Heres the response I got from Sandy :-/
Kevin,
Frank and I did not made this decison based on one person. Frank has a full time job also, he leaves home everyday before 7:30AM every night he goes directly to the track to prepare it for the next days event. Monday he is there for MX class where the lostest number of riders is 30, (that is a bad night) theire are usually over 50 bikes there, you do the math. He gets home after 10PM on Mondays. On Tuesdays he grades the track for Wednesday, he doesn't get home until after 9PM. Wednesday night is practice, which you all can come to, he gets home after 10PM. Since we started 4-wheel Friday, Frank has been going on Thursday to grade the
track, not getting home until after 9PM. Then Friday night we are their, we may not stay long but we cannot do anything, in case something happens and we have to go back. He leaves the house by 9AM on Saturday to get the track ready for races, he gets home after the last race. Then on Sunday back again by 8AM. That's a pretty long week.
The most we have had, has been about 9 paid riders. You can do the math on that one. We need a medic, he does not have to watch the track, he is their in case there is an accident. I am sure our medic will hear someone call him to aid anyone in need. It is just important for us to have a medic at all events. One night there were 3 accidents, one left in a ambulance. That is pretty high numbers for only having 7-9 riders. How does that happen if everyone is riding carefully.
Here are a few of my cost to run 4-wheel Friday. We pay someone $40. to help Frank on Thursday night, then $10 an hour on Friday to water that is about $70. The medic is $50. the lights cost us about $10 per hour. To run an extra day for insurance the cost is about $500 dollars. Frank time on Thursday and Friday. We have given it a little over a month to show some improvement, but even at best we are only getting 9 or so riders who pay. Tobby doesn't pay, because he was running it after we leave.. Bill does not pay, because Bill is always helping us fix something at the track. Bill has played no part in our decision.
The second point is this the bikes come on Monday for class and almost everyone of them come another time during the week, if not to practice to race. I cannot say the same for the 4 wheelers. Maybe 2 of them come out another time. It is not cost effective. This is a business,
we are there to make money. The 4-wheelers have not shown enough interest to keep it going.
As far as the bike riding goes, I said that your son could ride on the outside of the track, I never said he could ride on the track. I found that out after the fact. I have had many people call me about bringing bikes on Friday and the answer has been "no".
When we started the school for bikes right from the beginning we had at least 20 riders, now it is up 50 or so each week. Starting slow and having it grow is something we know very well. These people also come from Sarasota and even farther than that.
4-wheeler are able to come on Wednesday and Sunday practice. Even if we just have one, we put them out by them selfs, we do not mix them in with the bikes. 4-wheeler can also come on race night.
To do it right, we need flagger, someone to call out each group (level of ability) and Frank and I need to stay the entire time, like we do on ever other event. We thought that we would give this a try and in our eyes it did not work. We surely do not have enough riders to pay the extra people for that.
Again, you are more than welcome to come out at any other scheduled practice or race. This friday is the last 4-wheel friday.
Sandy Valente
MB
you guys can read it how you want , BUT THE WAY I SEE IT SHE HATES FOUR WHEELERS!!!!!! [smiley=angry2.gif]
Bartow here I come!!!!
