I hate Trophy Karts!!!

[Robby Woods]

I'd like to clear this up publicly and try to make sense of our perspective regarding the trophy karts. Where this started was we had a team owner/driver/sponsor Lucas meeting the Wednesday before glen helen. We were all asked our perspective on one day races, night races, locations, travel, etc.... We where also asked what we thought could be done to improve the show or streamline the weekends making it a better show for the FANS. My dad spoke up and suggested that like professional motocross the Trophy karts run on Thursday and Friday and the pro classes run on the weekend.
A trophy mom stood up fairly irritated and explained that "we know you guys don't care but we have the same rights to race as you do, and we spend the same amount of money and time to race as you....And than she said well maybe not quite as much time or money" "What do you expect us to do take our kids out of school all week to race Thursday and play all weekend?!" I replied than maybe the regional series is a great fit for the karts. Needless to say this is not what they want and the pros love the idea and TK moms and dads hate it.
Let me try to explain my perspective. I was raised in a racing family, that did everything necessary for me to race. While most families have photos of fishing or hunting trips. Vacations to hawaii, family reunions, camp outs where ever. We have none of those, I have a long list of horrible injuries, a lot of motocross trophies, pictures from the entire USA, and the best memories a father and son can share from the age of 7 years old. From Ponca City OK, Gainsville FL, Loretta Lyns TN, Texas, Utah.....Etc you get the drift the substance of our family has always been from racing and still is. And I wouldn't trade it for ten lives. So to say I hate on the Trophy Kids and don't support them is crazy. I've wished they had them when I was racing and would be a lot further ahead now. I think they are the shining future of our sport and they will eventually take the role of what I am to Mac and Carl. I will no longer be the young gun I'll be the old dawg and they'll have all the pretty girls and fearless talent on the track. There is a natural cycle of life and racing that must happen for it to remain appealing.
With that being said let me get into my thoughts of why the trophy kart parents need to open there ears a little and see what my intention is.
I want nothing more than this to continue to grow and eventually become a CAREER that multiple drivers and teams can make a living off. Not a wealthy hobbyist sport that cant self sustain without owning a big electrical business or plumbing out let. When I asked the Mom that started this small dispute what she was doing all this for. She replied so our kids can grow up and be the future of this sport and be the Brian Deegans, and Rob Macs or Carls who ever she mentioned. And what I don't think they are aware of is the small small amount of drivers that make under $100,000 dollars a year. No one is getting wealthy or even making a Good living racing off road...Yet. But if we all improve and do the things the sponsors and industries are asking of us we all have an Excellent chance at making a living doing something we love.
Corporate america wants us to travel coast to coast and be a national television property. They want more stable truck counts that finish the races. All this comes with a cost.
All the teams that can't afford it or for see the future said No way we can't travel to florida, texas, or missouri!! And the Trophy Kart kids can't miss that kind of school without being home schooled. The limited classes cant miss that much work and most pro teams can't afford it either. Myself included, we don't have the budget to do anymore than we do right now. But if we don't put the wagon before the horse and figure it out we will be in the same spot we are now in twenty years. "Off Road is right on the big break!" Ask Curt Leduc, Evan Evan or any of the legends. It's always been this way. And Now for the first time We have a company that has the reach,leverage,television,assets,vision, and financial resources to launch short course off road into mainstream America for good! But it will take work and foresight from everyone involved. Lucas can not and will not do it by themselves. And although the sportsman classes have helped grow it to this level it's inevitable that we spread our wings and fly.
On a closing note when you go watch any PROFESSIONAL sport there are never youth or amateur classes at the same event. They don't run street stocks at nascar, Mini monster trucks at monster jam, 50's and 60's at supercross, or t ball before the yankees. I want this sport to grow to the level it deserves to be at. There is not a group of people with better morals, values, and work ethic than the offroad industry from the Trophy Karts to the P4 teams. But you are not signing your kids up for a paved future or even a healthy career without it continuing the momentum we have rolling. I work 80 to 90 hours a week as do most driver and teams trying to make it in our sport. Someday soon we will hopefully be rewarded for all of our work. I hope that by the time the trophy kids get to be my age they have multiple opportunities and pick and choose the sponsors and teams they work with. But its not there yet so please forgive me if I've came across jaded or above the sportsman it couldn't be further from the truth. I look forward to seeing all of you at the races for years to come and kicking the Trophy Karts kids A S S for a while! Cheers Robby Woods

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[dnf736]

So you admit it?

If memory serves me wasnt this subject brought up by LOORRS at the 2010 drivers/owners meeting? But it was several classes they were discussing, not just the TK's.
The goal was to build up the Regionals as a breeding grounds for talent an make the National Series a true National Series right?
Thats how I remember it at least.
Bottom line is there will be changes coming as the series continues to grow, some popluar, some not so much, I suggest a position of proactive because when changes happen I would hate to start seeing a "LOORRS Trophy Kart Haters" stickers stuck to all the porta potties like I saw all the RW ones last weekend, that was really lame IMO.

