On Episode 123 of Unmuffled we catch up with Stafford Speedway SK Light Modified driver Joey Ferrigno to talk comebacks, halftime shows and dinner plans. Our where’s the beef segment goes real-time and into overtime with deep dive chat about the Cult of the Speedbowl and fire & brimstone fabrications of Shawn Monahan. We also share some opinion on the recent announcement of the new Anheuser-Busch Accelerate Her program to support female drivers in NASCAR. And as usual we check in on the rumor mill and have some other random ramblings.
Episode 123 of Unmuffled is presented by our Patreon marketing partners from New England Racing Fuel, Swanson Buick/GMC, LifeCare Family Chiropractic, Mid-State Site Development, SAFCO Foam, Broad Brook Brewing Company, Tick Mike’s Organic Tick & Mosquito Spray, Mid-State Site Development, Tri-Track Open Modified Series, Compressed Air USA, Hoosier Tire East, MidState Compressor, Casagrande Builders, Falmouth Ready Mix, Coastal 181, Wheelers Auto, Rent A Race Car New England, Sign Pro, North End Auto Parts, Magna Steel Sales, Mark’s Northeast Motorsports Expo, JDV Productions, NASCAR, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Riverhead Raceway, Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson Speedway.
If you listen to any small independent business person they pretty much all share one thing in common. They love to complain about how tough being in business for yourself is. They usually have a laundry list of all the things that are arrayed against them not the least of which is employees. All taking a Herculean effort to overcome every day. They think they are the cornerstone of American capitalism and that society in general should be grateful for their existence as jobs creators.
For sure there is a foundation of truth to it but I can let you in on why they, that included me at one time chose to take on independent business as a means of making a living. Generally speaking their disposition is not suited to working for another. They do not like being directed, have their performance critiqued nor do they feel others should be in a position to judge them. Money rewards important to some or creativity or the challenge. But mainly it all is secondary to controlling your own destiny even if the odds are slim of success and the monetary rewards less the traditional employment.
So when I’m seeing Shawn Monahan sitting there ruminating on how tough it is for him as an independent business man and his case of the winter blues I get it completely. It’s when he projects it onto the owner of the Speedbowl as some kind of excuse for the lackadaisical roll out of the rules and schedule for 2022 it starts to ring hollow. One independent businessman defending another member of the club for under performance. An employee couldn’t get away with that. Self serving and predictable but the kicker is doing it all after saying what a good businessman the owner of the Speedbowl is.
I don’t get it. You can do a complete renovation of the Speedbowl including satisfying endless town regulations and environmental concerns and do it all while defending yourself from serious felony charges. But when that’s in the rear view mirror you can’t put out rules and a schedule in a timely manner?
If you don’t subscribe to Unmuffled you may want to for this one the gloves are off. Mr Courchesne holds nothing back but in the end whether you agree with him or not there is one thing you won’t disagree with. The appearance of the Monahan video while being a relief to some of the competitors I’m sure just shows how completely dysfunctional and mismanaged the place is. And how bad it needs a new owner before it can get anywhere close to it’s true ceiling that most agree is very high.