I was less than impressed with the bathing suit competition. One of the contestants was pregant, to each their own I suppose.

man im really glad i didnt go,,i forgot about that and wasnt going to go for that reason...i know i dont look so good in bathing suit let alone others

Bathing suit contests?????? What does that have to do with racing??? AND how does that promote or put a positive light on short track racing?

I wonder how many people stayed away because of the bathing suit contest??? AND how many people they gained???? AND the people that they gained...will they be back once the bathing suits are gone???? And will the people who stayed away because of the contest ever return??? What kind of crowd is Auto City trying to attract with such shows?

Everyone talks about short track racing being family oriented....that is so far from it, that it borders on ewwwwwwwwwww.

I'm embarassed for short track racing.

Damn it........it's things like this that are driving good people away from short track racing.

I drove down from Windsor Canada to check it out. I'd like to see all the tracks in Michigan. I was sitting in I guess a family area. From the comments I heard from the moms and dads around me a bathing suit competition wasn't a good idea. The only other track I have visited so far was Kalamazoo, compared to the zoo AC wasn't as organized and less professional (ie. bathing suit contest). I was sitting there thinking "when is the racing going to start?" By the end of the summer I hope I have visited most of the tracks in Michigan. And of course one day race on one of them.

Springport, M40, Spartan and Angola Indiana are all class acts with well run shows I hope you can make it to a track one night when the Short Track Trucks are running we put on a great show

[

I'm embarassed for short track racing.

Damn it........it's things like this that are driving good people away from short track racing.
[/quote]


Sorry to be negative, but have to agree. It was all in good fun, but then I seen a few "little" girls who were walking around in their bikini's and I was wondering what the heck their parents were thinking.
Honestly, it was something different, but not real appropriate for family fun based track, and no, I am not religious etc. Joe's words himself say................".Our committment will always to provide a family-friendly event that is enertaining, fun and affordable."

That is wrote in the front of every program. Sorry, but this wasn't. But ya win some ya lose some.

Let me say "I'm sorry."

Believe me not all Michigan tracks are like Auto City. May I suggest that next year you make the trip to Springport for Racin' n Rocking' IV. They allow camping so you wouldn't have to make the long drive back the same night.

I am so embarassed for Michigan short track racing. So many people are trying so hard to save tracks and save the sport. To have a owner/promotor have such a low class spectacle is a slap in the face to all to go to watch and participate.

Again, I am sorry you made such a long trip to one of Michigan's short tracks and then have to see such a thing. Look at it this way. Been there, done that, cross it off your list and move on and try some of Michigan's other tracks.

Jan Hunyady

Don't know anything about the teching as we were just fans for the night but they did have tape measures out doing tread widths on the late models before they left the track.

We have been to A/C three times to spectate this year and I have not seen the poor fan count that people on here continually gripe about. Either I have picked nights to attend that allot of other people did too, or someone is exagerating. I have been more than impressed with the size of the fan base with the smaller car counts. Would one guess that they are fans of cars that are still participating there or just race fans in general? I would guess from where I sat it to be between 1/2 and 2/3 full and I have seen race nights in the past at A/C where you could literally count who paid to get in, so ast night was decent.

I thought last nights racing was pretty good and I have complained ( probably not publicly)about it in the past. There weren't very many late models and the truck count was about normal for the past few years, but the factory stocks and led sleds each had full counts without having to run semis. I only saw once incident on the track where a yellow was thrown and no one seemed to get punished......not saying I didn't miss something. I will say that 50 laps is too much for 10 cars in a late model race, but I would say that for any class that was low on cars. Gets real boring!

All in all a decent night. Didn't stay till the end as I was tired at 11 (not like me) so went home with the VRO mod feature and trucks to go so don't know for sure what time it all ended.

