Truck99 Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 there will be changes so some folks need to be prepared for some detailed info coming up before July 16th. Sometimes having the options layed out can be scary and honestly the truth can be uncomfortable which it was tonight... Can you or anyone else elaborate on this part a little? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundogC3 Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 there will be changes so some folks need to be prepared for some detailed info coming up before July 16th. Sometimes having the options layed out can be scary and honestly the truth can be uncomfortable which it was tonight... Can you or anyone else elaborate on this part a little? Email coming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 Mary Ann has authorized the publication of the notes that she read from during the meeting. Here they are just as she sent them to me. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ As most of you know me, I believe "Everything happens for a reason!" and "If it isn't fun, don't do it!" I'm probably going to say some things in general here tonight that my insult a few of you, not my intent, although I plan to be very direct! If the shoe fits, at this point, I say wear it, if it doesn't you shouldn't take it to heart! In general... As I said, If it isn't fun anymore, don't do it, well, as things are right now, it isn't fun and it's a lot of hard work! This season i have been snubbed, not spoken to, ass chewed, cussed, accused of many unfair things one that really hurt was "you don't listen to anyone" when I have always prided myself and even frowned upon by some for being DRIVER friendly! The no respect attitudes on the track and off have been incredible! I realize some of you may think when a race night is over we go home and simply return to the next scheduled event and just do it all over again! I can promise you, there are not many of my staff that leaves the track and doesn't work tireless hours wrapping up that event and then straight into getting ready for the next one! Most... Simply out of the love of our sport! With the attitudes that are going on right now, I ask you, how can I go out and even promote for the next event, when we can't even wrap up the last one? Politics are huge, politics is life, so what I thought I would do tonight is to stop a lot of speculating, most of you here in this room one have gone from year to year wondering if Thunderhill Raceway @ the end of the season was going to reopen mainly due to the cost of the lease being right @ 120,000 a season since the track sold to Rick Coleman nearly 5 years ago. So, after the sale of the property, my first season, I got America's Auto Auction as a sub-tenant, great sub-tenant, they had the facilities during the week and we had it for weekends for Stock Car Racing! Although with the dust issues, in their 3rd year with me, they got an opportunity to move to one of my sponsors building, which by the way, unfortunately was going out of business! Once they had given me notice of their opportunity for their new location, I and the landowner, as well as many of you started looking for a replacement sub-tenant, didn't happen! Although Mr. Coleman excepted my 60,000.00 that season, hoping we would still find a sub-tenant, which was last year, I knew something had to happen in order to reopen for 2011!!! It did, very unexpectedly! In December while H and I went to Snowball and then on to NC for the NASCAR banquet, as I have always been very clear that my husband is my biggest supporter, emotionally and physically, although not my business partner! The NASCAR opportunity and other positive things happening, he had decided to financially support my business in 2011, and take on the full lease, as he felt if ever it was going to have been worth the hard work and commitment, this was going to be the season!!! Honestly it didn't happen that way, nor at the time the way I would have preferred it to happen, but once again, as I say... Things happen for a reason! So while we had our plan we headed to NC for the NASCAR invitation to the awards banquet and the track Owner/Promoters meetings. It was an awesome trip and experience of a lifetime, we were headed back with exciting plans to move forward! During this time, there were things working in the background! We came home to some unexpected possible changes and might i add, some possible opportunities, one was an opportunity to have a 5 year lease, I had only been able to provide a year to year guarantee to you the racers! Honestly, every year, too deep to even think about getting out! You see, not only was the lease what it is, but I spend about 20,000.00 a year just for insurance! My 1st year as a partner with Brian Callaway, I acquired a 20,000.00 debt, that I have been paying interest on, as there never seems to be any extra cash flow to pay it off! Then its the end of the season, i have an obligation to provide an awards banquet to show my appreciation for you, the drivers and teams for all you have done! There's another 2 grand just for trophies you've earned. Then there's utilities, during the season and even during the off season! Averages off season about 500.00 a month and during season 1000.00 to 1200.00, then there's maintenance and repairs to this 14 year old facility, most times repairs come totally unexpected! So, seasons over, I continue to work during the off season, working to get sponsors (which has always been hard, and now with this economy, OMG) actually loosing one of our current sponsors, as they are closing their doors for good after July 4th weekend, I can appreciate where their coming from! So, there was this group that had a vision