Fan participation  

Since the proliferation of the internet and sources such as this one at SJDR, we have seen alot stuff some good but mostly negative when it comes to discussing  localized short track venues. Anyone that has spent any significant length of time as a fan, sponsor, driver, team member, promoter or official has alot more information than we had in the old days to chime in on as it pertains to certain venues when the season starts.  I have come to hate the term track basher because in most cases it usually consists of constructive criticism but along the way some people get offended and it ends up being a back and forth arguing contest. I have chimed in on a number of occassions myself by either praising or being critical. I have dialed back some of the criticism , mostly because in most cases it falls on deaf ears  Race fans in my opinion are among the most or the most passionate about the sport as far as following drivers or series. We travel to numerous tracks and almost always have a good time talking with others in the stands no matter where we go. One thing is for sure, the fans are very knowledgable. Many have connections with other teams and venues so as much as both of them would like to keep secrets its next to impossible  for that to go on for very long. No one likes being lied to or be BS'd in any fashion whether its race related or not. Some venues are better managed and promoted than others; thats not a secret and probably never will be. I'm a little shocked the short tracks are in as good a shape as they are considering the economic environment and state of affairs our country is currently experiencing . There are some car count issues in certain divisions at some venues but for the most part thats not as bad as it could be.   There defintely is some bashing that goes on and the best way to handle that is probably ignore it instead of adding to the drama.  If I might make a few suggestions I think the fans can do more to help these tracks thrive and stay relevant by being more proactive.  Bring new people  who have never been to a show before. Patronize the vendors and sponsors on the cars, billboards, programs and things associated with the tracks and teams when you can.  I hired an electrical company associated with a race team a few yrs ago to change the service at my house and they did a stellar job for a fair price.  Go on the message board and ask for references for home, auto or any services you may need to hire for something.  Its no secret how much the cost is to race any car in any division in todays world.  We expect tracks to step up their game as they should but we could do our part in helping too.  Track announcers usually do a decent job making mention of sponsors in the time they have. They could do a better job of asking the fans in attendance to bring in some new blood.   We have numerous excellent facilities still in operation from NY Pa NJ and De. We should not take that for granted. Helping all of them helps our own cause  keeping them open for business.