[Sirrotica]

Well I'm 65, (most people guess less than my actual age) I have a bad knee (torn cartilage) and a host of other ailments, degenerated discs in my back due to abusing my body as a mechanic for over 50 years, and 2 work related injuries since 2008 (left foot and left wrist). I'm early retired due to my last 2 work related injuries, and on SSDI because of my host of injuries. The federal government has ascertained I have too many injuries to continue to work in 2012.

I can still walk around Norwalk, but not all day, and we do walk a fair amount. But to get from one side of the track to the other you can't beat a wheeled vehicle. As I say I have walked it when I first started going there in 1996 and was able to walk it until severing a fascia band in the bottom of my foot. It was in 2008 when I purchased a wheeled vehicle because I had a hard cast on my left foot during Norwalk.

We also usually camp at the track and occasionally need potable water which is under the grandstand on the show side. Carrying water jugs 1/2 mile isn't going to happen in my physical state. I also have a large cooler in the rack on the rear of the go kart we carry food and drinks in, instead of buying the drinks from the track vendors. From 2005-2012 my wife and I were T Shirt vendors in the swap meet area and later moved our operation to the Manufacturers Midway, the go kart was invaluable during that time frame.

To look at me you would never know I was disabled and I appear healthy to the average person. I never make an issue of my disabilities, so most people never know about them. I don't have handicap placards for my cars and never use handicapped spaces in parking lots. So Joe Blow is going to assume I'm 100% capable of walking everywhere at Norwalk all the time, I'm not. I'll keep the wheeled vehicle and use it once a year when we visit Norwalk because it make my visit much easier on me during that time. If that annoys someone , you'll just have to be annoyed.

Oh yeah I'm pretty easy to see in the ocean of golf carts, I'd be driving the 2 seat ATV go kart with a 4x4 wing on the top, and a nose wing on the front, painted black and gold, It looks like a miniature sprint car replica. Next year it will be numbered with #35, the number I used throughout my racing career. I just flat out ran out of time this year and wasn't able to number it this year. Go figure that I'd be driving a replica of one of the fastest dirt oval track cars ever conceived.

Plenty of thumbs up while we cruise Norwalk in the mini sprint replica too.

[ta6point6]

Is this the new norm people just complaining about every little thing?

[bird72]

See people in my trainer gig that are undoing decades of over and wrong eating, atrophy from non use, years of desk posture, knee issues common, back issues common. I just don't know how to opinionate on this topic. I also did a few years of off and on chemo where mostly not super obvious. I see some trouble with non med people doing laser eye instant diagnosis of people that they are pre-annoyed on. I mean, I walked ssslllooowww on meds. Sure I make opinions in my head sometimes on things I see, and think "scooters" and such are becoming more of a cultural use thing, and used as new easy out by some folk I described earlier. In fact accelerates the snowball effect of atrophy and degeneration they are on. But people with gone knees, they should not come? Wait a minute....

So scooters as a social issue? When we all work out the 989 items on the priority list above this, lets all have a helluva chat on fixing it! And Good Luck!

[Simple Man]

Originally Posted by ta6point6

Is this the new norm people just complaining about every little thing?

One solution.

I don’t think anyone is arguing their rights or if they run a good business at the track.

Obviously you have your opinion- you are probably all over the 200 acres and it makes sense to have a golf cart. I’m not going to disagree at all.

My opinion is that when they set up an area such as a show field or swap meet where most of the pedestrians will be it would be a courtesy to all their of the attendees if they had a parking area for the vehicles (excluding slower single person electric scooters for health reasons) and kept these areas to foot traffic only. You could still use your vehicle to go all over the track and save time- I could enjoy the swap meet and show without having to watch out for motorized vehicles.

It seems simple to me but I don’t own the track.

[68 461 Bird]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

Oh yeah I'm pretty easy to see in the ocean of golf carts, I'd be driving the 2 seat ATV go kart with a 4x4 wing on the top, and a nose wing on the front, painted black and gold, It looks like a miniature sprint car replica. .

That was you??? My wife and I had to stop while you made an illegal u-turn in front of the Ames Tent. Just kidding, we did stop and wait for you to turn around but I also noticed it was one of the nicest golf carts in Norwalk that weekend! Besides the paint that caught my eye, I really liked the wheels too!

