Goldy
09-12-2011, 02:44 PM
Take the Money and Run…
Not just a classic Steve Miller song, but also a hysterical comedy that depicts the life and times of petty thief, Virgil Starkwell - played, written and directed by Woody Allen…
Is this reference more descriptive of Doug Coby, who “stole” the big money in the WNMT and Showdown or could it apply to NASCAR officials who “robbed” Steve Massy of his first WSMT win?
Well folks, for me – it’s a “Toin Coss”…
No matter how many times Matt Buckler and Russ Dowd proclaimed the excitement level was beyond their words or their capacity to actually speak (imagine that) - I was genuinely excited for Sunday’s UNOH at Thompson. Apparently, several hundred to a couple thousand fans didn’t share my affinity for race day; actually I’m certain fans could have filled the stands in 3 and 4 if they felt the front gate pricing was fair – but Thompson chose to “take all the money” they could from the fans. Make no mistake; this was not a week 1 NFL conflict, fans can tap into their scores easily enough. This was not fans staying home and following “live updates” on their computers – this was a resounding “No Thank You” by fans to a $50 front gate on what was a beautiful autumn day at the racetrack.
I liked the format; the racing wasn’t bad – in fact I thought it was good and the lack of cautions was refreshing. The Southern race was much better than I would have expected. Early contenders Lia and Seuss flexed their muscle; Jeff Fuller gets caught up in a LW Miller mess, Dupuis doesn’t get dumped by the south or parked by NASCAR and has a fair run, Park stays clean and places 5th, Brown and Myers run quietly and GB III displayed why he’s the point leader with speed. But not as much speed as Steve Masse – he dominated this race and frankly it was a shame to witness such a fantastic performance taken away by individuals who clearly need their qualifications, competence and or motives examined, very closely.
The barrage of Boo’s from the fans spoke volumes. The head shaking of Don Hoenig at the start / finish line was body language felt by all. It’s too bad the declared victor didn’t see the injustice. If GB III had any decency he would have handed the trophy over to Masse after the race as a gesture between gentlemen. He can take the win, the points, the cash, the notoriety – but he got beat and it was not due to a jumped restart. I don’t know if one of the “promoters picks” was offered to Masse for the Showdown, if it wasn’t, it certainly should have, but then again, if it was I wouldn’t blame Steve one bit for saying “No thanks”. Also “robbed” here were the fans who lost out on seeing a 3rd challenger to the 52 (along with the 79 and 36) for the showdown win and paycheck. Massey had a car to contend.
The Northern race was also surprisingly free of multiple cautions and was better than expected considering the no pit for tires rule. There were good battles up front and throughout; nice runs by Civali, Rogers and Bonsignore; and poor runs by notables Santos, Hirschman, Beers and Stefanik. Doug Coby winning was great to see – Thompson owed him at least one, here’s hoping there are more in the future for Doug and the smart team that retains his driving talents. 25 cars in this Northern field is NOT a good sign, (neither is the 24 listed for LRP) - but I'll move on to...
The Showdown – the race distance was perfect, the action up front, intense. You knew Christopher was going to cram his way to the front and did just that at the expense of the 52 machine in turns 3 & 4. Newfound patience displayed by Civali rewards him with a podium finish, GB III backs his cause with an impressive run – 5th through 13th all had impressive runs of their own for various reasons – notable were Goodale who had great tour and showdown performances, Santos and Stefanik who were going nowhere fast in the tour show, Flemke who tagged the wall after being taken wide by Emerling, rebounded from the back and Rupolph who made a spirited run through the pack.
The UNOH Showdown as a whole was really an event that had great elements for success. I think the formula for the day worked well; a tweak here, a tweak there and I think this race can have a very successful future. Correct the ticket price for starters and don’t “rob” the fans. As a fellow poster mentioned – try “working together” with other local tracks at discounts to provide fans incentive to come out and attend. God forbid they offer a reduced front gate ticket with your Friday Stafford ticket stub (we’re talking a $5 break here folks). Additionally, to make it fair for the South – try alternating venues for this concept. Work together in an effort to make things better for all – not just yourselves. It’s called thinking of the big picture. Imagine this event at Bowman Gray every other year? Now there’s a way to keep it a real special event.
