C'mon already....

[cerckl'm racing]

Guy blatantly tries to take out a car, gives HIMSELF a flat tire. Comes back out under the caution, chases the same car around the track and bumps him from behind. Manages to work his way thru the field to take the same car out again, this time successfully, and he gets set down AFTER he tries to run over the same driver in the pits and damages someone else's tow rig? Granted, his finish was moved back to the position behind the car he took out, but why was he even out there? His antics when they did throw him off the track were classic. I don't know if Bob Finan was speechless, or just being polite...probably both.
While I'm on my soapbox - re last weeks F8 race - just how many black flags does it take to get thrown out of a race? More than three, apparently.
Why?

[Ka$h25]

Manages to work his way thru the field to take the same car out again

This says quite a bit about the driver in question eh? You have got to be aggressive to be successful at Riverhead Raceway. You name me a driver who's had as much success as Rogers and I'll name you a driver who knows how to use the front bumper. Maybe, just maybe, if we can manage to get all the talent kicked out of this raceway, then the championship will be open to anyone. Say what you want about his driving style. You say it's wrong, I say take notes. :lol:

[cerckl'm racing]

Driving "style"? Is that what it's called? Using the bumper to move people is one thing, to intentionally take them out or try to damage their equipment is quite another.

"Talent"? Was that the later show on the track, or the one in the pits beforehand?

You're absolutely right, it DOES say quite a bit about the driver in question.

I specifically mentioned "worked his way thru the field" because I KNOW it's not easy. To work your way thru to win is one thing - to work your way thru with any other agenda is wrong. If he's that "good" why didn't he just pass and try to win?

"...just maybe, if we can manage to get all the talent like this kicked out of this raceway..." some clean racing can finally return.

[rrealto]

Kash.25, you have got to be kidding. You are going to justify those actions because someone is a good driver. That kind of action also keeps people away from the track. That guys act is getting very old. Time to see someone new in that car. He needs a time out for a long time.

[An Observer]

And who was the intended target?

[sround]

Hey Kash! I have to agree with you on 1 thing! He does have a pretty goood track record! 2 fig8 championships, a late model championship and a modified championship! That's very impressive! BUUUUUT...... He has a very short fuse! After he came back out after the flat tire and bumped the 61 from behind, he should of been offf the track right there! (I.E. Danny Turbush like 3 weeks ago) Sorry to bring you up in this post Dynamite!!!! The whole fight would of never happened if the officials made the right call! Tommy should of ended the whole thing after he bumped Coll after he returned to the track after fixing the flat! Hey Rob Bader Sr. i'm sorry to hear about your truck, sad he has some people have no respect for others...... and then the modified antics........:disgusted:help::disgusted

[maestri fan 1]

This is why i've been to the track only 2 times this year. To pay 30 bucks to watch guys go out there and wreck there SH&* and not race???? Enjoy spending money to watch that people, it's a lot nicer having people text you the top 5 and not have to endure seeing that crap.

Just a side note about how rediculous the prices are there. I went to Lowe's Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend, Paid 17 bucks to watch Nationwide qualifying, a couple cup and Nationwide practices, and the Nationwide race, and it's 30 bucks to get into this place???? I'll be out there a few more times this year don't get me wrong, but if it's anything like what i'm reading it'll be a waste of 30 bucks.

[Ka$h25]

Kash.25, you have got to be kidding. You are going to justify those actions because someone is a good driver. That kind of action also keeps people away from the track. That guys act is getting very old. Time to see someone new in that car. He needs a time out for a long time.

Don't get me wrong, I had my head in my hands watching what he did on the race track, but everything that happened before that was provoked. To black flag a guy and pull him out of a race for an accusation by another driver with a grudge just seems foolish, guilty or not. A lot of people who didn't see what happened have made a lot of comments on what happened, and in result a lot of people have been mislead. In the end it was a disgusting night at the race track, but it all could have been avoided by either team having an ounce of maturity.

It is a shame that innocent people were affected. No matter temper or anything I find it hard to believe Tommy, or any driver out there would intentionally do something like that.

This thread is going to be a long list of posts filled with half-truths and mislead information. The best idea for the JAM is to lock it up before it gets out of hand.

