I didn’t think the black flag was called for either. I didn’t think his actions on the track were out of line (other than maybe flying his bird) Nobody spun nobody ended up in the wall but it’s their call. The stuff at the end was uncalled for though.But the track really needed to get a better handle on it so they really should have just brought things to a halt.As far as track security I think that talks volumes about how cheaply the tracks are trying to get by nowadays and much like not having an ambulance on sight how far they will go to jeopardize the safety of their patrons.
I wouldn’t say “cheaply run”. Desoto is one of the better operating tracks in central fl. Police presence should definitely a part of every race on duty or off duty. Those guys were acting like animals just because he didn’t get his way. Four warnings and two black flags and he didn’t even try to run a different line. Stayed under the rear bumper during every corner. Guys like Jesse dutilly, Joe Boyd, Atwell, nick Neri and etc. all race with respect. Rubbing is definitely racing but If they are faster, they usually find a way around the leader without wrecking him.
People can debate the call all day long, and will. I have no issue with people disagreeing. It happens all the time in this business. All I can say is what was going through my head as the person making the call. His behavior aside, Cody is a talented driver who has had the fastest car all year, and he easily had the fastest car Sunday. From my viewpoint, there is no need to be repeatedly hitting a guy lap after lap before the halfway point of an 89 lap race. Rubbing absolutely is racing, but not at this point in the race. Do that stuff later in the race when it really means winning or losing. A bump or two early in the race, fine, but if that didn’t get it done, at least try to roll the outside or maybe ride a little bit. Don’t do it lap after lap, especially after repeated warnings. At that point, you simply force my hand. I don’t point the flag as a suggestion, there is a reason I’m doing it. It is what it is, I’d make the call again.
I will concede a point. Desoto should have a spotters corral. Unfortunately, we don’t due to lack of staffing. We lack a race director, and when the year started, I wasn’t even supposed to be flagging. I was thrust into the role and told an hour before the first drivers meeting of the year “hey, you’re doing the driver’s meeting”. I have essentially acted as the de facto race director without the official title, as well as the flagger while making all the calls. I have had at least 5 backstretch flaggers this year that I can remember, and some nights a single broom crew guy, forcing us to depend on the safety crew to help. They were amazing with all they do. Low point was the night we didn’t have a tow truck or a flatbed, forcing us to use a front end loader to load a wrecked sprint car onto it’s trailer on the track during the race. Security is non existent, and there is nobody working in the pits to handle the countless fights that have occurred. Then racers are angry, and rightfully so, but there is no track official there to witness anything or verify what occurred. But I love the sport, and I did the best I could with what I had. But in all reality, I had to walk away after Sunday. When your boss openly throws you under the bus to the crew of the car you black flagged by openly disagreeing with the call, there is no point in returning, especially after they pay him 10th place and give him points. I have more self respect than to put up with that, and to me, that opens up a terrible can of worms and every week thereafter, that precedent will be cited by every racer who has call go against them, be it on the track, or in tech. I post this just to clarify things. I’m not a victim, and I don’t want sympathy. I had an awesome year, made some great friends, and met some awesome people. Anyone who wishes to bash me, do so now. It comes with the territory.
To weftracing
Thank you for your honesty and assessment of the situation. It sounds like you have been put in a tough position from the word go.I think a flagman has to have the leeway to run the race,ultimately it is the track owner or race director who may have the final say so but the flagman has to be the one who actually controls things under green or the racers will have no respect for what he’s doing up there.I never liked using my front bumper on the track but I raced against plenty that did and you know it’s going to happen. I always felt like if your car is that much better than mine than drive the damn thing don’t just use it as a jackhammer. But there’s the rub.It’s allowed all the time.Then when you make an indiscriminate call somebody’s nose gets out of joint because it wasn’t called that way in the last race or week etc.Regardless of what happened during the race what happened after it shouldn’t have and that really needs to be addressed by the track ownership. I’ve seen guys suspended or barred for less.In no way have I been attempting to ridicule the flagman, I do however think the track needs to get their *hit together or the same things going to happen again and the next time with possibly disastrous results.
The only security I have seen there are contract security (rent a cops) to some. I think contract security is fine and probably saves $, but being a police officer for 31 years I can promise there is a difference. They aren’t qualified nor able to do the job that I do or OSF has done. Spend a little money and have a Manatee County Deputy there and allow them to make some money too. A green uniform and a star car stops a lot of crap before it happens.
I can confirm that. I have seen private security there a couple times this season. But they didn’t have any debriefing or any plan. When I raced up north, the police would be waiting at your pit after an on track incident to keep the peace. They knew what was going on and who had heat with who. That’s a key component.
The Supers had all the spotter in one area with a track official, I saw them and heard them on the scanner. I did not see the Mod Race so I was not paying attention but they need to due the same thing if they are not in one area.
I 100% concur with you. However, when Ricky Brooks is there for the Super races, he has a couple ladies with him that assist with the Supers, as well as running the spotters corral. But they don’t work with any other classes. After the Super race finishes, Ricky goes down to tech to deal with that. We tried a spotters corral earlier in the year and put a young man in the spotters corral, but they walked all over him and it was completely ineffective. As I said earlier, we have a terrible staffing issue and there was nobody available to be with the modified spotters this weekend even if we wanted to. The reason Ricky Brooks is successful is that they allow him to be. Earlier in the year, people went nuts because he sent Jessie Dutilly to the rear for a bad restart. People screamed “worst call ever”, which of course is something you’ll hear every week regardless. But you notice they never once overruled him, or changed the finishing order. I know he wouldn’t stand for that. Not to get overly personal, but the man running the show needs to grow a backbone and not run and hide every time there is a difficult situation confronting him.
It’s a shame that Desoto has fallen like that. I remember when Denny first took over and he had Jimmy Cope and Don Cretty at the helm. They had big car counts, and the fans were coming out there again. They even had the tv stations doing interviews trackside, not to mention local newspaper reports every week.
Don Nerone always took his own experienced team on the road with him when the FASCAR series was touring, to run the races.
Sorry to hear you walked away from Desoto. I hope they get back on track ( no pun intended ) soon, that’s a nice racing facility.
[QUOTE=Renegade Racing Fuels;172098]It’s a shame that Desoto has fallen like that. I remember when Denny first took over and he had Jimmy Cope and Don Cretty at the helm. They had big car counts, and the fans were coming out there again. They even had the tv stations doing interviews trackside, not to mention local newspaper reports every week.
Don Nerone always took his own experienced team on the road with him when the FASCAR series was touring, to run the races.
Sorry to hear you walked away from Desoto. I hope they get back on track ( no pun intended ) soon, that’s a nice racing facility.[/QUOTE]
Thank you sir. I hope the place can get back on track as well. We had some great racing this season. It’s a great track.
Again not disrespecting any private security but no one is scared of a mall cop. When a Manatee County deputy shows up with authority given to him by the State of Florida there is a different level of respect. There should be a briefing and detail assignments prior to the activities.