Racing or Robbery

Incompitence: not knowing what the hell you are doing.

Sounds pretty farmiliar when putnam county speedway is brought up in conversation. The man in charge is the first problem. Because there is noone in charge. When there is an issue there is nobody to take it up with because noone sees anything or knows what happened. Who is really in charge? Clarence never seems to have the answer to any question of relevance. Next in line would have to be our flagger. If you do not know how to flag a race and do not want to be held responsible for calls made on the track get the hell out of the flagstand. When cars can ride around for 4 laps at 5 miles an hour on a flat tire in the middle of a hobby stock race without a caution you are not doing your job! Line-up issues are another thing. Kind of funny how some racers get put in their correct positions and other lesser known drivers don't get the same courtesy. Week in and week out there are unsatisfied drivers leaving putnam county. Many weeks ago the drivers were promised their pay would never be cut again. LIE!!! Since that promise was made at least one class has had their pay cut every single week. Doesn't seem quite right that the people who work week in and week out on these cars to put on a show for the fans are getting screwed out of their pay. Why should we continue to lineClarence's pockets with money that is supposed to be distributed to the drivers? What show is he putting on? I dont see him out there tearing his shit up so the fans get a good show. We aren't even getting a fair shot at winning the races that we're pretty sure we're going to get underpaid for. There are incompitent officials workings all over the track. There have been a number of people who have tried to run Putnam county speedway over the years. But none of them have run the track as far in the ground as it currently is. There is no credibility what so ever. For all you officials that i have bashed i do not appologize but it is not entirely your fault. You should have never been hired to fill a position you do not belong in. As far as the track goes it hasn't been in bad shape, but that's dumb luck. When Ronnie used to prepare the track it got tore up and reworked every week for a good fresh racing surface. Now we get the same surface everyweek with some marbles from the top pulled back over it. All in all it's just not a decent place to race anymore. To all of you true putnam county speedway fans I hope that you will all get together and stop the show until Clarence gets the hell out of our racetrack. I feel nothing short of a clean sweep of all officials to include Clarence himself will allow fair racing for everyone.

Above written and posted by Anthony White

Wow I thought for once we had a decent show. Not sure who this is that posted. But generally speaking if I may be given the liberty to say so. When you have a flat tire you should pull off the track, There is a outside exit and a inside exit from the track. If you can pull off then do it, if not then stop on the track and they will get you off.
You should know your spot from the line up board and be there on time to get in it with out blocking the other racers who should be ahead of you in the lineup. If you have a question at that time stop and ask the pit steward on your way out if you are in the right postion or even tell him where you think you are supposed to be. If you are deemed late he may tell you are on the tail.

I thought the track was in pretty decent shape. Seems like you are pretty upset and are beratting the people at the track really ruff I think you should rethink your post and use the edit button to calm some of the things down maybe think about it for a couple days, then if you still feel waranted to say these things then post what you want to say. You can copy your post to a word program for later referance.

MIKE TRIPP mtcci@ earthlink.net

We tend to agree with Mike Tripp. Timmy said the track surface has been in very good condition from what it has been the past couple years. Each time we've been there, there is always someone out there prepping the track for hours. So I'd say keep up the good work.

The flag lady, yeah, she has a few issues and might not be as sharp as the usual flagman. But atleast she's standing up there getting the job done. So again, I see nothing to complain about. I'm sure she would like a break one night, so why don't you step up in the flag stand and give it all you got.

I feel Clearance is doing a good job with what he's got and we should all be glad that we have a track to come to. I find it so amazing that when there was no hope for the track to open, everyone pulled together to come up with ideas and ways to get the track open and just about everyone said they would be willing to hang in there, just so they had a place to race. Well now the track gets opened,and there are more whiners and cryers than ever. Just get over it and stop being so ungrateful. If you think you can do it better, by all means, I'm sure Clearance will let you run the show for the night.
Until then, just give it up and have fun racing!!


Jennifer

you would think with all these people and the good show i keep hearing about you would atleast payout wish someone would atleast let you know what your racing for ocala has not had the car count and my pay has been the same:/ maybe someone from the track can get some kind of outline as to how many cars there has to be in writing before the pay is cut nothing like getting to the pay window expecting 300 and getting 200 jmo

A lot of people are working very hard for a lot less than what other tracks pay, mainly because they are dedicated to PCS and want to see it succeed. Yes, mistakes have been made, and continue to be made, but the intent is what is important at this point. No one is out to hurt any individual racer, and no one is trying to "cheat" anyone either. Everyone is doing what they are doing the best that they can in order to keep PCS running.

If it were anywhere else, and if it were not for those who continue to support PCS and work hard in the attempt to bring it back to where it should be, the place would probably be padlocked. PCS has this core group of racers, fans, and staff, that go out of their way to support the track, and those people are sometimes stretched beyond their capabilities. It doesn't make them incompetent. It makes them stressed, and stress makes them make mistakes.

The answer is simple. Maybe a mistake was made and maybe it was not. Whether or not there was a mistake is not important at this point. What is important is that we work together, and if we can't work together then maybe those who can't should go somewhere else? At least that way the hard working and dedicated people who are trying to do their best, aren't getting berated for it.

If you ask me (and I realize that you didn't) you should be thanking of of those dedicated people for doing what they do to provide you with a place to go and race every Saturday night. Trust me, if they didn't do what they do, you'd be racing somewhere else, or sitting at home.

At some time we all get screwed over by something or someone. If it is intentional then we have a right to get angry, but when it is unintentional then we should try to let it go. To let it go is to do what is best for the track, and for everyone who is trying to make it better.