[jeffrey]

new race add to this Saturday night show.fence climbing.Tom Rogers vs Chris Turbush.now that would be a race.:applause:

[allhailunc]

looks to me like while some things change others will never change-if your on the "christmas" list you can do no wrong:disgusted

[Ka$h25]

cash are you wearing brown lipstick or are you just too busy kissing tommy rogers @$$

I have no reason to kiss Tommy's ***. If he never comes to Riverhead Raceway again, chances are I'll never see his face again - thus making it very easy to talk as much trash as anyone else if I felt fitting. The fact is; when you look at everything that happened Saturday we learned nothing new of Tommy Rogers. He's a great driver with a bad temper and fed up to his ears with Riverhead Raceway for what ever his own reasons are. Pulling the guy off the racetrack because of an accusation set him over the top, and he lost it. If your problem is that, then so be it. If your problem is based on what you've heard from others of what happened in the back of the pit area, then you're a fool. And please don't tell me "I was standing right there" because if everyone who told me they were right there, were actually right there, then there should of been a mob of about 500 people 'standing right there'.

Finally, you've just insulted Bill Park, Roger Oxee, Dan Turbush, John Fortin and every other one of Riverhead's great drivers that never left Riverhead. There's nothing wrong with being a Riverhead driver.

[Dan814]

Why would he be fed up with riverhead they always let him go, he should have been black flagged after the first incident, that would have prevented everything else that happened after that, he almost ran over a driver, I was also in the pits and saw what happened this was my first time and my last time this year to Riverhead Raceway I now can see why the stands were empty this week. I also saw Tommy's sister jump on some guys back, which I couldn't beleive,but whatever!!!

[bhubbard]

honestly the bs that happend in the pits was uncalled for we got girls getting hit now too and yes what a perfect night to do this crap when a ton of cops are at the track honestly idc who it was that was hitting tommy in the car but all i know is tommy should of hooked his arm and drive away i mean comeon now what kind of crap is that i mean everyone copmplains how tommy drives well yes he has a hot temper but hes also a champion in almost every division

[Dan814]

honestly the bs that happend in the pits was uncalled for we got girls getting hit now too and yes what a perfect night to do this crap when a ton of cops are at the track honestly idc who it was that was hitting tommy in the car but all i know is tommy should of hooked his arm and drive away i mean comeon now what kind of crap is that i mean everyone copmplains how tommy drives well yes he has a hot temper but hes also a champion in almost every division

I suprised he didn't, but what I heard is Tommy wouldn't get out of the car he's good at almost running people over when he's in the car but out of the car he's not that great and yes it was his sister, I heard there was another girl involved, I don't know who she was,but it was his sister on some guys back!!!!!!! Again this never should have happened if Riverhead officales did their job ,and again I will never go to that track again so someone else can have my seat,but then again there's plenty of empty seats there so it really doesn't matter.

[chevycraft]

There was a time when I was a Tommy Rogers fan . I watched him in a figure 8 car then a modified, and last year watched him win a championship in the late model . Years back when he drove the figure 8 and started in the modified I would have said " he had tons of talent and he`s one of the best" today I would say " He proved to me how wrong I was !" since we have been back at riverhead running the legends I have seen this guy and his attitude go way overboard . He pulls his truck and trailer in every week and cut`s everone off as if he were the only one there . He starts and parks his modified every week only to collect last place payoff , Is this the way a past champion should treat the track where he has won 3 championships , his home track ! Last night I was standing at the fence when he had Mike Cole completly sideways and never did he back out and let Mike Cole straighten back out . Instead he continued to dump him . This year he showed up with a legend car . I was happy, I welcomed a 3 time champion to our division. Then in as many starts I watched as he would come through the field pushing cars out of the way or hitting them as he went by. I`m not sure what the future holds for this 3 time champion who I was once a fan of , but he needs to be brought back down a notch and remember what racing is about and why he started, rather then go out as people boo as you walk off the track for causing a 15 min delay and climbing fences . He was truley an embarassment for every kid that was there for the kart expo , a place where Tom Rogers came from . I wonder how he woke up feeling this morning?

