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Post by crossbonesdennis on Aug 16, 2011 8:05:30 GMT -5
There should be an announcement the first part of Sept. I wouldn't expect the track to open this year but anything is possible
Madison has already been cutting the grass.
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Post by daves89 on Aug 16, 2011 9:28:29 GMT -5
Well lets keep our fingers crossed.......this no dragstrip summer REALLY SUCKS........
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Post by hemiman4262003 on Aug 16, 2011 10:08:34 GMT -5
yea i much rather drive 20 miles oneway than 155 miles on way to race everyweekend
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Post by sp7128 on Aug 16, 2011 18:45:20 GMT -5
yea i much rather drive 20 miles oneway than 155 miles on way to race everyweekend Then I would suggest everyone race or attempt to race at the Swamp if and when it ever opens again. If everyone on this board that jumped on the "new MAR" bandwagon would have participated at Gateway for the prior five years with the same enthusiasm as shown towards the new MAR, Gateway would never of had payout problems and pro-rated purses the last couple years they were open ! |
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Post by dennismopar73 on Aug 16, 2011 19:06:58 GMT -5
yea i much rather drive 20 miles oneway than 155 miles on way to race everyweekend Then I would suggest everyone race or attempt to race at the Swamp if and when it ever opens again. If everyone on this board that jumped on the "new MAR" bandwagon would have participated at Gateway for the prior five years with the same enthusiasm as shown towards the new MAR, Gateway would never of had payout problems and pro-rated purses the last couple years they were open ! i am all about support of this new track,, but i am also supportthe reopening of gir, all the racers stated 3.5 years ago, that due to piss poor management / treatment of racers??i have no idea my self where that came from, gir tred 1/8 mile couldnt get the car, 1/4 mile couldnt get the cars, tried the 10.5 stuff, still not fielding alot of cars, so the loss of race cars , gir had to go to a pro rate, after that , they wished gir to close and someone that knew how to run dragstrip buy it ,, well they got their wish dover dont run it, nor own it , problem is its closed, you are correct that the racer left the track for the greener pastures of 1/8 mile and 200 mile drives, to get home . but looking over the tracks , i still see the lack of cars at the these other tracks , alltho they still having good to poor attendance,?? mmm so whats the issue now,,? all those guys now not happy with the drive, not happy with the old styl tracks being to short to stop, bad roads getting to the tracks, so most now staying home , not going anywhere!! guess what WAITING FOR GIR / MAR TO REOPEN, mm intresting turn ?? i to wounder,, ? will these racers support any track, or will they stay away still? |
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Post by mouthracer on Aug 16, 2011 20:05:32 GMT -5
It had problems longer than 3.5 years maybe 6 years .
Reggie was their and guaranteed purses car count up .
Problems started with Jason Pukes then got worse with
Lenny Littledicke then the last one Ditch Shitter jumped ship before the ship went down .
They jacked up the pit spots cost and reduced the number of events .
Then they called the races if it looked like rain or got hot ,then prorated the purses cut how for they paid back .
Then cancelled the racing banquets at a deserving place the only to put on at the track while your racing and charge you for your hotdog .
You know who brought the last to to GIR to work ,Shame Shame.
I raced every pts event 2010 ,many Tuesday TnT,Thursday slick, couple Midnite madness events .
sp7128 is right show up or shut up .
I hope i can be on a racer committee again please please.
I feel better now .
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Post by sg3526 on Aug 16, 2011 22:03:09 GMT -5
I agree with Don. The decline of this facility started long ago, way back when the corporate pukes took things over. I've been racing at this track way to long to remember. I think my first event that I raced there was 1971 or 72 at the old AHRA nationals. When they rebuilt the track and made it a show place among tracks we all knew deep in our hearts that the "good ole days" were gone. The corporate guys were there for one reason and one reason only, to make money. They didn't care about the local guys that showed up week in and week out, they weren't making any "big" money from us like they did when the NHRA road show came into town. The beginning of the end was when they started shorting us on weekly races and only doing 6-8 points races a year. Back in the day they raced every weekend whether it looked like rain or not, and everyone stayed there to watch the races until they were done and didn't mind it. And heat wasn't an issue, you wanted to race and you did, if it was hot you raced or you stayed home and most of us raced. I've had several cars and always raced at least once a week and sometimes more. Gateway ran sat night and pevely or MAR raced on sundays. Stay at Gateway til 1 or 2 and be at MAR at 8.
It was when management stopped caring about the little guy racers and started treating us like a piece of gum on the bottom of their shoe that's when the racers quit coming to the track. Hell MAR had a packed house on the last day they raced and Mike Vehige didn't have the heart to tell us the place had been sold and that was the last race.
