Mechanics Fund-ACT NOW

[Dom Bastien]

Now, let’s look at the Mid-Ohio week-end from the perspective of the cars and the mechanics.

Fortunately, the cars can’t talk or write. But, let me tell you, we beat the shit out of them relentlessly all week-end. You could not help feeling sorry for those cars. The pit lane was a sad sight late Sunday afternoon.

What about the mechanics perspective? They are a pretty quiet bunch of guys, always focused on getting the job done, on repairing one car after another, on keeping the show going, on helping us. But anyone can use their own imagination and fill in the blanks as to what was going through their minds especially when confronted with “Eh, Joe, can you take a look at 69, it does not handle well in turn 7?”

But, unlike the cars, the mechanics can go home and count all the money they made during the week-end.

Humm, how much did these guys actually rake in?

Well, let’s say that the mechanics fund is $50,000 for East/Midwest combined. This year, SBRS will sell about 430 race week-ends at $4,640 per week-end [includes practice]. That’s just under $2,000,000. So, the mechanics’ gratuity is a whopping 2.5%!

Now, let’s equate that to a theoretical Skippy customer going to a nice restaurant after a hard day at the track [while the mechanic is knee deep in car wreckage at the same track]. Our Skippy customer sits at the table at 8 pm, has some wine with a great dinner. By 10-11 pm, he is a bit inebriated, he jokes with the [smiling but really exasperated] waitress, he goes to the bathroom and pees on the floor, he gets the check for $100, stumbles off the table bringing down the flatware and glasses to a massive crash, puts $100 on the table and says to the waitress: “thanks for a great evening, here’s a couple bucks.”

Send your check to Sid and Martin TODAY!

P.S.
When you write that check, remember that you just spent $4,640 for the race week-end [excluding travel]. So, if you give $100, that puts you below the average donation of 2.5% or $116.

[Dom Bastien]

I just realized that I overstated my case a bit by including a lapping day in the race week-end which only a portion of the drivers participate in. But the basic point remains.

[badgersid]

Originally Posted by Dom Bastien

I just realized that I overstated my case a bit by including a lapping day in the race week-end which only a portion of the drivers participate in. But the basic point remains.

DOM they just dont get it.I wish i could make them all understand that 100$ a weekend just dont do it.Some guys give me 20$ and think they did there share.
It is just a few guys each year that support the fund.That is why i am not doing it anymore.

SHAME on all of you that do not see the hard work put into your car prior to each race day.

You can afford to crash them but not afford to contribute to the guys that fix them.

And to top it all off some jerk thinks that i do this and it is all about me.

I guess 25 years of my time is not enough for some.

And they want me fired. Good luck with that.

In past years the fund grew each year last years total 36520$

this year we are at 21440 with one race to go.

i missed my first race in 27 years this year mt tremblant
and no one did anything to fill in

[sydude]

Dom, very well stated. And considering the cause, probably too understated still. I used to think that I was being generous with my donations, but in retrospect it was chump change compared to what the mechanics deserve. So don't be a cheap bastard like me - do the right thing and help out our boys.

[LimeRockRacer]

Well put by all. I still think Sid should be fired though. If he were any good he would have beat last years's goal already!

Just kidding Sid. Most everyone understands where your heart is, but unfortunatley that doesn't make them open their wallet to those that are working their asses of for us all the time.

[Martin Zimmerman]

Hi Guys & Gals;

My weekend at Mid-O was one of my worst. Crashed three times, two big hits.

I went up to Joe Gulish Saturday Afternoon to apologize for tearing up his cars. Joe's response to me; 'No Martin, are you OK, we can fix the cars.'

I then went to Garage 1 or 2, where they took my torn up cars to ask if they were doing OK. The "Big Fellow" (do not know his name) asked if my hands and arms were OK. "You bent the steering wheel into a pretzel!" "Are you sure you are OK?"

Your health is more important to them than the cars they work on.

Car 37 moved the pit wall(Big Concrete Blocks) a foot. Drove that car again on Saturday afternoon. Only to really tear it up in Saturdays Race.

Car 70 is the one I augered into Jeff's car on Friday afternoon. 15,000 dollars damage. That car was running on Saturday morning.

They left the track at 10:30pm both nights.

How late were you up.

Enuff said. Where is your donation?