Congrats to Doug Coby, who wins my “Toin Coss” for taking the big money in true “Northern Bandit” style; puttin’ a hurtin’ on the field in an ultra stout 52 machine. (http://www.racerhub.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=216395&ppuser=3410)
Not just a classic Steve Miller song, but also a hysterical comedy that depicts the life and times of petty thief, Virgil Starkwell - played, written and directed by Woody Allen…
Is this reference more descriptive of Doug Coby, who “stole” the big money in the WNMT and Showdown or could it apply to NASCAR officials who “robbed” Steve Massy of his first WSMT win?
Well folks, for me – it’s a “Toin Coss”…
No matter how many times Matt Buckler and Russ Dowd proclaimed the excitement level was beyond their words or their capacity to actually speak (imagine that) - I was genuinely excited for Sunday’s UNOH at Thompson. Apparently, several hundred to a couple thousand fans didn’t share my affinity for race day; actually I’m certain fans could have filled the stands in 3 and 4 if they felt the front gate pricing was fair – but Thompson chose to “take all the money” they could from the fans. Make no mistake; this was not a week 1 NFL conflict, fans can tap into their scores easily enough. This was not fans staying home and following “live updates” on their computers – this was a resounding “No Thank You” by fans to a $50 front gate on what was a beautiful autumn day at the racetrack.
I liked the format; the racing wasn’t bad – in fact I thought it was good and the lack of cautions was refreshing. The Southern race was much better than I would have expected. Early contenders Lia and Seuss flexed their muscle; Jeff Fuller gets caught up in a LW Miller mess, Dupuis doesn’t get dumped by the south or parked by NASCAR and has a fair run, Park stays clean and places 5th, Brown and Myers run quietly and GB III displayed why he’s the point leader with speed. But not as much speed as Steve Masse – he dominated this race and frankly it was a shame to witness such a fantastic performance taken away by individuals who clearly need their qualifications, competence and or motives examined, very closely.
The barrage of Boo’s from the fans spoke volumes. The head shaking of Don Hoenig at the start / finish line was body language felt by all. It’s too bad the declared victor didn’t see the injustice. If GB III had any decency he would have handed the trophy over to Masse after the race as a gesture between gentlemen. He can take the win, the points, the cash, the notoriety – but he got beat and it was not due to a jumped restart. I don’t know if one of the “promoters picks” was offered to Masse for the Showdown, if it wasn’t, it certainly should have, but then again, if it was I wouldn’t blame Steve one bit for saying “No thanks”. Also “robbed” here were the fans who lost out on seeing a 3rd challenger to the 52 (along with the 79 and 36) for the showdown win and paycheck. Massey had a car to contend.
The Northern race was also surprisingly free of multiple cautions and was better than expected considering the no pit for tires rule. There were good battles up front and throughout; nice runs by Civali, Rogers and Bonsignore; and poor runs by notables Santos, Hirschman, Beers and Stefanik. Doug Coby winning was great to see – Thompson owed him at least one, here’s hoping there are more in the future for Doug and the smart team that retains his driving talents. 25 cars in this Northern field is NOT a good sign, (neither is the 24 listed for LRP) - but I'll move on to...
The Showdown – the race distance was perfect, the action up front, intense. You knew Christopher was going to cram his way to the front and did just that at the expense of the 52 machine in turns 3 & 4. Newfound patience displayed by Civali rewards him with a podium finish, GB III backs his cause with an impressive run – 5th through 13th all had impressive runs of their own for various reasons – notable were Goodale who had great tour and showdown performances, Santos and Stefanik who were going nowhere fast in the tour show, Flemke who tagged the wall after being taken wide by Emerling, rebounded from the back and Rupolph who made a spirited run through the pack.
The UNOH Showdown as a whole was really an event that had great elements for success. I think the formula for the day worked well; a tweak here, a tweak there and I think this race can have a very successful future. Correct the ticket price for starters and don’t “rob” the fans. As a fellow poster mentioned – try “working together” with other local tracks at discounts to provide fans incentive to come out and attend. God forbid they offer a reduced front gate ticket with your Friday Stafford ticket stub (we’re talking a $5 break here folks). Additionally, to make it fair for the South – try alternating venues for this concept. Work together in an effort to make things better for all – not just yourselves. It’s called thinking of the big picture. Imagine this event at Bowman Gray every other year? Now there’s a way to keep it a real special event.
Congrats to Doug Coby, who wins my “Toin Coss” for taking the big money in true “Northern Bandit” style; puttin’ a hurtin’ on the field in an ultra stout 52 machine. (http://www.racerhub.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=216395&ppuser=3410)