Crash-N-Burn
PR Member
Sure seems to be some anger towards a few of the promoters and track owners as of late...
For whatever reason may it be, deserving or undeserving, please, take a moment to first, calm down and relax a minute, or two. Breathe.
Secondly, take a step back and try thinking about things from another angle. Perhaps viewing the perspective the track owners and race promoterse.
The greater majority of those whom share thought and opinion freely across this message board have either; twisted the throttle of a motocross motorcycle, or, attended a motocross race. So picture yourself at the track. Imagine you're there as a rider, a spectator, and now, the track owner or race promoter.
As a rider: Perhaps the most important factor is the track and track conditions.
As a spectator: Maybe the biggest draw relates to the amenities and a professionally ran program.
(As a parent of the rider or relative: Both factors mentioned above are equally of importance.)
As a track owner or promoter:
EVERYTHING!
Ok, now let me state for the record... I do not own a track, nor a motorcycle. I started riding and racing in 2001 at age fourteen on a KX80. I raced and rode tracks all over the area just about every week until an injury, announcing, and life happened in 2006. I served from 2007 to 2011 in Arizona, riding only on occasion. I returned to Ohio and saw the track a dozen or two times that year until I was completly out of the sport, minus a supercross or motocross race on the tube if I had time. In the fall of last year, I was reunited with my true love, motocross, when I covered an announcing gig for a friend at Smith Road Raceway.
Years removed from the sport and it required that time to realized: The track owners and race promoters have a great amount of responsibility and stress during any event.
Sure, as a punk-teen boy riding my dirtbike, I thought: the track owners just sit back and reel in the cash and get to watch for free!
Naive, obviously.
Folks, I see firsthand what many of these track owners and race promoters go through. Often under-staffed, over-worked and stressed out beyond measure, you'd be suprised how little profit is made.
Flaggers, gate attendants, track maintenance crew and registration personnel, concession workers, announcer and any other individual working the event: Think about the hours of work they putting in. Also the heavy equipment, water trucks or watering system, the insurance required, the property or facility itself, and the number of man hours put into building the track and carrying out the daily operations. Among other expenses, the track owner has both more time and more money invested.
During race events, have you ever been the last moto and seen how much trash is scattered across the property? Even though there are several trash cans available, the track owner spends hours and hours picking up that trash and throwing it away. Because if the trash gets blown around, local residents whom aren't involved with the track or interested in the sport will fight to have the track shut down.
So, I guess what I'm trying to get at is:
Let's all try to remember that these track owners are the ones who keep this sport going. Where can you ride or race your dirt bike if there weren't motocross tracks and the property owner instead turns the land into a sheep farm. These folks work harder than you can imagine and we need to be more thankful for the effort they put forth. Let's please have more respect for those who provide you the time and place to ride. After all, we all love this sport.
(In loving memory of all the tracks no longer open.)
For whatever reason may it be, deserving or undeserving, please, take a moment to first, calm down and relax a minute, or two. Breathe.
Secondly, take a step back and try thinking about things from another angle. Perhaps viewing the perspective the track owners and race promoterse.
The greater majority of those whom share thought and opinion freely across this message board have either; twisted the throttle of a motocross motorcycle, or, attended a motocross race. So picture yourself at the track. Imagine you're there as a rider, a spectator, and now, the track owner or race promoter.
As a rider: Perhaps the most important factor is the track and track conditions.
As a spectator: Maybe the biggest draw relates to the amenities and a professionally ran program.
(As a parent of the rider or relative: Both factors mentioned above are equally of importance.)
As a track owner or promoter:
EVERYTHING!
Ok, now let me state for the record... I do not own a track, nor a motorcycle. I started riding and racing in 2001 at age fourteen on a KX80. I raced and rode tracks all over the area just about every week until an injury, announcing, and life happened in 2006. I served from 2007 to 2011 in Arizona, riding only on occasion. I returned to Ohio and saw the track a dozen or two times that year until I was completly out of the sport, minus a supercross or motocross race on the tube if I had time. In the fall of last year, I was reunited with my true love, motocross, when I covered an announcing gig for a friend at Smith Road Raceway.
Years removed from the sport and it required that time to realized: The track owners and race promoters have a great amount of responsibility and stress during any event.
Sure, as a punk-teen boy riding my dirtbike, I thought: the track owners just sit back and reel in the cash and get to watch for free!
Naive, obviously.
Folks, I see firsthand what many of these track owners and race promoters go through. Often under-staffed, over-worked and stressed out beyond measure, you'd be suprised how little profit is made.
Flaggers, gate attendants, track maintenance crew and registration personnel, concession workers, announcer and any other individual working the event: Think about the hours of work they putting in. Also the heavy equipment, water trucks or watering system, the insurance required, the property or facility itself, and the number of man hours put into building the track and carrying out the daily operations. Among other expenses, the track owner has both more time and more money invested.
During race events, have you ever been the last moto and seen how much trash is scattered across the property? Even though there are several trash cans available, the track owner spends hours and hours picking up that trash and throwing it away. Because if the trash gets blown around, local residents whom aren't involved with the track or interested in the sport will fight to have the track shut down.
So, I guess what I'm trying to get at is:
Let's all try to remember that these track owners are the ones who keep this sport going. Where can you ride or race your dirt bike if there weren't motocross tracks and the property owner instead turns the land into a sheep farm. These folks work harder than you can imagine and we need to be more thankful for the effort they put forth. Let's please have more respect for those who provide you the time and place to ride. After all, we all love this sport.
(In loving memory of all the tracks no longer open.)