[Tsuru]

Dom, thanks for starting this thread!

We are extremely grateful to all the mechanics for their services and would gladly send a check if Martin would e-mail me his address.

[Dom Bastien]

Originally Posted by Tsuru

Dom, thanks for starting this thread!

We are extremely grateful to all the mechanics for their services and would gladly send a check if Martin would e-mail me his address.

Karen:
Thank you very much for your usual helpful response and for showing the way. I hope that you are starting a trend. Martin/Sid, care to make your address available for all those who want to contribute [particularly those who won't be attending the finales]?

[Eleven's]

I have worked at and around Skip Barber Racing for 16 years but had the privledge to work closely with all the crews last winter and summer for the first time. Skip Barber has AMAZING mechanics. They care about the drivers. (Which is a very good thing as each and every customer who straps in is relying on them) They take their jobs seriously and work unbelievable hours. They not only work insane hours at the racetrack but many times leave after a weekend and drive most of the night so they can work the next day.

Racing is expensive, I know from personal experience. When my husband, Todd Snyder, ran the Barber Dodge Pro Series in 1998 and 1999 he was employed by Skip Barber and made instructor wages. A percentage of his per-race prize money was ALWAYS given to his mechanic.

The drivers who participate in Skip Barber Weekends are also amazing. I know that you don't want to let the mechanics or yourselves down by not showing your appreciation for a job well done. You tip your waitress or waiter, I am sure you tip your housekeeper, your garbage man, or your personal trainer during the holidays. Really, this shouldn't be so hard.....

Linda Snyder

[cdh]

yes, could not agree more. Can some mailing addresses or paypals be posted so we can send them our contributions?

thanks

.

[John Greist]

Hard to know how to respond.

I appreciate enormously what Sid's contributed and accomplished over the years, but understand his frustration.

I started working on a race car as a stooge in 1957 and made $200 for that summer's work. I understand what our SBR mechanics contribute and accomplish and the very hard work they do.

I know where $2,100 of the $21,440 contributed so far came from. I have never been able to understand why we don't do better by our mechanics.

[Tsuru]

I'd like to take Dom's discussion of the mechanics fund one more step.

It was a shock to me to learn at the first Nationals weekend that no pitch was made for contributions. Upon asking, I was told that there would be no solicitations at Nationals races, as drivers were already paying more.

(There was, however, an impromptu solicitation at VIR due to serial melees during a very rainy weekend.)

Yes, it is a step up in cost to run the Nationals, just as it is a huge step up to run Star Pro Mazda, Champ Car Atlantic, or even the more affordable IMSA Lites. However, most drivers moving on to the Nationals are on a track to become professional racers, and have some understanding that this is not an inexpensive career path.

Supporting the mechanics fund should be viewed as part of the budget for pursuing a career in racing!

Mechanics are on a different career track from drivers, but it is a parallel track that keeps them connected to drivers. The mechanics you worked with in Skippy regionals are not people you leave behind as you move on. They are your professional colleagues for the full length of your racing career.

Example: The first time Duncan went off track while testing the West Race car at Buttonwillow last spring, within seconds, there was someone at his side on a motor scooter. A former Skippy mechanic working for ANOTHER TEAM recognized him and was the very first person on the scene, with "Hey Duncan! You OK?"

At every Atlantic race this year we saw and schmoozed with former Skippy mechanics, and even one from go-karting days.

These guys move on with you, might be part of your future crews or even working for a team you'd give your eye-teeth to race for.

They know you, they remember you, they take care of you, and you should take care of them. They are your partners for a long time!

Having said that, I will put my money where my mouth is. I will contribute to the Western series mechanics fund in the winter and the Midwester series fund in the summer for as long as Duncan is racing.

Duncan applied to 10 colleges, only one turned him down, and one offered a merit scholarship. But he chose Skip Barber for his college
So instead of contributing for years to a college (as parents are asked to do), we will support the mechanics fund.

Although Duncan is moving on to other racing, some young mechanic just starting the Skippy training program might be working with him before long. So it behooves HIM to continue to contribute, as well--like a portion of sponsorship money!

OK, mama's off her soapbox. Just get the right attitude, do the right thing.

[Dom Bastien]

"Supporting the mechanics fund should be viewed as part of the budget for pursuing a career in racing!"


