SDX and the local community

I didin't get to go after all this year. But I'm guessing it was about the same as TS? I can't see what people get out of acting like idiots all over the place. I did get to go last year to Terre Haute last year and had a great time. I'd like to hopefully go back next year. Hopefully it won't be done away with.
 
Simple solution=TAKE AWAY THE ALCOHOL. Make it an absolute 0% alcohol event for the next year or two to get the waterheads out of our diesel community and ease back into it. The majority of the people i talk to that are not competing but attend SDX and TS treat as though it's spring break. Take away alcohol for a little bit and ease back into it. That will weed out the idiots that give us a bad name, and maybe help us rebuild our reputation. Something DRASTIC like this has got to happen. This shiznit doesn't happen at any of our local pulls and i dont know what on god's green earth gives these people the idea to treat a national event, where our reputation is on the line, as if it were spring break. Its a time to get together, shoot the sh*t, meet new people, get ideas, learn some stuff and most importantly compete with people all over the nation.
 
take the big money from the developers and build a better track and strip in the country ,but thats another arguement altogether
Click to expand...

AllisFarmer, I understand your point. But there is a flip side. There won't be any argument. There's heritage there that non-residents don't see. That race track has had INDY and NASCAR legends get their start in racing there. On the other hand, plans that were shown (but turned down for now) showed some nice new modern day buildings for the fair and 4H. But missing were an oval track, pull track and drag strip. Not necessary for the real function of the fair. To costly to build for the amount of revenue they'd generate. The Action Track was developed back in the 50's and the place struggles to stay open and offer racing venues. Besides...even if you go south of town or whatever...the hotels are in town still. As are the places of business and food. Likewise...the trucks will be there too.

I know there are 5 or 6 folks who "promote" and keep the track going. They are local business owners/managers. And one guy makes sure the track stays in shape by donating heavy equipment. I know him. I go to his house and see him on weekends. Like the CAT grader you all saw working the track. Or the water truck. That ISN'T owned by the fairgrounds. The lights are fixed by the power utility usually free. The local labor unions often donate things and labor. More work needs done to clean it up more. Its just slow. Damage makes it worse.

And if the track was "tore up" and messed up...he'll be pissed. He already don't like what pulling does to the racing surface. The sprint car drivers are very particular. I'd be too going 150 MPH sideways. But its tolerated. Tear up the track and infield? Maybe not.

And I'm not against alcohol. I have beers in the garage fridge. But perhaps it does need banned at a motorsport event where the "public" is as much a part of the event as the racers. The attendees are a HUGE part of the event as well. Not everyone that goes to a NASCAR race drives a NASCAR to get there. This is the opposite.

Terre Haute is unique. Its called the "cross-roads" of America. US 40 National Avenue and US41 Lewis and Clark trail intersect here. Its close to major cities. Its rural...but urban. There are factories...yet corn fields just down the way. Sometimes big John Deeres take up all three lanes with plows. People don't mind. Diesel enthusiasm is taking hold here. I'd like to keep it going.

I'm glad I'm not alone. I was afraid I'd offend some. I had to say my peace since I'll drive by the place all the time...and go to the sprint car races.

PS: Unbroken...very nice truck in the show n shine. Its a great example of what we stand for.
 
Last edited:
They did take the alcohol away at TS, but then they decided to sell it inside the gate...

This year was ten times calmer then last year, the after party was a little crazy and yes it was on public property but atleast it was off the streets...i knew as soon as they shut the lights off in the parking lot that was there way of tellin us ok guys we let you have your fun now go back to the hotels and go to bed..

and to you who think im gonna go up to a 17-23 year old drunk and tell him to calm down or ill get the cops hahahaahaha...think about when you were younger and someone told you not to do something usually you did just as hard or harder...so no ill let the cops do there job and ill drink my beer in moderation and try to have a good time...
 
i couldnt stand the DA's at 3a.m saturday morning have a contest to see who could make the most noise with their diesel trucks! Some people are trying to sleep ya kno! they were right next to us and all of their smoke was rolling right in my tent. people who do that kind of dumb stuff is part of the reason events like these are going down hill IMO.
 