They had advertised for quite some time that if you wore your bathing suit last night you got in free. And at the ticket window you literally had to have your suit on as I watched people taking shorts and shirts off to be in just their suit to get in free. UGH! Thank God it was a cool night and there wasn't too many that appeared to do that. Yes, there were soem real winners on the track for the contest, but face it people, there are some real winners that seem to follow local short track racing anyway! Those people in those suits would have been there regardless, they just got in free last night as some were regulars at the track.

I guess maybe I felt it was time to log on and say some thing somewhat positive about the track since there has been so much bashing of it lately. I can honestly say I don't know what transpires there on a weekly basis since we race our mod at Whittemore only this year, but we do like to attend races at Auto City when time and money permits.

Jack Doering used to have swimsuit contests, had a Tom Cruise look alike contest once and he used to have that guy jump over cars on the front straightaway. Bikini contests play big at drag strips, what is the embarasment and fuss all about?

Let's be honest here Rocky, like most guys I can appreciate a good bikini contest. I still don't think it belongs at our racetracks though. If it gets more people in the door it's not the type of people that are going to be loyal fans and help the track sustain growth. It might be a rowdier and to some extent fun atmosphere for one night, but it might also drive out fans that are true to racing. This is afterall the same track that has had police separate the pits from the grandstands before. Not worth the risk in my opinion. Tacky may be fun but it doesn't exude the professionalism of a healthy sporting facility.

i have finally come to the conclusion that no matter what auto city does it will always be wrong. they had a good night of racing and was done by 11;45. not to bad for so many classes, spectator drags and a swim suit contest. they could give everyone a free night in and give EVERYONE what they want and that would not be good enough. not one of us are perfect in any way, and nor is any one any better then the next. they are trying different things to entertain everyone. atleast they are trying. but everyone at a track should help stop all these young kids from fighting. it is no good for the racing community in whole. people are complaing about the swim suit contest but no one said anything about the fights, lol. funny huh. when you go to the beach with your family and see these young kids racing their jet ski's by the beach is it exceptable? do people still go back to the beach? i thought so. it wasn't as bad as it is being made out to be. the stands may not be packed but they are not half empty either. if you race at another track or go to another track other then auto city then why come on here and complain about auto city or what it does or does not do?

If the patrons who wore a bathing suit got in free then the track did not benefit. More than likely the vast majority of those who wore a suit came because #1 they got in free #2 they could troll for a life partner LOL #3 it was a PARTEE!!!! None of those reasons will bring any of those people back when they have to pay.

AND I have NO problem with lovely ladies in bikinis BUT not where children are or where you advertise family atmosphere.

Family atmosphere OR people (beautiful or ugly, fit or non fit, pregnant or not pregnant) in bathing suits. Can't have both.

If having bathing suit contests and selling beer is your priority, then maybe you need to buy a bar on Dort HWY. I thought owning a race track meant you were interested in having racing related events. If you own a facility billed as family entertainment, you have family oriented events.

Dang Gavin.......there was your chance. LOL


Car and racing related....no problem.......little kids especially like such things.


Most drag strips tend to cater to adults or at least the ones I have been to. Also bikini contests for money tend to attract non pregnant women.

Lets get down to brass tacks. It's all about $$$$$$$. At the end of the night did he make more $$$ by having people get in free because they wore a bathing suit? And did he drive away any paying customers???? If he let in X amount of people free and drove away X amount of people, he lost $$$$.

Lose too much $$$$ and you start cutting the purse and raising prices. Raise prices and cut purses causes a loss of drivers. Loss of drivers causes loss of purse and higher ticket prices. It's a vicious circle then a downward spiral.


Not causing a fuss just pointing out facts. And there is no way in God's green acre that I would take my parents, small children, nor someone new to racing to such a tacky spectacle. And we can't grow the sport without new people. New people that will pay to get in, buy a t shirt, buy a hamburger, buy a program and in general spend $$$ and that keeps the track running.