Karen: you are 100% right. Budget is the key word. For hobbyists as well. If you are going to spend $25,000 to $30,000 for the whole season, plus travel, you need to allocate upfront your mechanics fund contribution and stick with it. The mechanics fund should be viewed as part and parcel of the overall cost structure. After having committed to the kind of money that SBRS requires, you can't leave it to chance that on saturday or sunday morning you'll have the right amount of cash in your pocket nor, if you have it, that you'll have the fortitude to dig in that long pocket which might have lengthened still if you had a crash the previous day. It's basic discipline and fairness. Some people have more money than others but even if you have to scrape $3,500 to run in just one race week-end a year, you can still scrape a little harder for a hundred bucks or so. It won't kill you.

[arig]

I really think the problem is that a lot of younger racers don't see the benefit in donating money to the mechanic's fund. I myself have donated, but not nearly enough. That is just because I had no idea that what I gave wasn't enough until the end of the season. I would think that a lot of racers would save their money on something nice to pay for something that will make them faster. It's a similar argument to spending money on a HANS over a lapping day. One is a safety argument, the other isn't. However, a lot of people don't think they will see any gains from donating more money to the mechanics, or any money to begin with. I don't know a real solution to this other than to nag and nag. I mean, you see the mechanics working all day long on wrecked cars. It's not like they are in a building and hidden from our view, so we don't see their effort.

[sydude]

Originally Posted by arig

I don't know a real solution to this other than to nag and nag.

Basically, you're right. Sid & Martin (and a few others) have been successful raising money because they were relentless with their nagging. Sid goes so far that some newbies actually complain about him! (they just don't get it..) I tried it a few times, and I was a miserable failure at it. It's not easy at all.

The only other way to raise money is to sell stuff, which for an example we did very successfully with TJR merchandise for two years. But that takes a lot of work too, both to make the goods and then to sell them. All I can tell you is that most of the time it's a thankless job, and if you don't make it easier for those that are raising the money, they will just stop doing it. And that means the mechanics will get paid much less at the end of the day, and that's not what we want.

[sydude]

To make it easier for you to pay, and also to remove any possible BS logistical excuses you may have ('I don't know where to send a check', I don't send checks anymore, I need a paypal address' etc...) I've decided to give you complete payment instructions on this thread, in BIG BOLD TEXT.

PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS

VIA MAIL:

Sid Brenner
Brenner Metal Products Group
16 Main Avenue
Wallington, NJ 07057
Work: (973) 778-2466


VIA PAYPAL:

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A PAYPAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE MECHANICS FUND

[eleven]

I would like to also see a round of applause (way to go!!) to the guys that nag, nag, nag.

Sid..... What can I say. You have been there since I started 16 years ago as a young, nieve instructor (did I mention that I crashed a car on my second lap around Lime Rock?) You have given so much to this company, the customers, and especially the mechanics. I can not imagine race weekends without you. So..... suck it up and come back next year, you Jewish Prince! Okay, that wasn't the word I wanted to use, but my daughter would charge me a buck. BTW.... are we still on for that weekend on the yacht?

Martin..... Lanky, cool, total Midwestern attitude when it comes to collecting for the crew. Works for you, but not Sid! Thank you for all your help and support.

Let's not forget the other regions:

Tim and Sarena Traver...... What a great couple and put a 110% in on the West coast crew. Good news is that Tim has been racing Grand Am Cup this summer (and doing well) so everytime I know that he is racing I call and chat with my girl Sarena. Tim why do you think that they put you in for the first stint and I do the second stint? Bad news is that she hasn't been returning my calls........

Jeff Kaiser ("Kaiser Roll")...... Jeff along with Tim and Sarena is the Martin of the West. T-shirts, stickers, "Burger" is all Jeff. Thanks for your help!

Al "Big Al" Delattre..... Started in the West and has worked his way East. Sid talks about Alex Doman as being his "mini me" but Big Al is really the one. Trust me when I say that you don't want to get on Al's bad side when it comes to the Mechanics Fund..... if you do, make sure that you have a rental car handy and not your own car.

David and Mel Libby..... In the South the last few years it has been David and Mel that have picked up the jar and run with it. They have done it all..... from T-shirts, memorial raffles, auction items, etc. Hats off to you both and look forward to seeing you in a few months!! Word on the street is that Chris and Craig Duerson are going to help out this next year. The Duerson's carried the Mechanic's Torch for many years before handing off to the Libby's. Two great couples that have hearts of gold.