And one last thing...then I'll shut up :). My biggest concern is for Scheid Diesel Service who spends an entire year preparing for this. Not just the week or even month prior to the event. They will suffer if its not supported by the community. As will the guy who has spent tons of time and money on a pull truck...with one less "big" event next year.

And I've nothing to do with Scheid. I buy Fleetguard filters for my Dodge there. And Stanadyne Performance Formula. Maybe some Cummins gaskets once in a while. But I'd given serious consideration to building a puller for the 2.8 class...and I'd like to seek their help someday. And I'd like a hometown pull to look forward to. And so would they!! They are from Terre Haute as well!!
 
First off...very well put Neil! With most of us not being from the area this puts the local perspective within view.

I personally thought the actions on the street were alot more calm than last year. I thought maybe the TS incident and resulting criticism had helped, then I saw this...

Bosshawg600 said:
I guess most of you didnt see some of the things I saw.......


After the pull, for some reason they left the lights on all around the track. We went back after the pull because some one lost their phone. Well we thought she droped it were she was sitting watching the pulls.

Needless to say I drove right into the track. No gate, no security nothing stoping anyone from getting in........

Well needless to say, so HUGE dirty bags with trucks full of people decided to turn the circle track into the Datoyna 500. Numerious truck were flying around the track as fast as they could. To make it even worse, about 20 truck were in the infeild doing doughnuts in the grass.

I mean seriously, how childish and petty do you have to be to think that it is ok to do that? I was totaly embaresed to even have seen it!!!!
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly...how stupid can these idiots be :bang I saw at least four trucks on the track...I was hoping they would drive it in over their heads and wind up in the fence...but that didn't happen (they backed out) and two trucks proceeded to the infield to do their victory celebration...like they were Tony Stewart in a Dmax.

When I walked out of the infield, shortly before the "races" started, there was a security cart headed across the track to the infield. I was wondering when they would step in and stop this...I never saw it. I did see a blue Plymouth Sundance (or similar Chrysler counterpart) cut them off on the track and get them to shut down when they tried for a second race after the victory celebration...I believe this to be a concerned spectator not security.

C'mon guys...next year at this time (if we have SDX to go to) buy a PS3 and NASCAR '10 and be Tony Stewart at home.

Disclaimer - I'm not against said behavior at the right time and place...you want to tear up your own yard or field, or blow smoke on some back country road, or do burnouts on a rural road, have at it...hell I've done it myself...but have some respect for other's property and act civilized in public.
 
Did anyone happen to see what the soccer fields looked like on Sunday? I would assume they were all torn up AGAIN this year?
 
Did anyone happen to see what the soccer fields looked like on Sunday
Click to expand...

I hope you don't mean the "new" soccer field complex along Springhill Drive just down the road west of Sycamore Chevy. If you do...thats criminal activity. I'm not sure they use the fair for soccer any more. Maybe they do.
 
I meant the fair soccer fields, every year they seem to get torn up.
 
Very well said Neil.....After the events that happened this year at TS I contemplated not doing the event anymore.....After meeting with local law enforcement and officials we have a plan in place that will be enforced next year at TS. It is called a No Tolerance policy! If people come into Bowling Green and do stupid acts then they will be arrested on the spot. I love putting on the event and seeing the crowd have fun but the BS is going to stop and I don't care how much it cost me to do it.
 
Dennis Perry said:
Very well said Neil.....After the events that happened this year at TS I contemplated not doing the event anymore.....After meeting with local law enforcement and officials we have a plan in place that will be enforced next year at TS. It is called a No Tolerance policy! If people come into Bowling Green and do stupid acts then they will be arrested on the spot. I love putting on the event and seeing the crowd have fun but the BS is going to stop and I don't care how much it cost me to do it.
Click to expand...

:clap:
 
2Tone12V said:
:clap:
Click to expand...

x2. I am glad you are not giving up on your event Dennis. TS is one of the best events of the year, and after the behavior everyone has seen and described, I really appreciate the efforts you and your crew put in to keep it going.

