Is the racing dead?

[Kip]

I figure if you can say what you said the I can get away with saying fvck you.

Ronnie, you could not have said it any better.

Steve aka TurboIndian, what is your problem with me? A while back when I saw you at Richard Clark's you hads no problem saying hi to me and then in this thread you come off with something like that out of no where, why?


Peace, Kip

 

[gn4u2c]

People forget they are also lazy.. These events are not always as easy to find as many would think.. Hell a friend just called me and reminded me the Monte nationals are this month.. Great as I want to go.. I told my wife so I will remember .. whats worse ..or Better should I say is its only 30 min from my house !! WOW and I almost forgot !!

If the board was willing to help bare with me... When these events are posted they could automatically shoot a PM to every registered member..or a e-mail. should be easy to program that in. Even regional if you register make it a requirement you at least post the region your in and if something is listed there you get a pm or e-mail. Like..
Subject. Event in your area. or Subject National Turbo Regal event.
Message... Location as the very first line like NORWALK OH
then date...
then what is up..
then a sign up for reminders...
then every 30 days or so shoot a reminder e-mail to all who signed up for reminders. Helps the people with busy lives.. or people on the edge who keep seeing it pop up say ah f-it I will go

That's my idea of the day. You get no more till Wednesday or my brain will fry:tongue:

 

[gn4u2c]

Oh and let's ease up on the keyboard warrior sheet.. That wears me out around here period.
No comments that are not relevant to the original post... Next event I want to see you all holding hands and singing Kum ba yah .Got it .. GOOD !

 

[Sydwyndr]

2 things we are doing to "stir" things up for 2012....

1. Richard Lassiter has agreed to put our event in the GSXtra so we can advertise for the 2012 season.

2. In return for this the spectators / racers attending BPG and the GS Nats this year, ALL race winners in ALL categories will receive 1 free spectator entry in the 2012 TB.com Nats. Not to mention both events will receive several pairs of tickets to be given away as door prizes.

I did this last year for Reynolds 2010 winners going into tb.com nats 2011.

I don't agree at this point that ANY event needs to merge with the others, if they do they will lose what makes them a little different from one another. I do feel that if all Buick events did adopt Index racing that would be a plus for everyone. I would suggest 13.49 thru a 11.49 class. All heads up / all pro tree (.5 tenths).

As an added bonus ALL Car show winners at BPG and GSNats will receive the same....

 

[jpwalt1987]

well guys for me, I have to say it comes down to disposable income. Period! I make great money and have time off but i havent been to the track in over five years. Mainly because it is an hour away and they only run on Saturday night, cramming T&T , bracket racing and motorcycles all together. By the time I buy fuel for the truck and car, entry fee for four people( cant leave the family at home!) and food and drinks, I am out over $300 bucks. And thats if i dont break something! I have spent a ton of money on engines and the car in general, now I cant afford to fix it should something break. I used to go to the tracks in NC 3-4 nights a week and it cost half of what one trip does now. Now to drive 12-16 hours and do it all would be several thousand. I like racing but D@MN! The last buick event I went to was Buicks At Bristol in 99 and 2000. had a blast too. One BIG event would be something that I could probably swing per year. I do want to retire with some money in the bank!

 

[gn4u2c]

retirement if for the birds

 

[Tiretoter]

I think you're the one missing the point. I'm not on this thread to make friends. You're the guys complaining that racing is waning. I decided to participate on this thread to shake things up a little and make you guys think. If I'm making some enemies, then so be it. I hope my efforts are at least making some of you think about the problem presented by this thread and not just sitting there boiling about how much you hate me. :biggrin:
I guess I hit a nerve with some of you. Maybe you should sit back and try to figure out why that is.
Is it because Donnie 'DARED' to show that maybe customer service was not up to par? I hope you can learn to get over it. True businessmen know how to work around problem people and in the end make them happy and eager to buy into the program. I think Clint did a great job turning things around for me. You, on the other hand, should not associate yourself with any racing event. From what I've seen so far, they don't need fellas like you helping them out. Sorry. Helping isn't the right word.

