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Gingerman – Farewell Yet Again

Gingerman will not be on the 2007 WERA schedule. The only dates available at the time weren't feasible as they conflicted with other WERA events, along with issues existing in having the resources to run the event.

This is of course disappointing, as this isn't the first time WERA has unsuccessfully attempted to add Gingerman onto the schedule. Things appeared promising a couple months ago, as there was talk of even trying to lock in two Gingerman dates – wow, what a bonus that would be. Now without Gingerman, the lack of inclusion for the September BeaveRun date, and the third Nelson Ledges date missing this year; the North Central schedule has taken a step backwards from 2006.

It's easy to stand from my side of the fence and throw stones, but how difficult is it to get an event at a particular track? I personally called Gingerman last year when talk of having it on the 2006 schedule had surfaced (we were encouraged to), and Gingerman officials wanted to get a WERA date locked in; and for whatever reason, it didn't happen. So where's the problem? WERA apparently didn't call early enough, because by the time they did, only a few dates were available – none of which worked with the rest of the schedule that had been laid out. So if this problem has happened before, would it have been out of the question to call even earlier to ensure an event on the 2007 schedule? WERA admits they'll need to call earlier for 2008. I hope they can get it right on the third try.

The fact remains that while WERA is the best racing organization around, there exists ego issues that for whatever reason have influenced some normal business decisions, which shouldn't happen. And of course, you can't bring it up in a public forum without people getting defensive and accusing you of stirring the pot.

In the end, it's just a shame. Tracks like Gingerman and Putnam Park get lost in the shuffle of egos, politics, and even name calling (in the Putnam Park case), and the people that lose out the most are the paying customers, the riders. While it's not a huge deal ultimately, it becomes more frustrating when you see a type of pattern develop over time. Fortunately for the organizers, when you're the only gig in town, you can get away with that.

Thursday, February 1st, 2007 | POSTED AT: 8:13 AM
FILED UNDER: General