There is a host of other people to recognize, many who are at the weekends doing what Kelly Deneen refers to as "Making Memories". Sy, Dom, Doug Harrison, Tom Roberts (he is the man behind the "Western Blip") Karen and Duncan, Sue Auriemma, Sprague, Hazmat, etc., etc................ Obviously there are many more.

I want to say thanks you to you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dalyduo]

We've had 17 posts that have whined, cajoled, informed, and high-fived those who should be high-fived regarding mechanics fund support... without one person actually pledging a cent.

These guys work ungodly hours every race week, are paid less than most other skippy employees and always go the extra mile providing us with a fleet of safe reliable race cars. They first work like dogs preparing the fleet that is brought to each track, and then go beyond the extra mile rebuilding all the cars we crash and abuse on-track each day of race week.

Lets make this real... We've got one race and fifteen thousand dollars to make up just to be below last years total. Race attendance is way up yet contributions are pitifully low so we really aren't getting the job done...

Do you want the guys who fix your crash damage, bleed your brakes and adjust your pedals to feel unappreciated? I sure don't!

One fully attended race weekend has about 75 drivers... If 75 drivers send $200 each we'll be just about even going into the last race weekend.

I'm sending $200 to Sid and challenging all of you individually to match me. Lets properly acknowledge the guys who are really responsible for giving us the great privilege of driving these cars.

Are you in?

[Dom Bastien]

Pat, the best post yet. If you haven't contributed yet, do it. If you have already contributed, do it again. I am in!
Show support to the mechanics. Show support, as Todd said so well, to the guys who work on their behalf. Sid, forget it, we are not letting you quit. The mechanics can't afford that, and we don't want to lose our saturday and sunday morning entertainment

[WatertownNewbie]

Okay, all you drivers out there, how many of you have been in or at your car just before going out and have waved your hand in the air to call a Skippy mechanic over to (a) adjust your pedals, (b) tighten your mirrors, (c) help you with some foam, (d) help tighten your belts, or (e) do some other thing for you just before you go out and qualify, race, or practice? Did any of them ever say, "I think you can do fine as is" and quickly go the other direction? Instead, how many of them ran over, carried whatever tools were needed, and hopped on the situation right away? Did they leave when they thought they were done, or did they wait until you said the situation was fine?

Last summer at Road America, I had a little interaction with a tire wall that left the front and rear wings on my car in need of repair. The mechanics had been there late the night before working on all of the cars that people had abused, and mine was in a mid-state of repair. I liked that car, and I was in the second group going out that morning. Seeing a mechanic in the repair area, I asked about the possibility of it being ready, and he stopped what he was doing and jumped on it right away. The car was ready for me. I was happy. And he did not ask me whether I was contributing to the mechanics fund. These guys treat everyone the same, which is to say that we all get first-rate service, notwithstanding how we individually treat them.

The mechanics are part of your team. Say thanks to them for what they do with a contribution to the mechanics fund. The next time that you wave your hand in the air while you are sitting on the grid, think about it.

[dalyduo]

But Ted... Are You In?

[WatertownNewbie]

Originally Posted by dalyduo

But Ted... Are You In?

Hi Pat,
I've been in at every race weekend so far, and I'll add to that of course (without the need for large red caps too ).

[Eleven's]

OK Pat - I put some money where my very big mouth is...

[Dom Bastien]

Ok, so we have Karen, Doug, Pat, Todd, myself and Ted [Yes, Pat, Ted is definitely in for $200. Ted is the kind of guy who sticks his big toe out before jumping in the pool, who does extra warm up laps just in case, and who needs to write a little homily before reaching for the checkbook, but he is IN].

Six people. Not exactly a tsunami of support, but hopefully a ripple of momentum that we can build on.

We need more pledges now! The more we get, the more we can shame more people into giving. We have 4 weeks to go. By mid-October, if we play our cards right, we should have only a few pariahs left for Sid to grind to a pulp.

In the meantime, Todd, may I suggest a new rule for the season finales? Let’s have the contributors have first pick at the cars. Since the cars are 100% equal, this would have no effect whatsoever on the fairness and competitiveness of the races, but it would be a nice little gesture that contributors would appreciate.