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gdog
Full Member
Posts: 198
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Post by gdog on Aug 16, 2011 22:43:11 GMT -5
You guys are right as rain it doesn't matter though if it is the dragstrip or the gas station if you don't feel your business is appreciated you will try to find a place to go that want's your $$$.I always felt at GIR they didn't care if I lived or died (after the rebuild) I always felt like they were glad to have me at MAR if I was a racer or not I think they operated the track for the love of the sport 'cause I'm sure they weren't becoming billionaires from it.GIR was managed into the ground by a long list of clowns who didn't give a tinkers damn.
By the way Dennis how did your wife do today?
Also it will take a lot of schmoozing to me and a lot of people like me who felt slighted to get me to back to the swamp I tried to support them and it appeared to me they didn't want my or most non pro support.
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Post by slingshot383 on Aug 17, 2011 4:26:49 GMT -5
The other thing going against the racing in St. Louis is the total lack of intrest from our local media outlets. They either don't know or don't care that local racers totally support local businesses. Our money is earned and spent here. Just a little blurb every week in the paper or on the evening news would have and will go a long way to putting interest into racing.
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Post by glassman on Aug 17, 2011 5:59:52 GMT -5
Personally I could care less if they roll out the red carpet or not. They don't have to mention what I did or didn't do. Let me have a good safe track to go to 1,2, or 20 times a month and I will be very appreciative. When Gateway closed last year I didn't care. Now I do. Like sp7128 and mouthracer said support it and be there. Whoever Owns Gateway or MAR if they don't make money they will pull the plug. Nobody is going to lose money just to be our buddy.
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Post by dennismopar73 on Aug 17, 2011 6:26:31 GMT -5
my wife had 2 stints and 4 arteries cleaned , she s still in the hospital,
thanks for asking ,,
everyone is correct, i raced back in the 76 , watched the rebirth, yes corporate greed was bad
but still , at the time we as racers wanted a nicer track to run on and more improvements as our cars went faster, faster,
then here is the penalties, due to the 'big meets' spectators, racers didnt want to show up when it was hot,alot of big races was planned, , ford shows chevy shows, then the circle was tring to run , n h r a came to town, so we did lose weekends, it was like a snowball from hell,
i just stated the last 3.5 years befre it closed was the big downfall, thats when the pro rated purses steped in, lot of race dates that could have run didnt, it was dieing then, slow and painfall to watch, everyone thought, that well it would reopen this year, it hasnt, and now maybe next year is still at best a leapm of faith ,
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Post by slingshot383 on Aug 18, 2011 4:47:07 GMT -5
Glassman, you ought to want the local media to do little news pieces on local racing, as it promotes spectator interest, which in turn puts butts on the bleachers, which puts money in the track operators pockets, which helps to keep the track open! Do you really think that if the local media ignored baseball, football or basketball that there would be nearly as many people go to those events?
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Post by glassman on Aug 18, 2011 5:53:39 GMT -5
Slingshot as stated before in earlier posts the main interest in drag racing are the professional racers. We are bracket racers. Racers, family, and friends are usually the largest crowd at the track.I think that if they would advertise the track there would be better results but with the internet, local news outlets are closing up as fast as racetracks. Entry fee and buybacks are where most of the money comes from but spectators would be great. Professional sports are one thing this is OUR hobby. I don't know about you but a racecar does not pay my bills.
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gdog
Full Member
Posts: 198
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Post by gdog on Aug 18, 2011 9:01:50 GMT -5
I know that no one who is a member of this board is getting rich racing and that it is an expensive hobby BUT that doesn't alter the fact that most participants can use extra money to subsidize our hobbies and the only way that happens is increased purses.As I have said before no butts in the seats no increased purses, as entry fees and buy backs HAVE to pay track expenses first, a small profit for the investors,then to the racers. ANYTHING racers can do to increase the gate, word of mouth small blurbs in local papers,cruises carshows and above all make sure racing is as exciting and as first class as it can be puts more people in the seats creating more money for purses.Most owners did not build their track to become fantastically wealthy but they didn't build them to lose their asses either. I am sure in most cases they realize more purse = more car count,more car count =more money=more purse ect.ect. I guess what I am saying is being as professional as possible in a amateur setting will help lots.And remember a bad day of racing beats the hell out of a good day at work.
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Post by miamiman on Aug 18, 2011 9:24:30 GMT -5
they need to concentrate on making the free money meaning getting the spectators butts on the boards. i remeber on some wednday nights they would have an exibition match race that would draw a large crowd.
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