Tuesday, June 09, 2009

KYLE BUSCH SMASHES GIBSON GUITAR

– BUT DON’T COMPARE HIM TO PETE TOWNSHEND!

Typically, I LOVE it when my two of my favorite addictions combine to produce a double-header event. I’ve been a fan of British rock band “The Who” since the early 70’s, and a NASCAR fan for almost as long. The two rarely coincide, but this past weekend they certainly did.

And I HATE it!

If there is anyone out there who has yet to see the debacle that was Kyle Busch’s trip to Nashville’s Victory Lane after Saturday’s Nationwide Series victory, here is the ignominious video:





Worst yet, John Roberts commented the following morning that Kyle Busch’s attention-getting stunt was performed “in honor of Pete Townshend.” HUH? Would Pete consider THAT an honor? I doubt it.

No sooner did the video hit the Youtube airwaves than the inevitable comparisons between Busch and Townshend started hitting the Google engines. “Busch Goes Townshend on Trophy”…. “Somewhere, Pete Townshend must be smiling” “Busch’s Townshend-like Antics” are all over the net. Apples to rotten, smelly oranges, I say.

For starters, folks, that was no mere “guitar” – it was a one-of-a-kind Gibson Les Paul TROPHY painstakingly handpainted by legendary artist Sam Bass. Initially, the NASCAR media mob reports lead readers to believe that Sam was “cool” with Kyle’s stunt, and knew in advance that the guitar was not long for this world. No so, we now learn. In fact, Sam has gone on record saying that he was “heartbroken” over the situation, and had he known of the stunt in advance, arrangements would have been made to give Kyle a “prop” guitar in order to preserve the real thing. “I wonder how Kyle would like it if I took a hammer and smashed his race car?” stated Bass. “I was so shocked that I just stood there,” said Bass of the incident that has the racing world buzzing. “I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was heart-broken.”

Busch’s proponents (and yes, they’re out there) contend that the trophy “belonged” to Kyle, and he could therefore do anything with it he pleased. I beg to differ. Kyle contended that he had planned to smash the guitar and “share” the pieces with his team mates. Granted, winning a race is a team effort, but I can’t imagine that any of the crew would prefer to own a splinter of wood & metal over having the ability to gaze at the entire trophy – the intact symbol of their hard work - enshrined in a case at the shop. Nonetheless, since Kyle was unable to even do a “decent” job of smashing the beautiful trophy, he stated that he intends to “send it to the bandsaw” to be divided up amongst his team. How classy.

Webster’s Dictionary defines “trophy” as: 1: something gained or given in victory or conquest especially when preserved or mounted as a memorial. So much for preservation, Kyle! The Nashville trophy was a unique work of art, and although Busch stated that he planned to reconcile and “order two more” from Sam Bass, he added insult to injury by alluding to the fact that Sam would “make more money” replicating the trophy. Sam’s reply? “I don’t think get gets it.”

Understandably, many in the NASCAR media masses are LOVING Kyle’s fiasco. Of course they are – it gives them something to report about and keeps the peanut galleries abuzz with controversy. It’s true that the NASCAR media folk moan the “antiseptisism” of the sport as it makes their jobs more difficult, but I’d far rather watch a report on a driver or team who undertook an act of class and dignity than read rants about rewarding the bad behavior of a select few NASCAR punks. For more on Kyle’s recent on-track Dover fiasco, check out http://www.snafam.blogspot.com/. Seems his aggression isn’t limited to inanimate objects, as he spent the previous weekend attempting to wreck the entire field!

True, Townshend has been the instrument of destruction for many 6-stringed instruments over the years, but one thing makes Pete’s artistic auto-destruction different than Busch’s – Pete’s broken guitars were NOT given to him as trophies -- objects of honor and appreciation. He broke the ones he used – and paid for (even if “after the fact” in the early days of the Who). With a few exceptions, staged for charitable purposes, Pete Townshend STOPPED smashing guitars when he felt that the act started to become rehearsed and shtick-y. As any Who-O-Phile knows, Townshend’s first smashed guitar was an accident (Railway Hotel, Harrow in September of 1964 – listed in Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of '50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock & Roll), but the audience loved it so much they thought it was part of the act. Subsequent guitars met their demise at Pete’s hands as a result of his expression of ANGER and RAGE – NOT as a part of a victory celebration or a PR stunt!