Pledge NOW!

[Eleven's]

Well, if it had been Todd that donated....

Sorry Dom, it was Linda not Todd that put her money where her big mouth was....

As for the car drawing thing - I give it a thumbs up - I'll work on him!

Linda

[John Greist]

Originally Posted by Dom Bastien

In the meantime, Todd, may I suggest a new rule for the season finales? Let’s have the contributors have first pick at the cars. Since the cars are 100% equal, this would have no effect whatsoever on the fairness and competitiveness of the races, but it would be a nice little gesture that contributors would appreciate.

Pledge NOW!

Car choice based on amount of contribution to the mechanics' fund!! Pit lane coordinator has the rankings and before each race, asks each driver in turn which car s/he wants. Great idea.

Dom, you've just given Sid a new weapon.

[OLDMAN]

As I understand it, not only do the rich get richer but now they get the better cars also?

Since the cars are all equal let's do something even better. From now on the racer with the slowest time in race #1 gets his pick of available cars for race #2. The next slowest racer picks next and so on. If the cars are identical this will not pose a problem.

How much does SBRS pay these mechanics? Maybe it's time to build their wage into the cost of racing. Are these guys paid at all? I hope they make more than the flaggers.


OLDMAN

[Dom Bastien]

No, Bob, the rich get richer so that they can hopefully get poorer by giving to the mechanics fund.

Build their wage into the cost of racing?

Let’s look at that, Bob. Let’s say that in the combined East/Midwest series there are 30 mechanics and, as we established before about 430 race week-ends sold. And let’s say that the mechanics should be paid a paltry extra $5,000 a season. Now, let’s see: 30 x $5,000 divided by 430 = $349 per race week-end.

Are you ready for that, Bob?

Or would you just settle for 200 bucks?

[badgersid]

THANKS to all who support for your support.Six people with over 400 members who would have thunk.

How about this. WE raffle off 5000$ in cash each ticket will cost 25 cents

AT the cost of offending everybody that did not do there part(and you know who you are)

STOP thinking about yourself and start thinking about your fellow racers that are doing your share

It is always the same people that fund the mechanics.
these people have earned there money just as you do.

NOBODY and i mean NOBODY commands and recieves the respect that these people DESERVE

IF i offend you TO BAD i really dont care you deserve it if your skin is that thin that you dont get it

PLAY golf it is cheaper you probably would tip your caddy so you wont look bad in the club house

But your life dont rest in your caddy's hands only your rep in the club house

AND finally thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the masters who make me look good at the end of the year.and i dont mean just the guys that run the nationals i mean all the masters.

you all make me proud to be old

[badgersid]

DOM you always make the poin and manage to make me laugh at the same time

[WatertownNewbie]

Originally Posted by OLDMAN

How much does SBRS pay these mechanics? Maybe it's time to build their wage into the cost of racing. Are these guys paid at all? I hope they make more than the flaggers.OLDMAN

If they were paid less than flaggers, then some of them might be flagging instead. Maybe you should become a mechanic.

[OLDMAN]

Yes Dom, I'm ready. Let's build an extra $350.00 into every race weekend. It works for me!

OLDMAN

[AlDelattre]

OK...

First off, thanks to Linda for her kind words. She is clearly the better half of the Snyders, even if she worked me hard over the whole Vegas incident...( I think Todd is still pissed at me)

I've made my donation to Sid, so he can stay off my ass, at least for the next 2-3 days. I've tried to make the East this year, made a few races (and more donations), but due to scheduling have not done as much as I'd like...

ANYWAY

I got infected with taking care of the mechanics at my 3-Day and my 2-Day at Laguna Seca, both of which 1) were ridiculously wet and 2) required TLC from them to make the cars work for me. No further reinforcement needed for me.

Sid was an interesting dynamic I met on my first race weekend at LRP...he reminded me of my Marine Drill Instructor ($5 bills vs pushups perhaps)...

Jeff Kaiser from the West Series was the guy who convinced me this was a good cause...

ANYWAY - there has been a LOT of traffic on this site about Skippy Costs - I think 1) SBRS could increase costs per-event by 5% and say it's for the mechanics and/or 2) create some pay-up-front donation process (like PayPal?) and we'd be well on our way.