[mafap]

to bad jrod couldnt run a few practices wit m car LOL .......its alll good

[bulldozer]

As sround said earlier if the officals threw him off the track when he hit the 61 under the caution like they did with my father three weeks earlier none of this would of happened. What was the purpose to spinning him out?When he could of just went right by him clean and saved an awsome run from the back. THis thread has nothing to do or say with him being an awsome driver.He is a hell of a driver. The guy had a chance to win a point title.Now thats gone.Im sure he embarresed his car owner. The fighting in the pits has to be the blame of BOTH crews. We cant blame Tommy for people going in his window net.I could see yelling and screaming and next week work things out but Tommy just got hot and finished mike cole off.We all are suppose to be there to have fun and enjoy our HOBBY. I yell and scream sometimes because i know how hard i work on my car all week. I got spun this week not on purpose and mostly because the damn track was still wet in the third groove.This is called racing stuff happens. This is the second time he had a on the track disbute.I remember when he wrecked into Johnny d in the mod when he got thrown out.I like Tommy but what he did on and off the track was horrible.

[Ka$h25]

YES I WAS, I WAS THE 17 YEAR OLD THAT GOT PUNCHED IN THE FACE BY A GROWN MAN, THEN PUSHED TO THE FLOOR WHEN I GOT UP! :disgusted

It's awfully hypocritical to be yelling and screaming in the heat of the moment and then spend the next day acting like an innocent bystander on a message board. I didn't see when you were punched in the face by a grown man, but I did see you acting awfully animated from the very beginning. In my experience the best way to avoid getting punched in the face, is to avoid altercations. I don't know at what point people lose grasp of reality and think it's okay to start fighting but it happens far too often. I was with Tommy from the time he got out of the Late Model car and he was as cool as a cucumber until he got out of the Modified. I guess all of the provocation finally got to him. Frankly for a guy such a supposed bad temper, he took quite a lot before he finally lost it.


He starts and parks his modified every week only to collect last place payoff, Is this the way a past champion should treat the track where he has won 3 championships

If I'm not mistaken Tommy lost a big sponsor recently and with the added focus of the Legend car he just cant afford to be competitive with the modified anymore. With the way car counts are we should be happy to have every car we can get.


what I heard is Tommy wouldn't get out of the car he's good at almost running people over when he's in the car but out of the car he's not that great

Again, what you hear and what the truth is, aren't always the same. So now you've taken a false statement of what was heard, made a disparaging remark about it and made a fool of yourself.

Also when you take things out of context, you come off as awfully biased. If you truly saw everything, as you say you did, then you would explain what warranted a woman jumping on a mans back, and what provoked the 6 to almost run over a driver, among others. If I were a betting man, I'd wager a lot on the theory that you didn't see squat.

Also, Riverhead promoters have done a lot so far this season for the drivers and fans, and frankly I think the attendance has been pretty well considering the type of weather we've had so early in the season. So try not to take cheap shots at the people who supply the racing every weekend and give you something to complain about.


to bad jrod couldnt run a few practices wit m car LOL .......its alll good

Now there's something I can agree with! Hope to see the car out there more often.

[cerckl'm racing]

"Pulling the guy off the racetrack because of an accusation..."

So, they won't pull him off for what they could/can see, but will for hearsay? Hard to believe...

"I was with Tommy from the time he got out of the Late Model car and he was as cool as a cucumber until he got out of the Modified."

HOW DID HE HIT THE TRUCK? I didn't see it, but I DID hear him open that thing up in the back. Just in a rush to get on the track was he?

"So try not to take cheap shots at the people who supply the racing every weekend .."
"To black flag a guy and pull him out of a race for an accusation by another driver with a grudge just seems foolish, guilty or not."

Wait, what? It was "foolish" of the officials even if he was guilty?

"Don't get me wrong, I had my head in my hands watching what he did on the race track, but everything that happened before that was provoked."

Did I miss something? How was he provoked? Three times?
Please, if anyone can explain how he was "provoked" in or before the LM race, do tell...and especially how that justified the actions he took.

