Wealthy guy builds house next to track, then buys track to close it..
- Thread starter jdearing
- Start date
DaveMcLain
Active Member
That's what happened at Rolla Speedway.
muddy mike
Active Member
i always heard the promoter took off with all the money while the cars were still on the track at Rolla's last show lol
TheBigWheel
Member
This is the promoter/owners comments on Cherry Raceway Facebook. Note the same comments on the radio interview about internet track bashers. Part of his reason to consider selling was these hateful people. This should be a lesson learned. (I'm not discounting the fact the buyer was deceitful azz.)
Track owner...
I have no reason to do this post there is nothing to gain or lose for me personally. Short track racing across the country is dying at a rapid pace. Having experienced it as a promoter, racer and fan of the sport I have come to the conclusion that we are our own worst enemy and face book that i am using right now to reach out to you does far more damage to the sport than good. It allows people that will not discuss any hate or discontent they might have to hide behind the scenes and rant. These face book warriors are the reason that i have chosen to sell Cherry Raceway so for the record you are the reason short track racing is dying and there is no more Cherry Raceway. I am only talking about a small percent of people that call them selves race fans. For the most part we have made many friends and most of our trouble makers only showed up at the track once and a great while or maybe not at all but yet bashed on me and my family and Cherry Raceway. I watched them do it to the prior owner and thought we could come in and make a difference. No chance so in the end a small percent ruins it for all.
To my friends and supporters of mine and Cherry Raceway I want to set the record straight. Threw the sale of Cherry Raceway I never spoke to Mr Batzer only his attorney. This was the deal I was paid to stay on as a consultant for one year. I was paid to not compete or own a race track for five years with in 100 miles of Cherry Raceway. He was insistent on buying all of the inventory and equipment. He bought all the property and bought the business. Mr Batzers was made aware by his attorney that I would not sell if his intent was to close because we bought the track 6 years ago to keep it from closing. After the sale was complete and done now Mr Batzer says its closed. Now you all know the whole story, good luck in your future racing. All I can say to my friends and race fans is sorry it turned out this way. As for you face book warriors go ahead and take your last shots at me, my family and Cherry Raceway you win track is closed you can move on to your next track and destroy it I know you will.
Track owner...
I have no reason to do this post there is nothing to gain or lose for me personally. Short track racing across the country is dying at a rapid pace. Having experienced it as a promoter, racer and fan of the sport I have come to the conclusion that we are our own worst enemy and face book that i am using right now to reach out to you does far more damage to the sport than good. It allows people that will not discuss any hate or discontent they might have to hide behind the scenes and rant. These face book warriors are the reason that i have chosen to sell Cherry Raceway so for the record you are the reason short track racing is dying and there is no more Cherry Raceway. I am only talking about a small percent of people that call them selves race fans. For the most part we have made many friends and most of our trouble makers only showed up at the track once and a great while or maybe not at all but yet bashed on me and my family and Cherry Raceway. I watched them do it to the prior owner and thought we could come in and make a difference. No chance so in the end a small percent ruins it for all.
To my friends and supporters of mine and Cherry Raceway I want to set the record straight. Threw the sale of Cherry Raceway I never spoke to Mr Batzer only his attorney. This was the deal I was paid to stay on as a consultant for one year. I was paid to not compete or own a race track for five years with in 100 miles of Cherry Raceway. He was insistent on buying all of the inventory and equipment. He bought all the property and bought the business. Mr Batzers was made aware by his attorney that I would not sell if his intent was to close because we bought the track 6 years ago to keep it from closing. After the sale was complete and done now Mr Batzer says its closed. Now you all know the whole story, good luck in your future racing. All I can say to my friends and race fans is sorry it turned out this way. As for you face book warriors go ahead and take your last shots at me, my family and Cherry Raceway you win track is closed you can move on to your next track and destroy it I know you will.
t.nie
Patience Tester
"Facebook" bashers (a small percent by his account) are what caused the promoter to sell? A "few ruined it for everyone" is what he claims?
Kinda finding that a convenient way for him to take the money and run while trying say it was his "small percent" of detractors that were the reason he sold out and quit.
If he's losing money or not making enough to justify the hours and work fair enough. If the offer he got was enough to sway him to sell it, fair enough.
But I just can't buy this explanation that a small percent of his irregulars saying negative stuff on Facebook would make someone sell out and quit. I think it was money talks like everyone posted above.
