|
July 26, 1999 Lighting Candles Heard a quote the other day which reminded me that even though there are plenty of race fans who consider it in poor taste and counter-productive for drivers, fans and media to complain about the short comings of local short tracks, there are still a great many sincere and well meaning fans who are simply doing what they feel is their right and in some cases their duty. The quote was from a 1960 Presidential campaign speech by John F. Kennedy, and was something like this:” We didn’t come here to curse the darkness, but instead to light candles.”
That same day I received the following letter from a Charlotte Speedway fan, who took some time to sit down and express heartfelt and completly sincere opinions about his favorite track. These types of letters are often looked upon by ardent supporters and staffs of short tracks as something else. Defensive attititudes and a seeming inability to understand the difference between a letter such as this one and a poorly concieved and angry letter is not uncommon. Another aspect of this is the fan, driver, or track staff who responds to such grievances as are posted on the Message Board daily by attacking the person or perhaps inviting them to their track, as if what happens at DeSoto Speedway or New Smyrna Speedway is not related to Charlotte or Sunshine. Positive improvements in promotion or the program of any given track in the state is good for the sport, the entertainment of stock car racing statewide. If a speedway has unsafe conditions for fans or drivers, it reflects on everyone involved. If you don’t beleive that ask a few would be or former fans, you’ll then understand. Though the following letter pertains to Charlotte, it contains elements that could be said about nearly every speedway in the state. Maybe NASCAR can get away with discarding letters such as this, I hardly think that a racing series or speedway on at the state level should. John’s letter comes very close to expressing the prevailing opinion of over 3000 surveys recieved from fans at KARNAC.com over the last year. And keep in mind John is simply trying to light a few candles to brighten our racing experience. Helpful (hopefully) suggestions
by John Porter First of all, I'd like you to know that I feel very fortunate living in Charlotte County and having your speedway so close by. When I retired in December, 1998, I had no idea that such a great local track was nearby. I've been a racing fan for over 50 years and have attended events all over the country, most recently and often at Old Dominion Speedway (ODS) in Manassas, VA. I have been coming to CCS almost weekly since February.
Although I really enjoy your track, I would like to make a few comments and suggestions that I hope will be taken as positive:
1. When there is a spin or minor contact made at CCS, it takes FOREVER to get the race going again. In all my years of attending races, I have never seen such delays in getting back to action. I have taken visiting friends to CCS and they have the same opinion. Last Saturday, there were times when the yellow flag was simply left out and the pace car continued to parade for no apparent reason. The track was clear. At one point, the flagman left his stand altogether and went up to the announcer's booth. Why the big delays? At ODS, which is a NASCAR sanctioned track, racing resumes very quickly after an altercation. Do the cars here not have radios to help in the re-lineup? In any event it is a real annoyance. One guest I took said that he thought the pace car won all the events as it completed more laps than the racers.
2. Do you need to run so many divisions? It seems to me that some of the classes are redundant and unnecessary. Also, the "visiting" classes (Dwarfs, Classics, Midgets, Outlaw Modified, Legends, Sprints, Cowboy Cadillacs) just interrupt the continuity of the points racing for the regular CCS classes. An occasional "extra" class is fine, but not every week. I don't follow the drivers or the divisions, so am lost as to what's going on with them. Stick to a weekly program of "core" CCS classes.
Concerning the regular classes, I would suggest you reorganize them as such:
Eliminate either the Pure Stock or Road Warrior division. Two lowest class divisions seems unnecessary and I don't believe there is that much difference between the events. They're both slow and relatively unexciting.
Dump the Cowboy Cadillacs altogether. For the few times they run, they are poorly represented and, most of all, BORING. Who wants to watch old pickup trucks "race"?
Eliminate the OWM and combine them into the LLM division. The two classes run at nearly the same lap times and seem not to represent any uniqueness from each other, except for fenders vs. no fenders.
That would leave the following classes to race on a regular basis at the track: LLM, Sportsman, Mini Stock, and Pure Stock (or Road Warrior). I believe that these fewer classes would greatly increase fan awareness and give much greater continuity to racing on a weekly basis. As it is now, each weekly program changes so much, it's difficult to get interested in specific drivers or classes. I notice there is very little driver fan activity at your track compared to others I have attended. I think it's because we don't see the same drivers on a regular enough basis to form favorites. Most tracks I have attended have a prominent sales booth with all types of pictures and models of the drivers and cars that run there. Again, I believe this doesn't happen at CCS because of the fragmented schedule and multiple classes of racing.
3. The grandstand is unsafe and needs to be upgraded! Last week, a young girl sitting not far from me fell through those wide footwell openings to the tarmac below. I have never seen such an obstacle course of a grandstand. It feels sturdy enough, but whoever designed the footwell openings that wide should be ashamed. Most modern grandstands are of the closed footwell type that allow nothing to fall through. Others that have openings are designed so that only refuse or small items could fall through...certainly not a child. I'm sure CCS meets some legal safety standard, but it is still too treacherous, especially given the older population of this area.
4. Last, and least, the snack bar is about as inefficient as I have ever seen. Why make people stand in a long line for a single item by having only one or two cash registers at the end of the queue? I suggest you change the system to a multi-server queue type to move folks through more efficiently. I often forgo a snack or soda even if I want one just because it takes so long to get through the snack bar line.
Whew! That was quite a bit and I'm glad I wrote you about my concerns. Again, please take these comments as constructive suggestions, given by a loyal CCS auto racing fan. If you have any questions about this email or just want to tell me to jump in the lake, that's OK too. I'll still show up.
John Porter
Comment on this story? Post it on the Message Board!
or send a letter to the editor!
|
|