Kyle Busch should be punished, penalized or reprimanded for his outrageous stunt. If not, who knows what ridiculously disrespectful shenanigans he’ll pull the next time he has a hankering for a little attention and limelight? Drowning puppies & kittens, perhaps? Kyle should publicly apologize – not only to Sam Bass, the Nashville Speedway and race sponsors – but to fans AND to Pete Townshend, who’s name he’s invoked in disgrace. As for me, I’d love to see Kyle perched upon the Victory Lane stage, with Townshend batting him in the arse with a Gibson SG a-la Abbie Hoffman at Woodstock! THAT would be justice!


Saturday, May 09, 2009

Elliott Sadler Sez "NUTS" To Paying Fans?

Just when I think the Sadler Fan Club cannot possibly manage to throw its’ paying members a more ludicrous curve, my 2009 annual Sadler Fan Club pack (for which I paid $30 – family membership fee) arrived the other day.

It’s a can of nuts.



Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised. The Sadler Fan Club has been in a downward spiral with regard to fan-relations for years, but this latest “gift” from the Sadlers has us all scratching our heads in a mixture of disgust and downright wonderment! Since the 2006 “expired Tylenol” fan pack debacle, I completely expect the annual Sadler Fan Pack to be 1) late, 2) thrown together with little or no thought, and 3) bizarre – but a can of goobers? Seems the SFC has always patterned their fan-relations policy under the direction of Leona Helmsley!

The note inside the box, as well as the Sadler-adorned label on the nut can tells me this gob of goobers is a “gift” in appreciation for all my support as a Sadler fan. Funny, I always thought of gifts as being given free of charge! Instead, Sadler staff advised me that the legumes are in lieu of he normal race-themed fan club pack we typically expect and receive.

Calls to the Sadler Fan Club reveal that they are “doing things a bit differently” this year, and instead of annual fan packs offering their paying members NASCAR-related, driver-related, or even sponsor-related doodads, merch or souvies – we’re all getting the nuts. I call that different, all right!

Of course, our nuts were received with no advance notice from the SFC (that would involve advance planning and communication – neither of which are in great supply at the FC) – initially, members were led to believe they were actually receiving a heartfelt gift of Virginia’s finest gourmet peanuts from the grateful Sadlers. It was not until a fan club member inquired about the annual fan packs on the message board that folks were directed (as usual) to “call or email” the FC with questions and the nutcase was cracked.

Aren’t peanuts baaaaad luck in the realm of NASCAR? Granted, Elliott Sadler has a contingent of fans that truly belong in the “nut” category, but it seems that he and his staff have gone well out of their way to distance themselves in past years from the fans as a whole – so much so, in fact, that my initial thought upon receiving nuts from the Sadlers was: “I wonder if they’re trying to make a point?” It wouldn’t surprise me, and that’s just sad. I’m sure Elliott, Hermie (and all the other drivers) would recoil in horror if I brought my SFC “gift” to pit road for a chance autograph!

I do have to applaud Belmont Peanuts of Southampton, Inc. for growing some really crunchy goobers. I’m not a big peanut fan, but Dave likes them. I did notice, however, that Belmont offers the same can of nuts on their website for $9.95 retail, with a discount for wholesale and/or bulk orders. Seeing as how I paid the Sadlers $30 (up $5 from last year) for my “family” membership, I’m wondering why I couldn’t have helped them support one of their local businesses by ordering the nuts myself from Belmont – that way at least I’d have gotten my “peanuts worth” and two additional cans! I won’t have my annual bumpersticker or decal this year, so perhaps I can just tie the empty can to my antenna or hang it on a string around my neck to show my Sadler support!

So, as Elliott Sadler’s performance on the track has declined, so have the numbers in this fan club “peanut gallery” – particularly those willing to “shell out” membership fees each year to fund fan club events that only those near Charlotte or Emporia can attend (unless they’re as well off as the Sadlers themselves)!

I’ve always harbored the suspicion that the Sadler family wished to say “NUTS!” to the fans – I guess I was right!

