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Bring back MX338, shit can Utah and bring a nat to Fla. The moto mecca of the east coast gets the big FU. I'm from CA and I feel those guys should have one! I'd say shit can Elsinore and bring back GH, but that horse has long been beaten to death.
Here's my quick summary. (Guy
If you were at the track this morning, it was an open ride day, and Diane and Ralph were in the booth signing up riders. She was fielding plenty of well wishes, and explaining to anyone who asked what the deal was. Basically, their lease was up, and the Legion wanted to take their annual rent from $20,000 to $100,000. They also keep the money from beer sales and concessions. She also said that the issue is not with MX Sports or DC. They had an open offer of three more years with the National, as long as they could work out their lease agreement.
I asked Ralph about the issue of upgrades, and he told me that upgrades are part of doing business, and that people want nicer facilities. He also said that MX Sports has been flexible about upgrades (like the tunnel under the track before the finish line) that the Asterisk crew uses. MX Sports had asked for that previously, and let it slide for a bit after one of Southwick's rainy years when they had low attendance and couldn't afford to make the changes.
There may be racing at the track, but if there is, it'll be with new promoters. If I was guessing, it looks to me like they're trying to force the Pitello's out, thinking that they could take the National for themselves.
Both Ralph and Diane are clearly bummed by the situation. But Ralph said it'll really hit on October 30th, they run the last NESC race at Southwick.
There may be more, I'm only on page 3.. I would hope that a guy like DC cares about the sport, the Legion probably not so much. The above makes sense overall and throwing DC under the bus based on speculation sucks..
http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Moto-Related,20/Southwick-Official-Press-…
everyone assumes its so easy to arrange these nationals....
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I love it how the uninformed automatically put all the blame on DC...it must be his fault....
Now that this press release has come out and DC has talked to some of the others involved........it would be nice to hear " What could happen " in the future.
Fwiw.....I sure would like to see Southwick stay. It's a legendary track to say the least. A one of a kind here in the states as well.
If you really want to help keep people from flinging shit, see my above post; sight examples from people we trust!!!
Pala gone...
Freestone gone...
Steel City gone...
Southwick gone...
???...
I'm sure there are "reasons", there always are, and for that, I'll reserve my opinion for FIVE years from now
You dont need all the intricate details to see that they had no interest in keeping mx338. Whats it been a month since word got out? Yet they won't even consider another promoter even one who is as successful as Mike Grondahl.
How much effort was put into keeping Southwick? The ship seemed to sail way to early if you ask me. I am pissed that a historic track, one with so much history for 30+ years can be so easily discarded.
I 've been a DC supporter on many issues in the past. Not on this one, he states his loyalties to the former promoter and how important that is. Well where is the loyalty to the fans and all the people that supported this race for fucking close to 40 years. Southwick had such a huge influence on moto, not just in the NE but around the country. The writing was on the wall even the uninformed saw that,and i'm afraid it won't be the last.
I think most level-headed people would agree that Glen Helen is the biggest loss, it's a shame that adult businessmen can't meet in the middle on this, because we all know Lake Elsinore is not the answer in So Cal.
On the Southwick thing consider the possibility that DC is trying to give the current southwick promoters some respect and loyality before doing a new national deal with the new owner? If DC put a national in there next year with the new leaseholder that would be like giving the old promoters, who have been running that race for decades, the proverbial middle finger...
50,000 spectators is about 0.26% of the total population- one quarter of one percent.
doesn't anybody here understand that its a massive undertaking to run a national...and to just hand that round to any promoter can be a literal nightmare. This is the reason for the loyalty. He has promoters that run good nationals and he sticks by them. Shame on DC for wanting to be successful.
I also realize it sounds like new owner/promoter is a good person to have it. hope it works out in the future.
At the same time it's good to see a true motocross person take over and have the resources to make the place work again. He paid a price to rent the track that the Pitellos could not pay the Legion, especially after terrible weather in 2009 and 2011 nearly wiped out their national. Unlike Mike, they did not have a successful outside-the-sport business to fund their passion for motocross.
There will not be a national there in 2014, but beyond that, we will see what Mike does with it in the next year as he learns the ropes of being an event promoter. Then we can see how and where an event fits in. He is obviously a motocross man with a lot of knowledge and success and it would be cool to work with him in the future. New England is where pro motocross in America was born, and the fans up there deserve a chance to see a national again.
But that deal is not going to happen on this board.
DC
MX Sports
I've been hearing retirement for a while. It doesn't come as much of a surprise to us locals.
As you well know, posting on moto forums is a no win situation for people like you, but some of us enjoy your perseverance in posting up anyway.
Not everyone clearly understands promoting a national isn't a million dollar bill in your pocket with no exposure... Some of these replies are simply amazing..
Pit Row
Your previous responses were cryptic and made you look like the bad guy to many people for two simple reasons:
1) You are the "big" business man and the Pitellos are "mom and pop"
2) You were responding with vague "details"
You don't have to give out specifics, but it makes you and your organization look much better to the folks on here if you were to say something like this originally "The Pitellos could not afford the new lease, MX sports does not supplement these leases, MX sports needs to learn about new promoters before committing to an event, there will therefore be, at a minimum, a gap where the national does not run at Southwick".
No damming details in that statement, short and sweet, and paints you as someone responsibly running a business trying to promote motocross rather than what people here sometimes think you are.
Just my opinion!
"Hey, Davey, you left out all the details of your future business plans & the FI-Statement of MX Sports; also, you must be butt-hurt since we still can't get it thru our heads that Southwick went away due to Two OTHER Parties not being able to come to an agreement."
You idiots belong on "Housewives of Idiot-City".
I'm jus' sayin'...
Who cares if the old promoters got the push out or Bud is stubborn...ALL US FANS WANT SOUTHWICK AND GLEN HELEN! Not Elsinore and Utah. This is getting worse every year w MX Sports.
Seeing this current press release from such a businessman with such a passion for MX should have made all of us not in the know feel excitement for the National to continue.....until seeing Carrie's quote included at the end. Whatever the circumstances, that quote is telling. DC is now smoothing out the harshness and finality of that quote, because that really isn't anything you'd expect from an MXSports representative regarding such an historic and hallowed event. I hope Southwick can be revisited down the road should the new guy meet muster, but at the same time the new events that crop up have unproven National promoters as well. They seem to be given the benefit of the doubt without having to prove themselves over time. I've been hearing rumors of Southwick going away as a National for some time......well before this year's issues came about.
Just curious, but it would be a fair assumption that MXSports' fee to hold a National has gone up considerably over time? Yet when the Southwick lease is up, the owners of the track aren't allowed to up their price? Without looking at any numbers, $20,000 seems shockingly low to lease that track for a year full of events, including a National MX with 25,000 in attendance. I know of local hare scrambles events where the landowner garners upwards of $5,000 for the use of the land for the weekend. $20,000 seems reasonable for holding a few local races. However, this track hosts more than a few local MX events, and then throw in quad events......then a National?
I usually side with DC almost without question. This one just doesn't seem to be adding up. I guess over time we'll see what transpires. Personally, I'm thrilled to hear the track will continue on as an MX facility and I hope the new promoter is able to make it a successful venture.
Post a reply to: Southwick Official Press Release