pappawheely
New Member
Sorry, I thought you wanted news. If all you want is half truths and rumor, social media has it.
Official UTVUG Baja 500 Coverage
- Thread starter UTVUGJake
- Start date
I got some pennies! Seriously though, lets here your race report.
motive
Active Member
For me the "stories" you want told by some mythical media person that can magically be everywhere on course at once, can not be told by someone not racing. The stories come from those in the heat of the battle. Those in the car that strap a log to some broken suspension in order to finish. Or the case crew that ends up broken and has to sleep in the desert to keep the truck from being robbed. Sorry, but even the teams themself don't know the stories that are going on all around them. Its when you look back an reflect on the huge challanges you overcame or even the ones you didn't that make the LEGACY you leave behind. Its those stories that will be told around campfires and in garages for years. No matter how good the media is they will never be able to tell those stories from buzzing around in a helicopter with video cameras rolling. That part of the romance of desert racing and particularly Baja. Its about the personal challenges faced and how you come out. If you aren't happy with what can be provided at every second durring a race maybe you need to not follow it until the day after so you can read it like a story. Johnny for one always tells a good story!
SimsMotorsports
Factory Polaris #1913
I think I have an idea on how its going to go....... We will just have to win the 1000 and the Imperial race now, no big deal......
the stripping shop
RACER - UTVUnderground Approved
Johnny you are the only one that post a story even if its a bad day you still post one I enjoy reading it and your trophies are bad ass.
rockstarcustomz
RoCkStAr CuStOm MoToRsPoRtS - UTVUnderground Appro
I was there chasing for a team. I paid for some Mexican Minutes on my phone. No way would I be able to keep up and post from there. I can't wait to get the overage bill just keeping our team together. Let alone a whole class. Joey told me he was just there to hang out and spectate, but there was still a ton of coverage posted just because he loves us! Thanks for what you do Joey. See you all in August 
pappawheely
New Member
Legacy says you don't need an army of journalists but that's what it takes; sorry.
baja specialist
Well-Known Member
Unless you have been there you have know idea what it takes. It is so hard and cost a small fortune just to keep our team updated on our position and how things are going with the race. I know everyone always wants more info and it can be found with a little work on piecing the puzzle together. What I would suggest is find all of the racers FaceBook and other media pages and you should be able to put the story together from there. It's not like this is a course where one or two people can cover things, it would take at least 20ish people to make a good effort and that would cost a lot of money.
baja specialist
Well-Known Member
By the way, thanks for all of the coverage. With out it there would be nothing at all.
It was an awesome race and a lot of fun. And reading all of the comments on here makes it that much better.
It was an awesome race and a lot of fun. And reading all of the comments on here makes it that much better.
It'sYourLegacy
Banned Por Vida
Apparently there aren't many participating here who grew up east of the Mississippi or know much about the origins of wheeled racing. Racing legends weren't built on FaceCrack, InstaGrabAss or for that matter forums (let alone by stories exclusively from the drivers themselves). You're all hiding behind the logistical challenges of one location as if races here in the states are covered any differently in terms of getting to know the drivers, the cars or the latest innovations driving the market (which frankly isn't happening either).
These teams (down south) drove people's imaginations and in turn their purchases whether half of what was reported (a first step which this sport has failed to take) was news(worthy), factual or not.
Today's young people want to whip out their cell phone, say or regurgitate (copy) something cute and then expect some kind of (sponsored) legacy to somehow follow just as the media idols all of their 'connected' lives have demonstrated.
We may not agree...yet it doesn't work that way and never has for any legitimate (legacy-driven) sport in this country.
pappawheely
New Member
The thread is about the B500, not sprint cars.
I found this interview from 2008 with an off road visionary. Much like Legacy he had all the answers.
XCLUSIVE Baja Racing News.comINTERVIEW
Bob Yen just got back from a whirlwind scientific media tour of China and Baja Racing News.com had a chance to get that long awaited interview with the self appointed know-it-all.
Though, when we talked with him, he may not have known it was us doing the interview.