Friday, April 24, 2009

TRG Motorsports & David Gilliland

– The Everyfan’s Grassroots Race Team -
I’m a major history buff. Especially when it comes to investigating “grassroots” movements that have made a difference in humanity’s timeline. When you think about it, there are quite few major accomplishments which started as grassroots efforts and evolved to shape mankind. Christianity, Womens’ Suffrage, Civil Rights, and the American Revolution immediately come to mind.

Today’s economy has jumpstarted the “grassroots revolution” once again. Small entities of like-minded folk have seen the benefit of gathering the support and garnering the loyalty of their constituents, customers, and devotees. By banding together in support of a worthy cause, we at the bottom-rung of the capitalistic ladder have once again discovered that we can indeed make a difference. In a world of corporate domination, there ARE a few entities surviving against all odds and there ARE worthy underdogs turning into Cinderellas right under our noses.

It’s happening in NASCAR as I type this.

If you like success stories, check out driver David Gilliland and TRG Motorsports. Regardless of your favorite driver/team, I think you’ll find DG/TRG’s story worthy of your investigation, if not your outright support!

Against all odds, Gilliland entered the NASCAR Cup scene and made a name for himself despite working amidst the heart-wrenching decay of Yates Racing. Rather than continue the 2009 season in an “iffy” part-time ride at Yates, this competitive, talented driver elected to throw his hat into the TRG Motorsports’ ring; paring up with visionary race-meister Kevin Buckler and staff. Compared to the big “corporate” race teams, TRG had many years’ success in other race series, but made their NASCAR debut as the under-funded under-dog.

NASCAR has seen many of its family-owned and operated race teams meet their demise and succumb to corporate takeovers and inability to fund a competitive stable of cars. Some have just folded altogether. An excellent example is Dale Earnhardt Jr. who (rightfully?) left his family-owned team and joined the uber-corporate Hendrick Racing team – with nothing but mediocre performance to show for it. Tough times for even the veteran and “popular” drivers/teams. Enter DG and TRG and a grassroots effort to succeed in spite of everything the economy has thrown at them!

How? I can’t tell you the entire secret to their success, but I CAN tell you that these folks do the VERY best job staying connected to, supportive and appreciative of their fans (a/k/a the Grassrooters)! How loyal are DG/TRG fans? Just a day or two ago, I noted several fans VOLUNTEERING to have their personal vehicles wrapped in a potential sponsor’s advertising and promote them in their hometowns for free! Supporters of grassroots efforts such as DG/TRG need a worthy cause to stand behind, and I’ve truly found none so worthy in all my years as a NASCAR fan.

The DG/TRG Cinderella story continues as we head into Talladega this weekend. Having obtained a much-needed sponsorship before the Phoenix race, TRG and Gilliland were thrown another curve today as it was announced that the sponsorship had fallen through, ostensibly due to “lack of funding” on the potential sponsor’s part. All too familiar a refrain, isn’t it? No matter, the fans and supporters are cheering on the #71 car with its hood once-again bereft of advertising and making plans to celebrate a grand finish at Talladega. Is it working? David Gilliland and the #71 care are running 2nd fastest in practice. Miracle? Magic? Coincidence?

I think not.


Join in the grassroots effort – visit http://www.davidgilliland.com/ and sign up as a fan. Go to http://www.trgmotorsports.com/ and check out their creds. You’ll feel good about being part of the Cinderella story.

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

TMS 2009 - Best to Worst!


Another Texas race is in the books! At almost the 11th hour, we decided to ignore the economy and head for Big D. At the very last minute I coaxed fellow blogger “SNAFAM” into joining me for an “on-the-cheap” vacation at Texas Motor Speedway. It was an exciting, interesting and eventful trip, AND windy -- with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. Here’s my “best to worst” of the Samsung 500 at TMS!

The Best…..

David Gilliland & TRG Racing REALLY know how to make their fans feel appreciated! Via David’s Fan Club message board, his fans mounted a grassroots campaign and raised nearly $3,000.00 to buy a set of tires for the #71 car last week at Martinsville and David flew the fan club colors on the decklid. At TMS, we were honored to visit with TRG team owner Kevin Buckler, Marketing VP Lloyd Wideman, and DG himself!



