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We want to thank those that ignored the afternoon heat and showers and turned out for last night’s Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial at Salem Speedway. That said, I need to get something off my chest that has been building up for some time. Promoting races and owning a race track is a tough business, just ask anyone who has ever filled those shoes. Most will tell you that they do it for the love of the sport. The hours are long, the pay is not that great and the stress levels are off the chart at times. So, please give your local race tracks a break. I guarantee they all want the same thing you do – full fields, great side-by-side racing, huge crowds, beautiful facilities, perfect weather, shows run in a timely manner, etc., etc., etc. However, we don’t live in a perfect world and things do go south on occasion and you have to deal with bad car counts, threatening weather, clogged toilets, long concessions lines, the list could go on and on. Would I like to have had 25 USAC sprint cars last night instead of 13, no doubt. But those 13, along with the 22 MSR Xtreme sprints, still put on one heck of a show. It’s easy to sit at a keyboard and make decisions, try it with 20,000, 50,000 or even 100,000 dollars at stake. For tracks to survive they have to make a profit. That’s not easy in this day and age. Negativity hurts our sport. If you like dirt track racing, that’s great I do too. Or, if you are one of those that thinks real racing is done on asphalt, that’s okay as well. Stock cars vs. open wheel cars, the debate could go on and on, I personally like both. Indiana short-track fans your racing options are unlimited and probably the best of anywhere in the nation. If you really love racing, and I believe most of you do, think before you post. Negativity does hurt our sport. We appreciate the nice comments concerning last night's race.
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