Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
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SIDES TO SUE WORLD OF OUTLAWS

After racing full time with the World of Outlaws sprint car series for the last eight years, “Double Down” Jason Sides and Sides Motorsports announced today that they intend to sue the World of Outlaws ownership entity, World Racing Group, to recover Driver Point Fund monies, Car Owner Point Fund monies, tow money and other benefits owed by the series to them. The dispute has been simmering for a couple of months, and Jason, the Series’ 2003 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, characterized the issue as follows:
“In August of this year, I called the World Racing Group CEO, Brian Carter, and asked him for permission to run a non-Outlaw race in Fargo, ND a few weeks later. He said he couldn’t talk right then but promised to call me back the next morning at 10 o’clock. He never called me, so I texted him two more times to ask for permission to run the race. Never receiving a response from him telling me otherwise, I figured I was cleared to race. Two other World of Outlaw teams were racing that same non-sanctioned race, the #9 car and the #15, so I showed up and raced…didn’t do very well, though ! The next thing I know, the World of Outlaws come around and tell me they are cutting my tow money in half, cutting my pit passes in half and not going to pay me my Driver and Owner Point Fund money at the end of the year. They told me that regardless of where I finish in the points [currently 6th] they are only gonna pay me last place money. That’s about a $40,000 difference, and I am not going to roll over on a $40,000 ‘fine’ just because Brian Carter was too busy or didn’t want to call me back. We will let a jury decide whether what they are doing to me is right. I’ve supported this Series for a long, long time. In the years I’ve raced with the Outlaws, I’ve ran 100% of their races. If they think they can just keep my money that I’ve worked all year for, and that I’ll just whimper back to Tennessee, they’re wrong. Maybe they’ll change their minds before the Banquet, but right now they don’t even return phone calls. If they pay me my money, great. Otherwise, I’m suing them.”
In addition to his Rookie of the Year honor, Jason was the famed King’s Royal victor in 2004, and has finished 5th in both of the last two years on the Outlaw circuit. Driving his Wetherington Tractor Service “7S”car, Jason is a fan favorites wherever he races. Next year, he’ll race wherever he chooses. For additional information, contact:
John G. Deckard, Esquire
317-803-2456

I'm all for this.

Go Jason Go--stand up for what's right!! Hope all is resolved in your favor!!!!!

How hard could it have been to say yes, or no. Even if permission wasn't officially granted to Sides, why was the 9 and 15 granted immunity? Biggest waste of brain matter this year. Seems to be a habit with them.

Kudos to Sides for sucking it up and running out the remainder of the season. I hope it works out in your favor.

The greatest knowledge is to know that you know nothing
at all.

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the AMERICAN WAY 10w.

 Peace and Love till I have to 

race against ya. ;)

Fubar! Big time.

the AMERICAN WAY 10w.

 Peace and Love till I have to 

race against ya. ;)

Just for the record the 9 car actually had a 49 on it and was not 9 (that night in Fargo). Probably trying to find a loophole. The 15 did run under it's WoO colors, numbers, and sponsors. My understanding was he had a deal because he is running the track.

Sides has a very viable argument though. Doesn't sound very professional from the WRG. The WRG needs to let their drivers race where and when they want. They just need to say in order to get tow money, etc., they have to run in every WoO race. I understand what the WRG is trying to do, but I certainly don't agree with it. They are trying to avoid loosing money because let's say the WoO ran in Grand Forks the next night (after Fargo). If tickets were cheaper in Fargo, why wouldn't everyone just go there and then skip the WoO in Grand Forks? I know I wouldn't but that is what the WRG is afraid of. They want all the WoO drivers to be THEIRS and ONLY THEIRS.

Hope Jason gets his money.

Since the WRG has no $$ on the line at any event (the promoters do), IMO, as long as the drivers/teams live up to their end of the contract (attending/competing at every WoO sanctioned event), the WRG has no leg to stand on in this argument.

Who cares is the WoO are in Grand Forks the next night. The only potential loser would be the promoter at Grand Forks, but he could use them racing the night before at Fargo to HIS benefit by working a deal with the teams to promote HIS event the next night with the fans in the stands (and the non-Outlaw drivers in the Pits).

