[BKSG1198]

Ken,
I applauded Tim, You & Teams efforts on keeping this event rolling, getting the sponsors that you did when times are rough for many. I mean in the 3 years you guys have run it; you've faced a lot of challenges (Covid 2020 & 2021 & Gas Prices in 2022). Like we chatted about after the finals of the D1 race, I wish we all had the answers as to why people don't support it but, from what I have seen over 11 years of being a .90 president is timing and location. Numidia is a track to get people there you have to offer them a big package, all I ever hear about it the TOW, THE HILLS but, once we are there the place is awesome...lol. I really think if NHRA does the double (T&T Wed, Thurs & Fri Open and D1 Race Sat & Sun) the weekend before would be great to grab if you can...Not sure if you can grab Dave's ear to get a preview of the D1 schedule. I think people will spend the weekend at the CR Nats, take 2 days to explore the area because there is a lot to see and do and then come back and run the D1 events, making it a mini-vacation to race and please the wife also. I am not sure if moving it to another track will help because I'll be honest with all the prices going up, track rentals are through the roof right now (I just started to get quotes for 2023 and most tracks have doubled over 2022) because of everything they have to cover in a weekend, Ambulance, Insurance, Staff, Glue, etc, etc....and Numidia is one of the cheaper places around to host an event so moving it to a Galot of VMP sounds great but, will you have the support to cover the 25-35k rental fee for the weekend and not lose your shorts because moving it there will probably delete some of the D1 races from up north....it's a catch 22 for sure.

I've been going there since Big Bob took over the place with the SG Series (2007) and I can tell you a quick story:

First year we went up there with the MASGA group (Pre MA .90 Series) and Pete Luciano was running it, we had 16 cars show up, Bob also threw up a $5,000 to win Bracket Race that night. The pits were bare, and I scratched my head with "how is this guy going to survive with no cars". I think the payout for SG was like $600 to win, Bob comes rolling over on the Kabota at the BBQ and asked who won? George Smith raises his hand says I did, Bob reaches into his pocket pulls $400 out and says here "I told you if you guys came up here, I'd pay $1,000 to win so tell all your friends to be here next year". So the bracket race starts and if there was 30 cars total that was a lot (10 of them were SG Cars running brackets), they did like 4 rounds of buybacks but, Bob guaranteed the $5k to win when most track owners would have been slashing the purse, trying to make deals. I knew then Bob was the real deal and I love sitting down and chatting with him whenever I get the chance to visit up there. I just wanted to put that out there that Bob is the real deal and a great guy....just have some big stones though cause he knows how to bust them but, he does it in a funny way.