Yesterday we delivered you the killer news that the East Coast Timing Association would be running their 2012 season in Wilmington, Ohio on a recently vacated airport runway. It was the great work between the ECTA, the city of Wilmington and the Airport Commission that got the deal done. Knowing that, the news of another Ohio town effectively killing a planned flashlight drags event on an open runway at their city airport struck us as a bit odd.
The event, which was to be held in conjunction with a big cruise event this weekend was organized and the racing portion was to be run by the same people who do the long running Flashlight Drags races in Pennsylvania. Local politicians freaked out at the thought of an accident and a huge law suit, despite the fact that the Flashlight Drags guys carry $3million dollars worth of insurance in the event something gets out of hand. The organizers of the race had been planning and promoting for more than a year, they got an organization with experience and insurance and then the local red tape wrappers tear it all up at the starting line. No one came right out and said that their decision was at all influenced by the crash at the Reno Air Races, but we cannot help to think that this was part of the ripple effect of that situation.
We feel bad for show organizers who surely spent months and months getting approval for this to be a part of their show, only to have the rug yanked out at the last second.
All the more reason to celebrate the accomplishment of the ECTA and the people at Wilmington Air Park. They both worked hard to get to the goal of racing cars down the landing strip, but
Hope this doesn’t sound like suckin’ up, but I think this shows how hard Keith and Joe and their brides worked to help the Air Park folks realize that we are a good bet. The approval was NOT a foregone conclusion and while I don’t know the details I’m sure our Dynamic Duo had to demonstrate how the Air Park would NOT get screwed as a result of letting us on the grounds.
Now it’s up to us to show what great folks we are – and I know we will.
Dan
These same hypocritical “Boss Hogg” county bureaucrats probably celebrate everytime the local sheriff endangers the public with a P.I.T. maneuver (intentionally crashing into a “perp” on a public highway) during another adrenalin-fueled high-speed chase. That’s more dangerous than sanctioned “flashlight” drags.
Why some dumb kid taking flying lessons is more dangerous than the drags . . . not to mention aerobatics. Yet the Nervous Nellies of Noble County probably don’t bat an eye at that “risk.”
Perhaps these homespun insurance actuaries posing as ” visionary leaders” would rather have clandestine street racing and unsanctioned burnout contests. They must think there’s more “revenue” potential in keeping their greedy thumbs down on the “evil” “speed-crazed” hot rodders . . . . It’s as if all the work of the 1950s “Safety Safari” has been totally forgotten.
Vote these clueless commissioners out! Elect new leaders with common sense. And privatize that airport!