Respect... think about it

You are correct! I have never seen so many people stealing banners before. 

Was it the Daytona of moto? Lol

                    I have attended Unadilla in the 70’s, 80’s,90’s and 2000’s. Somehow , stealing large banners is part of the Unadilla culture. Generally happens late in the last moto of the day. No idea what the banners cost, but they are definitely not cheap !  Ignorant,  but I doubt it will stop.

What's funny is seeing these goombahs steal a huge banner only to leave it in the parking lot cause it won't fit in their vehicle.   True story.

"Grow the sport" they said....

You can see where that's heading. 

Solid post OP....  agree 100%

Banner stealing used to be a big thing at Steel City  back at one point.  “Management” didn’t seem to mind for a few years but then, as usual, things got out of hand and they had to crack down on it… with SOME success.  Morans gotta moran… 🤷🏼‍♂️

I once saw someone trying to steal banners at Hollister…look it up…

The thieves got tossed back over the fence by the tractor and water hose peeps.

It was AWESOME. 

Could be worst..check out this assholes..

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gfMQ9JwaShY&pp=ygUVU3RlYWxpbmcgYmFubmVycy…

But did they leave the table cloths alone?

It seems to be the culture of every national I’ve attended. 

Ya I saw a couple guys doing that shit years ago at the end of Washougal.  When you race there on normal weekends you kinda feel a little responsibility to the track even on a national weekend.  My friend” let them know if they took that banner there was very likely going to be a fist fight, he was instantly ready to throw down.  They did not take the banner.

Those large format banners range from $50-$250 each depending on materials and printing. What a loser one would have to be to internalize that it is ok. Pretty sad. 

Then people ask "WhY ArE the NatioNAls SoOo EXPenSive!???"

It's a New York thing.

Burnings cars in the infield at Watkin's Glen.

Went to a few downhill events at Plattekill.

Each run felt like a gauntlet through enemy territory, having "items" thrown at your front wheel, slurs, etc...

Though the banner stealing happens at events of all kinds, everywhere.

Even at local mt bike races.

You literally have people standing guard around local bike shop banners to prevent theft.

And bikes too.

It's the world we live in.

If it's there, someone thinks it's there for the taking.

We were at High Point a couple years ago and this family next to us were shoving what had to be like 100 feet of Acerbis banner into their car, like who even wants a huge Acerbis yellow banner in the garage?

Happens everywhere sadly, I live pretty close to the TN knockout hard enduro race they have every August at the trials training center. I've been to it I think 3 times and every year I've seen people cutting banners out of trees and running through the woods back to their cars laughing like they stole a million dollars. Saddest part is the ones I saw this doing this was 40 + year old men. I'm sure it was some kind of flex in their man cave, "hey Bill look at this banner I stole". SMH

Maybe these supposed thieves found a ticket under their lawn chair?

What a great show, wish it kept going

I ran out with some Millville banners in the 90s. 

They started cracking down hard and I have never really heard much about it at any national since those days. 

It certainly wasn’t the norm at Thunder Valley in the 2010s. Ripping a lap on a pit bike was.

That just sucks, some people just are total assholes.

Ask Gary Bailey about banners at Loretta Lynns.

Not really a moto issue. Just a breakdown in the sociological order of our society. We are turning into a third world shithole.

about 30 years ago I worked for worldsports, which ran the gatorback national. It was before repeater banners, or for that matter, a crew that followed the series with structures and such for sponsor obligations. we had to reuse the banners for other events until they had degraded so much they were not usable.

We had a couple of our track workers get in a knockdown drag out brawl trying to stop some guys from stealing banners.

The thieves went all kung fu fighting. I think one of the crew ended up with a broken tooth, and they all looked like they had gone a round with mike tyson.

and for what it's worth. repeater banners are not reused. they are stapled to stakes every 4 to 6 feet and are ripped off to remove anyway.

The problem is more about people tearing them down while racing is going on. People end up near or even on a hot race track, or sponsors wonder why there is racing coverage going on and the exposure they pay to have is wadded up in some middle aged guy's bear hug.