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WICHITA SPEEDWAY IS OFFICALLY CLOSED


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Well, it looks like a few ruined it for everyone. It seems like a lot of you guys here want to bash on Barry and Stan, which is not really who your remarks should be made against. I hear that between Hank, Randy, and Junior, they got Barry pissed with the protest they organized (which never had a chance to take place), and their meeting with him where they were determined to be unreasonable and unable to please. So the way I see it, Hank and Randy are the ones that caused the track to close. This is really going to suck if Barry just sits on this track where no one gets to race on it for a few years. Personally, i don't think he will sell it but what do i know...

 

By the way, my name is Walt Wilson. If you expect me to respond to any post, I require that you post your name as well. Anything un-signed is not worthy of my response!

 

Walt Wilson

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Walt Wilson

 

My name is Mark Pinson Jr. and i couldn't disagree with you more. First of all Junior had nothing to do with this protest. Second of all WE the racer's are the ones that were going to protest with a total of around 22 car's. I agree with you that Barry is getting alot of flack that is not deserving but he is the owner. If Barry would have bought a drag strip than Stan may have been some help but circle track racing is not drag racing and the same rules do not apply. Stan was making rules that are unheard of in circle track racing. Heck i was starting to wonder if he was going to have us turning right at some point in the season. Stan ran off atleast 10 car's when he made the decision to not pay the last place car and you could only get your pay if you finish all 20 laps of the feature. If this was not Stans decision than I apologize but I'm 99% sure it was.

When we raced last Friday it was close to 7:00 with racing starting at 8:00 and Stans son was kicking over bushes the size of small trees in the middles of turn 3 and 4. With that being said all I hear is don't slow down when crossing the drag strip or don't park on the drag strip. I only wished they cared that much about the circle track. I have never seen the track that run down. At the driver's meeting Stan said they had plenty of money and they were going to improve the track. It's five races into the season and the workers pay is cut, the driver's pay is cut, the rules are changing, the track has went down hill, the promised schedule,advertising and website never happened. I don't hardly see how this is Hank and Randy's fault. I would keep going on but I'm running out of room. If Stan was no longer in the Management position i could gaurantee the car count would go up. I still want to race at Wichita Speedway.

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everyone that had talked and or agreed on the protest knew that one of two things would happen.

1. the owner would listen and make some needed personnel changes and racing would go on.

 

2. not understand what was being told get mad and bring a quick death now instead of a slow one over the next few weeks.

 

I'd rather know now so I can start looking where I'm going racing instead of if I'm going racing.

 

These weekly drag strips make the money on the pit gate. Its easy to figure look at the seating they have for spectators

 

Ovals are suppose to make it on the front gate. Once again look at the size of the seating for spectators.

 

If you listened to Stan talk for a bit it was obvious where his thinking was going to end up.

Stan might be a heck of a nice guy to shoot a game of pool and have a burger and a beer with. When it comes to a circle track he doesn't have a clue. That doesn't make him a bad guy.Just not the best person to run an oval.

 

If somone gets things going I'll be glad to come back.

 

 

 

RICK WYCOUGH B)

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Well, Mr. Pinson Jr., I have to disagree with you on some of that. It has been my experience that no matter who is having to make the calls at the track, that person is generally not liked. People talked bad about Mike, and George, and Joe (at Altus),and Lanny (from Lawton and Devils Bowl), etc. etc. And it is not just the Owners, its the track managers, etc. that have to make the calls on what is happening or going to happen. Now, it is my OPINION that if Junior had made the calls he should have, he would not have been YOUR best friend either. I know Junior works on your familys cars and many other peoples cars. This is really a conflict of interest on his part! You CANNOT work on racers cars during the week and then go play track manager (if you call him that) on race night. Can he make a fair call? Can he be impartial? Maybe, but only to a point! He is still going to have his favorites and make things go the way that keeps them happy. Regardless of all the above, making demands of a track owner is not the way to get things changed. When Junior makes a call, he pumps ya'll up and convinces you that it is a good thing, but when the track owner makes a call, you all protest! Is that what is going to keep the track going? Barry probably would have kicked all the protestors off the property had it happened!