Why?????? because I care about short track racing. I would love Auto City to be the place it once was. I would love to be able to drive 30 mins to see a good race, eat a hamburger w/o having flies on my condiments, not have beer spilled on me, and not have someone stand in front of the fence blocking my view.

honestly, I don't think it's a huge deal. As a mom I think I was more concerned with the little ones I seen walking around in their bikini's. I did have to laugh at the crowd of guys who couldn't get to the front stretch quick enough ,lol, to see the girls. Not a huge deal just a little odd I think, and I would pay double before I would wear my bathing suit to the track, giggle...........but that's me. Some of them looked pretty dang good!

but everyone at a track should help stop all these young kids from fighting. it is no good for the racing community in whole. people are complaing about the swim suit contest but no one said anything about the fights, lol. funny huh.


I was sitting right by where there was a fight, and have no clue why and who was fighting, but let me tell you the crowds unfortunately loved it. Everyone around us quit watching the race to go watch the fight. sad but true. Just wondering if alcohol had anything to do with it? Not accusing, just asking. I know there was one guy hotting and hollering right by us who could barely walk he was so intoxicated. That to me is ridiculous. I enjoy a good drink now and then too, but what is the point of going to the races and get so drunk you have no idea whats going on anyway? just my opinion.

is this the winner?

What's wrong with just racing? Why does everything need a Barnum and Bailey sales pitch on it? I'm tired of it. Say what you will to defend AC in this instance, but it's not just them, this is just the last straw in my opinion that's all.

I think the irritating thing here is that I feel this is a tacky way for tracks to take the purity out of the sport. It's always a gimmick anymore. Why can't we just go to a damn race? I want someone to show me a real race, without seeing spectator drags, and carnival acts, and letting people named billybob in for free and any other gimmick to sell more beer instead of selling a racing show. Am I the only person that feels this way? Seriously?! Have we all gotten so far away from what we enjoy that we only look forward to the next gimmick? Shit, I might as well stay home and watch reality TV.

This is ridiculous, someone let me know when the racing returns.

Now that right there is funny!

No, hell if you want pure racing there are tracks that do it every week Oakshade, Crystal etc.... Auto City has had corny promotions as long as I can clearly remember which is back to about '85 think about it. how many times have you seen the megasaurus or a motorcycle demolition derby???? now how many of those were at Auto City? That stuff Saturday night won't hurt anything.

You can't even compare AC and Crystal like that. It's apples and oranges.

If you want to make big money at the circus, have a circus night like the rest of the tracks, KZOO, Toledo, etc.

that isn't my point , the point is Auto city always has been a circus. Mike Kern has all kinds of goofy promotions at Dixie too you know, why isn't anybody bashing him??? He makes more money off the eve of destruction than all of the Dixie cup races combined I would be willing to wager.

I understand your frustrations Gavin. I've been to tracks that take 20 to 30 minute "intermissions" where absolutely nothing goes on... and THEN they want to have midgets on trikes, spectator drags, 'How many licks to the center of a Tootsie Pop?" and ad nauseum gimicks. We have gimick races at Crystal but they are all about racing... real bus races (ask Stenberg about coming from 12th to win or ask Sue6 about flipping her bus into the fence!), flag pole races, and a number of deals... but we don't have an intermission lasting longer than four to five minutes each night. I know it is all I can do to take the Junior Fan Club pics, run them to the photo booth amd get back down into the infield each night. Ron Flinn insists that the show is always in motion... and most nights... it is always on the go. Gimmick races can be fun... but they need to move it right along.

amen, this is the type of thing that has a tendancy to snowball too. I have some friends that are bouncers at Nightclubs in Windsor, they told me that this is the type of thing that tells them when its time to find a new job. This behavior quickly gets out of hand, and quickly drives off the good business.

None of his are tacky, classless, or humilating to the participants.

Gimmick races are races. These afford the kids and those who enjoy a good crash or are not very knowledgable about racing to enjoy the show.

