Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Social media outbursts could have consequences for drivers and teams

take a close look at the grandstands and car counts after dust bowls are served up...consequences...yes...indeed

Lincoln 1845 ft/.35 mile T1=118MPH 
Eldora 2287 ft/.43mile T3=135MPH
Port 2716 ft/.51 mile T3=TBD
Grove 2792 ft/.53 mile T3=135MPH
Selinsgrove 2847 ft/.54 mile T1=136MPH
"I didn't move to PA from El Paso in search of better 
weather." Van May

Racetracks must have forgotten they are the ones providing the service to both drivers and fans. 

Do your job well and you will reap the benefits of positive social media posts. Don't and you won't. It's as simple as that. 

It seems to me there are way too many thin skinned people running racetracks, or are doing it for the wrong reasons (namely ego). 

With all due respect to Mr. Grouse from Susquehana, I totally disagree with his statement "racetracks are like contractors, if they are coming here to race, we have to give them a good facility, but they have to be able to represent the speedway like they represent their raceteam". So he equating the race teams that pay money to enter and race at his facility as "employees"? That's the way I read it. I disagree. I'll certainly bet he doesn't mind when someone gets on socail media and praises Susquehana for a positive experience though. If you can't stand the heat - get out of the kitchen as they say. Work with your raceteams instead of bitching about then on Penn Live!

Couldn't agree more. I'm glad there's certain drivers who tell it like it is. Even if I disagree with what they say, I still appreciate their willingness to do it because we live in a pussified and wimpy society today where political correctness rules and most people just fall in line with it and choose their words carefully as not to offend anyone. 

I don't disagree with his stance but I think it's deeper than that. Yes race teams pay to get in, but many will take home more cash than they paid to get in the gate. Granted there are the other expenses like tires, fuel, and motors to figure into the whole operation but those are additional expenses the team has, not his expenses. He is providing a place to race. So yeah I would agree, the track is a contractor for the team. Additionally though the teams are representatives of the track while on their property.  Then you have the fans that attend.

The teams and tracks have to work TOGETHER.  Working together has many meanings I.E. Offer a good Payout for the teams. The teams have to be ready for heats and such.  One thing is for certain and that is a lot harder to rebuild a reputation after it's been trashed. Trashing warranted or not the difficulty is the same.

In California at least you can't fire an employee for comments made on social media about your company. The place I work found that out in a hard and very expensive way when an employee who was fired for that specific reason got a good lawyer who landed her a very nice financial settlement. She was completely a worthless employee and they had been looking for a reason to fire her they just managed to pick the wrong one.

     How is this different than social media regarding any sport in any country on the planet?

     I live 10 miles from the former Husets Speedway.  Everything here is peaches and cream, so as you 'd guess, the social media stuff is pretty quiet.

    Go ahead and pitch out all those drivers, team members and fans that are daring to have an opinion.  You can always get more drivers, team members and fans from that deep resevoir that must be out there where seldom is heard a discouraging word, and the skies are not cloudy all day.

kossuth is right here.  It's much deeper of a "relationship"/partnership. 

Social media is a very powerful tool, especially for building engagement within your fan base (and the sprint car fan base as a whole) as well as building upon your marketing partnerships.  It also comes with responsibility.  That doesn't mean censorship, but drivers have to recognize the time and place as well as the "tone" and amount of displeasure to put out on social media.  Beyond a few displeasure tweets or as I sometimes see a basic "...on a rubberdown track..." or "track was not good tonight..." social media interaction do come with consequences, whether big or small. 

Another wrench in all of this is how your marketing partners will react.  Again, another fine line between not being censored but understanding you are reprsenting your partners.  We are a major sponsor of our local, well known track as well as a local/regional sprint car driver.  We expereince fantastic engagement with our partnerships, but if our partner driver goes on a Twitter rant (before I continue I'm NOT saying this is what DD did) we have to monitor that because of our partnership.  If it's a simple rant, then no harm no foul (potentially).  If it's filled with expletives, etc. then yeah we have to be aware of that.  

I think the point of the article is simply social media is a powerful tool, but does come with responsibility.  Where that line is drawn is up to the parties involved, but there is a line where consequences might occur.  For the record DD can absolutely speak his mind.  It'd be awesome if he also did so in person with the track and track officials in this instance (which he may have done, I don't know) where a two-way conversation can be held.  

I long for the days of midrail cars, crewcab duallies and chapparal trailers mixed-in with  regular cabs and  open trailers - and you had to wait until Thursday - or Friday - or Saturday - or sometimes Monday or Tuesday - to read about it in National Speed Sport News. Even if the mailman fumbled it, it was still worth waiting for it.