I think you need to sit back and realize that, unlike you and your transmission business, many of the guys organizing these events/classes dont make any money off of these deals, and if they do it isnt much and isnt worth having to deal with any BS. They are volunteers and they do it because they want to, and because they want to make things better. Throwing out terms like "customers", "patrons" etc is just BS. That would be like you calling yourself a "customer" to the guy who walks up out of the clear blue at the race track and helps you change the converter in the pits. It doesnt make any sence, or cents for that matter. Your time would be better spent in support of these guys instead of demanding answers because you are a "customer". :biggrin:

 

[Alky V6]

I think you need to sit back and realize that, unlike you and your transmission business, many of the guys organizing these events/classes dont make any money off of these deals, and if they do it isnt much and isnt worth having to deal with any BS. They are volunteers and they do it because they want to, and because they want to make things better. Throwing out terms like "customers", "patrons" etc is just BS. That would be like you calling yourself a "customer" to the guy who walks up out of the clear blue at the race track and helps you change the converter in the pits. It doesnt make any sence, or cents for that matter. Your time would be better spent in support of these guys instead of demanding answers because you are a "customer". :biggrin:

There are a lot of situations in life that can be boiled down to a sales situation.
A father trying to convince his son that he should study hard in school.
A man who is courting a prospective wife.
A charity worker looking to have someone give to an important cause.
In each case, one is trying to convey a feeling to the other.

Anyone who decides they're going to get involved in promoting an event of this type of magnitude and importance had better learn some simple sales skills or step aside and let someone else who does have the proper people skills do the job. If you have people without the proper skills doing this, there will be issues that may just end up killing the deal.

I wish I could get more involved. Just can't afford it. I hope I have contributed something that will make people think. I would like to see you all be successful with this, which is why I appear to be so hard on some of you.

 

[Alky V6]

Now that I've finished stirring the beehive. Let's keep this thread on topic. You guys are coming up with some good stuff.

 

[jimmymorrisonjr]

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Alright, This is Waaayyy overdue. DONNIE, I will put up a thousand bucks for you to show up to Reynolds or TB.com Nats next year. You show up with your car and RUN in any class, $1,000 to you. Call it tow money. Both events run index classes or I am willing to bet you could run TSO if you asked everyone at peer tech.
Also, double or nothing, I will race against you best 2 out of 3 heads up pro tree hot lapping it. We go around as fast as we can pack our chutes. My car will weigh 3500 lbs with a 76 mm turbo. If its hot out you can hop in my car with me in the staging lanes and cool off, listen to some tunes. I am not one of the heavy hitters, just a new guy.
If you don't make either, I will put the $1000 toward TSL class, winner takes all at one of the events. I will send the money to the RRA for TSL to hold on to so you know it will be there.

P.S. I will extend this to Bowling Green this year if we can get away with it. Never been but I get the impression it is less flexible with Tech and letting us hot lap it. I would like some input from others on that.

 

[Alky V6]

Now this is a person who knows how to get my interest. Never mind the money. Someone calling me to the line. Reminds me of my street racing days. I love it.

 

[Otto J]

Alright, This is Waaayyy overdue. DONNIE, I will put up a thousand bucks for you to show up to Reynolds or TB.com Nats next year. You show up with your car and RUN in any class, $1,000 to you. Call it tow money. Both events run index classes or I am willing to bet you could run TSO if you asked everyone at peer tech.
Also, double or nothing, I will race against you best 2 out of 3 heads up pro tree hot lapping it. We go around as fast as we can pack our chutes. My car will weigh 3500 lbs with a 76 mm turbo. If its hot out you can hop in my car with me in the staging lanes and cool off, listen to some tunes. I am not one of the heavy hitters, just a new guy.
If you don't make either, I will put the $1000 toward TSL class, winner takes all at one of the events. I will send the money to the RRA for TSL to hold on to so you know it will be there.

P.S. I will extend this to Bowling Green this year if we can get away with it. Never been but I get the impression it is less flexible with Tech and letting us hot lap it. I would like some input from others on that.

And I will be there making sure it runs right

 

[charlief1]

I don't agree at this point that ANY event needs to merge with the others, if they do they will lose what makes them a little different from one another. I do feel that if all Buick events did adopt Index racing that would be a plus for everyone. I would suggest 13.49 thru a 11.49 class. All heads up / all pro tree (.5 tenths).

This is a very good idea Clint. I think it will bring more people out.

One other thing I'll suggest is to do cross board messeging (sp) so that the other boards, whether chevy, ferd, or what ever, know about the races. This will bring more people out to watch at least and that means some revenue. I ended up joining a garage forum because of a really neat restoration and invited him to the races at Noble. He's a ferd lover. Took me up on it and I sent him the info to come on down.

 

[Tiretoter]

Anyone who decides they're going to get involved in promoting an event of this type of magnitude and importance had better learn some simple sales skills or step aside and let someone else who does have the proper people skills do the job. If you have people without the proper skills doing this, there will be issues that may just end up killing the deal.

I wish I could get more involved. Just can't afford it. I hope I have contributed something that will make people think. I would like to see you all be successful with this, which is why I appear to be so hard on some of you.