I was at Dixie a couple of weeks ago. Well behaved huge crowd. Dipstick handing out candy to kids and a track official with a goofy hat (flying pig I think), this is all fun entertaining, and doesn't embarass anyone AND can go on while the real racing is happening.

I remember when Auto City was the place to go if you wanted to see some serious, good, fast racing.

I just feel compelled to jump in on this one.

I have attended AC numerous times over the years, all when Jack owned the place. I have to agree that some of these tracks are the last place on earth I would take a friend. I would be embarrassed for them to see how I spent some of my Saturday nights. It sounds like little has changed since Joe bought the place as the gimmick front gate grabbers are still being played out ( bikini contests, etc. )

I sat in the stands at AC and watched a super late special one night. I took my daughter with me who at the time was probably 12 years old. Sitting behind me in the family section were two drunks. They accidentally dumped their beer right down the back of my daughter. The only thing that kept me from throwing them down the steps was my buddy who was with me who happened to be a State Police Lt. He was less then impressed with the track and some of its fans. I know of another person who took her parents to AC to see a race. What they seen were a bunch of drunks clamoring about along with a couple guys who were enjoying smoking pot in the stands right near them. I believe it was the same night a fight broke out at the bar and another broke out in the pits. Great PR for the curious public who have never seen a race before.

When I was heavily involved in the sport I would spend my week on the phone arranging deals for racers. At the time one of my close friends was the Director of GMSPO. He signed the checks for Earnhardt as well as any other racer or track that carried GM sponsorship, from GM Goodwrench to AC Delco. You don't think some of these incidents were not mentioned ? As he and many other corporate heads told me, they want nothing to do with short tracks because of the reputation some of them have. They do not want their name associated with these tracks that cannot promote a family atmosphere. Can you blame them ? That is why your seeing less and less participation from the large corporations at the local level. They are fed up with the atmosphere.

I have preached here and elsewhere that the level of professionalism needs to be stepped up if you want to attract a more influential crowd that has money to spend. The future of this sport lies with the segment of society that can afford to attend races. But these same people will not spend their money to see drunks, fights and half baked bikini contests.

AC lost my vote and support a long time ago along with a couple other tracks when they started their " no coolers " policy. What they did is kill the family who wanted to pack a couple sandwiches, some drinks for the kids and a few snacks all in favor of the dollar, the buckets of beer and the drunks. Sorry, I will never support any track that has a no cooler policy in order to run a bar on site. It goes against everything I believe in, which is to make this sport fun for everyone and for people of all ages, including kids.

In my mind you either cater to families or you cater to drunks. If you cater to the drunks then you deserve every single headache you get because of them.

Chris

must have been long ago because I went there weekly since 85 till I joined the service in March '01 A/C has always done stuff like this. It may have even been Jack's idea. I am done with this topic. see you all elsewhere.

Maybe some of this can be split into a new topic, not much here about the A/C techs!

Just a suggestion.

Considering that Dynochick was a regular in the pits with my dad from 82-87, and most of the 82-84 years were at AC on the dirt and my dad won championships there on the motorcycle in that timespan, I think she knows what she's talking about.

Could it be that your memory wasnt so good as a small child?

Thank you!

O.K. I was only 8 in 85 and I clearly have no idea what happened at Auto City ever. I appologize and like I said before I will retire from this topic before I get my account banned.

......
you are right....i could not wait to leave Dixie.. i love Auto City...never miss.....oh by the way ...they had a fight a Dixie......don't tell anyone...made us wait over one hour....so they could let all the people in....you racers , make my day...keep safe..and god be with you all...oh by the way ..mt chair has only 2 wheels...

I too remember when A/C use to be the place to go.. I traveled there from Ionia for better than two years when it was dirt. Racered at the first 3 or 4 Muddslingers. Than was almost a 2 hours drive each way with the hauler and when you didn't leave until well after midnight,, it sure made for long sundays.

