It has been proven over and over listening to and spreading rumors is destructive. What sport is worse than any other in this area – our sport, Auto Racing. Our sport is so competitive that competition is always ongoing. People start rumors to make themselves look good supposingly, to make someone else look bad, and sometimes to slander people or business. It is past time for this stuff to stop, way past time. It is time everyone starts working together, you get upset talk about it, don’t try to destroy someone because you are not in agreement. We should hold people responsible for their actions!

Let me say there is a way to combat rumors, go to the source of the subject. Most recently rumors were being spread that Terrace parking at Lakeside Speedway was going up over $600 a spot. Interestingly the terrace renewals have been sent and money is coming in and guess what same cost as last year. So whom ever was spreading the $$600 rumor was causing people anguish and concern over nothing. Shouldn’t that person spreading the rumor be responsible to all those who felt that anguish? Again a simple call to the Lakeside Office and the rumor was put away.

Same issue with ulterior motives – the rumor was being spread of pit passes going up at Lakeside and I-35 Speedways. Fortunately a local racer called and it was confirmed that is was nothing more than just that a rumor, the pit prices are staying the same. This rumor though borders on slander and when proven in court can cost the rumor starter money out of his or her pocket. What was the ulterior motive of the person who spread this rumor, could it be he/she is trying to split a class, is another track playing along, is this competition or is this just pure bad business practice? Do we need more class splitting? Do we need tracks competing and thus costing the racer money?

Let’s wake up before it is too late folks, we need to stop rumors, we need to stop class splits, we need to all work together so our sport grows instead of shrinking. We all need to challenge each other on rumors, go to the source (track owner, competition director, etc.) and get the answer. Selfishness will destroy this sport, teamwork will make it grow.