Forum: Oklahomatidbits.com General Forum (go)
Moderators:  /  David Smith Jr

I don't want to declare the Fairgrounds dead, but in the wake of this battle, what lessons can/should we learn to stop this from happening again.

When I was a member, and as far as I know now, the "Oklahoma Racing Association" has really been the Oklahoma City Racing Association or even more specifically, the Oklahoma City Fairground/State Fair Speedway Racing Association. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking the work done by the organization, but I think calling it the "ORA" is a bit of a misnomer.

With no OKC speedway, what will the ORA become? Traditionally, all that I saw the ORA do was raise funds for a OKC points champion and a create a forum for OKC competitors to complain about how horribly they were treated by the fat cat OKC promoter (Bud, Bruce, Rodeo, Lanny, etc.)

Moving forward, regardless of the State Fair Speedway outcome, should the ORA become the organization that its name begs it to be? All Oklahoma racers need an advocacy group. Whether we race at Lawton or Ada or I-44 or Port City or Enid or Honobia, we have common problems with municipal/neighborhood relations, safety, insurance and general promotion.

If the Oklahoma Racing Association opened it scope (and membership) to all racers in the state and worked on the issues all of them face, wouldn't the sport prosper? We need an association that advocates and markets the value of our sport to the public. I'll give you an example. We get a subscription of the Journal Record at work and as a result, we also receive a copy of their "Big Book of Lists" which is a compilation of all kinds of facts and statistics on Oklahoma City and Tulsa. One of the topics is top twenty entertainment venues by attendance. The top venues in OKC and Tulsa include minor league baseball, pro basketball (OKC), zoo, etc, etc. In OKC, the twentieth venue in the list with an annual attendance of approximately 30,000 is The Harn Homestead. Now I like history and I like the Harn Homestead, but if it only drew 30,000, how could it be listed and State Fair Speedway not be listed. If the speedway only draws an average of 3000 a night for 22 nights, that's more than double the attendance of the Harn Homestead. Maybe even worse, Tulsa's list didn't include the Chili Bowl. And the City of Tulsa does support it!

We need an ORA that makes sure everyone knows how important motorsports is to Oklahoma's economy. The public needs to believe that racing brings in dollars. Ever two bit horse show at the fairgrounds generates a news story on the local tv and that story includes HOW MANY DOLLARS IT MEANS TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY. Back in the mid-80s, the National Street Rod Association (NSRA) held their national event at the OKC fairgrounds and liked the facility and location so much that they tried to make OKC the permanent site. City officials would have none of it siting public safety of all these "hot rodders" cruising Meridian was not worth the millions in tourism dollars. The people need to understand that our (racer's) money and tourism is just as valuable as horse folk, conventioneers, and stick and ball tournaments.

We need a marketing advocate and the ORA could and should be that organization, for all of Oklahoma.

Uh, what message board did the ORA create?

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

Helper there are still alot of things working in the background.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands 
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he 
stands at times of challenge and controversy." 
Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Erich Petersen 

I'm afraid I've not made myself clear. I'm not an advocate for the "ORA", and I think this message board is great.

But, it is putting informtion in front of the media on a daily basis? Is a press packet being issued to the media about motorsports? Is somebody doing research into the tourism value of the ASCS speed weeks and pushing that into the face of local politicians and media? Is someone making sure that the news outlets always have copy and information about motorsports.

I'm talking about a chamber of commerce/sports information office type of marketing advocate.

If we think the problems in OKC and Enid are then end, we're mistaken.

HM

We have been told that there will be media at the rally this Sat. The Oklahoma Gazette will have a story about the track in thier paper this Wednesday. There was a story last night of Fox 25.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands 
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he 
stands at times of challenge and controversy." 
Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Erich Petersen 

A HISTORY LESSON 101:

This website (oklahomatidbits.com) was formed by David Smith, Jr., who has been a race fan since 1969. Back in the 80's when I would chase races all over the place with friends Chris Smith and Ron Ruyle, I would then find out the next weekend about a race in the state of Oklahoma in Woodward or Enid or some other place. I found out after the fact.

When Holtz took over the fairgrounds, I despised that guy to the fact that I spent all my weekends on the road, not knowing how my friends the Jennings', Jack Moulton and others did the previous Friday night.I covered the Thunder Through the Plains for the NCRA and the All-Stars and it was also at that time when AOL had a sprint car, private only, sprint car chat room. Beth Stanton, wife of Gary Staton, Shane Carson, Ron and Casey Shuman, fans from all over the place as well as Brad Doty frequented this deal. It was HUGE!!

It was around this time (1998) when I went to work for ASCS and was then in conversation with Mr. Hosehead Alan Holland. He started what is now the best sprint car website anywhere and at that same time, Jeff Rohberg from Salina, Kansas and I talked about starting a website to cover Oklahoma racing. Not ORA racing but Oklahoma racing. The first thing built was oklahomatidbits message board via the racercity.com name.

People in the racing community, especially the sprint car people and drivers that I knew, frequented this message board and before long it boomed big time. One of the first big topics was Lawton Speedway fans and drivers versus Stanley Reed, Jr and others. It was big time with hits and views. Then about that time, the good people from Elk City got on to bash their then promoter Marvin Foley and the rest of the crew when they were unhappy.

Over the years this deal has got bigger than I have ever thought and through it all I had done work with the All-Stars (Thunder Tour), ASCS and then now NCRA. This message board nor tidbits was created for any of the above and it does not represent any of the above NOR the Gospel for race tracks across the state. This message board is for race fans, drivers and PR people to post anything from racing topics to down right fun.

It was not until a couple years ago when people really started to complain but it was about, seemingly, any track anybody raced at. This website is the voice for everybody and anybody and trust me when I tell you that I hear about it as well on any given day. But this website and message board continues because I believe it far outweighs the negative.

And to address the issue about somebody starting up a rival because I told them I couldn't do this anymore, completely bogus and false. I have never told anybody I was tired of this site and I never will. It is a, hopefully, public service for the racing community and even though it is not respected by those, it is what it is and will always be.

My goal and passion is to bring newsworthy information to the racing community for all race tracks across the state of Oklahoma, no matter if I agree or disagree with what may be going on at those tracks. I am not here to judge any track nor downgrade any track. I am here hopefully to help both tracks, race fans and drivers alike.

So, whatever made you think this message board was created by and for the ORA then there is your history lesson 101. And after what I have heard could have happened if Fairgrounds Speedway were to race one more year, I am not sure my fingers could have hit the delete button fast enough and I would have lost respect on some people as well. Just as there are those who have no respect for me.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com