Note from Bobby G.-I’ll preface this post by saying that I am not suggesting anyone stop going to Oswego Speedway. Because of my passion for the division and the track, I am simply frustrated, as are many other people about the things that go on there that seem somewhat senseless. I needed to get this out. I consulted with a good many friends before writing it and now posting it. I am hoping that it spurs open and honest conversation that brings forth solutions to some problems. It’s a long read-get some coffee, feel free to comment when your done.
“Why is it that every time a little momentum starts to build at Oswego Speedway, something jumps up to nip it in the bud?”
I started that blog on the first day of August of this year, then I parked it. Let it set. I could tell what direction it was going to go. Ma always said, “If ya got nothing good to say, then don’t say anything at all.” Mom’s are pretty damned smart. Especially mine.
Now, here it is a little after 4:00 am on Monday, August 23. It’s been raining for pretty much a day and a half, nearly two, and as I sit here at the kitchen table trying not to wake the sleeping beauty in my bed, I find little comfort or peace of mind in that rain, nor the warm tea with milk and honey that I am sipping on as I write this.
After a great breakfast with ma n pa and the aforementioned sleeping beauty at a great little joint called Mom and Pop’s, I spent a lot of time on the phone yesterday. I talked to Jerry Curran, Gene Lee Gibson, AJ Russell, Michael Barnes, T-Netty, Mother Theresa and I missed a call from Jim Liccardi. The topic never varied each time the gBerry rang. Without fail, we discussed what happened at Oswego Speedway this past Saturday on season championship night and again, without fail, I found that each person had the same feeling as I did, emptiness, confusion, sadness, and to some degree anger.
Photo courtesy of Flickr Free License Pool by scraplab
For those that haven’t heard, after a herculean effort to dry the track of the wetness laid down by rain after hot laps, all of the heats were scrapped and it looked like we would get at least the four features in,(two 20 lappers for the limiteds and twin 30s for the supers), then the lights went out on lap 23 of the first super feature for the second time in the last three racing events at Oswego…while the field was at speed entering turn 3. And, unlike the last time, ALL of the lights went out, making for several very scary moments. Fortunately every driver used all of their skill to navigate around the dark speedway at high speed and come out unscathed.
The field was restarted and with fingers, toes, and to some degree eyes crossed as everyone wished, hoped, and prayed for the best, because we all want to see this place survive and nobody wants to see drivers hurt.
But, Murphy himself must have been in attendance because his law reared it’s ugly head again as it has done so many times previously this season. Just two laps after the restart, and as Joe Gosek dashed Pat Lavery‘s hopes of winning his first supermodified feature with a daring pass of skill, Todd Stowell, who was back at the speedway for the first time in many months, lost control of the 89 and smashed into the backstretch wall. As Stowell’s mangled race car coasted to a stop under caution, the lights became dark once more and the drivers came to a stop in darkness.
As the clock showed nearly 11:30pm and speedway officials and workers scratched their head as to the cause of the electrical gremlins, it was decided to call it a night. Disgruntled fans were told that there would be no more racing and after paying $20 a piece to get in and seeing only 46 laps of racing for their money, were advised that the show was complete but that they could get $10 off of the purchase of an International Classic ticket or get a voucher for $10 if they had already purchased one.
Personally, and truthfully, my heart sank further as another opportunity to calm the masses was lost. I am not sure, there’s much more I can do. When I see closed concessions and souvenir stands before the end of the nights scheduled racing events, lay down $40 and don’t get a smile or thank you, hand a ticket in and am not acknowledged for coming to the show, and am told that 46 laps constitutes a full show after sitting out weather, a rough night of racing, and power failure, even I have just about had enough.
If you ever pick up a Speedway Directory and flip through the pages, state to state and in alphabetical order, you will read about many speedways in this country that I have been to. At last count, that tallies nearly 100. Many, if not half, have been tracks where I’ve gone to see the mighty supermodifieds at. But the one track that I gave up family and a job for is the one that is now just several blocks from the gPad. It is the one place in the world that I want to be on Labor Day Weekend. It is the one place in the world that I have gained more friendship than any other of the speedplants on my list and I know that at least 75% of the fans of Wing Side Up feel the same way, polls and stats do wonders for knowing who your customers are. I have been to a lot of dumps. Seen a lot of things that shouldn’t have happened at a race track and maybe I shouldn’t get so upset about what went on this past weekend at the track that I love.
Damnit, is it not wrong for me to be pissed for the constant lack of attention to detail, failed, half-hearted, and lackluster attempts at marketing? Is it bad for me to question why good, common and successful customer service traits and practices seem to fall far down the line of importance on race day and throughout the year at “The Lady in Grey?” And I’ve only been coming here for 26 years, who am I to complain? Many of you according to those I’ve spoken with have seen the supermodifieds for over 40 years at Oswego Speedway, and I can only imagine how you feel.