[allhailunc]

and to think i spent over 100 doallars to go into MSG and see the fights when i could have traveled less of a distance,spent about the same amount,and seen the same damn thing.maybe now you people can see why there is less people in the stands and certainly less competitors on the track

[Ka$h25]

"Pulling the guy off the racetrack because of an accusation..."

So, they won't pull him off for what they could/can see, but will for hearsay? Hard to believe...


They were black flagging Tommy as he lined up in the Modified because a member from the Pedersen's ran on to the hill and told the officials that Tommy tried tried to run a driver over. There were no mass of witnesses, and to my knowledge no officials that saw and confirmed the incident.

I couldn't believe it.


Wait, what? It was "foolish" of the officials even if he was guilty?

My point is, regardless of if he did it or not, before you take such a drastic measure, you should really confirm what happened. It could have easily been handled after the Modified race.


HOW DID HE HIT THE TRUCK? I didn't see it, but I DID hear him open that thing up in the back. Just in a rush to get on the track was he?


This I only saw from a distance. Tommy was making his way around the pit area, reasonably the only time he would be alone. I saw him slowing down and he disappeared from my vantage point. When I noticed Busick and Coll weren't by their trailer I just curiously started walking down and saw a few people standing around Tommys car, which was stopped in the deepest (farthest from view) area of the pits. Then you heard Tommy stomp on it and he left my view again I cut through the trailers and saw him drive up to the track. I had no idea he lost control or hit anything.

The rest I can only say by what I've been told from Tommy, and others who I believe actually did see it.

As he drove around he was greated with some debris being tossed at the car. Someone told me it was chunks of gravel. After he stopped, someone grabbed inside the car, so Tommy just stepped on it and lost it and I believe backed into Mr Bader's pickup. Tommy said- and I honestly believe, he didn't feel the contact with the truck.

That's the provocation I'm talking about. Again, I don't defend anything he did on the track other than saying he's an aggressive driver, and it's proved successful. But if none of it spilled over into the pit area, and the racing was left on the race track, the situation wouldn't have been half as bad as it was.

I'm not asking for anyone to join a fan club here, all I'm saying is don't let one spoiled night be the defining moment for one of Riverhead's best, and most versatile drivers.

[wayne]

Kash, I rarely agree with you on this message board. But this time I Will !! What would most of you do in that situation!! Oh thats right, most of you don't drive race cars!! I'm not saying what Tommy did was right, but there is two sides to every story! Jmo.

[RacinRob]

I wanted to keep my mouth shut here and not put me 2 cents in, and I know that I really might get viewed as a hypocrite. 3 weeks ago I grabbed another driver on track by his firesuit in his window....this was a wake up call to me...since than I have put an emphasis on having fun and taking things a little more lightly. It is such a shame that incidents such as this one and a couple of years back with kliela and wholey tarnish what us drivers put it as far as effort and finance. I think that we need to look back at past times where what happened on the racetrack was taken care of on the racetrack. Yes I do have a bit of a temper, yes I may have yelled or over re-acted a few times...but ill man up about it. And all the dumb things I have done have made me a better person and racecar driver...I guess what I'm trying to get at is people in the heat of the battle(on the track, not in the pits) might not act rational. However this nonsense in the pits has got to end. What happens if tommy got hit in the face with a chunk of asphalt? What heppens if tommy ran over somebody with his racecar? What happens if my mom or dad were by that pick up truck that was hit? Of course they are all what ifs but it COULDVE happened. Than this post wouldn't be about who did what. It makes me sick...do any racecar driver realize how lucky we are to be able to do what we love at a place we grew up at? A place we dreamed of racing at on saturday nights? I guess not...I'm guilty of being a d*ck when I put my hands on that person, but it start and ended there. In all seriousness, can't we all work together and get along? What's it gonna take? Somebody getting killed or injured? Guess so, what a damn shame.

Rob Bader 19 blunderbust

[chris061]

i was not going to write in...... however johnny you are an a$$HOLE.for the record when tommy was doing donuts in the pit area i was under the watchful eye of his crew as i stood in front of our truck, so get your storys straight jerkoff.ps i think its time to get off your knees johnny ....:cheers:

[W. J.]