No one will ban your account for your opinion, if you blatantly start fights and tactlessly call people names and use profanity that is another story. If well argued disagreements got you banned, then BigEd would be long gone!

I wasnt trying to insult you because of your age, in fact I was speaking from experience, just because I am 2 years younger than you, and I vaguely remember AC when it was dirt... and we raced there! Dynochick on the other hand has very fond memories of it, and lots of experience that I know is credible.

Don't sweat disagreements, it's all a matter of opinion and free thought, so long as it doesnt encroach on others.

Thank you Gavin,

I take that as a compliment, unless you want to argue over it!!!!!

BAHAHAHAHA!!!

[

AC lost my vote and support a long time ago along with a couple other tracks when they started their " no coolers " policy. What they did is kill the family who wanted to pack a couple sandwiches, some drinks for the kids and a few snacks all in favor of the dollar, the buckets of beer and the drunks. Sorry, I will never support any track that has a no cooler policy in order to run a bar on site. It goes against everything I believe in, which is to make this sport fun for everyone and for people of all ages, including kids.

In my mind you either cater to families or you cater to drunks. If you cater to the drunks then you deserve every single headache you get because of them.

Chris
[/quote]

This was a wondeful post and I agreed with all of it. But coming form a mom's point of view once again, it was nice when you could take a small cooler or a small bag with goodies in it for the kids. Does the track honestly think they would lose money if they let us bring snacks for our kids? I know alcohol could not be brought in, I understand that, but some parents cannot afford to bring their kids and feed them all night too, I honestly see no harm in allowing food being brought in, I still know there would be people who would not bother with it and still spend money on concessions also. After reading everyones' posts, it is apparent the general opinion is people want a FAMILY FRIENDLY place to go, maybe that is what they need to promote, and limit the alcohol consumption!

I was at a track in Mid Michigan once that made me dump out gator aid I had in a sippy cup for my kid when he was 2. I had went there to watch a special race. It did not sit well with me at the time. It is one of the reasons we allow coolers at Whittemore. We do ask if its the 4 footers that the folks store them at the base of the stands under the rail in plain view, and make a beer run to their cooler if need be. We also specifically have no alcohol sections. Our fans appreciate it. I have seen facilities that dont allow coolers that are successful, It just doesnt leave me warm and fuzzy when I think about it.

Since I started this thread I feel obligated to extend a great deal of compliments to the people in the crowd that night. I was sitting on the front stretch in what seemed to be a family area. Lots of kids. They were kids being kids and enjoying every minute of the race. They were polite and considerate. All the people around me were simply fantastic people. One person even asked me if I wanted anything from the food area. I'm sure he expected me to pay but still it was really nice. I have to salute everyone there for they way they treated the one driver that is active in the armed forces on leave from afganistan and racing. Being from Canada I have to admit your patriatism is something we could use up here. Hats off to the people in the crowd and the ladies and gentlemen racing. Just didn't want anyone to think I had nothing good to say about my night because there was a lot of good mixed with a couple of questionable moments. Thanks

so sped 1111 if you were in town would you go again?

it would be nice to see just racing events but reality says other things sell at the track as well and they are trying to make a buck or two as well. i also agree that they should allow coolers in as it will bring in more people and more revenue for the track. some of the spectators may have enjoyed the fight but what happens when it escalates into somthing else. they was tossing free stuff into the stands for people but someone told joe to get his pet monkey out of there and keep the free stuff because people did not want it. where can you please everyone is my point. why try to please someone that does not even go to the track anymore? and reguardless of what, refuses to come back. why don't we just make every track in michigan the exact same way with one ruler, lol. this country is becoming more and more what we have been fighting against for years. why not make crystal and merritt the only tracks in michigan and close the rest since they are the only ones that can run anything right. or are the only ones that can put on a good show, lol

Yes I would.
A little earlier and a pit pass next time. I'm actually an open wheel convert so I'm still getting use to how everything works. but yes I would go again.