 

And you say the racetrack went down hill? What about them grinding the track and spraying the traction compound so maybe there could be a little more side-by-side racing? What about revamping the consession? What about the extra hand rail in the stands? What about the bathrooms getting re-plumbed? They even took the leap to give away free beer to the spectators until they got their beer license! How can you say it went downhill? You talked about "small trees" in the track...well someone has to take care of it sometime! Is there a problem with someone doing it before the races where you just happen to see it? If it had been done an hour earlier, you would have never known! The track was clean when you raced on it wasn't it? What's the big deal?

 

Anyway, you seem hung up on the fact that Stan is a drag racer, which I don't see as an issue! He is still a racer and just because he is not doing the things that are the norm, does that make them wrong? I believe he and Barry just wanted to make it better, but i'm sure you don't see it that way! The way I understand it, Stan never intended to run the track. All decisions were made by Barry and Stan anyway! Barry had the final say in everything and he made the call to close it down. Hank and Randy were the ones to cause him to do that! The planned protest would probably been the last night of racing anyway. Barry doesn't put up with behavior like that! Mr. Pinson, I know your family, and Hank, and Randy, and a few others can afford to go to Altus every week, but what about the people who can't! The "ring leaders" of the protest just killed many people's race program! I feel bad for the people who no longer have a track to race on! What about you?

 

Walt Wilson

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You have to have car's to race PERIOD!. If the cars are ran off because you don't do the (norm as you referred to it) do you have a race NO! Randy and Hank did not have unreasonable requests only to get rid of Stan. I'm sure Junior would turn over the reins to you if you would like to. Junior tried to bring racing to the track in ways of traveling series and for what ever reason the decisions could not be made by management.The improvement's on the concessions and restrooms were an improvement and it showed. There was plenty of fans in the stands. In the meeting Stan said he worked for us the racer's. His goal was to make us happy. I think he forgot that. There are several people on this forum that left and I'm sure if you hang around you will hear more about this subject. Your right about ONE thing, If Junior was allowed to make atleast some of the decisions and work more than one day a week you would be able to call him a manager. What are you titled if you cannot make any decisions.

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Ok before this gets out of hand I just want to say Barry is a very nice man and none of this is pointed towards anyone. This is a forum for people to discuss issues and that's what I'm doing. Everyone that was going to protest wants to race at Wichita Speedway, just without Stans irrational decisons. I would think that if Barry knew the track would be back in full swing he would discuss this with Stan and Stan would just leave. This is a business to Barry, "in which it should be" than why would he just not get rid of the problem and pick someone else to take his spot that knows CIRCLE TRACK RACING.

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" I hear that between Hank, Randy, and Junior, they got Barry pissed with the protest they organized ..."

 

 

 

 

The customers organized a protest to call attention to the way the business treated them and the owner was "pissed" instead of embarrassed?

 

Could be a clue hidden in there somewhere...

 

Jay

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Txenergy Marc did have a video on his web page that showed some of the track. If its not on his site anymore I'd bet he has some pics. That was one of the new crazy rules, no photos or video allowed.

 

 

 

Jay you just gave me the only giggle I've had for a couple of days.

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Txenergy Marc did have a video on his web page that showed some of the track. If its not on his site anymore I'd bet he has some pics. That was one of the new crazy rules, no photos or video allowed.

 

 

 

Jay you just gave me the only giggle I've had for a couple of days.

 

 

What a stupid rule,,,, I would like to have more information on this track..

 

Thanks

Shelma

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" I hear that between Hank, Randy, and Junior, they got Barry pissed with the protest they organized ..."

 

 

 

 

The customers organized a protest to call attention to the way the business treated them and the owner was "pissed" instead of embarrassed?

 

Could be a clue hidden in there somewhere...

 

Jay

 

Racing is a unique business venture. But racers are not the customers. They are the beneficiaries of someone else's largesse on one hand, and independent contractors on the other.

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"Racing is a unique business venture. But racers are not the customers. They are the beneficiaries of someone else's largesse on one hand, and independent contractors on the other."

 

 

 

 

That's a pretty minor distinction for a business that's ecomonically fueled by "back gate" income. I didn't participate in the protest that folks were talking about. I pre-dated it by quietly taking my "racing budget" elsewhere several weeks ago. I didn't care for their cutting corners on my safety among the others things noted elsewhere.

 

Marc (19) elected to take his funds to spend with Mary Ann ( and the Goodyear tire and rubber company :D ) this weekend.

 

I elected to take my racing money to Cozumel.

 

In either case, we chose to spend our money somewhere else. That is a CONSUMER'S option.

 

See you at the races...or on the beaches

 

Jay

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