Competitor Profile Section Up on New Site

[Taylor]

Just a quick email to announce the Competitor Profile section is up on the new Solo Ontario site at http://www.wiredmotorsports.com/soloontario/

Everyone will need to "register" first whether they have a Wired or HADA profile already. But if you do have one of those profiles, let me know and I'll link them up so you only have one to edit/update.

As you can see there are a number of people already listed there, those people still need to register... please drop me a line once you have I can hook up their accounts to your registration account.

If you run into a problem, drop support@wiredmotorsports.com an email and I'll look at it after the weekend. Time to go get the car ready. :)

Anyone caught doing a rain dance will be pummled by the Turbo Faction of HADA. :P

[Marsh]

CASC license number required. Once again no Solo-2 people allowed. :mad:

[Taylor]

Marhsall: Well then I guess you're just gonna have to start doing some Solo 1 then arn't you? :)

Ultimately putting it up as a requirement is my mistake. (Which I've just gone and changed).

In the end, Solo 2 is out of my hands. I just finished (as far as I know) the last of what was asked for the site by the OSO Comittee (there's another thing Rob asked for but will be a few more days). Which includes having the registration fields match those on the Solo 1 Series registration form.

The same feature is available on Wired, which has more on Solo 2 than anything else. So.. nyah.

[Marsh]

The point was the SoloOntario is supposed to be Solo 1 and Solo 2, yet time and time again the Solo 1 people simply ignore Solo-2 as some sort of necessary evil that they tolerate. I'm getting kind of sick of being treated like a second class citizen because I can't afford Solo-1 (I've kind of been unemployed for a few years). I thought winning the championship would get me some respect, but no. Apperently finnishing dead last in another series would make me more important, because Solo-2 people don't count at Solo Ontario.

[tanney]

The site is looking great, Taylor.

It looks like the SoloOntario web page does need some further planning. The Solo 1 and Solo 2 Directors need to work this one out, I'd say.

[Brent]

Marsh = Rodney Dangerfield

I tell ya, I can't get no respect.
I go to a Solo1 and say to the guy,"hi I'm Marshall"
He says," hi I'm incharge of the marshalls, you work corner five".
I tell ya, I can't get no respect.


Sorry Marsh, I'm just really bored.

[ice/solo racer]

I kinda agree with Marsh-I'm not looking for respect,just equality with the solo 1 competitors with regards to coverage/exposure etc.Case in point every issue of inside track last summer had at least 1-2 page event coverage for solo1 -solo 2 received 0,not even a business card sized spot for results.Kinda of a slap in the face if you ask me.
I like Marsh can't afford/justify the solo1 cost,for me with lodging,fuel,food,tires,brakes,entry fees etc.etc. I've figured a season of solo1 would average about $500-600 a weekend!.
My car is race only anyway,so I'm only a couple of saftey items away from being ready for regional road race for around the same costs-which I can't afford either(man that sucks)so for now I'll keep dodging cones.
I'd love to see say winston cup try our format-show up to track they've never seen and have no practice and ony four laps-1 at a time to see who wins.At least then speedvison would'nt take up all its air time with roundy round racing.
If it makes your feel better Marsh-I respect ya:),your leading the overall after the first event-got lucky again eh?(I noticed how many cones your snagged he he)

[haniforama]

Alrighty... I cannot hold myself back...

I gain my respect a 1/4 mile at a time :D

[ice/solo racer]

Ah man it took me allmost 2 years to get around to see the first one- judging by the playstation drifting scenes in the sequel's highlights(highlights?)I doubt I'll bother even wasting my time on it.
I might see the italian job though-wailing mini's down stairs looks kinda fun.

[Rob McAuley]

Case in point every issue of inside track last summer had at least 1-2 page event coverage for solo1 -solo 2 received 0,not even a business card sized spot for results.Kinda of a slap in the face if you ask me.

Did anyone write a Solo 2 article for Inside Track?

