Some semi-regular musings on racing and life in a COVID-19 Pandemic Quarantine World
So let’s talk about whining in the world of short track racing.
Just please stop it right now.
On Friday the Tri-Track Open Modified Series announced they were postponing their season opening event at Monadnock Speedway from May 2 to May 9.
And the immediate reaction from many on social media was to complain about the rescheduled date choice for the Tri-Track Open Modified Series because it now falls the day after the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
First, let’s take into account the fact that any scheduled or rescheduled events in May are still all sorts of tentative, so is it really worth it to complain about something that likely still might not happen.
Second, when it comes to Tour Type Modified events these days tracks and touring divisions work hard in the offseason to try to organize schedules that don’t create conflicts and give everyone the best opportunities to participate in as many places and events as possible. And now – unfortunately because of a national emergency – they all face unprecedented circumstances with an ever shortening calendar for 2020. And obviously because of that it’s going to be tougher and tougher to reschedule events and avoid conflicts. People are obviously going to have to make some choices and everyone needs to understand that getting events in without conflicts is going to be a very difficult thing when it comes to a lot of events in 2020.
In the grand scheme of all that is going on, complaining that a team might not be able to make it to both events now is the very definition of petty right now.
eRacing
While on the topic of complaining about racing subjects, can people stop complaining about iRacing events being organized by NASCAR or tracks like Stafford Motor Speedway, which will host an eRacing event tonight.
News flash people, nobody is trying to replace real racing with this. Give these entities credit for offering race fans some simple entertainment when a lot of people need a break from seriousness, fear and anxiety.
Going on Facebook and calling it stupid or a waste of time or a joke just makes people look foolish. It’s just something to watch. If you don’t want to watch it, don’t watch it. It seems like the only people taking it too seriously are the people complaining about it.
Binge Watching
Ok, can we just talk about Tiger King on Netflix?
If you haven’t checked it out yet, you must.
At a time of such harrowing national anxiety, Netflix comes through with the most absurdly crazy train wreck of a docu-series. It’s like Netflix’s greatest gift to the world when we all need a little mental relief.
You start with the main character Joe Exotic, a wildly eccentric lunatic who just happens to own over 200 big cats and a menagerie of other exotic wild animals living on a private zoo in Oklahoma. And then you mix in an equally loony woman from Florida who also owns hundreds of big cats and is on a mission to shut down Joe Exotic. And then for good measure just add in about 12 other marvelously batty main players to a story that you can’t take your eyes off of.
The hype is real people, go watch it.
Tiger King earns Five Quarantine Snacks out of five on our Binge Watch ratings.
Stay safe everyone. Keep positive. Help your neighbors if you can. And wash your damn hands.
First annual “complaining about the complainers” story during a virus when there is no other racing news. You got my click so you won I guess. What else am I gonna do on a Friday night now? No worries I’m gonna go back, click on a couple links above like the tiger show guy and then settle in to watch the erace from Stafford at 7pm.
Everyone enjoy the time off and stay safe please. Can’t wait to see everyone (even you Doug;-) at the track soon
The safest part of all this is that our government failed us. Basically we came in 3 months behind the 8 ball. I’m not saying the virus wouldn’t have come, it would have. But, if Trump and his buddies had taken this seriously, and started preparing in December, when the virus was detected in China, maybe it wouldn’t have gotten this bad. They still continue to drag their feet.
Hope everyone is safe. Use common sense, stay home if possible, and try not to go nuts. This will eventually pass. I can’t wait for the day, when I can sit in the grandstands, drinking overpriced beer while watching stock cars rip around the track. The sights, sounds and smell of the racetrack will return soon. Be safe my friends hope to see you soon.
I don’t know about the Tiger deal but I enjoy the reviews of things that are not necessarily racing related to fill the void. If you’d do a review of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or at least explain the reason it was made to me that would be helpful.
I don’t over analyze my clicks although perhaps that’s not such a bad idea after seeing what Google or whomever decides what I’m interested in and throws up an ad that’s a head scratcher. After trying to get N95 masks for the shop a few weeks ago I got an ad for masks at $10 each for a few days that I couldn’t get to go away.
The race was terrific. No problem attracting drivers. Correct me if I’m wrong but this is a participant entertainment game not necessarily meant for spectating. Has separate rules to make it go smoother like the 2 resets so if you’re into nit picking about it not being like the real thing there’s plenty there to pick at but it would be an unfair comparison.
The announcers did a great job to educate the audience of the special rules like the resets and to explain what it meant to a drivers strategy when they used them up. They also corrected the pronunciation of Meservey on the fly when the audience made an issue of it. Real time audience feedback is pretty cool.
It is real competition, driving sim cars is actually less forgiving then the real thing apparently and hence there were a lot of wrecks. After the race the announcers interviewed Hodgdon and I think Solomito and it was clear they were completely invested in the fact it was real competition and their skill levels were on the line which they were. You can bet many drivers and especially the young ones that are familiar with sim racing are disappointed they had such a terrible race.