Boy, your insite into all things drag race related is profound.

BUT...you just made a GREAT point, prolly without even knowing it. First you accuse the guys organizing these classes of not having "some simple sales skills", then you suggest they "step aside" and let someone else who has the "proper people skills" take over. Well, which is it? Sales skills, or people skills? I have been "selling" to "people" quite successfully for over 25 years, so I know the difference. Do you? I mean, Sam Walton was a GREAT seller, but he was a TERRIBLE people person. Just sayin.

Anyway, to the point you made without knowing it. These guys run and organize these events and race classes in many cases because there simply is NO ONE else that is going to do it. You yourself just said you couldnt get involved because you cannot afford it. Well, dont feel like the Lone Ranger. So, "stepping aside" in favor of someone with "proper people skills" (or sales skills depending on who you ask), isnt always an alternative. These guys are doing a big service to the Buick community for very little if any reward. Many times the only reward is a pat on the back or a couple free beers in the pits.

So, instead of "being so hard" on these guys, why not offer your support in a more constructive, less combative way. Trust me, your "people and selling skills" will thank you for it. :wink:

 

[TurboDave]

Now that I've finished stirring the beehive. Let's keep this thread on topic. You guys are coming up with some good stuff.

Don, I'm having difficulty understanding why, for so many of your posts, you just kept banging away at the guys that put the tb.com nats on, claiming they needed to do a better job of promoting the event, etc.
I'm guessing you were probably the only person on this board that didn't see the MANY threads that were dedicated to putting forth info on the event.
There were several threads going simultaneously for many months leading up to the event. Threads about classes, about accomodations, about the track, about the special events at Richard Clark's leading up to the race, etc. etc.....

Apparently you read none of them.

No one on this board can claim to have a lack of info on the event, or any other event posted on this board for that matter.

Had you read them all, would you "really" have come to participate? You and I both know the answer to that one.

 

[Alky V6]

Boy, your insite into all things drag race related is profound.

BUT...you just made a GREAT point, prolly without even knowing it. First you accuse the guys organizing these classes of not having "some simple sales skills", then you suggest they "step aside" and let someone else who has the "proper people skills" take over. Well, which is it? Sales skills, or people skills? I have been "selling" to "people" quite successfully for over 25 years, so I know the difference. Do you? I mean, Sam Walton was a GREAT seller, but he was a TERRIBLE people person. Just sayin.

Anyway, to the point you made without knowing it. These guys run and organize these events and race classes in many cases because there simply is NO ONE else that is going to do it. You yourself just said you couldnt get involved because you cannot afford it. Well, dont feel like the Lone Ranger. So, "stepping aside" in favor of someone with "proper people skills" (or sales skills depending on who you ask), isnt always an alternative. These guys are doing a big service to the Buick community for very little if any reward. Many times the only reward is a pat on the back or a couple free beers in the pits.

So, instead of "being so hard" on these guys, why not offer your support in a more constructive, less combative way. Trust me, your "people and selling skills" will thank you for it. :wink:

A good sales person can also have good people skills. They are rare, but when you find a person like that, there is little that can't be accomplished. That is exactly the reason I used those phrases alternatingly. I was hoping someone might pick up on that.

I never 'accused' anyone of not having the proper mojo for doing the job. Not knowing any of these guys, you might say I was simply testing the waters. I do think it could have been handled better. For what I've seen, there is room for improvement.
Do you not think that the suggestion I made for the way it might have been handled would not have been a better way? It didn't take much for me to come up with that suggestion. Mostly, it was just simple, good ol' fashioned courtesy.

Do you not also think there is some room for improvement? I get the impression by your post that even you realize that you're putting up with what you have. That's OK. Sometimes that's the only option. I'm just trying to help you guys figure out why your events seem to be waning. That is the main question here, isn't it?

I will add, that in some cases when you have the wrong people running a program, there can be this pompous air about them that others pick up on that can turn the event sour. In the case of an event promoter, the promoter should be the one kissing 3.73 gearset to encourage attendance, not creating a situation where it feels like the other way around.

 

[Alky V6]

Don, I'm having difficulty understanding why, for so many of your posts, you just kept banging away at the guys that put the tb.com nats on, claiming they needed to do a better job of promoting the event, etc.
I'm guessing you were probably the only person on this board that didn't see the MANY threads that were dedicated to putting forth info on the event.
There were several threads going simultaneously for many months leading up to the event. Threads about classes, about accomodations, about the track, about the special events at Richard Clark's leading up to the race, etc. etc.....

Apparently you read none of them.