They don't send reporters out to cover Solo 1 events! Last year, one of the competitors wrote all those articles and submitted them to Inside Track.

If you haven't tried submitting an article, do it! See what they say.

[Marsh]

Originally posted by Rob McAuley
Did anyone write a Solo 2 article for Inside Track?

They don't send reporters out to cover Solo 1 events! Last year, one of the competitors wrote all those articles and submitted them to Inside Track.

If you haven't tried submitting an article, do it! See what they say.

I was never told that anyone was open to send articles?

But that is beside the point. I'm used to that attitude from some road racers, but I'm talking about THIS web board and the SoloOntario web site. Come to think of it I get more respect from road racers, then I do from Solo-1 people (excepting Solo-1 people that also compete in Solo-2).

[Director]

Originally posted by ice/solo racer
I kinda agree with Marsh-I'm not looking for respect,just equality with the solo 1 competitors with regards to coverage/exposure etc.Case in point every issue of inside track last summer had at least 1-2 page event coverage for solo1 -solo 2 received 0,not even a business card sized spot for results.Kinda of a slap in the face if you ask me.

Fellow Soloists
Just to set the record straight, Solo I has paid for the pages you see in Inside Track. The coverage is written by Solo I, the ads are prepared and paid for by Solo I, at a discount from Inside Track. This is Solo I's way of putting the information regarding the sport out to the general public and an advertsing vehicle for displaying the support of it's sponsors.
Solo II has every opportunity to arrange a "deal" with David Webber at IT if it wants. I know that Robb is trying to work out something in his budget for next year, but for now, unless someone from within the Solo II community steps up to the plate, and takes on the "voluntary" position as "Sport Writer" and submits some editorial & photo's, you'll be getting as much coverage as you put into it.
Instead of sitting around whining about what you don't get, become a volunteer and assist the small but dedicated team of "volunteers" who make your sport possible.
Inside Track has offered to publish any and all material submitted to them regarding any motorsport.

Let's see some action and participation on everyone's part, Solo II is one of the most popular disciplines in Ontario right now, capitialize on that. Get some articles and photo's in the magazines, you'll see the return of participation and possibly soponsorship revenue to boot!

[Taylor]

I'm not commenting on anyting prior to Perry's post. It just wouldn't be constructive and I might use bad words. But to further what Perry is saying...

I would HOPE that people have paid attention and realize that Wired Motorsports which gives local motorsports more attention than any magazine does is more than happy to publish articles written by competitors about these events. Especially ones I have not personally attended and therefore have no material to write an article.

In the end, Wired gives Solo 2 more coverage than Solo 1. Mostly because there are probably about 5 times the Solo 2 events in Ontario than Solo 1.

So yeah Marshall, Tom.. if you guys want to see more attention to Solo 2, write and article, take some pictures, email them to me. I'll post the article.

The last thing I want to say is I enjoy Solo 2 more, I attend more Solo 2, I'm better at Solo 2 and I write more about Solo 2, so I better not hear that anyone thinks I'm excluding Solo 2 from anything. You want to talk about being offended.

BTW, if you're going to write an article and instead of sending it to Wired you're going to send it to Inside Track, stop and think for a second. Try Sport Compact National instead. It makes much more sense. That's where you'll find the new blood. You're just preaching to the choir with Inside Track. In the end I think you should send the article to both Wired and SCN.

Also, ask around to the newguys the last couple years and ask them how they found out about Solo 1 or Solo 2. I'd be shocked if you found 2, younger than 30, who said Inside Track (actually I'd be shocked above that too). I bet you'd find a half dozen or more who said my name and/or Wired Motorsports. I can personally count over that, the number of people I'd suckered into this sport. :) Obviously other competitors do easily just as good of a job and better to attract new people. the series should provide the competitors the tools to bring people in because they're far more passionate about the sport than a copy editor at IT. Though I still think SCN would be a good publication to use. Though I think it's only quarterly, so perhaps it's not constant enough.