Danny speaks freely...check this out - 2:00 minute mark if you want the quote that he became famous for:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NzL8jLCBE4

Lincoln 1845 ft/.35 mile T1=118MPH 
Eldora 2287 ft/.43mile T3=135MPH
Port 2716 ft/.51 mile T3=TBD
Grove 2792 ft/.53 mile T3=135MPH
Selinsgrove 2847 ft/.54 mile T1=136MPH
"I didn't move to PA from El Paso in search of better 
weather." Van May

Should've been more clear...I meant if he had the conversation he had on Twitter with the track and track officials in person (which again, he may have).  And again, I'm not saying he can't use a social media platform for airing grievances, just that sometimes it's easier to have a two-way conversation in person with people (again the track officials in this case).  There's a few ways to spark change.  

For the record I love that DD speaks his mind.  Makes for a great story, which is great for the sport.  Also, class act with fans in person.  

I grew up in the 50s & 60s so I saw television come of age.  People have always demonized new technology.  Rock records were burned, Elvis was shown from the waist up.  There isn't anything said on social media that wasn't said behind the grandstand and in the pits and garages in the 60s.  Social media is simply a means of communication.  Treat everyone right, run a good show and social media will take care of itself.  So racing wants to be big time?  Then get a thick skin and take the heat like the big sports do.

Stan Meissner

I'd prefer to listen to Danny lecture the racing world than any writer or track representative...because he is ON what is quite often a POORLY PREPARED TRACK with SKIN IN THE GAME when stupid calls are made!

Lincoln 1845 ft/.35 mile T1=118MPH 
Eldora 2287 ft/.43mile T3=135MPH
Port 2716 ft/.51 mile T3=TBD
Grove 2792 ft/.53 mile T3=135MPH
Selinsgrove 2847 ft/.54 mile T1=136MPH
"I didn't move to PA from El Paso in search of better 
weather." Van May

And Danny is fully within his right to say what he feels.  He has to remember though that there are possibly unintended consequences by doing so.   

I think most people are confused by how many "rights" a person has.  (I don't think you are confused.  Just stating what some of the other comments on this post are eluding to) 

First of all, he has the right to say whatever he wants to say and not be arrested or imprisoned.  This is the freedom of speech the law allows.  Many are confused by what freedom of speech is.  If you are at my house and you tell me my lawn looks terrible, I can have you removed from my property and no laws or rights have been violated.  No matter how thin skinned you think I am.  No matter how little you hurt my feelings.  I have that right.  My property.  Get it?  You can say what you want, but I can have you removed for anything you say.  Anything.  I can't have you arrested (unless you threaten my life or my family's life) but I can have you removed.  Same with the place of work.    

The race track is similar to a place of work--there is an open-ended relationship (unless a contract is signed) where either party may terminate relationship with the other party at any time.  If the racetrack promotor/board/owner thinks that something someone says is detrimental to the track, then they are completely within their rights to ban or suspend that person from the property.  No rights violated. 

I have dealt with this issue in the past as an employer.  I fired someone for things they said outside of the workplace-and they admitted they said it.  They were convinced that I had violated their right to free speech.  I told them to feel free to get a lawyer and they said they were going to!  Never saw them again.  Why?  I did not break the law or violate his rights.  His actions were detrimental to our business and the relationship was ended.  Period. 

The track has a right to do what it wants to do.  I obviously caution them not to piss off the wrong group of paying fans, but it is within their right. 

the team is prepared to run other tracks and why shouldn't they if they get screwed around?

the kind of schedule the 48 cars runs has a high price tag and time committment from the crew...getting screwed around by something that costs racers a p!ss load of money is nothing new...the 27 car sh!tcanned handicap shows when Pittman was in the car.

Lincoln 1845 ft/.35 mile T1=118MPH 
Eldora 2287 ft/.43mile T3=135MPH
Port 2716 ft/.51 mile T3=TBD
Grove 2792 ft/.53 mile T3=135MPH
Selinsgrove 2847 ft/.54 mile T1=136MPH
"I didn't move to PA from El Paso in search of better 
weather." Van May

Exactly. I have no issue with Danny Dietrich or anything he said. But I'm also not the one involved. All I'm saying is that when you make things public, there are consequences. Those consequences can be anything.

I have no problem with Danny Dietrich voicing his opinion. Or anyone for that matter. I'm not a fan of censorship. However, there could be consequences for that, which is okay as well.

A+.  It's a two way street.  DD can say what he likes/wants/etc. but it's a two way street.  It's within Lincoln's (or whomever's) right to do as they please in response.  It'd be great if everything worked out all the time, but eh that's life.  We'll all mvoe on eventually and hopefully each party can work together in the future.  DD and Lincoln can both say/do what they want.