No one on this board can claim to have a lack of info on the event, or any other event posted on this board for that matter.

Had you read them all, would you "really" have come to participate? You and I both know the answer to that one.

Dave, you just may have stumbled on a problem with these events. Let's examine my situation. Not saying it is a common one for this board, but it may be interesting to see why I am not up on the latest events.
I will admit, Dave, that I have not kept up on the information posted on any of the events on this board. I am not the type to read every post in every section on this board. I pick my favorite sections and check through them, and that's all the time I'm willing to spend on the board. I do have other interests. Although, I do probably spend more time on this board than I really should.
When these classes were first showing up, I did a quick study of the rules and decided that there was no room allowed for me to present my unique build. I had the impression that the rules were purposely designed to make sure unique builds were discouraged. That was a major turn off for me. There are those that would say, "What about bracket racing? We always have bracket racing going on." That was not exactly what I was hoping for. And, I really can't say what sort of class rules would have been enough to make me eager to make the travel, but for what I was seeing at the time, it was obvious no one was encouraging, or wanted to see anything unique.
That feeling, over time, cemented itself. I had no interest to study any of these classes as they continued popping up. I was sure I would not fit in. I think I had pretty much figured out what the attitude was of the people putting these classes together. Keep it BUICK, and keep the mods very focused for whatever reason.
That was another thing that turned me off about these events. It seemed that the BUICK crowd was determined to segregate themselves from the rest of the dracing racing crowd. I thought that to be a major mistake. There are some BUICK enthusiasts that can still appreciate other makes, and personally, I get tired of seeing a bunch of TRs with the same simple mods. I feel having other makes at an event, mixing it up for the spectating enthusiasts, makes the event much more stimulating.

to be continued:

 

[Alky V6]

Index racing at some of the events. Why didn't I know that? Part of a promoter's job is to get the word out on the features, and particularly any new features that will be at an upcoming event.

People are inherently lazy.

That is the first thing you learn in marketing. A person who is put in charge of marketing an event must figure out multiple ways to get the word out. Posting something on a board just doesn't seem to me to be enough. Just look at my case. I HAD NO IDEA! The first I learned that index racing was being somewhat featured at a BUICK event was on this thread. Remember. People are inherently lazy. Sometimes you have to go to extraordinary levels to make sure you get the word out to the people you are targeting. Maybe I was simply left off any list of people to try to get to come to the event. I can understand that. I'm sure I ruffle the feathers of a lot of people on this board.

Bottom line is, don't even attempt to blame me for not knowing about these event changes.
IT IS NOT MY JOB TO MAKE SURE I'M AWARE. IT IS THE PROMOTER'S JOB TO MAKE SURE I FIND OUT!

 

[Alky V6]

Index racing at some of the events. Why didn't I know that? Part of a promoters job is to get the word out on the features, and particularly any new features that will be at an upcoming event.

People are inherently lazy.

That is the first thing you learn in marketing. A person who is put in charge of marketing an event must figure out multiple ways to get the word out. Posting something on a board just doesn't seem to me to be enough. Just look at my case. I HAD NO IDEA! The first I learned that index racing was being somewhat featured at a BUICK event was on this thread. Remember. People are inherently lazy. Sometimes you have to go to extraordinary levels to make sure you get the word out to the people you are targeting. Maybe I was simply left off any list of people to try to get to come to the event. I can understand that. I'm sure I ruffle the feathers of a lot of people on this board.

Bottom line is, don't even attempt to blame me for not knowing about these event changes.
IT IS NOT MY JOB TO MAKE SURE I'M AWARE. IT IS THE PROMOTER'S JOB TO MAKE SURE I FIND OUT!

My PM box is never full, and my email is available to anyone on this site. So you tell me. Why didn't I know?

 

[TurboDave]

It is NOT their job to cater to your personal whims. It is however your job to at least monitor the forums that are especially created to inform the masses about these events and their goings on.
Sounds to me like you want to sit back and have the promoters PM you and email you about every event, every change, every rule, etc. etc.....
If that is the fact, who's the lazy one?

I personally think the job of promoting the event was a stellar job, and I like most everybody else on this board that had interest knew of everything that was planned at least 6 months in advance, and were kept apprised of any changes, via those threads right up to the event.

Nobody says you have to take time to read EVERY thread (your words) on this board. Nobody does. I monitor less that 5-6 threads on a regular basis. And occasionally check the misc. forums for event info that may interest me.

Stirring the pot may be fun for some, but not so much for most. The reason I say that is that you and I both know you would never come this far east to run your car. I could be wrong but I doubt seriously that you've run your car any further east than Vegas. Correct me if I'm wrong.