Oh and don't get me onto the sponsorship aspect of all this...

[Dave]

personally, I think its a matter of individual perception rather than reality when comments are made about Solo 2 being treated as a lesser discipline compared to Solo 1. The two are closely linked and this link has strengthened IMO in recent years, as evidenced by the Shoot-Out event we co-host at the end of the season. The revamping of the Solo 1 website is simply one step towards improving and professionalizing the appear of all Solo sport in Ontario. Some people are reading WAY too much into this.

There are always going to be people who prefer one discipline or the other, but we're all in this together and quite frankly I think any moaning about Solo 2 competitors being treated like second class citizens is a big steaming pile of nonsense. I've been doing Solo 2's since 1987 and Solo 1's since 1998 and I've never met a single competitors who made comments about Solo 2 being somehow inferior to Solo 1. They are different approaches to having fun in our cars...nothing more and nothing less.

If anyone thinks Solo 2 isn't getting its just desserts, make the effort to grow your sport by doing something about it. I don't know, you could even send a little write-up in to Grassroots Motorsports magazine like I did, where I gave equal effort to promote Solo 1 AND Solo 2 in Ontario. Check out page 18 of the June issue of GRM or have a look at the scanned image from the magazine below...

http://www.hotmayo.com/tempfiles/soloontario.jpg

I did in fact send in pictures of Marshall's car as the Solo 2 champ along with the above picture of Alec's car as the Solo 1 champ. The magazine decided to print just one picture and I had no say which picture they'd choose. It's merely a coincidence that they selected the Solo 1 picture, which was taken by a Solo 1 & 2 participant Sonia Tanney.

[ice/solo racer]

Thanks for clarifying-I didn't know that solo1 BUYS its exposure!now I understand a little better why I can't afford the entry fees to run the entire solo 1 series.(its likely money well spent,would be good if the entry were affordable as well)
With regards to writing stories for the mags I guess I'm a little bitter after all the work I've done in the past to promote the 2 sports I'm involved in within my local newspaper system.Even though I've always been a front runner and have won class championships in both disciplines,trying to get the word out to attract new people has been very frustrating.
Last fall after the shootout I spent over 2 months trying to get the season wrap up printed-countless phone calls and promises by the editor resulted in nothing.(this is only 1 instance in over 8 yrs of motorsports competition).
Thanks to Taylor for your hard work!I never implied that solo 1 people look down at solo2 guys-just the lack of coverage for the latter.I've only been to 1 solo 1 event and I had a blast,the people were great-I only wish I could afford to do the whole series.

[Rob McAuley]

I only wish I could afford to do the whole series.

Prioritize! Make the kids wear the same clothes year after year. Try variations on Hamburger Helper. Take your family summer vacations on weekends at the track.

The family will understand - after all, you get to go racing!

Good luck!

[Brent]

If you want to sell solo or get some exposure you need to use some sex appeal.

I bet if Pamela Anderson won the solo2 championship there would be plenty of of exposure (and media coverage). Or how about a woman sues Solo Ontario for her right to solo topless. I bet there would be a picture in the Sun.

Marsh , instead of saving for a turbo, the money would be better spent on breast implants (big ones). But then you would have to change your site to www.tittyracingguy.com

[haniforama]

:D :D :D

[Nissan Racer]

Ok, so whos got Photochop...I gotta see a pic of Marsh with breasts...I'll prob die laughing, but it'll be worth it :D
Maybe post it in his competitor file :p

[rainman]

Those pics of Marsh might not run in IT or SCN but I'm sure we could get a double page spread in LadyBoyz Monthly :D

[ice/solo racer]

Rob-family vacations?whats that?I only have one kid and so far he's not that expensive(under 2 and half)I've already cut back on what I eat so maybe by next season I'll get used to not eating at all.I can try and work another 8 hours a day and seven days a week should help-then maybe the costs could be covered:D

I find it funny that poor Marsh starts a serious post and ends up sprouting a big set of tits!