While the Gallina team was fixing a shifter issue one guy walks up to me with a purple (tbs.com I was told) shirt on and proceeds to tell me that the amount of time I am allowing them to fix their shifter is BS and that I should toss them. After ignoring him the first time he wants to argue about it. Besides this clown being an idiot and the fact that I seriously doubt he has ever directed a race in his life I wanted to point out that NO PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT WAS GIVEN. I would have done the same for anyone. As I pointed out to him there was a TSO car there that was having trouble and we gave him a similar amount of time during qualifying. In addition, after the track issue was resolved his car was back up and running and I allowed him to run as well. There was an issue of a gentleman not being with his car while we were moving the bracket classes up. While normally one would be tossed for such an issue most anyone hates to see people not be able to race after traveling the distances folks do so after a little chastising about staging lane etiquette he was put in just in time. So as I previously stated it doesn't matter whether you are an average Joe or a big name team you will always get the same treatment from me. I am unbiased and don't mince words so to the gent that was flipping me crap, as long as I am running the race and you are not a racer or replacing me keep your opinions to yourself and keep your @ss out of the way. Thank you.
Jim C.
PS - I wish I would have noticed the shirts as I was told it had your name on there.
Jim C. , The name is Mike Booher - Im the guy in the purple shirt!!! I chose to keep my mouth shut about that issue on HERE because ,from my view it was a GREAT EVENT and you did a GREAT JOB. However after seeing this yesterday and sleeping on it last night I cannot go without comment on your bashing the IDIOT!!!
I will do my best to lay this out exactly how it happened (unlike you) and let the members decide weather I was an IDIOT or not. Please keep in mind that I did not know who you were until I read this!! That would not have mattered as felt a wrong was being done to fellow racer and I went to talk to HIM not you!!
First round of the BIG GUN SHOOTOUT. You called the first pair of cars to the burnout box. The BLACK GUYS (sorry I dont know your name) from Chicago with the nitrous Regal and Lenny fired up. The regal went in the water box , Lenny was rolling down the hill with the engine running but could not get the shifter to work and was fighting with it. Dutweiler went under one side of the car and I went under the other looking for the problem. Problem seemed to be in the shifter itself and thus the work began to tear it apart.
Guessing I would say that the Regal sat running in the water for for about 2 minutes before you told him to shut it off!!! At that moment I looked at my watch to check the time. I was at Lennys car watching the Regal to see his reaction to all this. To his credit he PATIENTLY waited until finally he walked to the rear of the car with his arms out to talk to you. "COMMON MAN" he kept saying repedly in fustration. I checked my watch and it had been 5 minutes since you shut him off!!! 7 minutes since he drove in the water!!! I walked down to HIM and offered a handshake to HIM and said this was BS!!! You overheard me and stepped over to to tell me it wasnt BS and you would do this for anyone!! I said if that if this was anyone else or if the situation was reversed, this race would have been over. I pointed out to both of you that I wanted Lenny to win and had money on him but this just wasnt right. At no time did I call you a name or disrepect you in anyother way except stating that this wait was BS. I walked away feeling sorry for someone that was beiing SHIxx on!!
Lenny fired his car up after another 5 minutes. So the regal had to wait 2 minutes in the water , 5 minutes before pleading to you that this was BS and another 5 minutes before Lenny finally got fired up!!! THATS NOT RIGHT!!!
I have been racing since 1970 and never have seen any track wait 12 minutes for a competetor that broke in ELIMINATIONS!!!
You mention that during practice and qualifications you waited for several people. I have no problem with that and thank you for it!! ELIMINATIONS however are a different set of rules. When you are called to race, you are expected to be ready. You may get 1 or 2 minutes MAX , not 12. What if would have been 20 or 30 minutes??? JOHN FORCE WOULDNT GET 2 MINUTES
As stated above the Regal patiently waited approx 7 minutes before approaching you with displeasure. That was both gentlemanly and sporstman like!! BUT when he spoke up I feel you should have taken somekind of action like giving them a minute or two from that moment!! You choose to wait however long it took. In my book you did give PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT!!!
To those people that took offense to my actions including you and Lenny , I offer my appology!!! BUT I stand behind my belief that this was the BIG GUN SHOOTOUT for money and was at an NHRA track. Standard racing rules should have applied here!!
There were hundreds of witnesses there. Please feel free to correct me if the above statement is either wrong or misleading!!!!
Jim C. I have no hard feelings towards you with reguards to that issue. However I do take offense to the title "PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT for BG" and the IDIOT statement!! Hope to put this behind us and shake your hand sometime soon.
ANYONE else see this the way I did??? Backup requested!!! MIke