If I have a NASCAR pet peeve, it’s drivers, team owners, and sponsors who don’t acknowledge the loyalty and support of the fans. I realize how difficult it is to reach out on a personal level to thousands of supporters, but many NASCAR “stars” treat their fans as “necessary evils” and nuisances. Some are apathetic, and others are downright hateful at times. We realize that it’s a high-pressure job, and time is precious, but it takes so very little to make a fan feel appreciated. (Of course, there ARE some psycho fans that make the rest look bad…… more on that later).

I’m proud to say that David Gilliland and TRG Racing and staff have climbed to the epitome of fan-appreciation in my book. They’re gracious, they’re humble, they work their butts off, they’re an American small business surviving in spite of a rotten economy -- and they deserve your support! Sign up on the David Gilliland Fan Circuit at http://www.davidgilliland.com/ and find out more about this wonderful team!

Top Notch Hospitality & Great Grub! Thanks to the Tripps for providing us with great hospitality, culinary delights, and lots of laughs! Visiting with Mr. & Mrs. Lugnut is always a treat, and is the only time of the year I actually appreciate OU! Without them, I would not have had the pleasure of seeing my first gasoline-powered blender with an actual pair of handlebars and a throttle! Gotta love “The Corner” at TMS on Saturday night!



Best of all…. Good Friends! Thanks Merri, for all you did, and it was nice to find someone else who’s as directionally-challenged as I am! We got to take several unanticipated detours between Austin, Grapevine, and the Track – but had a blast every minute. Thanks, too, for the CHOCOLATE!!!! I would NOT have been able to hoof it and hike 50 miles with a 40 lb. backpack without Ethel M’s Truffles for fuel! (and I topped-off frequently)!

American Idols! Got to see “Mr. The King” up close again, and DW called me “honey!” Funny, the older I get, the hotter Richard Petty gets! Age has it’s advantages! I’d like to have DW for a Grandma, so it felt all warm and fuzzy getting a Southern greeting from “Jaws!”

The Good…..

- Lite traffic & Good Parking! I know it’s probably a sign of the sad economy, but the traffic was relatively light all four days. We had no problem finding parking near the RV lot, and thus we were close to the track exits. We parked in the infield on Saturday, and it was a blast driving through the tunnel and emerging inside. My Durango R/T loved it and I was afraid it was going to try to boogity its way onto the track -- it thinks it’s a RaceTruck! LOL! No four hour drive leaving the track on Sunday, either -- it took us less than 30 minutes to escape the track proper, but the local police had the 35S and 114W ALL messed up with bass-ackwards detours and circuitous routes!

- Nice folks who offer golf cart rides! Gotta love that Texas hospitality – we were able to find free transportation from VERY cordial volunteers and fans several times when our feet and legs had given out.

- Reed Sorenson is just downright precious! It was hard not to pinch him on the cheek and make him a peanut butter & jelly sandwich!



The Bad…..

- Wind!!!! OK, so we didn’t have to “Take Shelter Immediately” due to impending tornado, but we sought shelter nonetheless due to incredibly high winds. It obviously made the race a mess, as we heard drivers on the scanner asking if they had flats. No flats, just brutal wind gusts funneled into the track by the grandstands. My lips are making crackling sounds when I talk, and it may take 3 weeks to get all the grime washed out of my hair.

- The Nationwide race was a snoozer.

- Ticketmaster Sux!!! Folks, when you are talking on the phone with a TMS sales representative, BE SURE they work for TMS and NOT “Ticketbastards!” Tickermaster has royally screwed the music industry and it’s fans with their hostile takeovers of the primary and secondary ticket markets and (despite the economy) have driven prices out of the ballpark. Now, it seems, they’re trying to do the same with NASCAR. Alas, you can’t buy TMS tix online without going through Ticketmaster, and despite several follow up calls with my so-called “TMS rep” I wound up getting screwed when we went to pick up our tix and credentials. Take my advice – make sure you’re talking to the right folks!!