Regroup and Focus-
Ok. Deep breath. This all sounds very negative and to some degree it’s just my personal bitch session full of complaints. Bear with me if you will. I’m going to ask you to take a look at the title of the entry. Go ahead read it out loud and slow. My dear friend Rhonda Burch says this all the time, albeit in a different order. I titled this entry in this manner the first time I started typing it at the beginning of the month after the first power failure at Oswego because I felt like I was watching an old friend slip slowly away after being put into a nursing home.
I’m sure several of you have had relatives or friends that have been put into a nursing home. You don’t want to see them go, but you keep telling yourself and the family that ‘it’s what’s best.” You visit the friend pretty regularly as they get settled in to the new routine of three squares a day, bingo, and rides through the countryside in the van. As time goes by, you visit less because you feel weird sitting by them as they tell you how the nice guy that used to be next door tried to escape and how much they wish they could go back home too. Once a week, turns to once a month, which in turn stretches out to an annual visit to see that old friend.
Eventually, you just stop going, because you no longer see the dignity of just wasting away confined to a small space, forced to eat overcooked green beans, and surrounded by sick and dying people. You hate to see the person that had so much class, now angry at life and lost in the blur of days upon days of board games. And, whether you care to admit it or not, it’s now hard to find enough respect within yourself to force a trip across town just to feel uncomfortable.
Well, to me, Oswego Speedway has become very similar in many aspects to the friend who used to be full of life but is now just withering away in a nursing home. To me, she once was a grand dame of auto racing. A site to behold, sexy beyond belief. She was exciting and her bright silver/grey walls were more than enough to make the moniker “Steel Palace” a worthy title. She was respected for her safety, progressive marketing, fantastic purses and phenomenal racing action.
Now? Well now, it seems she’s just kind of hanging on and it seems to me, and this is nothing personal, but without a change in ownership to someone who is not burned out on being a promoter, has a deeply rooted and strong passion for the 60 year old girl, and can still treat her with the Dignity, Class, and Respect that she deserves, I am starting to believe that many people will no longer visit even once a year. Pretty sad considering how excited we all were at the start of the 60th season.
I have struggled throughout this entire post to wonder if I should hit the submit button or just table it for later. I wonder what further damage I may do by publicly posting my thoughts on this matter. I fear that I am being hypocritical since I always preach “Accentuate the Positive and Find Probable Solutions to the Negative.” I somewhat feel as though I’m beating a dead horse, that I just need to chalk it up as another episode of “shit happens.” However, there is a fine line between blowing smoke up someone’s ass as you turn a blind eye to problems just so you don’t piss anyone off, and being a realist that can see both sides of the story, hope for the best but still tell it like it is. In fact, that line is so fine this morning that I fear I may be walking on both sides of it.
Here’s some things to think about-
1. Chuck Handley, as race director at Oswego has become the front man. He’s the one that now takes the heat for the track from the fans and the owners. He’s the one that understands you can’t just sit on your ass and not give some explanations. He’s the one that checks his attitude at the door, and even though he may be angry as some things people say, (including me with this post), he understands that from the teams to the sponsors to the fans, he is in the customer service business and receiving complaints is not necessarily a personal attack on character. In short-he’s got the nut sack to run the show and is very smart politically. He covered his pride and offered up an apology as well as an explanation on Pinners’ BnG message board.
2. In the big scheme of life, this instance of frustration is not really all that important.
3. Otto Sitterly was crowned track champion and he is more than worthy of wearing that crown.
4. The entire pit area did a fantastic job of getting the track dried up enough to even think about racing. I applaud the decision to can the heats and run just the features and to cancel intermission and two seater rides to help keep the show moving.
5. The drivers. How much of a bummer could it have been for them? They are the ones who have the most to lose out there.
Getting by with a little help from my friends-
I’m very conflicted right now so I’m going to work hard to find some positives and I’m going to talk about them on Wailing with Wing Side Up tonight. I’m also going to do my damnedest to get Chuck Handley down to Lighthouse Lanes Bowling Center to answer some of these tough questions, not only for the audience, but for my own comfort as well.
I’m also going to ask you to comment on this blog. Help me find some positives. All anger, frustration, and bs aside, leave me a comment about what you see as a positive about this season at Oswego Speedway. Help dig me and a few of my friends out of the dumps by telling me and everyone else why we shouldn’t give up on “The Big O.”
In fact…I’ll start with two and let you roll with it from there.
1. Hearing people talk about taking a ride around Oswego Speedway in the two seat supermodified. It was a long time overdue, and I’d prefer it was an Oswego chassis, but this has done as much good as anything in the last 5 years to get people excited about Oswego, and give people new found respect for what the racers go through.
2. Seeing Larry Muroski back at the track after being taken away in the ambulance after a practice crash Saturday when the axle broke. We still have one of the best safety teams in the business and we still have a safe race track.
Ok…now it’s your turn-Tell me why we shouldn’t give up on Oswego Speedway. Fire away and I’ll read some of them tonight on Wailing with Wing Side Up.
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About Bobby G