I have not seen the negative entries on social media from purists although I have no doubt they exist in bountiful numbers. What I saw was good support going in and a lot of folks chiming in as the race went on into it as well.
Well don Stafford and NAPA and thank you. It was a terrific diversion to racing from the onslaught of reality we’re dealing with now.
Rob P, spoken like a true Dumbocrat. And if there was a democratic president in the White House are you telling me the Coronavirus would not be in the United States? Nothing and I mean nothing was stopping it from getting here. You have the governor of CT, a Dumbocrat BTW, allowing residents from New York City who have a Dumbocrat for a mayor and state governor BTW, to infest Connecticut renting every summer home they can along the coast and elsewhere to escape the virus. Crossing the boarder to shop, and what does he do? Nothing but allow it to happen. And do you think they are not carrying the virus? And all of these individuals are being responsible? Close the freaking border Ned. I know you are all Dumbocratic buddies but make the hard decision in these hard times and protect the residents of your State.
Ah yes, complaining about the pandemic and how it affects you, you, you, you, …
Feel better now?
Never said anything about a Democrat. Just said how Trump admin. Knew about this and did absolutely nothing for 3 months. Any other (former) president would have taken imediate action to slow the spread, and help the people. Remember when there were 15 cases, and Trump said it would be gone in a week? How long ago was that? Now there are well over 100000 confirmed cases. He failed us. For Any president, this pandemic would have been challenging, but I’d bet they would have taken action in January, not March, and I’d bet they’d be more worried about the safety of the people, rather than the economy. Now he wants this over by Easter, and people back to work. Is he really that stupid? Don’t bother answering that we already know. Just my opinion
Hey earl don’t get all excited , it will be over soon you and the family will be able to go out for Easter buffet , big hugs for everyone ,relax your stocks are going to come roaring back in no time too
Earl can’t wait to vote for Trump again.
“Any other former president would have taken immediate action to slow the spread and help the people”. And you know this how? Just like dareal another one that has all the answers. Why don’t you two run for president and Vice President and save the universe!
Earl he blew it big time,and he’s not done yet
I am so glad I am not as smart as Earl.
You are missing something Rob P, the governors of the States run the States not the President. Whats the matter, you don’t want to talk about that now because the democratic governors of CT and NY are not being responsible? I’ll bet if they were both republicans your mouth would be going a 100 miles an hour bashing them.
Thanks Elect. Apparently Earl lives in a cave off the grid somewhere. I know anyone else would have handled this diff5 because they wouldn’t have let their over inflated ego, and greed get in the way of common sense. Just look at the cruise ship in San Fransisco for instance. Trump said he didn’t want those people getting off because the numbers would go up. Who says that? Trump lacks leadership skills, he lacks compassion, and most of all he lacks common sense. He waited until mid March, long after the virus had a stranglehold on America, before he took any action at all. He constantly lies, and downplays this, only to be corrected, sometimes in the same press conference. There are steps he could have taken in January to slow this down.
Look, no president, Democrat, republican, whatever would have stopped this, but they would have tried allot harder, and have been more worried about the people’s health than the stock market. This is what happens when you elect a lifetime failure for president. Just my opinion.
Another sign of just how STUPID Trump is; remember a few years ago when California was hit with all those forest fires? Did Trump commend the brave men and woman fighting the fires? Did he assure the people of California that the federal government would help them? NO! Instead he blamed the state for not keeping the forests clean. Really, so let me get this straight. The forestry department is to blame because they didn’t take the forests. Nothing was mentioned about the severe drought before the fires, just that they didn’t take the forests. He never said a kind, or compassionate word to the people of California. The guy is just plain STUPID, and you can’t fix STUPID
Earl, this is a NATIONAL DISASTER, and at that, it is the RESPONSIBILITY of the Fed to help and provide for the States as the States need. Yer boy is simply ain’t doing his job. Trump is grossly derelict and negligent. Your boy Trump constantly talks about how he is in control and how only he can fix issues. For you to now say it’s the responsibility of the states and not Trump’s job is desperate and absurd.
And your boy Trump is flagrantly plagiarizing NYS Gov. Andres Cuomo. Watch the Cuomo daily press briefings and you’ll see Trump stealing Cuomo’s leadership and guidance.
When trump was campaigning for president , it was said his biggest supporters were the uninformed and uneducated , and boy is Earl proving them right .
When I see/hear Trump, I think of Fredo Corleone and/or Biff Tannen.
Earl, I live in Massachusetts. Our Governor, Charlie Baker, is a Republican, whom I voted for, and even he is critical of the Trump administration’s response. He has been asking for a Federal Emergency Declaration for over a week Trump declared one today for Massachusetts. When I vote, I don’t look for a D or R, I look at who is best fit to do the job. Trump is not fit to be president. The only reasons Trump won is because all the uninformed, uneducated people who were stupid enough to vote for him. Trump encourages hatred, and that is not what this country needs.