[Region Warrior]

Haven't been to Pontiac Nationals in a few years but remember how bad it was with young kids driving motorized vehicles all over the place for no apparent reason.
Going way to fast both pit and show side.
Where are their parents...

[CraigGT37]

Sirrotica,
My son pointed your kart out to me on saturday. I thought it was cool. I saw you again on Sunday in parking area after you had it loaded on trailer.

[RocktimusPryme]

I hadn’t posted in this in a while because I ranted and got it off my chest. Then this week I simultaneously discovered that poison ivy sucks and managed to get a staph infection. Minor irritations went to the back burner.


But I don’t think it’s fair in this case to say you aren’t allowed to point out a problem without a solution. Though often I would say I agree with you. In this case the solution is just for people to police themselves. You know if you really need the crutch. It’s up to you as a person to do the right thing. Obviously people don’t police themselves very well.

Any other solution you come up with will not be an elegant one.

Also just because a business entity takes advantage doesn’t make it a good practice. I would too. This is one of those people are going to do it anyway so you may as well take advantage. Rent carts to the slothful and needy alike. Sell alcohol to social drinkers and alcoholics.

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by RocktimusPryme

I hadn’t posted in this in a while because I ranted and got it off my chest. Then this week I simultaneously discovered that poison ivy sucks and managed to get a staph infection. Minor irritations went to the back burner.


But I don’t think it’s fair in this case to say you aren’t allowed to point out a problem without a solution. Though often I would say I agree with you. In this case the solution is just for people to police themselves. You know if you really need the crutch. It’s up to you as a person to do the right thing. Obviously people don’t police themselves very well.

Any other solution you come up with will not be an elegant one.

Also just because a business entity takes advantage doesn’t make it a good practice. I would too. This is one of those people are going to do it anyway so you may as well take advantage. Rent carts to the slothful and needy alike. Sell alcohol to social drinkers and alcoholics.

A bunch of you people forget about the facility owners liability, and their insurance rates are a direct result of risk vs rewards. You see dragstrips constantly downsizing to 1/8th mile, do you know why? Because the insurance is much cheaper on 1/8th mile facilities vs 1/4 mile facilities. If the risk of people using wheeled vehicles all over the facility was going to pose a huge risk to pedestrians, as some have suggested, the insurance company would clamp right down on the track in a NY minute.

The small monetary reward that the Bader family gets for allowing a vendor to rent carts would be lost as soon as the insurance company raised their rates. I guess there aren't many business owners complaining because they realize that a business that makes poor decisions as far as safety concerns, gets hammered by their insurance company. When the insurance company hammers them they can change their behavior/policies, or suffer the monetary repercussions.

There are rules that the track has concerning guests using wheeled vehicles at the facility, not like they just turn everyone loose and hope for the best. The Bader family knows that the customer is first and foremost, and place a huge amount of importance upon return business.

Point is, Norwalk owners (Bader family) aren't stupid people, they run a first class operation and have been doing it for 3 generations. These are the same people that have the "Bader Guarantee" that they'll do everything within reason to make sure the customer has a delightful experience at their facility. The same people that sell a pound of ice cream for $1, ya think they get rich on that gimmick? In this day and age if they break even on it I'd be surprised, a lost leader in the business world. They, and their insurance company, obviously have few concerns about pedestrian safety and interaction with wheeled vehicles, if they did they would take action.

I'm not so sure some doing the complaining wish they brought, or rented a cart. I've spent enough time discussing this, if you deep down wish you also had a cart, do something about having one. After using mine I would never go to Norwalk without one, It makes an enjoyable experience, even more enjoyable.

Keep kicking that horse, I think I saw him move...………….LOL


68 461 Bird, and CraigGT37, thank you for the compliments on my Go kart, I appreciate that someone sees the effort I put into the vehicle to make mine reflect the type racing (dirt track) that I really enjoy the most. I received a bunch of compliments throughout the weekend and was stopped a few times so people could get pictures of the Go kart. When it was parked while I was visiting with friends, Mike Garblik and Eric Larson at the Boss Bird display in the Manufacturers Midway, I noticed a few people looking it over.

[1965gp]

Jeeez man.... how many times do we have to say it???

We get it- you frequently go to Norwalk. You probably should have more say than me who goes once a year. Yoy have a cool golf cart, You know the owners- or know OF the owners. We have heard you say it several times....