Keep up the hard work Robby!

[baja619]

I think the Regionals is a great fit for breeding and farming new up and coming drivers.
No brainer in my opinion.

LOORRS will need to keep adjusting as the pro series grows. Not a bad problem to have and with great foresight the Regional Series are in place and growing right along with the Pro Series.

[Dirty Harry]

I LOVE short course racing and travel all the time to attend as many races as I can... but I'll admit that I usually don't show up before the Opening Ceremony/Pro4 race, and if I do I am walking around the pits.

[Kawell racing]

Robby

I would like to start off that I am the mom who stood up in that meeting. I would like you to know Robby that I had nothing to do with this sticker. I also would not allow one on our Kart. My kid has the same sponsors as you do and that would not be right. I did voice my opinion at the meeting, as you did as well but that is our opinions and at the end of the day, it will all be up to Lucas what will be the out come for the Kart classes..
I do understand the series does need to grow. Our family comes from a long history of racing as well and at the proffessional leavel.
And at that meeting there where other Kart parents there. I know it takes a lot and you do an amazing job and have done well for yourself. Keep up the good work..

[Marty Fiolka]

My take is that having one Modified Kart class at the Pro level races is a must. These talented kids not only entertain the adults, but capture the imagination of other kids and families -- many of whom may be attending an off-road race for the first time. Back in the Mickey Thompson races, one of the most popular events during an evening of racing was watching these little kids (Pee Wees) riding tiny motorcycles to win some kind of prize. Great stuff.

[speedfun]

I LOVE TROPHY CARTS
I think the new fans like seeing kids in their driver’s suits and being towed around the pits and racing--Does it really matter what NASCAR or any other series does? It’s a new world and a growing series and one of the reasons the fans love it is these kids racing.
And these kids racing and these kids fans are coming to the races are our future and LOORRS being known a family sport. Spending time in the south going to NASCAR races- the kids stay home it’s a guy thing and the people in the south don’t make a lot of cash to throw around. You get my drift?
It’s like this if a west coast family can afford to come to a race DAD is the reason and mom is not getting stuck watching the kids all day so the Griswold’s load up and when they get to the track dad usually will get the beer and mom makes sure the kids get new Tee-shirts. And when teams sell cool shirts that helps get them to the races.
And it just works.
So this sport has been planting little seeds in the grown up’s from the birth of TC. We make it easy to dream of our kids being a P-4 super star and only traveling to one race they can see how their kids will evolve all in one awesome show.
Hopefully one day that family is the next La Duck or Woods or Rent A Center or vanilla.
--- if they turn into fans like Nascar has we be filling the seats at every race and that’s a good thing…..

[Scott_AZ]

If they want to dump a class bail on superlite and make a v8 buggy class or bring back SR1.

[JEFF_DICKERSON]

Robby, here are some thoughts from a "parent" that has come from an amateur off road racing career. By the way I was not at the meeting.

If I can only go to the regionals and play bumper cars with the new kids that just got a trophy kart, we will stop (there goes your growth). We will also not go to every LOORS race, which we have for 3 years. This is a family experience just like you talk about Ponca City, my kids saw the Virgin River Canyon in Utah on their way to Toelle. My kids have also maintained Honor Roll by good planning with school work. They have missed the time to race and live life. (Broc was also first team all american Pop Warner and invited (expense free) to Florida.

Have you looked at a kart up close? They have the same components as your truck (although a smaller scale) and we take them to a bare chassis after EVERY race. At least 60 hours each kart (We currently race 3). Hopefully Broc will learn enough while working on his kart to build his own Pro 2 and understand the engineering and mechanics of what it takes.

Talking about how the parents can afford it... I work my a s s off for it. Arrived home from Reno at 2am and went to work on a tractor from 5am until 7pm today. (By the way I would do it again).

Since the karts run before opening cerimonies why would you want to get rid of them? From what I understand their entry pays most of the big track prep. Please correct me if I am wrong but I have heard this before.

My karts have brought 40+ fans that had never seen a short course race. I told them they could come see the kids race but they had to stay and watch the "big show" because it was awesome. By the way these 40+ fans live at least 3 hours from any of our race tracks. (example... New viewers. One of them got a new blue Dethrone shirt from you. He watched as you were eating dinner and put the plate down and told your tire grooving guy to go eat because he was doing it wrong.) He has a different opinion as of this moment.

I understand change, but I guess I have not realized why you think the karts are an issue. We bring spectators, we bring money for series support, and hopefully we bring the new drivers. Again I was not at the meeting so these are my opinions so feel free to flame away.

[dan200]

Somebody told me that Robby Gordon got up and said the same stuff Robby Woods is saying. Is this true?