and approached the land owner with a proposal of a five year lease, a lease required in order to invest into the property, as Rick Coleman, the land owner had and has no interest of selling, H and I had talked with him about that, i on several occasions! We bearly missed the opportunity to buy it from Jim Lynch when Coleman purchased the land. If you don't know who Rick Coleman is, he is Yarrington Materials, he owns nearly everything around the racetrack and the track was his missing piece of the pie! Hence his purchase of the land, at the time, with no interest in Stock Car Racing! The group, which if by now you may have figured out is OTX (NasKarts) also known as Armadillo Promotions, LLC. There has been a lot of rumors, that I sold my business, Thunderhill Raceway operated by MAN Racing Promotions, LLC, not true! Maybe had I, I might be smiling and working a lot less, although not sure if I would truly be happy, as racing is my passion in life and always has been!!! I think by not sharing with you, the racers, attitudes have been created due to gossip and speculation. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that someone that comes into a leased piece of property and invest the money that OTX has invested, that there's not more to the story. I have always been more then honest with you guys about "your playground" and where it's at and how we have to pull together to keep it together! More then just a few have given it your all, some could care less, some think I have been blowing smoke of not making money, especially when you look up and see the grandstands filling up! I heard someone say the other day, "man look at that motorhome, we're in the wrong business," I laughed and said I PROMISE you this, this racetrack didn't buy that motorhome! Twenty six long, hard years of my husband working from nothing to successfully retiring! So, when we finally came to an agreement in the boardroom with the landowner and OTX, a five year lease was agreed upon with Rick Coleman/OTX (Armadillo Promotions). MAN Racing Promotions with OTX, what that means is I, Mary Ann Naumann own MAN Racing Promotions (Thunderhill Raceway, Stock Car Racing), OTX operates the on track driving experience (NasKarts). Difference, my 60,000.00 lease money instead of going to Coleman, now goes to Armadillo Promotions (OTX). My cost to keep this playground open has NOT changed! I'm here to tell you the ends are not meeting, anything different? No, except, until this season the attitudes (which I'm contributing some of it to a lot of speculations, that I have sold my business and now work for someone else, which seriously, i'm not interested!, gossip, younger drivers that have less respect for one another and no respect for veteran drivers, nor respect for the cost of equipment that they are driving, tearing up and most of the time, never having to put a hand on those cars, trucks, karts repairs, when others start on their equipment on Sunday after a race and finishing up just before loading back up to head to the track after taking from your families to just get back out there for this sport that we all love! Everyone sees the grandstands fuller, not having a clue the hours and hours of promotions going into it. So, with that being said, my goal has been to fill the grandstands, we been getting there, new faces, new fans and loving the racing, the entertainment, they know no difference between 10 cars or trucks or 18 to 20 like back in the day, where the difference is, is with me as a the business owner, less race vehicles bringing less crews, due to the economy or due to attitudes! You see if there's 18 race cars/trucks or 7, the highest part of the payout is the same! My outgoing is the same, with less coming in the back gate! I know most of you are saying what do we care what this is costing her, I just want to race, well until this season, all I could think of was what if I don't keep doing this, these drivers (my drivers, as I fondly say and feel) how could I let them all down, there's no one out there that would be as stupid as I am to spend this kind of time, energy, ass chewing, hate me one minute love me the next person, well, I have come to realize we're all replaceable! That's not what I want, but what is going on internally is not either! So, this is my "come to Jesus meeting" with you guys, you either want to race at Thunderhill and be apart of entertaining these fans or you don't and all I want to say to you right now is if don't then take your attitudes, disrespect and chose another track, because it is no longer going to be tolerated as long as I own this business! If it's not fun, don't do it, if you can't enjoy taking your race vehicle onto the track as we honor you guys as the HERO's, you can't find time to wonder into the grandstands say hello to a child looking up to you, instead of standing around bitching about everything going on in the operations, then this is not where you belong! I have put 24,950.00 of my personal money i have earned in just last season to the current financials handed to me today! I have no more to give! I'm going to have to make some adjustments, possibly some class and or series adjustments to schedules and before I forget to mention, the NasKarts, Dwarfs and Bandoleros are racing for a trophy! These teams absolutely have the best attitudes! So appreciative of just having a place to race. I said in one of the negative threads on one of the websites the other day, I'm about to make some life changing decisions and several readers thought I was quitting! Some decisions I am working on do not include me leaving racing! There are some payout adjustments and with some of these, certainly some of you will have to make some personal choices and