided he uses this humiliating exposure of his unhinged behavior to develop a deeper understanding of protocol and sportsmanship, he may make amends simply by showing contrition and exemplifying a steady, even-tempered competitor from here forward.
But spare me the "you-must-walk-a-mile-in-his-shoes" angle. Spare me the "You-have-to-go-talk-to-him-before-you-comment" nonsense. Or the "judge-not-lest-ye-be-judged"-philosophizing.
I HAVE done stupid things when I was Memmer's age. I was called stupid for having done them, and, perhaps as a result of being from the Universal ball-busting capital of the country, in the Northeast, I was called every variation of "idiot" for lesser things than threatening to use an 800-horsepower car as a cudgel. The point is: I've spent the decades trying to evolve so as to not be that same kind of thickheaded selfish person. There is no reason Memmer can't progress out from under this, so long as he looks at this moment as his behavioral abyss, and gives genuine effort towards becoming a better person. Because if you are a racer, then what you do On The Racetrack serves to define you more than what your friends come to know of you, for better or worse.
I wish him luck. Only if he applies himself to turning his behavior and thus his life around, because if he pulls this kind of stuff again, he's probably gonna need a shock or a torsion arm or a hammer in his hands quickly. He now carries a scarlet letter on his uniform and will get mostly doubt instead of the benefit of people's doubt.
_____________
Steve Eckert

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

Just curious -

Does anyone think that Dean Mills would be so understanding of John's actions if Dean had been the official that John had pointed his car at? Dean says that he told John that he doesn't agree with his actions - but, IMO, John should be suspended for his efforts to scare the official with his car. Anything else that he did, well, that's just a bonus. It shows us how little common sense that John has and how immature his behaviour is.

The track, the series, and a bunch of other tracks should move to suspend John from competing - after all, what's to say that it won't happen again? And maybe he won't be lucky enough to miss the official the next time? How would his defenders and apologists feel then? The only way to get his attention is to set him down for a while........

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

They have always been disrespectful and acted like they are superiors to everyone else. Memmer gets it honestly.

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

A,B,C,and D.

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

That's what I was thinking. I didn't feel it was directed at me in the stands. Lost his cool, will probably publicly apologize and regret it for a long time, but suspension is definitely in order. My 9 year old was not with me, but if he was, we would discuss it and move on. Don't think he would be scarred for life. I would say he hears and sees worse than that at school on occasion, unfortunately.

On another note, the hamburgers at VCS are damn good!

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

Comparing Hewitt's "fit" to Memmer's is so far away from apples and oranges, that the oranges are bananas. First off, Hewitt got out of his car to confront the official and though he had the ability to climb onto the stage to really get into the official's face, he did it from 4 feet below. Second, never did Hewitt attempt to swerve at the official with his race car. The only comparison was Memmer and Hewitt were both telling the official to do the same thing to their manhood, albeit in far different ways. I could go on and on, but it's obvious there is no comparison here.

Yes, all of us are imperfect, and most of us have had bad moments. The difference is most of us didn't put other people's life in danger, and make an ass out of ourself in front of hundreds of people. When you do that in a public setting, you're susceptible to criticism.

A.J. Nigh

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

That little ***** needs a woopen !! He pulls that **** all the time !! Mike Whitney

Re: John Memmer has an itch ? Niflis Flip
 

PRESS RELEASE: Now sponsoring John Memmer in the 4M car.....Cruex, the best spray for the things that itch..