Transponders?!?!

[EnduroFromDE]

This thread really grown in the past three days. So of these complaints are silly . Bathrooms, grass, transponders??? Well, I just got back from Richmond, Va from the race, and well, Mountain Speedway is not the only track with these little petty things you call issues. Bathrooms there on Friday morning before any race are "crappy", they had weeds growing higher then my car I was parked next to, and during the Busch race, one of the scoring loops in turn 1 and 2 stopped working, maybe due to the 5 car pile up, I dont know. But this is a multi-million dollar facility that see's only three weekends of racing a year, compared to a low profitted short track that see's two, sometimes, three races a weekend. And Vicky, that guy that was yelling at Billy was my uncle. I think he forgot to take his little green pills that morning. And Blly, you said people come from DE, that must be me your talking about?? Anyhow......See ya at the next one.

[sk8077]

Let me just clarify something here. My post was not about asking for charity in any way. It was about the transponders and those that continue to complain about everything under the sun at the track. The fact of the matter is, even though we are thankful to all drivers, Enduros and regular division drivers that come week after week, no one is making you stay here to race. We are just asking that when something goes wrong with equipment, it bothers us as much as it does you, but these things happen. Even if we would have checked the transponders and found that they were not working early in the day, let's just say that the problem could not have been fixed...then the complaint would have been we spent all of this money to come here and race, and now we have to go home. It's always complaints and never appreciation for what is done. Maybe it's that alone that will close the gates for good one day? As far as I'm concerned, end of discussion on my part. Have a good weekend, wherever you choose to race.

I do not want this to sound negative in any way or as slamming or bashing but these are my thoughts:

The whole deal with the complaining lately branches from the transponders. One thing you have to remember is that we (drivers) do spend money and have a lot of time in our cars. For an example, it costs me approx $200.00 per NEETS event just for the race alone (pit fee, entry, transponder, gas for towing and car). This does not include the long nights of wrenching on the car to get it ready. I am just looking for a return on my investment. A chance to run 100 laps, get track time, and have fun without too much aggravation. Plus, if we bring family and friends out with us, and they have to sit through a delay, they're not happy either.

As far as a complaint goes, anybody that is a business owner or worked in a retail setting knows that complaints are great tools that can be used to make improvements. Listen to them, and if there valid, then improve on the situation, or come to a happy medium where everyone can be happy.

As far as the comment "no one is making you stay here to race" you're right! At my local speedway, you can bring a NEETS legal 4 cyl car and race weekly. True, it's only 25 laps a night, and $100.00 to win, but the lowest spot in the feature (24th) pays $30.00. And if you don't qualify, you get tow money, even for 4 cylinders. To me this is a better bang for my buck lately. We have had our problems there this year, but improvements and complaints are addressed and fixed weekly.

I would absolutely love to run a NEETS race again if the problem with the transponders is fixed. If there is a question in my mind of a part or a re-occurring problem on my racecar, you better believe that I am going to address it before the race, and not hope for the best on raceday.

NEETS is a great series and if you address the transponder issue before the start of the race, the other complaints will go away, I'm sure. Then everyone can go back to racing and having fun, like the series was intended to be.

[CJfilms]

Wow...that sure was a lot o' readin' I had to do!

Here's my side of the coin... I volunteer at the track. I do not charge Joe/Mtn Speedway or Billy/NEETS for the use of my photos, nor do I ask for a weekly pay during the Mtn races. I do not get paid to: send in photos to AARN each week, to create and maintain my very own website for the racers and fans to see my work each week, maintain the Mtn Speedway website, my tavelling expenses are not covered (from Warminster, near Philadelphia, to the track I go about 90 miles...each and every week). I pay for my own gas, I pay for my own equipment (which only some people do know that I have spent over $3,000 for camera, laptop and accessories) and I do not ask for those costs to be reimbursed.

Billy said it best, we're not here for the money.

Figuring I spend as much as I say, you think I wouldn't want to give anything else up...NO! If Joe needs something done at the track, I always say I am just a phone call away. Sure, there are limits to what I can help out with, but I am the first one to help out in a situation... Ask Deb, I used to help her clean the bathrooms last season. Ask some of the regular Mtn drivers, I'll grab a broom and sweep up the kitty litter just to keep the show going. Heck, last year I was out in the infield with a weed wacker, because all my shots had tall grass in them!

What I am trying to get at here is this... I see the same problems all of you see at the NEETS races...each week! But, instead of even bothering to get caught up in the politics and start hassling other officials online, I extend my hand out to help. I don't need to make a public spectacle out of the services/things I donate to the track, I know what I have given up...that's good enough for me. Again, Billy said it right, at least we are open.

I like the idea of spending a day or two helping out at the track, cleaning/ painting/building/mowing/whatever! If you know you have the ability to help out with something, please don't complain about it here... Call up Billy or myself, and ask how you can help out with things aroung the track. I know there are a lot of people out there who like to race at the Mtn...why don't we try to help make things better, so we can attract MORE racers?

To start things off, I plan on rebuilding/remodeling the photo booth before the next Mtn season in April. I will ask on the Mtn forum for help/donations when the time comes. I know the problems aren't in the photo booth, and that is the least of all your concerns, but that little shack is my home there, so I take pride in it and how it is kept. That's why, when Joe allows me to work on it, I try to pull together as much help as possible. Like I said...it's a start.