I understand that and I truly hate to have to do it, but there's no way around it! Before our next scheduled event July 16, each class effected will be notified by personal emails, not on open forums. I hope you choose to stick it out with me and my team, as we all care about each of you and your very important to us, to me. I give this sport my all as everyone of you in this room do one way or another. I thank you for your time and extra efforts for being here tonight, I hope to see each of you return to your playground and if you feel it's not where you wanna be, I only wish you the best! Before I leave, I have two request, one is invite you to bow u'r heads and take a brief moment and remember Richard Suberg as he is fighting for his life after major surgery once again today........... Thank you! My second request is, if you are under 21, I would like to ask each of you and u'r car/truck, carts owner to remain and for about 5 minutes, everyone else to exit the Room to the lobby or head on safely to your homes. Just a quick reminder this Saturday @ your track the Firecracker 150 presented by OTX and co-hosted by Thunderhill Raceway Once again, if all of the 21 and younger drivers would quickly move to the front of the room for about five minutes! Let me introduce you to Chris Baker, Thank you all! 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Team Hogan Racing Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 Good morning to all. I have been reading Maryann's meeting notes and I have been reflecting about our families racing career. We started the kids racing quarter midgets about 7 years ago because we love the sport of racing. I personally had no experience in racing at all. When you QM race you have to love the sport and you have to get along. If you don't learn how to coexist then no one races. We mowed the grass, worked the concession, cleaned toilets, worked the tower, judged races, made repairs to onsight buildings, promoted the track and sought sponsorships, paid monthly dues, paid race fees per event, spent more money than you can imagine (especially considering the size of the car) to go fast, and some took on national and regional management duties with QMA (the national sanctioning body). All of this so we could race for an $8 trophy. That is love for the sport! So I understand where Maryann is coming from only on a much smaller scale. I appreciate the fact that when I show up for an event that the grass is mowed, the food is good, the bathroom is clean, the staff is prepared and ready, the buildings are painted and remodeled, the sponsors are there, and the race fees are affordable. I can work on my car and work with my driver/drivers to become faster, more skilled, and teach them to respect others and their equipment. We are fortunate to have Maryann as a owner/promoter of MAN Racing Promotions, LLC and we are fortunate to have each other (our competitors). Without both there would be no race! Sincerely, Aaron Hogan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 i have always had respect for this lady and all the others who work for her .......this is a wake up call ..not just thunderhill ..but for all tracks aswell to learn from her openness ....you know this had to be hard on her .and be even harder to lose drivers . every driver should have alot more respect for her after that meeting ...show it ..i will with our local ...... MARY ANN CHECKER FLAG FOR YOU ......YOUR A CHAMPION .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 You drivers and car owners might want to think about the fact that every short track owner in the country can tell a similar story. Mary Ann just cares more than most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hansen99 Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 Thankyou from the bottom of my heart MaryAnn I love that track and I feel bad you have all that bullshit WOW is all I can say . . . . . you just point them out and I will bust some heads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyman85 Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 Bobby, isn't that what got you in trouble last time - busting some heads that is!! Mary Ann, I applaud you for your efforts. You and H have went above and way beyond the call of duty to not only have the nicest facility for asphalt racing around, but to give everything you have to make Thunderhills doors stay open. Not to mention the huge amounts of money you'll put into the track. I know I'm not a 'regular' driver anymore, but I assure you we talk about THR when we race 'up the road'. I do believe TTS has more people aware of asphalt racing than ever before. I only say that because it's all about attitude. Racing is racing no matter the surface. You may like one or the other, you may hate one or the other. My point is be thankful you have a choice and what happens if the choice is taken away? Just my 2 cents, D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBSF Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 You drivers and car owners might want to think about the fact that every short track owner in the country can tell a similar story. Mary Ann just cares more than most. Ditto that. Best way to make a million from a dirt track is to start with 2! All the best to you folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radical Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 I've always had respect for Mary Ann. Now my respect has grown to admiration. Thanks Mary Ann for everything you do for this sport. I wished I had the opportunity to race for you. Alas, those days are gone. Good luck to everything you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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