I’m not saying I want a cart, I’m not even saying it is a safety hazard.

I’m saying for EVERYONE to have an enjoyable time the easy solution is to have parking for the carts by the show field and swap meet area. If they want to allow carts that is totally up to the owner / promoter. But I have just as much right to an opinion as you do.

For the case of my dad and I walking the show and swap meet it would be much more enjoyable if the limited cart, atv and bike access.

[RocktimusPryme]

You did indeed quote me, though you managed to misunderstand or misrepresent everything I said in impressive fashion.

[Simple Man]

Originally Posted by 1965gp

Jeeez man.... how many times do we have to say it???

We get it- you frequently go to Norwalk. You probably should have more say than me who goes once a year. Yoy have a cool golf cart, You know the owners- or know OF the owners. We have heard you say it several times....

I’m not saying I want a cart, I’m not even saying it is a safety hazard.

I’m saying for EVERYONE to have an enjoyable time the easy solution is to have parking for the carts by the show field and swap meet area. If they want to allow carts that is totally up to the owner / promoter. But I have just as much right to an opinion as you do.

For the case of my dad and I walking the show and swap meet it would be much more enjoyable if the limited cart, atv and bike access.

Amen, brother!

[Sirrotica]

1965gp, I believe I quoted RocktimusPryme and his comments, not yours.

I also only attend Norwalk once a year, the Pontiac Nationals is the only event I have ever attended at Norwalk. I don't even particularly like drag racing, but there is no Pontiac race and show held at a dirt track so I have to attend a drag strip. I've never spoken to Bill Bader or any of the top management at Norwalk so I obviously wouldn't know him from Adam, nor would he know me. I do know the promoters of the Pontiac Nationals (Pete and Andrea Woodruff) because I was a vendor for 7 years and had to deal with them directly.

I really haven't paid much attention to your posts because you seem a little more level headed than the majority that only want foot traffic at the majority of the facility. I have no intention of singling you out so rest easy

[ponchjoe]

I passed constructive input from this and otherthreads to Andi and Pete. Not sure I’ll hear back but did pose a solution to them to make a growing show even more enjoyable.

Peace out!

[1965gp]

And that folks is all we can ask!

[68 461 Bird]

Originally Posted by ponchjoe

I passed constructive input from this and otherthreads to Andi and Pete. Not sure I’ll hear back but did pose a solution to them to make a growing show even more enjoyable.

Peace out!

I didn't think is was that big of an issue to get Andi and Pete involved, what's next participation trophies for all those who didn't win? Wow!

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by 68 461 Bird

I didn't think is was that big of an issue to get Andi and Pete involved, what's next participation trophies for all those who didn't win? Wow!

Shaking my head...………...
It's not that big of a deal, you're 100% correct.

Did you see that horse move yet? keep kicking it!!!......

Participation trophies...…. now that's funny stuff there 68 461 Bird...…...
Gotta love someone with a good sense of humor......LOL

[Simple Man]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

Shaking my head...………...
It's not that big of a deal, you're 100% correct.

Did you see that horse move yet? keep kicking it!!!......

Participation trophies...…. now that's funny stuff there 68 461 Bird...…...
Gotta love someone with a good sense of humor......LOL

There are plenty of your boot marks on that same horse. Must be a big deal, if you keep replying.

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by Simple Man

There are plenty of your boot marks on that same horse. Must be a big deal, if you keep replying.

Nope, just laughing at a couple of people trying to make a huge issue out of next to nothing. Reminds me of the huge controversy of which restroom someone is going to use, a couple years ago, kinda like trophies for losers which has already been mentioned...………...LMAO

I present facts when I discuss something, others like to argue with their opinions with nothing to back it up.


Nice try, the trophy's in the mail.

[ponchjoe]

Originally Posted by 68 461 Bird

I didn't think is was that big of an issue to get Andi and Pete involved, what's next participation trophies for all those who didn't win? Wow!

Not sure what your beef is here but the key word is constructive unlike some here.

If I were running an event (or business) that I’m trying to grow I would accept any and all constructive criticism to help make it better for all. This goes for Rocks original post about the SRNs. I have been there too and felt it wasn’t as bad probably due to the size of the venue and being a show only.