- Bus Chaos! To put it bluntly, it’s a miracle that no one was killed at the track Shuttle bus pickup point! After the Cup race, thousands of fans were trying to squeeze their way onto the shuttles. Problem is – the shuttles wouldn’t STOP! Big busses swing wide in the rear, and the crowds were pasted to the sides of the moving busses by the masses of people trying to guess which bus would have room. It was a HORRIBLE and frightening experience! When we asked the “lot attendant” to do something, she rudely replied “There’s only three of us here! What do you want us to do?” Bruton and Eddie – you boys need to address this situation BEFORE the next race. Does anyone remember The Who in Cincinatti in 1979? I’d hate to see a repeat at TMS!

- Elliott Sadler fans left disappointed once again, and I’m sure he and his team are colossally bummed, as well. According to the SFC Message board, E unloaded in “fair” shape, but despite the adjustments made over the weekend, the car got worse instead of better. I can’t help but wonder if the wind played a role in the #19’s (lack of) performance. Brett Griffin offered up several interesting and insightful explanations on the message board, and we can only hope that the #19 team overcomes COT learning curve issues and get back on track. As Brett said, “Performance cures everything” and I’m all for a cure!

The Absolute Worst (most disgusting, putrid, tastless ,etc.)…….

Folks who know me and follow this blog know that I’m a peaceful hippie and rarely get riled enough to go postal. No so on Sunday morning! I think I crossed over into the “homicidal zone!” I’ll try to keep this clean, but it won’t be easy!

We gathered for a driver appearance on Sunday morning. At the front of the crowd was a female (I refuse to call her a “lady”) decked out in the driver’s gear and holding a “We Love _____!” sign, but on the BACK of the sign, facing thousands of spectators, cameras, and film crews was a slanderous, derogatory, and downright nasty insult against one of the drivers family members! Of course, the driver and broadcast host didn’t see the back of the sign, but LOTS of people did! And boy were they pissed off!! If that wasn’t enough, this *&^%$ even had the driver AUTOGRAPH the front of the sign and laughed at him as he was leaving!!

I’ve seen a lot of rotten stunts by psycho, stalking fans in my time, but I think this takes the cake!

I’m a die-hard race fan and I LIKE to interact with the drivers, teams and crews! I want to earn their trust and respect so that I can represent the fans in a positive manner. I do not want to be perceived as a psycho because of the reprehensible actions of others. How in the HELL can I expect a driver/team/crew to respect and support ME as a fan when there are morons out there who think attention-getting stunts like this are funny??? Whoever you are, you bottom-feeding imbecile – you have shamed yourself all right – but you’ve also shamed that driver, his family, you have shamed ME, all those at the appearance, and 180,000 other fans at TMS who support this sport and its participants with dignity.

If I could find you right now, you idiot, I’d wring your neck and stick that sign where the sun don’t shine!


Monday, January 19, 2009

The Battle for Freedom - A Few Thoughts on Behalf of the Losers




I celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with mixed emotions. While I’m elated to live in a world where we enjoy the fruits of equality, where we no longer segregate and oppress men and women of color, where we seem to have taken giant steps in righting the wrongs of our forefathers – I cannot help but remember that there those for whom MLK’s “dream” has yet to become reality.

America often celebrates its heroes while wearing rose-colored glasses:

- We declare a holiday to commemorate Christopher Columbus’s “discovery” of a world that was anything BUT “new” to the 12 million native inhabitants who flourished in freedom before 1492.

- We honor the “pilgrims” with a day of Thanksgiving – forgetting those who deserved thanks the most – the native people who gave of their food and land so that the ill-prepared settlers could survive. Of course, the settlers gave them a nice case of smallpox as a “Thank You” gift.

- We commemorate Andrew Jackson on our currency, but do we remember The Indian Removal Act of 1830 (a/k/a “The Trail of Tears”) whenever we pull a twenty from our wallets? Or that Jackson’s inaugural speech referred to the “rude savages” standing in the way of expansion West (and we think Bush was a stinker)?

- We name towering redwoods after General William Sherman, while conveniently ignoring his popular credos: “The only good indian is a dead indian.” And “We must act with vindictive earnestness against the Sioux, even to their extermination, men, women and children."
- We moan over the current woes of the economy and cry for massive bailouts, but how many of us realize that in 1862 the American government refused to honor treaty obligations to the Dakota Sioux Indians during a time of widespread starvation. When tribal leaders, desperate for relief, asked for food on credit because the U.S. government had failed to provide moneys owed, the local Indian agent replied, “If they are hungry, let them eat grass or their own dung.”

