They gave Rob Keister and his .90 Series the boot without even having a discussion with him........
Is this a last-ditch effort by MG to stay open? I would rather see them make $ and stay open as a drag rage facility than see it become another E-Town if that's where they are headed...
Posts: 1444 | Location: South River, NJ | Registered: June 19, 2007
Maple Grove has a history of piss poor management on every level, poor track prep, weeping track, not finishing races and have been known as drama dragway for many, many years. Don't matter to me, I don't race there and never have other than the bracket finals. Many of their racers have left over the past 10 years and now call Numidia Dragway, HOME OF THE GUARANTEED PAYOUT, their home track.
Posts: 13522 | Location: NJ | Registered: August 20, 2000
Originally posted by diceman1530: Family has Norwalk Summit raceway now. Very racer friendly people!! Hope he brings ice cream, if you have ever been to Norwalk you know what I mean.
Oh that Bill Bader Jr.
Posts: 2591 | Location: at the track | Registered: May 09, 2007
I was at the drivers meeting. It was very positive. The leaches that were there are gone. Bader really wants to turn the track around and bring back the racers and there families. All purses are guaranteed and the round money starts first round. Everything Bader said he was going to do at the meeting happened when he said it was going to happen so far.He has his work cut out after the previous management almost ran the place into the ground. Also Friday nights are $15 to watch or race.
Posts: 141 | Location: Stevens, PA | Registered: April 07, 2008
Also, Bader stuck his neck out at the meeting and gave out his cell number to everyone in attendance. If you have any issues he wants people to call him directly, not complain on social media.
Posts: 141 | Location: Stevens, PA | Registered: April 07, 2008
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mike Beck: They gave Rob Keister and his .90 Series the boot without even having a discussion with him........
Unfortunately, it's maybe a hobby for mostly all of us but, it's a business for others. Mr Bader was brought in to work on stuff that was failing or not making money. I spoke with him at length twice and he has flat out said "The schedule needed some work". Now being March did I wish he waiting till 2019 to do so, sure but, thats not what Maple Grove hired him to do. What hurt us the most was the lack of us not being there on a regular basis (I think out of the past 3 years, out of 4 events scheduled, we only got 2 in due to weather and really LONG RUN PROGRAMS) to see the amount of cars we bring through the gate to intermingle with the bracket cars and none of the gate & crew fees are kicked back to us, it's all track taken in. Being there the weekend before the Lucas Race would have helped out a lot since before Jason left were were going to be able to leave our trailers there. How it all got handled wasn't my decision but, we move on. Getting Text messages at 5:30am while on the way to work asking....what the heck happened to our date isn't fun especially when you don't have any answers to give to them and your blindsided. Luckily Atco saw the post and 5 minutes after the Facebook post hit they came out they jumped at hosting us for another weekend. I wish Maple Grove all the best in 2018 and hope all the series they are putting together will work out and get supported from the racers, I think Bader will turn it into something better then it was but, in the long run it needs to be supported because we really don't need another track closing.This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rob Keister,
I grew up at Maple Grove during what I would call "the good years."
As much time as I spent there and as many passes as I made there, I feel somewhat vested in this topic. I also have had the "Norwalk Experience" my first year racing out here in the midwest.
Here's my take (for what it's worth). I'm playing Devil's advocate here. Will it be an improvement? YES. Will it bring everyone back that left? HELL NO!
Here's why I would consider other tracks over the 'new and improved' MGR.
I lost second round at Norwalk at 12:52 am. Granted there are more cars than the Grove, there aren't more cars than Maple Grove used to get on a regular basis in the early 2000's. If you don't have a motorhome, that makes for a pretty terrible experience in my opinion. How will Maple Grove work around the curfew that doesn't exsist in Norwalk's model.
Let's talk about round money. Everyone wants to assume they're going to win every race they go to (at least those of us that have read anything on TIBR) the reality is that we won't, and when we don't (especially at 1:00am and we started timeruns at noon) we want to make sure that towing our stuff there was worth it. At 64 cars which they havent gotten in super pro probably since 2008 or 2009, you're getting $15 for losing 3rd round and 4th round is a quarter final payout of $125. Let's compare this to the "old way." Prior to recent times when the car counts were 'acceptable' to the management, 64 cars would illicit a $2k to win purse with $60 round money. I believe the entry was $60 or $70. The runner up and semi money was good with no 1/4 final 'purse' but the round money would've put you right there anyway at 64 cars.
so my long-winded point is that they've been long overdue for a guaranteed payout, but I don't really see how this is an improvement once the car count rises. You can tow 45 extra minutes at race for $2k at Numidia with buybacks. Which aren't everyone's thing, but neither is $15 round money after 5 passes on the car.
Again I don't really have a horse in the race, but I'm just concerned once people realize this, things will be the same they were, and I don't want to see this place fail.
Posts: 2 | Location: Michigan | Registered: May 08, 2017