A No Tolerance policy, and people being arrested on the spot is EXACTLY what these events need to put out the message that diesel motorsports aren't just made up of a bunch of dumbass kids.
 
I agree that Neil's post was well said. What I'd like to know is how did Indy and the western suburbs get the police, sheriff's department, state troopers etc. needed to control that event but Terre Haute comes up short. The Indy event clamped down on the BS. Why can't Terre Haute do the same? Do they not want the revenue that the event brings into town. What IS the difference here?
 
I don't want to be long on this...but the Indianapolis Metropolitan area has over 2 million people. The entire county here has 105,000. They have more officers off duty at any given time than they total here. And them some.

US Nationals, Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400, Indianapolis Colts...the scales of events are not the same. Although the trouble sometimes is.
 
NeilLB7 said:
I don't want to be long on this...but the Indianapolis Metropolitan area has over 2 million people. The entire county here has 105,000. They have more officers off duty at any given time than they total here. And them some.

US Nationals, Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400, Indianapolis Colts...the scales of events are not the same. Although the trouble sometimes is.
Click to expand...

Thanks Neil, that's what I was afraid the answer was going to be. I'm still hopeful that something can be done in the future. These azzholes aren't going away until their actions are no longer tolerated.
 
I've asked a few non-diesel people I know if they saw the activity at the fairgrounds last weekend. Responses were:

"Wow!! That place was sure busy. There was no place left to park! I can't believe how big of a show that is!!"

"I sure bet business was great for the local stores...I used to own a store by there and I know things like that are great for sales when big crowds were in town."

"My father used to own the 18 acres on the north side of the fairgrounds many moons ago. I haven't seen crowds there like that since '48' when they built the track for harness racing! I used to sit atop the two corn bins we had to watch the races. Reminds me of that"

So at least some "average citizens" who didn't attend did not mind the traffic and trucks. Now they probably were not out at midnight to see the spot trouble going on. And the probably didn't get a posi-burnout in front of them or smoked out. But seems like solving those problems might be the icing on a really sweet deal for the industry/sport/community.

PS: I've got some facts/figures about what it takes to provide several extra police cars for three days/evenings. Thats uniformed officers and cars on the clock, on the streets. Its really dry reading. And there is alot to explain. If anyone wants to read it, I'll write it. I'd rather not. Otherwise just know its not possible to just "call them out here all evening". And mutiple arrests takes many hours of court time, paperwork and takes the officer off the street for some time to book them. Anyhow...the idea is that this shouldn't be the police's problem and they realistically don't want to deal with this. We as an organized group should say..."We will not impose this kind of workload on the police". And it is work. Its not cake doing arrests and tickets all night. From my point of view anyway.
 
Last edited:
Excellent posts Neil.

I'm not sure what was different (and maybe I just missed similar behavior), but I did not see such goings-on at Indy or August Blackout this year. As far as I know, both events still allowed alcohol. I know pulling in to race I wasn't questioned or searched for alcohol. In Indy there was a pretty obvious security & track personnel presence, but not overwhelmingly so. Maybe people were still concered after TS? In Edmonton, I saw plenty of NADP employees running around, but no obvious security. It was still packed with people, and there were a ton of people camping in the parking lot and "tailgating", but nobody was getting rowdy. Are our Northern neighbors just that much more respectful?

One step that my local track (PIR) has taken - they banned spectator parking within the facility. There are big parking areas outside the gates, but it is quite a hike in. They run shuttle buses for those that don't want to walk. They are VERY strict on their "no outside alcohol" policy. And with their beer prices, nobody can afford to get drunk inside!

Regards,
Michael Pliska
 
I am disappointed at how the event has turned out. I still love the show, but the crowd has me leaving the kids at home now. It used to be a family event - not anymore.

Hats off to Dan Scheid and the crew though. I know it takes alot of effort to put something like this on. Unfortunately, the idiots could end up ruining it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top