One question. Have you ever before seen prominent world leaders publicly mocking, and laughing at the President of the United States?
Elect, just look at the media coverage of the Trump rallies, it doesn’t look like a full set of teeth and a sum total IQ over 50 can be scraped together. Trump is dumb, but he knows how to herd those that are even dumber. So when Trump says he’s smart, he means he’s smarter than those that follow him.
Earl, how many Trump rallies have you been to? Have a MAGA hat?
Rob p., Trump is mocked and laughed at, it has been public. Perhaps one of the most brutal was the PM of Australia absolutely destroyed Trump. Even the guy from North Korea has publicly ripped Trump. Angela Merkel of Germany has been harsh.
But you also have to consider that Trump has not gone to the Kennedy Center awards or the White House Correspondent dinner either. He’s a coward.
But then there is racism. Trump is an open and flagrant white supremacist, and that brings out the crazy and crazies. He’s a master at masking it. For the most part, these white supremacists are cowards and are not open. But Don-the-Con emboldens these folks. The racism is what binds these people together, above all else. They want racism above a thriving economy, healthcare, education, environment, etc. The white evangelical Christians have been the de facto ruling class for hundreds of years, and that people are leaving the church and Christianity threatens that supremacy. I was born into a Catholic family, I lived it. By second grade I realized these people are nuts, using religion to get what they want and control others. And that white people in general no longer make up the super majority of the population terrifies the traditional white supremacists. If being around non-white people makes you uncomfortable, be prepared to be terrified. It’s happening, and it’s American.
“There is separation of colored people from white people in the United States. That separation is not a disease of colored people. It is a disease of white people. I do not intend to be quiet about it.” – Al Einstein
Highly recommend a visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. You need at least a full day, even more to take it in. It is awesome and impressive. Besides the awesome contributions to America and the world made by people of African origin, the concept of “whiteness” was presented. Whiteness is a condition that developed during the formative years of the New World and it simply meant if you were not white, you were nothing.
Rob, just the opposite. Trump won because the hardworking middle class voted him in. I assume you understand how elections work. They wanted a non politician and they got one. Your gal got whipped at the polls. Get over it. Get ready for a other 4 YRS of him too. The Democrats wasted all this time trying to take Trump down and now all you got is Joe Biden.
How did your other gal Nancy Pelosi fair last week? Trump is not moving fast enough but not a peep about the Nancy holding things up for five days. Whether you like the president or not, now isn’t the time to play sides. It’s fruitless. Save it for November.
Shawn, I totally blame you for exposing me to Tiger King. That is some crazy stuff.
Cults, crazy cults.
Looks like Trump and his uninformed and uneducated Basket of Deplorables. Instead or running ministries, megachurches, or TV evangelism, these conmen and women ran big cat zoos, and got all those people to work for them for nothing or next to nothing.
Here is an excerpt from one of dareals posts; “Since anyone can indeed be president and suck at it”. So I guess that must mean dareal, rob p. & elect can qualify for the job of president. Come on boys, you have all the answers, quick to Monday morning quarter back, second guess and point fingers. So step up, put your big boy pants on and show us what you got. It certainly appears you can talk the talk but lets see if you can walk the walk.
Rob P, first you say “I know anyone else would have handled this diff5” then you contradict yourself by saying “Look, no president, Democrat, republican, whatever would have stopped this”. Confused are we? Thought so……….
JD, Nancy did a fantastic job holding things up so Trump would not have sole control over a $500 billion dollar slush fund with no accountability. Great job. And also adding provisions to make sure Trump companies, and explicitly “Jared Kushner” do not get any emergency funds. Yes, Jared was added explicitly. The few days Nancy “held things up” was a good thing, making sure the money does not go to waste.
Trump delayed a response to the virus 🦠 for months. That has and will cost thousands of lives.
Furthermore, Dr. Fauci said this morning that there will be hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of cases in the USA. All made far worse by Trump’s ignorance and delayed response. And Trump is talking about reopening the country in a week or so, but Dr. Birx is saying every metro area, every state needs to prepare for what NYC is going through. Because of the way this will march through the country, it is going to take months.
Earl, are you a Proud Boy?
Earl, Trump and Dr. Fauci are not getting along. Who do you believe, Trump or Dr. Fauci?
Earl, watch this, no reading required.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkMwvmJLnc0&list=FLHlopQ6svucxzi8naQ-xlIw
Earl, this is for you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qXBaqdKuyM&list=RD7qXBaqdKuyM&index=2
Can anyone imagine the Trump Library? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Trump library’s gonna have allot of crudely drawn pictures akin to a kindergarten classroom.