- We fear foreclosures and falling home values, not giving a moment’s thought to those living (if you can call it that) on America’s reservations. We ignore the fact that our country’s worst rates of poverty, unemployment, suicide, alcoholism & drug abuse, infant mortality, and lack of health care can be found within a single race of Americans.

As we celebrate Dr. King’s legacy of civil rights and President-elect Obama’s promise of change, let’s not forget that the long battle for freedom was lost by America’s indigenous peoples. Let’s not forget that starvation and forced migration were effective weapons of mass destruction. Let’s contemplate – just for a moment – that “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” was NOT the intention of our founding fathers with regard to Native Americans. Extermination was.

I have a dream, too. I hope that one day we will add “Crazy Horse” Day to our roster of National holidays, and we will see another great freedom-fighter’s words inscribed in granite in Washington, DC:

"In 1868, men came out and brought papers. We could not read them and they did not tell us truly what was in them. We thought the treaty was to remove the forts and for us to cease from fighting. When I reached Washington, the Great Father explained to me that the interpreters had deceived me. All I want is right and just. ....I am poor and naked, but I am the chief of the nation. We do not want riches but we do want to train our children right. Riches would do us no good. We could not take them with us to the other world. We do not want riches. We want peace and love.”

-- Red Cloud (Makhpiya-luta) , April, 1870

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Romeo & George Gillette -- A Play in Three Acts


We knew it had to happen eventually. At some point, it was inevitable that Elliott Sadler’s PR gurus would finalize the spin on the recent contract debacle, and the Southern Gentleman would have to step into the spotlight and give the media HIS version of events. Yesterday’s annual driver interrogation known as “NASCAR Media Day” turned out to be Sadler’s chance to do some ‘splainin of his own, and the official fan club site has posted the entire interview.

It’s a LOOOONNNNG read!

So… to save my dear readers the time of sifting through the lengthy Emporian saga, replete with Sadlerese redundancy, I’ve taken it upon myself to adapt the situation to a screenplay in Three Acts -- “cliff notes” first-person version for your enjoyment!

“The Reader’s Undigested Version of The Elliott Sadler Contract Interview”

Act I: - GEM Boardroom

George Gillette: “Let’s have a meeting.”
Sadler: “Uh oh!”
#19 Team: “It wasn’t OUR fault!”
George Gillette: “Maybe they’re right. Elliott, shape up or ship out!”

Act II – GEM Boardroom

George Gillette: “Let’s have a meeting.”
Sadler: “Uh oh!”
Geoge Gillette: “I meant what I said in the last meeting.”
Sadler: “Yeah. Right. Anybody seen my passport?”

Act III – Telephone Tag

George Gillette: (ring, ring) “Hello, AJ? Let’s have a meeting!”
AJ: “Lemme call my manager, OK?
AJ (to manager): (ring, ring) “Hey! They want me to drive the #19!”
AJ’s Manager: “OK, I’ll tell the press!”
Press: “OOOOOOOOOoooo!”
Sadler Fans: “AAAAARRRRRGH!”
Sadler Detractors: “Neener, Neener, NEEEEEEEEE-ner!”
Sadler: (ring, ring) “George? You were SERIOUS???”
George Gillette: “Yeppers.”
Sadler: (ring, ring) “Hello, Lawyer? Can they do that?”
Lawyer: “We’ll take care of it.”
Sadler: “OK, and can you get me a new passport?”
McDonalds: (ring, ring) “Hi George! Ixnay on AJ – he doesn’t look cute in funny wigs!”
Best Buy: (ring, ring) “Hi George! Ditto.”
Stanley Tools: (ring, ring) “What they said.”
George Gillette: “OK, we’ll keep Sadler.”

Press: “OOOOOOOOOOoooo!”
Sadler Fans: “YAAAAAAAY!:
Sadler Detractors: “WTF?”
Sadler: “Whew, that was close! Now if I could just find my passport!!!!”