It's not the mistakes that make it so bad, it's the way you are spoke to when something goes wrong. The surface has been better for the most part and not all the people working there are bad. Some of the people that work there just have really bad PR skills. I had issues this week at the track too, but I'm not going to go into it. My biggest gripr is the way some people speak to us as drivers. I like racing at Putnam and hope everything gets better as it has for the most part but the pay out problem is a BIG problem for a lot of people. Hopefully they can get it figured out and maybe a break down of how many cars get paid what, would be a good idea. Also the way the line up is so spread on starts, needs work. My question is, if you are behind a car that doesn't know how to tighten up on the green, what are you suppose to? You can't just go jump around the guys who don't know how to tighten up so it kinda screws everyone else. There were some starts this weekend where there were 2 and 3 car lengths between cars. I hope the problems get fixed and things go well. just my 0.02

john114 wrote:

It's not the mistakes that make it so bad, it's the way you are spoke to when something goes wrong. The surface has been better for the most part and not all the people working there are bad. Some of the people that work there just have really bad PR skills. I had issues this week at the track too, but I'm not going to go into it. My biggest gripr is the way some people speak to us as drivers. I like racing at Putnam and hope everything gets better as it has for the most part but the pay out problem is a BIG problem for a lot of people. Hopefully they can get it figured out and maybe a break down of how many cars get paid what, would be a good idea. Also the way the line up is so spread on starts, needs work. My question is, if you are behind a car that doesn't know how to tighten up on the green, what are you suppose to? You can't just go jump around the guys who don't know how to tighten up so it kinda screws everyone else. There were some starts this weekend where there were 2 and 3 car lengths between cars. I hope the problems get fixed and things go well. just my 0.02

I can vouche for what you are saying, John. I too have witnessed how some of the workers have spoke to the drivers and/or crew members. And what they need to realize is that CAN'T be done.
I use to be a waitress, and we CONSTANTLY had people coming in there demanding things and talking to us like we were nothing but dirt on their shoe. But I would just hold my breath and smile. Because I was going my job, which was to serve them and make sure they are happy. If you go pissing your customers off, they aren't going to come eat there anymore, and they will tell their friends what crappy service that recieved, therefore, there friends will not return. Before you know it, you've lost tons of costumers, just because someone didn't know how to simply smile and say "I'll see what I can do."

About cars not tightening up, well I would think that would be a flagman issue. In my opinion, the flagman needs to make sure the field is correctly lined up, and if someone is tagging behind and holding up the rest of the field, then that car should be moved to the back where he/she can tag along all they want. But since it doesn't seem that's the way the flaglady handles things...I'd just say jump to the outside and haul ass. lol I see cars do it every weekend. But then again, I'd hate to see you get penalized. So don't listen to me lol. I'm not a driver, and that's probably why! I can't stand how you get them slow cars out there that do nothing but get in the way of the real drivers that actually spend hard earned money and time working on their cars all week, then that slow car gets in the way and most likely spins out right in front of you. I think if someone is outclassed by their driving skills, and it's NOT improving after a few years of racing, it's time to drop them down to a more beginner type class.
Time to let the big boys play.


Jennifer

I in no way was trying to hurt anyone's feelings or make anyone mad.
This is a grown up sport with a lot of emotion tied up in it. If you do not
agree with what i have to say that is your right.

Mistakes happen everyone is human. I don't have a problem with human error.How are
you supposed to ask anyone? First of all not one person at that track will give you a straight
answer. They didn't see it don't know about it or just don't care.

The track needs a bunch of changes to become "fair". You would not be let into
the pits for 15 instead of 25 so why should you get 200 for winning a hobby stock
race instead of 300. That just isn't right. Not once not twice but every week. I
would like for someone to request that everyone have their cars turned off during
the prayer and the national anthem. That is very disrespectful to our great nation.

I do not want in any way for Putnam County Speedway to be closed for good.
However i do believe that the racers, fans, and the staff will be alot better off once
the track is under new management. I have seen enough of the way the track is being run this
year, and will not return until a changing of hands has been made once again.


Hopefully it won't be long. I really look forward to joining you all at the races again
someday.


Anthony White

Hi First, I think this year has been one of the better years out at PCS. It is nice to take the family to,the kids get to play, guys get to race and the women watch and chat. As with any business, theres always things that others would do differently and thats fine but whats not fine is to sit and bash PCS and its administration over how they are running the place and not have a solution. For all of you out there that think PCS needs this or should do that, stop complaining,get off your backsides and show us all the money and run it right!!!!! Anyone can sit and type away at their computers saying PCS needs to be run by someone else, well then step up to the plate and run it!!!!!

Hold the phone now i didn't say that you couldn't have a good time at putnam up in the stands gabbing with your girlfriends. What i did say is that the drivers are continuosly getting screwed week in and week out. I had the same attitude about people "bashing" the race track before. I was there clean up days working so that the fans and drivers had a decent facility to enjoy. Going racing is the highlight of my week! However I cannot go down there and watch people not getting the fair shake that they deserve. It appears that you are a driver. You don't feel cheated when your pay is cut? Honestly you think it's right? There are too many complaints weekly and nobody can solve any problems. You are entitled to feel the way you want. But i am also entitled to let anyone who wants to get out there and have a good time and a fair shot at a race that there is no way they can get either of these things at Putnam County Speedway. If he is to continue to stay there he should at least have the decency to let the drivers know ahead of time that he will not be paying what they are expecting. Give them the chance to make that decision with their hard earned money don't just steal it.



Anthony White