Kinda finding that a convenient way for him to take the money and run while trying say it was his "small percent" of detractors that were the reason he sold out and quit.
If he's losing money or not making enough to justify the hours and work fair enough. If the offer he got was enough to sway him to sell it, fair enough.
But I just can't buy this explanation that a small percent of his irregulars saying negative stuff on Facebook would make someone sell out and quit. I think it was money talks like everyone posted above.
Ridinthecushion
Circus Freak!!!
Well from my experience and perspective, I can see his point if his heart isn't fully in it. From your response t.nie I guess people don't truly see what it actually does to the track and the amount of extra effort it takes to combat these people. This type of deal made me enjoy help operating the track A TON less than I should have. Having it being a money pit was also a lot of the issue, but certainly having to deal with this crap was pretty high up there. Some people might let it bother them a little more than others. Social media is a powerful thing. And it takes 10 times more positive things to make a difference to someone than 1 negative comment. So I guess I am on board with the notion that "a few are ruining for everyone". BUT it is just a part of the entire issue with operating a track these days.
Again all from my EXPERIENCE in it.... It is my feeling after dealing with it. And frankly I am happy we are done with it
Again all from my EXPERIENCE in it.... It is my feeling after dealing with it. And frankly I am happy we are done with it
t.nie
Patience Tester
I have some experience on the promotion side too. If you don't read the racing websites/facebook, you don't have any clue that people are even trashing you on the web, all you know is how you are doing in real time at the events. If you measure your success by how you are doing week to week at the track, that's what matters. Not what people are saying on the net.
I had a boss once who told me there are some battles you will never win, so don't engage in them. That's how I see the internet warrior crap. Let em say what they want, I know of very few people so stupid that they would make their decision based on a Facebook post, and if that's all it takes for them to not go to your event, they probably weren't too interested in going in the first place.
Control the things you can and ignore the things you can't. You'd be surprised how much easier it is to just get on with it when you have no clue what some idiot on Facebook is saying, and who cares anyway. Focus on the positives and take the negative stuff with a grain of salt. Be willing to consider the comments of other people, but don't assume that every complainer has a valid complaint. You have to be able to make up your own mind if you are handling things the best you can for your track, fans, racers, staff, etc. You can't make all the people happy all the time.
Someone from Allied told me when I was doing some promoting that if 75% say nothing and 25% complain at the end of the night, that's a good night. If you have 75% complaining and 25% happy, you got a problem that you need to figure out how to solve. To this day I remember that conversation with her and think that was great advice.
Sorry, but I will just never buy that line that "Facebook" or "the internet" killed a racetrack. There are way too many tracks that are successful, you mean to tell me it's because no one decided to get on Facebook and trash them for no reason? They're just "lucky" there are no bad apples deciding to tear their tracks down?
I just don't buy that some promoters are just "lucky" and others aren't. I think you make your own luck and some people just aren't good at being promoters and probably shouldn't have stepped into that role at all. Doesn't make em bad people, but not everyone is going to be good at something just because they love it and want to do it.
I had a boss once who told me there are some battles you will never win, so don't engage in them. That's how I see the internet warrior crap. Let em say what they want, I know of very few people so stupid that they would make their decision based on a Facebook post, and if that's all it takes for them to not go to your event, they probably weren't too interested in going in the first place.
Control the things you can and ignore the things you can't. You'd be surprised how much easier it is to just get on with it when you have no clue what some idiot on Facebook is saying, and who cares anyway. Focus on the positives and take the negative stuff with a grain of salt. Be willing to consider the comments of other people, but don't assume that every complainer has a valid complaint. You have to be able to make up your own mind if you are handling things the best you can for your track, fans, racers, staff, etc. You can't make all the people happy all the time.
Someone from Allied told me when I was doing some promoting that if 75% say nothing and 25% complain at the end of the night, that's a good night. If you have 75% complaining and 25% happy, you got a problem that you need to figure out how to solve. To this day I remember that conversation with her and think that was great advice.
Sorry, but I will just never buy that line that "Facebook" or "the internet" killed a racetrack. There are way too many tracks that are successful, you mean to tell me it's because no one decided to get on Facebook and trash them for no reason? They're just "lucky" there are no bad apples deciding to tear their tracks down?
I just don't buy that some promoters are just "lucky" and others aren't. I think you make your own luck and some people just aren't good at being promoters and probably shouldn't have stepped into that role at all. Doesn't make em bad people, but not everyone is going to be good at something just because they love it and want to do it.