Bad behavior, but whoever commits it, should not be condoned, either on the track or in the pits. That's what fines and suspensions are for. Fines used to go into the points fund, but there is no points fund any more. Suspensions seem to have been suspended (no pun intended), so there seems to be no fear of that. Using a racecar as a weapon should result in banning the offender. That's NOT what they are for.

The above goes beyond the scope of this past Saturday and applies to all instances of bad behavior we've seen this season. We were told at the January meetings that the officials would clamp down on such things this year! We are still waiting to see that happen. Judicious use of the black flag now will reduce the need to use it later.

Both drivers involved in Saturday's incident(s) are talented people, who entertain us with their driving skills, yet repulse us with bad behavior. Rob Bader, in his post above, admits to using bad judgment, and it seems he has learned something on self reflection. More should learn that lesson. Sadly, this will be just another excuse for competitors and fans to find something else to do on Saturday night.

Biased statements made on the message board, not to mention personal attacks and insults, only add fuel to the fire. More effort needs to go into putting it out. :disgusted

[oldschool]

I wasn't there but just reading this I can tell 99% of the problems could be fixed if the officials were officials. They are the police out there and need to act like it. Not selectively pick who the bad guys are. They don't do anything to correct these problems and always wait until its to late. Thats why there are only 9 late models out there....

[The Bullfather]

I see this closing soon! Rob Bader good job Man'ng Up! I heard from a few go-kart kids that were near by there trailers and almost got hit. We got remember to keep the speed limit in the pits for safety! Everyone needs to grow up, take responsibility for their actions! Leave it to the drivers, they do the action on the track, leave to them to sort out everything out!

[W. J.]

Leave it to the drivers, they do the action on the track, leave to them to sort out everything out!I believe we saw how that worked on Saturday. We need a different solution than that.

[The Bullfather]

It was meant as, keep the crews out of it!!! If a crew member attacks anyone, they should be kicked out forever!

[Dan814]

ka$h25 you're kidding about girls jumping in right????????????? I am not bias at all, I really don't know either driver that well,what was done on the racetrack and in the pits was awful.Hitting under the yellow c'mon, And also I was there good thing you're not a betting man you would have lost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also the officials are doing a great job?? As someone stated on this thread they have a Christmas list and I do beleive that,but whatever!!!!!! Like I said this week was my first & last week there but I did notice there was not too high of a car count oh maybe that was due to the weather or could it be the "Christmas" list?

[catfish]

Bullfather, The rule is "The driver is responsible for the actions of his crew" so if the driver is not responsible enough for himself you expect him to be for others ? Also as Oldschool stated alot of the blame needs to go to the lack of officiating or of consistent officiating which has been lacking for MANY years. Now I am saying nothing about any involved on Saturday as I was not there and could care less, but am making a general statement after having spent almost every Saturday there for 15 plus years.

[W. J.]

Let's set the record straight here. Tom Rogers Jr. is NOT on any "Christmas List" at Riverhead Raceway, and never has been.

[Ka$h25]

i was not going to write in...... however johnny you are an a$$HOLE.for the record when tommy was doing donuts in the pit area i was under the watchful eye of his crew as i stood in front of our truck, so get your storys straight jerkoff.ps i think its time to get off your knees johnny ....:cheers:

Thanks for the kind words. ;)

I never said where you were, just that when suspicion struck I looked at your car and didn't see you. Maybe you bent over to tie your shoe, I don't know.

The bottom line is, racing needs to be taken care of inside the race cars. Instigating mayhem like this should warrant far more punishment then any actions on the race track.

[RGeeProductions]

Well, we were hoping this would turn better and it hasn't. We have had a comparision of Lowe's to Riverhead, right, pineapples to grapes, we have had a person hit and shoved to the ground, but what were they doing there at the time to be hit in the first place and then someone say that if people who are talking were actually there there would be 500 people when they state later that they ran through trailers and it was way back and it was dark so they actually didn't see the whole issue complete themselves and now bashing each other....
Being this has really gone too far, it is now closed.
What happened has happened and it is now time for others to see how to make sure it doesn't happen again...
Richie