PLEASE HELP GET THE TRUTH OUT AND STOP THE MEDIA

FROM SPREADING MISINFORMATION ABOUT LOCAL TRACKS!

(Please "Share" this and stand behind our local speedways)



Dear Executive Editor of the NY Times,



I am writing about the article by Mary Pilon in your newspaper, "Danger Lurks in Dirt Track Racing".



I would like to bring to your attention that a driver's death should not be used to try to throw local short track racing under the bus by Mary's slanderous accusations. Furthermore, the State of New Jersey is most likely the safest state to race in, as it is governed by the NJ State Police, which place many safety requirements that would otherwise not be enforced at most local tracks elsewhere. The two local dirt tracks in New Jersey utilize local trained EMT personnel from local townships to be on hand for all racing events in township owned equipment.



Mentioning the deaths at local short tracks also does not correctly represent the facts, as there are so many more local speedways hosting events weekly than NASCAR and Indy Car, and local tracks do not have million dollar TV deals, nor corporate sponsors where money is not an issue. While the World Racing Group may not have sanctioned the event that claimed Jason Leffler’s life at Bridgeport Speedway, they have sanctioned events at both New Jersey dirt speedways before. Lastly a World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event at New Egypt Speedway earlier this year.



Bridgeport Speedway has not had a fan injured in their spectator grandstands this season, but the huge and much safer NASCAR, that your newspaper refers to as being safer than the roughly 500 local short tracks, had several spectators critically injured during this year's running of the Daytona 500. Not to mention the incident during the 2012 Daytona 500 where a driver lost control and slammed into a jet-dryer causing a major fire that damaged the speedway and delayed the nationally televised race.



The type of safety features for head and neck restraints used in NASCAR could not work well in open wheeled Sprint Cars, nor can or should safer-barriers be installed at most local speedways.



I hope you rethink how your article portrays Bridgeport Speedway and local speedways across the country and you investigate the facts and present a better accounting of the safety for racers and spectators in the State of New Jersey and across the country.



If any other driver other than a NASCAR driver would have been killed, your newspaper would probably not even have mentioned it. I will not support the NY Times or any advertisers in your newspaper until you publish a correction and actually investigate the safety of New Jersey speedways, namely Bridgeport Speedway. I have attached a link to the NJ State Motor Vehicle Race Track Regulations so you may know what you are spreading and misrepresenting to the entire country.

http://www.njsp.org/info/pdf/racing_regulations.pdf

;

I am spreading the word, and I will launch a social media blitz about this article from my NJ Racing Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/newjerseyracing and hope others will help. Included will be your contact information; executive-editor@nytimes.com



Sincerely,

Fred Hahn

Exactly !!!!