I hope Jason gets his $$, but I'm sure he won't see much of it either way (his lawyer will get 50% or more if he wins). Looking forward to seeing him run where and when he wants next season. Knoxville Raceway Track Championship run maybe (would make Saturday nights even more interesting)? I know there are ties to K'ville since Doug Rankin is originally from Kville.

A guy asks where can you run for the money that WRG pays, well, It's not to hard to figure out the outlaws pay 10k for a win, unless, the decide to lower that purse on thier decision. But anyone can go run the race and turn around and run another race at any other track! The outlaws schedule sucks! They should have a schedule of at least 80-90 races per year and keep thier members racing! Look at the schedules the last few years I know you can't blame woo on the weather but come on schedule alot of races for the ones that rain out. These guys trying to make a living, busting thier asses going coast to coast. They sit for days without racing sometimes, with hotel exspenses, food exspences, fuel exspenses, and that is a huge exspense! These teams need to say the hell with WRG and all of them need to do thier own things, I say get a group of drivers together and call up these tracks that WRG runs on a regular basis and say, we are no longer with the woo group but would be happy to bring you one of the greatest shows on dirt for alot less than WRG wants to charge you. Stop lining the pockets of people like Carter, Deery, and Geisler and the rest of the ying yangs. I would be happy to go watch Jason Sides, Donny Schatz, Steve Kinser, Kraig Kinser, Lucas Wolfe and whoever else that will stand up to these assholes that want to steal money from a team that goes out and busts thier asses to follow a series that doon't give a shit about drivers, teams or sponsers. I hope Jason Sides does what he plans on doing. Us fans need to stand up for this guy and start calling and sending letters to WRG and let them know how wrong it is to treat teams this way! Piss on you WRG!

i just remembered i was supposed to remember to 
remember something but cant remember what i was 
supposed to remember.

This stuff goes both ways...

If the fans go to Fargo and not Grand Forks the next night, and the promoter loses his @$$, then odds are he's not going to book the show again. That is the impact it has on the WRG. If they don't book races, they don't make money. If, as a series, they are going to work to get the $$ from the tracks that they do, then in my opinion they have every right to be pissed if the guys go race for less. That is basically telling all promoters, "hey, don't pay the big purse, we'll race for less money". How do you justify any kind of a purse increase, if your guys will go race for less money?

That being said, I'm not saying Sides doesn't have every right to be pissed if they never gave the courtesy of a return phone call. However, he joined a group, and by doing so he agreed to be a part of that group and any rules they have. I think it would be very tough to win a lawsuit.

I agree, I just see it as an OPPORTUNITY for that other track to promote their event in a different way. With the change in how information goes out to people, the old Ad in the Newspaper and Radio ads just don't reach the same amount of people anymore.

I know I'd listen to an IPOD instead of the radio if I had to drive more than the 11 miles I do every morning and afternoon. Hard to reach me (a fan) if I don't buy a paper or listen to the radio. However, if I attend Fargo weekly and all of sudden Jason Sides is racing and I hear him talk on the PA (or in the pits following the races) about an event at Grand Forks 2 days from that date (or even 2 weeks), the promoter has now gotten his message about his event to me.

I'm not privy to the contracts that the Drivers/Teams had to sign, but it's pretty obvious that a lawyer has and must feel that they have a GREAT chance to win a lawsuit if he's willing to take the case on and Jason intends to sue...

Theres limited tv time . So why have the big time sponsers if you have to worry about tow money and purses if you have million dollar sponsers like Kinser and company.Race when and were you want to and tell them to stick it up there a$$ .They use to have to race from track to track for gas money. Now they are all rich and lazy so they just set at home and complain.

I SUPPORT JASON SIDES FROM DOWN UNDER

Good luck Jason!! I'm amazed that Jason has to stand alone on this issue. The other drivers IMO should stand by him. Boycot the finals until this is resolved. That would get their attention.

Rim Rider

+1