https://www.indianaopenwheel.com/showthread.php?t=19284

We did this last year... June 27, 2009. Glad to see people have passion and ideas regardless of how uninformed and ignorant they can be.

well i know I'm not perfect and I'm sure you aren't either people make mistakes some bigger than others I'm not saying its OK but its life and no one gets threw life without making mistakes my car owner has taught me a lot over the last few years about life and such and has opened my eyes Shane is a competitor of mine and i feel he deserves the right to race just as i do. the past is the past you cant hang that over his head i think he is an outstanding pavement driver and soon to be on dirt with laps I'm pretty sure my parents wouldn't have thought they failed if i looked up to him as a racer he has cleaned up his life and is going to do what he loves and is good at is. isn't that something you should want your kid to do so quit bashing a guy for getting his ***** together and stand behind the guy and support him

sincerely,
Robert Ballou

Robert, you have a new fan. Very nice statement from a peer. Greg
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As someone who has battled addictions myself [ clean 8 years] I can relate to Shane, looks like he's got his priorities straight, and hes doing what he loves most, Racing ! Good on you Shane hope you have a great year !!!

I met Shane a couple of years ago when he came out west to try his hand at midget racing in an attempt to restart his racing career.

As a 25 year veteran police officer, I was skeptical about Shane and his "recovery". I have put my fare share of "tweeks" in prison over the years. And believe it or not a few have came back years later and thanked me for their arrest which forced them to clean up their life.

The team owner and others believed in him so I decided to give him a chance to prove himself to me. I was impressed right away, his attitude, his acceptance for his mistakes and the most important point was he did not blame anyone but himself. To me that was key, addicts always blame everyone but themselves.

I was proud to have helped Shane win the first three races back and I'm even more proud to now call Shane a friend. Good luck this year Bud and hope to see you later this year.

As for Outsider, it is nice to know that I still have some job security out there. Some people just don't get it. Nuff Said...

Robert hit it on the head. Shane is more then willing to admit he screwed up in the PAST, and is so greatful to be racing where he is right now.. All you have to do is take 10 minutes, which Im sure he is more then willing to do, and get to know the guy. Then you may know the real Shane Hmiel, hes a hell of a racer, and hell of a good person who just got off track for a brief moment in life..

So myself and my child should support drug addicts, recovering drug addicts, rule breakers, and law breakers because they have all of a sudden had a "change of heart"?

It's people like you and other coddlers that show just how bad this world is screwed up. Reward those who ruin their lives.

As to JstAbvVMC, the comment about me being "job security" for you is actually kind of funny. How is my comment of not supporting this "person" and failing as a parent for raising a child that idolizes a drug addict giving you "job security"?

You can support whoever you want. If you are jealous of the opportunities afforded to someone and covering it up with frustration, please don't teach your child this behaviour.

I don't see how he was coddled, in the end he did lose his career. This world is screwed up because a lot of people don't teach their kids what to do if they make mistakes, and thats because no one taught them. So you think the parent of every drug addict has failed, and those kids should be forever banned from society? It seems to me he is a responsible productive member of society.

I don't expect you to "get it", but I hope someone who reads these posts learns that they can change, or learns they can forgive someone. Some of us know that that is what's great about this world. Job Security would be because as long as there is parents believing their kids won't do drugs, they are going to be ignorant of the facts. If you think anyone who unfortunately starts to do drugs in their early teens, perfects hiding and lying, only learns this behaviour from their friends, has no support from their family, or a family who enables this behaviour (through there own intolerance or lack of education), should be jailed for life. Everyone's life is different, if you think your's it perfect, keep on pretending...

What you are correct about is that many addicts don't have the knowledge to get recovery, can't see the world any differently and that a great many do not stay clean. Many go on to prison, leach off society or die from drug addiction. So if you think the one person you see/read/hear about that is clean, should be banished from the earth, then go on and think that.

Just know that most of us who are for Shane, remain calm when typing on this forum. You seem to be as well. Don't let someone else's life situation affect your own life in a negative way. When it comes to your child this is an opportunity to teach them about what drugs can do to your life, what that child can do if they end up using drugs. Please don't live in the fantasy world of believing that your kid won't do drugs. Sure it's a mistake, but by no means should they be shunned from society if they can turn their life around.

As I said in the posts on this subject last year, I don't know that Shane "deserved" a second chance in racing after his struggles. He was, however, offered the second chance and I hoped he would make the best of it.

He has ........ and more.

Tim Simmons

I don't get the Shane Bashing. In fact I can relate as a dependent on a drug. (Cigarettes) Yeah, Whatever! But the fact is, I suffered mass depression as a teen and cigarettes stopped that completely. I should follow Shanes lead and get the help I need to stop the drug use, Which will probably be another DRUG (Prozac or something)

You ever meet a true Bi Polar person having a episode? They are like on super speed with their mind running a thousand thoughts a minute. Completely engulfed in fear and followed by mass depressive states. I know, I have a couple relatives and had several neighbors that have it. And they often turn to alcohol or drugs to curb the extremeness of their symptoms.

I met him and thought he was a stand up guy, His coming out and stating the facts and admitting he has nobody to blame but himself is right on with me. In Fact, I take him as a model to get the help I need.

Im sure Outsider has never done nothing wrong or even told a little white lie. If there's no forgiveness in your heart, I honestly, don't want to know ya.

Chuck