Back To... Normal?
BACK TO... NORMAL?
Exactly what is "normal"? Who decides what is and is not "normal"? Well, I'll tell ya, NOTHING in life is "normal". This life is a crazy thing. You NEVER know what the next phone call will bring, what will arrive in the mailbox today, what excitement... good or bad... will await you when you get out of bed and step out into the world each day.
After a while, things become more predictable. You get into a routine, and things begin to feel... well... "normal". For instance, starting your car on a cold morning twice because it stalls the first time... after a while you convince yourself it's "normal" for that particular car... but in today's world of fuel injection, you know it's NOT normal. However, as long as it starts and stay running the 2nd time, every time, you accept it.
Well, in many ways, ol' BW's life is getting back to... uh... normal. My business is back up and running (though not quite at maximum efficiency yet as so much has changed). I get up each morning and head off to work, which is a great feeling and helps to get me back closer to my "comfort zone". The personal side of things is quite different, and still in turmoil as we fight against bureaucracy, red tape, and weather as we attempt to contually progress toward getting our new home in place.
On the WVMP side of things, we are making progress. I have been able to get a great deal of information finalized and released in the past few weeks. This shoiuld help calm some of the "natives" as they were getting restless. But, each day new surprises arise. I have been informed by the Wysox Fire Company that they will not be providing fire services to the speedway in 2011. This is terrible news, as they have been at WVMP since we opened 5 seasons ago. They have always done a terrific job for us and have been very professional, dependable, and a great deal of fun to work with. Lack of manpower and and increased volume of calls at the station (many likely related to traffic issues as a result of the gas industry's impact of the level of traffic in our area) were their concerns. We understand their priority must lie with their service to the community and want them to know that we truly appreciate what they have done for WVMP, and how much they will be missed.
Finding a replacement for the fire crew will be no easy task. The safety of our competitors and officials is our biggest concern. If we cannot find a fire company willing to step up, we will entertain hiring individuals that are trained firefighters and belong to a fire company to fill the position. We are required by the township to have at least 2 trained firemen on hand during all race events. We typically try to have 3-4 on hand. Any fire personnel interested in making a few extra bucks on weekends and having some fun doing it can contact me at the track office to get on the list in case a fire company is not found in time to go racing.
It is unclear at this point what this means for the Race-B-Q car show that we have organized for the past 3 years. It may be moved to another fire company, another location, or may be dropped entirely for 2011. Watch for an announcement regarding that.
It is well known that Zane McClaskey will not be returning in 2011 as the head flagger. Turn 3 flagger Ray Bates has also moved on. This leaves two very key positions unfilled. Finally, 50/50 lady Peggy Barto has decided not to return in 2011. All of these individuals will be missed greatly, and I want to be sure to thank them for all they have done for WVMP.
The time to fill vacant positions is my biggest worry for WVMP at this point. The staff I have can only do so much. It is impossible for us to be two places at once. Even if we could be, we could not do either job well.
Attempting to do so would only lead to WVMP failing to be operated at a level that I find acceptable. I've come to the conclusion that it will never meet my expectations. I have a vision in my head, and I just do not see ever having the resources to realize that vision.
We are, however, close to reaching a level that I feel is acceptable. It sounds so simple. Only half a dozen people or so willing to put in the time and effort to build something enjoyed by so many, and make a few bucks while doing it. I found last year, it is anything but simple.
Until next time, I'll be working to find those 6 or so needles in a hay stack. Maybe if I can get the phone number for Dr. Evil... he could run BW through his "cloning" machine. Then we'd have No. 2, No. 3... a dozen Big Willy's running around WVMP!
I think I'll keep looking for volunteers. I don't think the world's ready for 12 Big Willy's. Sometimes, I wonder if it can handle ONE!
Now that the holidays are over, everyone enjoy getting back to... "normal". We'll see you all soon at the track, where every race night is anything but "predictable"!