THE END

There. Now wasn’t that easier than reading the whole thing?

Of course, Sadler’s interview does an excellent job of laying down a straight party line and singing Kumbayas with regard to the 2009 season. One thing about the interview stuck in my craw, however. With characteristic repetitiveness, Sadler expressed his unyielding commitment to protecting himself, his team and his sponsors. “Doing what’s best” for those whom Sadler considers the “important” characters in the play is his utmost concern.

But NOTHING is mentioned about his fans. Zilch. Nada.

While not all of Sadler’s fans have been complimentary over the years, the Emporian still has a cadre of loyal (albeit fewer) fans who acted with support and outcry over the possibility of having him absent from the track in 2009. It seems as if Sadler has forgotten the all-important “final act” of his play – the one where he is able to entice, engage, and coerce his fans to go spend their money on those sponsor products! Sadler should realize that his fans are protecting their pocketbooks more fiercely than he is trying to protect his sponsors - and IF it is his “marketability” that saved his job – he should do a better job of looking after those on whom that marketability depends.

So, while the country celebrates a “mandate for change and improvement” next week - just a few miles North of Emporia, VA – here’s hoping that Elliott Sadler and his staff realize that they has a similar mandate – not only to do a better job on the track in 2009, but to improve his relationship with his fans, as well.


(Oh, yeah -- hope you get the passport, E!)

Monday, December 03, 2007

High Jumps & Flat Tracks

Terry Poovey, Randy Waldrop, Sammy Sweet, Porky Rollins …… names that commanded respect in the world of Texas Flat Trace Motorcycle Racing in the 1970’s – legends that spoke of mechanical supremacy, fearless performance, and incomparable teamwork. Lost in time, these names have been almost forgotten among those who dared to experiment with extreme racing (as we know it today) during an era when a rider/driver had to spend as much time building a machine as riding it. Men who rode and built bikes that NEVER went straight – and had nothing more to challenge the racing Gods than a heavy steel shoe to keep the wayward vehicle from being “too loose” to ride to victory…….

Flat Track Racing in the 70’s was daring – Evel Knievel would be proud of the men who dared slide sideways on two wheels to take home a checkered flag that was often no more than a home-sewn relic. Men who traveled along the Texas/Louisiana borders in search of a victory that few would consider worthy of the time, money & effort it took to make a living on the short oval, they let their love of motorcycles and competition rule over conventional values and made them often misunderstood loners. It was just plain nuts; especially to the wives, girlfriends, and families who followed Short Trackers across the damp plains of Texas in search of elusive trophies won at the family’s rental expense. Texas Flat Trackers were driven – but by God knows what!

Few today are familiar or even remember Texas Short (or Flat) Track Motorcycle Racing in the 70’s – similar to NASCAR – Short Track is a constant series of left-hand turns where athletics meets the road – in other words, the only way to keep a wayward cycle from becoming a wall-bound projectile was to put one’s foot down – firmly – on the track, wearing a steel shoe designed to act as a third member in absentia. When it’s time to turn left, folks, the rider simply planted their foot on a dirty, gravel-impregnated, track and attempt to slide a 120-mph motorcycle sideways using only that left digit as a stabilizer. Yup – purely nuts!

Today, 61-year-old Porky Rollins of Crosby, Texas, remembers the days of glory with a bit of flippancy born of riding rockets that few could control today: “We just followed the money,” Rollins says of days when Nationally Ranked riders had to ply their trade against Texas locals capable (and willing) to kick their sideways asses into eternity. “We were better then most of the National numbers, but we didn’t have the dollars to beat ‘em in National competition.” Said Rollins, who’s local record lent credence to the fact that he could have been a National No.1 had the financial Gods swung his way. In the 70’s, Nationally-ranked riders had to compete on a local circuit with the likes of Randy Waldrop, Sammy Sweet, and Rollins himself , who stood out amongst the rest as a bike builder, rider, crew chief an guru we well as a competitor.

The world may have lost a daredevil along the likes of Evel Kenievel, but if, as a lasting legacy, the world can grasp and remember those who rode sideways on steel shoes in the 70’s – we haven’t lost the “extreme” history of two-wheeled sports at all.