I don't see this kind of a show at K-Zoo or Berlin, the two classiest, best run pavement tracks in Michigan. There is a reason some tracks struggle and others don't.

[quote name='chris' date='Jul 23 2007, 12:42 PM' post='91037']

AC lost my vote and support a long time ago along with a couple other tracks when they started their " no coolers " policy. What they did is kill the family who wanted to pack a couple sandwiches, some drinks for the kids and a few snacks all in favor of the dollar, the buckets of beer and the drunks. Sorry, I will never support any track that has a no cooler policy in order to run a bar on site. It goes against everything I believe in, which is to make this sport fun for everyone and for people of all ages, including kids.

There are tracks that need the income to pay there bills. The tracks that actually have insurance to cover any mishaps. Also paying full advertised purses. Paying help to run the tech line properly. But that goes into what has been talked about on this site for a long time, the price of running a track. How do you pay for trash removal when you are not making money to create the trash? Is McDonalds going to help you out on that? The tracks that I go to do not inspect bags, but they don't want you to bring bags and bags of food into the track, they kind of look the other way if it is not large. As far as bringing beer into a track in Michigan with a license to sell beer, it is against the law to bring it in. A lot of tracks use to allow it and some of them got caught up in litigation because someone that they had no control over drinking there own beer in the grandstands left the speedway and killed innocent people. Bottom line the speedway with the beer license is legaly responsible for all actions of anybody getting drunk on there property. I am not saying that some of the people at these tracks selling beer aren't getting greedy, they should cut people off, but they would rather get another tip and hope that person gets home okay. I have been to tracks that allow coolers in, and I think that is nice and I know that family's can't afford to pay the gate and then buy food, but in this day and age I don't know how much I trust having my cooler sitting out of my sight with no one watching it, kinda like leaving a drink at the bar and hoping no one puts anything in it. The best solution for me and I did it for years was to eat before I got to the track and then enjoy the show.

The future of tracks may depend on food and beer sales to pull it through the hard times we are in, so support them within reason.

Why can't we just go to a damn race? I want someone to show me a real race, without seeing spectator drags, and carnival acts, and letting people named billybob in for free and any other gimmick to sell more beer instead of selling a racing show.


berlin,does an excelent job,no bullshit just racing,and a good show at that,,..dixi does a good show to,,kalamazoo,crystal,

for one eve of destruction is not on a regular race night,,,eve of destruction is what alot of kids like to see..crash,bang,,flip..thats what kids love to see..hell even i like to see that stuff...with the perves in this world give them a few beers and little girls that think that there 18 cuz they look it now..yeah thats a bad idea for a race track,,my wife would of not let our 11yr old girl go out there like that,,,and she dont look like shes 11 either so i see where all the mom s and dad would kinda be in tizzy about it...you cant tell me you would like your little girl getting eyed up by some drunk dude would ya,,,,i didnt think so...plus who wants to see a 400LB chick in a bikini(yuck) not me

so what all is so wrong with spectator drags anyways as long as they move them along and don't tack a 30 minute intermission on after it, alot of race car drivers got started that way. yall are way too hard core for me.

Yeah I dig the spectator drags too. Hey at least its racing.

racechaser,

This law has changed, just recently. Now, at Spartan, and Kalamazoo too I think, we sell cans of beer, and still allow coolers. I know, it still seems weird to me too that you can bring in your own beer, or beverage, and we sell it too. I've had to add some special reminders to all the fans since we started selling beer, as our insurance company has asked.

I'm still getting used to telling everyone that we have Bud, Bud Light, Coors Light, and Miller Lite for sale at the concession stand. Just seems weird.

Big Ed

I thought this topic was called AC bathing suits! I wanna see pics man. You know those prego AC chicks are fly as hell. All I gotta say is badonkadonk!

chad your my hero

Chad, you may need help. lol. I have always enjoyed the S.D.'s myself. Some of the best laughs in racing at times.