Editor, Gary Newsome.
Baja Racing News.com: Lets talk about the Baja crime wave, what are your thoughts about the Baja tourism crash and burn going on in Mexico now?
"I had a bad experience in Mexico during the races. My truck was parked 1 block from San Nicholas, & was a target of theft on Fri evening after Contingency. There are cop cars circling by every few minutes. I was inside, & some guy walks by..tries to open the door. Disappears around the corner. Comes by again..my small window gets shattered by one of those steel balls!! I get out of my truck to see the guy get into a small red compact, brand new. He gets into reverse, & scrams."
Baja Racing News.com: How does a thief think he can get away with this, with all the cop cars buzzing by?
"Because, the cops are involved & probably are working as "spotters". My truck was vandalized at the last Baja 1000, so this makes TWO! The accounts by others do NOT seem to be random data points. There is definitely a security issue to all Baja race attendees. SCORE needs to address this, otherwise they have a huge mess."
Baja Racing News.com: What kind of mess?
"Mexico is hating life because of all the crime and SCORE is ignoring what really is happening there. The racers I do business with, like Herbst, McMillins, Post, Baldwins, Bob Bowers all have given failing grades to Sr. Pesca for his handling of this collapse. It's an all out SCORE collapse. Sal Fish is just hunkering down this year, trying to let the crime storm blow over.
When Sal Fish of SCORE International said of the racers in SCORE, 'the Super Star Ego-Maniacs' of desert racing will be back. He's probably right, but, if things don't settle down soon, 2009 will be toast in Mexico for any racing."
Baja Racing News.com: What does off-road need to do?
"This is what Offroad Racing needs, some presence on TV/Film. I'm working on some TV/Film projects, since I know some higher ups at Disney, Disney owns ABC, which owns ESPN, which does all the Internet solutions for ABC. I was in touch with an Emmy award winning producer of "The Amazing Race"..that wild endurance race that did stuff 'round the world, like Australia.
He's into offroad, he drives a pimped out disco truck, & drove it to the Emmys. He goes back to Steve McQueen days, & we were talking about Technology & how it could help Offroad Racing get on the map."
Baja Racing News.com: What's your solution?
"I think something crazy wild is going to happen in the not so distant future, something along the lines of a Dust to Glory..but even better. Hint: D2G never made it to mainstream movie theathres, but Technology gives us iTunes video-podcasting. Steve Jobs is on the BoD/Board of Directors of Disney, since PIXAR, which Jobs owns, merged with Disney Animation 2.5 yrs ago. There are some Offroad Racing entities who have iTunes video-podcast I did for them who are requesting some big-time exposure on iTunes. Because of my high-level contacts w/Disney Animation, President, VP, former chief-Scientist, etc. I can possibly go "top-down" to get a deal going. TV, Film, Animation, Internet Solutions via ESPN, etc. Earlier this year, I got a call from the head of Prime Time Programming for ABC, out in NY, we were talking about Internet solutions for the Rose Bowl."
Baja Racing News.com: Really? What else Bob?
"I didn't bring up the subject of Auto Racing, Champcar..which went bankrupt, let alone Offroad Racing, because frankly it's a downer situation."
Baja Racing News.com: Then why are you involved in off-road?
"The money. Racing is a niche-market, doesn't pull the huge numbers like college football."
Baja Racing News.com: What do you think about Championship Off-road Racing?
"Someone told me recently he has 50 million into it..and they are still in the red! Can Jim Baldwin pull off his dream, of a NASCAR equivalent for Offroad Racing? Unfortunately, I and the racers I associate with, see some real challenges/problems in that organization. If they don't fix them, they're done."
Baja Racing News.com: What's your solution?
"Content/Distribution models. Disney/ABC gives us the big-time Distribution connection. Content is Offroad Racing, we would need "cool stories". Facts tell, STORIES SELL.. Business of Entertainment, selling auto racing or pots & pans.
