Its all in the perspective

[Boneman]

I just got back from Volusia tonight, and decided that it could all be reported in two different ways.

First:
They started 45 minutes late and still took intermission.
4 out of 5 feature winners started on the front row.
The winners interviews and photos take a looooong time.
Cars stopped on the track to draw a yellow flag, and were not penalized.
Some of the races had "yellow fever".

Or:
The track surface was beautiful: the groove was wide, smooth and perfect.
The car count was healthy in all classes, and the racing was good.
Their announcer is a pro.
For a $10 admission price, I felt like I got a very good show.
Clean restrooms, good food and free cups of ice.

What is the point of this? To get you to think about what you read. Its not about Volusia. Instead, it is about the way news is presented to us.

I also admit to a little frustration at the way my home tracks are presented; all we hear about are the negative points. You have to attend a few shows in person to really have an informed opinion of any track.

Two more notes on Volusia;
It is a thing of beauty to watch Ivedent Lloyd drive.
I got a kick out of Buzzie Reutimann! I think he is 67 or 68, but was very fast and competitive tonight.

[carolwicks]

hey Boney....

wish more race fans were like you. the sport would come alive again...glad you had a good time. Buzzie acts more like a 40 yr. old. he is so nice and always a gentleman... the family are all like him. when they are together they are a riot... i havent met Ivedent yet but from all i read, he is one heck of a racer. from what i hear Ivedent and johnnie put on a pretty exciting show at Ocala.
have a great weekend.
;-)
carol aka oz

[BJ Cavin]

Ivedent is definately one to beat, but I've seen him lose more than win at Ocala. Either way, is normally is in the top five and he does it with sportsmanship, which is important. And as for Buzzy, I love it when he shows up at Ocala. For one thing it seems like half of The Villages empties on race night to see Buzzy put on a show! He definately draws a crowd! I just wish Buzzy had better luck at Ocala because most of his recent visits there ended up with a messed up race car.

As for the tracks, Boneman is correct. People tend to post over and over when they dislike something, but almost no one has the motivation to post good things. I saw some good comments on Ocala recently on this message board and others, and Bronson Motor Speedway is another track getting great reviews from racers and fans theses days. If you are a racer and you haven't been to Bronson lately, then you haven't been to Bronson. you need to go back and find out what you're missing.

And with Volusia, I enjoy going there because the show runs well and the staff gets the job done. It may not always be on time, but it is done correctly. Volusia has probably the best announcer in the business in Joe Linebarier, and an excellent manager who has the place turning like a well oiled machine. Volusia is one of those tracks that all of the managers/operators/owners should visit in order to see how it should be done.

[mocha2@dishmail.net]

These are some very good points and I try to keep it positive when posting about the tracks.There have been times when I have got home from the races and wanted to post something negative but I usually just sleep on it and wait until the next day and make it constructive criticism rather than a pissed off rant.Had a good time this weekend at Ocala and VSP.Glad Buzzie is o.k. that was a scary wreck.Did Jamie Carter put on a show or what?That guy can wheel a mod around VSP.

[carolwicks]

can you imagine?

these track owners might not be perfect but i know it has to be so hard for them to please every fan, every driver, every promoter, every vendor, every employee.... it isnt gonna happen. without the owners... no race track... without the employees, no scorers, no cooks, no ticket sellers, no groundskeepers, no phone answering, no clean bathrooms...and on and on... no racers, no need for the others! and without fans, no purses, no lights, no paychecks, no improvements, no nothing.. and yet the owners are expected to keep everyone happy... ABSURD! its silly to think they dont try because if they fail to try to please the fans and drivers they fail to exist.
so the idea of trying to stay positive on these boards is really not so stupid. it just might make the owners feel better about everything and aim to please. i have seen every single track owner beaten to death with these boards... it surely doesnt make them feel like getting up early and planning a fun night for us.
please dont think i agree with the way things are... i cant stand the constant bickering and crappy attitudes, bad calls, fights, rule changes, track against track. it CAN change...
a compliment has always made me want to try harder. if i am constantly criticized for everything i feel like quitting. i usually dont quit but my spirit gets dampened.
so with all that said, i am happy people are starting to respect each other more on the message boards. i am so happy about that...i love this sport and the people who are part of it... everyone tries to do their part. it takes alot of time and money and patience...we need to respect that.
carolwicks aka OZ

[bubba]

Well, I loved the racing at VSP last night. Ivedent (sp) Lloyd was a beast on the high side. on one of the restarts he had chosen the high line and was a car length behind going into one. Stayed hard on the gas up by the cushion and had a 2 car length and growing lead down the back stretch - he was hooked up.

Buzzie was absolutely smooth and fast in the heats. Didnt get to see the feature though...

Very happy with the car counts and general competitiveness that comes with that, there was always a race going on - if not for the lead for somewhere else.

My only complaints concern the late start and the order of the features. I chose last night to bring the whole family to the track and had to leave before the mod feature as it was last. In between I had to sit through not one, not two but three victory lane interviews in the 4-cyl stock class. I know the guys involved enjoy it but in the street stock race it took no less than 15 minutes to get the interviews/pictures etc. Bottom line was we left after the LM race which was already about 1-2 too many from the kid perspective.

Hey I anticipated the limited window with the kids and wife, but didnt count on the headliners running last and about an hour of wasted time in between. Overall I was impressed with the show and will probably return next sat, but would like to see the headliner divisions run somewhere other than last.