TPS SUSPENDS 2017 SEASON

[NeilTPS]

Texas Pro Sedans Suspends 2017 Season

The Texas Pro Sedans announced on March 4 in a private e-mail to all 2017 Texas Pro Sedans Drivers, TPS Officials, TPS Sponsors, former TPS Officials and selected members and friends that TPS was suspending the 2017 Season.

The TPS Founder and Administrative Director Neil Upchurch wrote in the e-mail that he sincerely wished to have not written and distributed the e-mail. He said David Mackey and him have been in close communication since they both first learned on December 13th (and after the December 11th TPS Awards Dinner) that the CTS lease was vacated.

As the Texas Pro Sedans Founder & Administrative Director he reluctantly wrote the following:

I want you to know that I did all I could for more than 41 years to maintain TPS as a responsible, respected, functioning, effective and vital Texas racing organization. Although I assumed this day might eventually come, I hate the day has arrived. TPS has outlived and succeeded every other Texas area asphalt race track and Texas asphalt racing organization we know of. It was good and reliable racing for all TPS drivers and their cars for over four decades. All loyal members should be proud of Texas Pro Sedans accomplishments.

The primary reasons for suspension of the 2017 racing season is directly due to the following reasons:

1. The apparent continuing lack of a new lease holder to reopen and resume racing operations at the track located in Kyle, Texas and formerly known as Central Texas Speedway.

2. CC Speedway owner posted January 5th on LSSZ his desire to reopen the track in 2017. However, he has not responded to our post and e-mail pledging TPS’s support in which his CCS 2017 scheduling plan as requested. We received no reply and know of no other communications or posts by CCS regarding 2017 racing at the Corpus Christi oval.

3. The practice and future racing arrangement I was working on at Houston Motorsports Park hit a stop sign when we read many TPS driver posts on Face Book. It was clear TPS had several drivers who were apparently unwilling to wait on our TPS strategy to develop and work after publication of the February 15th “We are NOT giving up” e-mail to all members. Instead they signaled their disagreement with the patiently wait concept and announced their departure from a fragmented TPS in favor of dirt track racing. Their premature departure doomed our shrinking membership numbers and seriously damaged TPS’s future asphalt car count.

(Our reaction was - “If TPS drivers won’t follow … TPS officials won’t lead”).

4. The withdrawing of its 2017 TPS sponsorship by Sanford Electrical Services in Austin and the owner submitting a refund request.

With suspension of the 2017 TPS racing season and in an appropriate and fair manner to all current members, all deposited 2017 TPS dues have been refunded and were sent by U.S. Mail on March 3 to all drivers and a sponsor on TPS roles for the presumed 2017 season. The listed sum-total of refunds is $2,780 was itemized for member reference.

All concerned were urged to keep their cars in a race ready condition. If a Texas asphalt track reopens, the Texas Pro Sedans need to be ready to reorganize and support that track.

Upchurch thanked the various TPS Race Officials who helped him thru the years to work the nearly 600 TPS races which were produced. He suggested that if any member has time they all deserve should send a “large thank you”.

He also thanked all for their membership in the Texas Pro Sedans organization over the many of the 41 consecutive racing years. The steady and loyal members are particularly appreciated.


Neil Upchurch - Texas Pro Sedans Founder & Administrative Director

For further information, the TPS website will remain open and marginally active at - www.texasprosedans.com

[iwinn12x]

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