There are some FANTASTIC racers/personalities/stories that are in development, & they need to be surrounded by a team of professionals (video shooters, story writers, producers, directors to bring it to the Public. I've put in a flurry of calls with various luminaries & movers/shakers in Offroad Racing, & excitement is building."
Baja Racing News.com: Wow. Impressive.
"Offroad Racing has its problems and challenges. I just wonder if there's enough Leadership at SCORE, CORR, BITD to conquer the "negatives" so I can bring on these Disney/ABC professionals. They certainly don't want to experience the riff/raff, like I've experienced, with Klaus and Curtis, equivalent to walking thru a mine-field. Bob Bower & I had a lengthy conversation yesterday, about this very issue. The message boards are out of control, damaging the sport and the business."
Baja Racing News.com: So what did you and Bob come up with?
"SCORE needs a new owner and CORR needs to stop wasting money."
Baja Racing News.com: Tell us about your China trip.
"Well I'd like to spam my website about the trip at http://08solareclipse.blogspot.com/
Americans have alot to learn from the Chinese. We (the Chinese) have centuries of technology ahead of Americans. And Americans have been passed up along time ago. I laugh at the photo-video people of off-road, my technologies are far superior to them. I have big plans for the Baja 1000, it'll blow everything off the map."
Baja Racing News.com: You can catch Bob Yen at all the racing events, just look for a Chinese guy, kook, with a funky van topped with a sat-dish. We won't ask him about his vans suspension issues in this interview!
Thanks for sharing it with Baja Racing News as always.
JoeyD23
#utvunderground
Everything you are saying isn't done, we do, and have done! We have told the stories of racers, races, builds, back story, etc etc etc.. Do we do it for every race? NO. Once again, try digging around, use the search button, you will find a lot of what you are thinking doesn't happen.
And sorry, racing legends today do use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Hell, even my grandmother uses Facebook to track my adventures. So just because you refuse to get with the times, doesn't mean its not a viable resource. I hate change too, we all like the good ol' days, but times change and you either change with them or risk being left behind!
badassmav
Well-Known Member
Patience is a virtue. As a younger more eager man, I never really took in the broad-ness of that saying. With the advent of social media, comes a generation of impatience. Because modern technology allows for INDIVIDUALS to share immediate information with the masses, we all expect accurate up to date data of events that interest us, no matter the source. Tracker data is cited, only to later be refuted. Eyewitness accounts are only opinions until they can be later confirmed by the masses. Yeah, I'm eager to know ASAP who passed who, or what happened to those guys. Not eager enough though to accept any data from an individual as fact, until at which time it can be substantiated by independent, later source(s). If I really want to know the status that bad, I'll just make it a point to personally attend the event. Live event coverage is awesome when watching NASCAR. It is factually accurate, if not only due to the multitude of resources covering it at any given.moment. Slow down guys. Take in a breath or two of today's contaminated/manipulated air and give it time. Very few GOOD things in life happen quickly (insert metaphor here). I, and possibly a few other dinosaurs here was content when ESPN decidedly included off road racing in their Speedworld coverage back in the early 80's. It was worth the wait to enjoy complete and ACCURATE coverage of my favorite past time. What fun is there in bad information? I'm sure there is a ton of info that comes across JoeyD's plate during an event that professional disciplines mandate he igores in his reports, which I'm sure he does. Kudos to him for it. Were just a bunch of grown ups playing in the dirt anyway, so let's face it, we'll never get to enjoy real time coverage of our sport as completely and accurately as we'd like until entities such as UTVUG are allotted the appropriate funding to bring it to us. I can't imagine the amount of scratch it takes to cover a NASCAR event, let alone a complete season. And they race mostly in a geographical area small enough to walk across n a few minutes! To the wise, this post should minimize further responses as to current ability of any of these popular forums to provide race by race coverage of our sport, unless of course you like GOSSIP!
We just listed our Baja 500 adventure to give some of the behind the scenes info from our perspective. We are lucky to run with a great group of racers out on the track. We battle on the track but are friends off. Check it out and let us know your thoughts.
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