I like my irony thick
Humor brings insight and tolerance. Irony brings a deeper and less friendly understanding.-
If nothing else at least I have a different perspective on the world of “professional” kart racing than I did earlier in the week. And by professional I mean spending 20 or 30 grand for a winning purse of 15 grand. Though to be fair most of those this week are imported wringers whose gig to drive karts for a living. Win on Sunday, sell on Monday. Or at least they did when people either a) had money (or used their houses as ATMs) or b) willing to part with what money they did have. There have been a few discussions in the paddock about the almost Pythonesque death of Super Pro. No, really, I’m not quite dead yet. The competition at that level is migrating to TaG. Why spend a ton of dough when the factory and importers are going bring guys over to race against you on money you’re giving them for the arrive and drive that is going to take any money you might get from winning to pay for that ride. If by next year the importers are asking who killed Super Pro, have them hold up a mirror. The local dealers are getting squeezed too as the importers support (euphemism for sell direct) to those racers. It’s not in any great number save for a few events but in a sport as narrow a market as karting, every little bit helps those shops keep the doors open.
At the drivers meeting during the promoters part of the gabfest I couldn’t tell if we were having driver’s meeting or we were watching Last Comic Standing. Cause I heard some pretty funny shit. The all out howl fest for me was the promoter lecturing racers and parents about how important this event is and how every one needed to present the most professional face. This of course was at a meeting where he announced “shut up and sit down” as a way to start the gathering. I imagine the director of the National Guard motorsport program, himself a karter was cringing because in the military of all places, one must lead by example. Let me type that again, just for good measure. Lead by example.
Another whopper, the reason for black flagging lappers isn’t so the leaders have unimpeded track. No, it’s because that’s where we would finish anyway. Are you shitting me? You can say that with a straight face and sober? Some of the fights in the back of the field are just as competitive as they are in front. Look, we knew the deal was what is was when we signed up, backmarkers not welcome. Because if they were, some of the racers in the lead pack might actually have to learn some race craft and strategy instead of bashing the way to the front. When they do use bad judgement and tangle with a lapper and eat it they blame the lapper even though that’s how they do it in real car racing. I guess they don’t do that in toy car racing. Don’t piss on my leg and tell me it’s raining and don’t even try to think you know how someone else feels about battling for 30th place with three other slow guys. It is what it is, don’t sugar coat it. It insults our intelligence. Just because we spend several thousand dollars to come race in a casino parking lot in Vegas for tee shirts and sunglasses doesn’t mean we’re stupid. It just means we’re addicted.
Hi, I’m Dave and I’m a recovering race-a-holic.
In yesterdays post I called him the RD when infact, unbeknownst to me, there is an actual, I’m told professional level race director. My apologies. No, really…
Some props… Covering items in the meeting with which I had issues, namely the lack of portable toilets delayed a day by the vendor. Not knowing the plastic crappers came with TP, they stocked up. They likely have enough that they can TP Seeseman’s house while he’s in Europe at the world finals of karts powered by sealed snowmobile engines. If Governor Palin and the First Dude are reading, that would be a snow machine.
Garbage cans? Vendor failed. Parking? Hotel juggling it to accomodate other events. I bet they had no idea there would be this many trailers and large tow vehicles that couldn’t be parked in the paddock. Unless of course you were on one of the anointed teams that could park in the paddock or use their golf carts in the paddock. Everyone else, no parking, no powered transport.
More props… Great presentation by the sponsors/vendors. Registration was great, well organized and efficient. Much more than I can say for much of the venue foot and kart traffic and access management in the venue. Fuel desk, crowded but otherwise fine except for bad traffic management. Hint, karts are 55″ wide, perhaps moving the entrance forward so all karts had to fight through the line at the desk wasn’t such a good idea. VP guy on the fuel truck rocks. PA broadcast on FM but is loud (too loud in some places) throughout most of the paddock. Small PA for spectator area bleachers. Those that know me know I have a soft spot for a proper sound system for the application.
The not so props…Flagging still inconsistent and very few getting parked for passing under yellow even though most do. The problem is that the two fastest parts of the track have minimal runoff with the plastic canyons and at night the flaggers are difficult to see at times. Lighting? One word, Musco. If not that, then getting someone that designs architectural or industrial lighting for a living. Parking a bunch of Ahern towers and pointing them down isn’t varsity. It doesn’t have to be Singapore GP level lighting but it should be lit better than my walk in closet. Flaggers, bite the bullet and get some full time (or as full time as they get) SCCA corner crews. My closet also has more consistent flagging. The guy whose kart I was in that some knucklehead totaled Thurs agrees with me. If you’re smart you should be able to figure out to whom I refer. He agrees with me about the flaggers, not about my closet.
Gotta go get some sleep. Well off pace, about 5.5 secs as my trusty old Rocket is nothing like the CRG rent a ride that will soon become a garage ornament, or cut up and reverse engineered or sent to China to have copied in the thousands and sold for fifty bucks each. I haven’t decided though if I do ship it to China, I better at least straighten it so they don’t copy the bends. The Rockets brakes and lack of adjustability is no match for the plastic canyons. My fronts are only good for about four laps before spinning freely and the chassis setup options are minimal and not that precise. You do get what you pay for and suppose it would help if I hadn’t hammered the old gray mare for almost five years before coming the the race.
Tags: SNATS Race Things