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With all the talk about how "bad" my hometown track had become, I went this past Saturday night just to see for myself. I went with an open mind and even went out of my way to meet the new promoter. Several things had improved, new signs, fresh paint in the bathrooms ( but very few people there to use them) Here a few highlights of my night:
1. While sitting in the line up for our heat races, something doesn't seem right. We had been sitting in the staging area for the better part of 20 mins and its HOT. It turns out almost the entire infield crew had just quit and left the safety vehicles sitting on the track! Not just one person but the vast majority. Big John (track handy man, jack of all trades) knew how to find and fix anything and everything. According to John, he hadn't been paid for two weeks and was paid in BEER for his services. ( Red Flag #1)
2. No pace car driver. Long time track supporter and former track champion Benny Stevens quits in the middle of the week. Benny was a friend to all and a very humble guy. Why? Several of us offered to drive the pace car for FREE to help the show run smoother ( Red Flag #2)
3. The "replacement" flagman has no idea what is going on.... Brent Fults, another track icon and the best flagman to ever work at the speedway also quits ( Sorry John Chance, the extreme white "glow" that emitted from your hairless legs STILL gives me nightmares)Why? ( Red Flag #3)
4. Tech goes against the white board and "dice" system and decides to tear down the top 5 cars in an 8 car Pure Stock race by pulling ALL FOUR SPRINGS. Why would you harass what few cars you have left and run them off too? I have never heard of leaf springs being pulled like this without a protest. Its a PITA to do and a JOB. My dad told the track where to go and what to do when they got there and loaded his car up. At 64 years old, my dad isn't into pulling leaf springs at 10pm for $100 bucks, and then putting it back together to load it on the trailer. I confronted Gary about this in a controlled manner and after explaining other methods to check springs without tearing the cars apart, he informs me that he "will get to the bottom of it and find out what is going on" as if he knew nothing about what was happening. Within minutes, Donny Lewis pulls up on his cart at my dads RV and informs my dad (who doesn't bother ANYONE) that it wasn't Darren's or his call to pull the springs...it came directly from Laplant! He also informs us that now they are only doing FRONT springs. My dad at this point is boiling pissed off and wants no part of it. To make Happy, not Happy takes a lot, and I haven't seen him that pissed off in a long time. Another bold faced lie from Team Gary! ( Red Flag #4) You wont see us back until he is gone. My dad has had enough, and one night of the BS was more than enough for me.
5. "Bunch of Dumb Rednecks".....that's what he calls his drivers, employees and thinks that we are all idiots....can you say kettle, kettle? There is an "interesting" recording of a meeting that really puts things into perspective for those of you who think Gary is your "friend" it's what Gary REALLY thinks about all of us. I will have it posted on YouTube very soon for your listening pleasure. Its pretty sad how the track promoter talks about the local community, drivers and former sponsors of the track. Its a real "eye opener" is all I can say. Friday night, he bad mouths a local racer to a group of others (friends of the guy being trashed by Laplant...Gary cant put two and two together on this one) This same individual has sponsored races, has multiple cars and is an HONEST person. Not somebody you want to run off.... ( Red Flag #5)
6. Unpaid bills (60+ days late) with local companies that tried to HELP Gary out. (Red Flag #6) You need to pay up to the "Dumb Redneck/Hillbillies" that were nice enough to extend credit to a person that obviously cant even pay attention.
Gary has done more to run people off than bring them back. Between none of the other tracks wanting to work with him, his employees leaving in droves and his lackluster attempts to convince us otherwise, I would say that anyone that disagrees with my statement is either ignorant, lives under a rock or has drank themselves stupid on the Kool Aid he is feeding you
1. While sitting in the line up for our heat races, something doesn't seem right. We had been sitting in the staging area for the better part of 20 mins and its HOT. It turns out almost the entire infield crew had just quit and left the safety vehicles sitting on the track! Not just one person but the vast majority. Big John (track handy man, jack of all trades) knew how to find and fix anything and everything. According to John, he hadn't been paid for two weeks and was paid in BEER for his services. ( Red Flag #1)
2. No pace car driver. Long time track supporter and former track champion Benny Stevens quits in the middle of the week. Benny was a friend to all and a very humble guy. Why? Several of us offered to drive the pace car for FREE to help the show run smoother ( Red Flag #2)
3. The "replacement" flagman has no idea what is going on.... Brent Fults, another track icon and the best flagman to ever work at the speedway also quits ( Sorry John Chance, the extreme white "glow" that emitted from your hairless legs STILL gives me nightmares)Why? ( Red Flag #3)
4. Tech goes against the white board and "dice" system and decides to tear down the top 5 cars in an 8 car Pure Stock race by pulling ALL FOUR SPRINGS. Why would you harass what few cars you have left and run them off too? I have never heard of leaf springs being pulled like this without a protest. Its a PITA to do and a JOB. My dad told the track where to go and what to do when they got there and loaded his car up. At 64 years old, my dad isn't into pulling leaf springs at 10pm for $100 bucks, and then putting it back together to load it on the trailer. I confronted Gary about this in a controlled manner and after explaining other methods to check springs without tearing the cars apart, he informs me that he "will get to the bottom of it and find out what is going on" as if he knew nothing about what was happening. Within minutes, Donny Lewis pulls up on his cart at my dads RV and informs my dad (who doesn't bother ANYONE) that it wasn't Darren's or his call to pull the springs...it came directly from Laplant! He also informs us that now they are only doing FRONT springs. My dad at this point is boiling pissed off and wants no part of it. To make Happy, not Happy takes a lot, and I haven't seen him that pissed off in a long time. Another bold faced lie from Team Gary! ( Red Flag #4) You wont see us back until he is gone. My dad has had enough, and one night of the BS was more than enough for me.
5. "Bunch of Dumb Rednecks".....that's what he calls his drivers, employees and thinks that we are all idiots....can you say kettle, kettle? There is an "interesting" recording of a meeting that really puts things into perspective for those of you who think Gary is your "friend" it's what Gary REALLY thinks about all of us. I will have it posted on YouTube very soon for your listening pleasure. Its pretty sad how the track promoter talks about the local community, drivers and former sponsors of the track. Its a real "eye opener" is all I can say. Friday night, he bad mouths a local racer to a group of others (friends of the guy being trashed by Laplant...Gary cant put two and two together on this one) This same individual has sponsored races, has multiple cars and is an HONEST person. Not somebody you want to run off.... ( Red Flag #5)
6. Unpaid bills (60+ days late) with local companies that tried to HELP Gary out. (Red Flag #6) You need to pay up to the "Dumb Redneck/Hillbillies" that were nice enough to extend credit to a person that obviously cant even pay attention.
Gary has done more to run people off than bring them back. Between none of the other tracks wanting to work with him, his employees leaving in droves and his lackluster attempts to convince us otherwise, I would say that anyone that disagrees with my statement is either ignorant, lives under a rock or has drank themselves stupid on the Kool Aid he is feeding you
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