Personally, being a blue-collar-guy-made-good, I think some of the Mechs feel shitty about "us" having to dog people to donate to their tip fund. Can you imagine a bartender bugging us to tip the waiter/waitress when we're out for dinner? It's classless....

And yet, these poor SoB's bust their ass for us. Time we PAY them for what we're asking us to do. I think this might be a good, joint TJR.com and SBRS initiative. As for certain classes (eg Nationals?) already paying a lot...well shit, last time I checked, the faster groups tend to cause more firedrills than us slow dogs do....might have to re-refer to Ted's survey.

OK - there is my vent.

[AlDelattre]

BTW I challenge all you cheap f__cks out there to match my pledge to Sid...

I'll try and find some F1 swag to offer as a prize to the biggest donor, in the meantime, as Sid would say, "pay up, suckers!" (or was that Jesse James?)

Best I can recall, last years West Series hit its goal, but Kaiser and I together made up 10% of the total....not good (and not meaning to ignore others who gave even more than us, just can't remember).

Time to step up, guys...

BTW - I sent some (private) suggestions about making this LESS of a "political fund raising" process and more about us (as drivers) fixing this within the SBRS system.....

[LimeRockRacer]

This whole thread reminds me of when we were in grade school and the teacher had issues with some of the class. When she gave the ass kicking, the good students got better and the "don't give a shits" continued to not give a shit.

Let's not make the mistake of assuming that silence on the parts of some means they haven't given and that they may not be planning to give more before the season is out.

Many of the newer guys do not understand the way this works, and most do not visit this web site yet. We will still have to bring it up at the race in October.

Where are we in the tally Sid?

[badgersid]

MY SON i should have sent you to catholic school there they give you envelopes with the proper donation stamped on the outside.

Plus you would have a better education and stop asking me for money.

WHAT is there to understand it is a year end tip for the mechanics

p.s. i hate you (but there are some nice things about you)

signed andy rodicks dad

[badgersid]

OLD MAN stop crying about money.put that effort in to finding a higher paying job.

just being me (thanks you get it

[OLDMAN]

Sid, I'm not crying about money, you are.

If everyone that raced this year gave you as much per race weekend this year as I did, this thread would not exist.

OLDMAN

[cdh]

good one Bob.

I lieu of collecting my usual fee for the Mid-O video edit/upload, Willcox is donating that money to the Fund -
Sid, be sure he pays up

.

[LimeRockRacer]

Sid, oh sorry, Andy Roddick's Dad,

If you were smart enough you would have adopted Federer as he won not Andy and has a lot more money.

And what the hell does a Jewish kid from Brooklyn know about Catholic school? The RC's were very good at instilling guilt into our veins. Almost as much as some other religions I know well. The nuns just beat the crap ot of us when we didn't give enough!

Perhaps you need a collection skills update, since you apparently are losing your touch.

PS I still love you and hope you will keep me in your will.

[badgersid]

OLD MAN i am not crying and i am not trying. IN MY POST i said you get it. and if everyone was as generous as you i would not have to do anything.

that being said STOP CRYING

[badgersid]

BIG THANKS TO

JOHN PEW ever the gentelman

TODD SNYDER the new VP of racing

BIG AL whose heart is as big as he is



you generosity is appreciated

[Andrew]

I had suggested in the SBRS poll they sent out at the end of last years MW series, that they set up a Mechanic's Fund Trust, and as drivers signed up for the races and received their confirmation, that a simple letter and 'return coupon' be included offering the opportunity to return it with a contribution with an appropiate amount, with options, suggested. I got the feeling that SBRS wants to distance themselves from this fund raising effort and feels that it may be more appropiate if it came from a grassroots drive among the drivers.
I thought that with the establishment of the Mechanic's Fund Trust, SBRS would find it simple to avoid any comingling of money and would be a simple admin task of depositing the serarate checks made out to the fund.
Someone must be trustee of the fund in order to make the distributions. If Sid, Martin, Jeff or any of the people who put so much effort and their own time into raising money for the mechanics think this is the way to go ( or not) lets hear from them, I can see that it might make their self assummed work load easier We can still have the sale of merchandise and auctions, which I believe everyone looks forward to, and a little report on how the 'coupons' are being received.

[cdh]

Originally Posted by AlDelattre

I'll try and find some F1 swag to offer as a prize to the biggest donor, in the meantime, as Sid would say, "pay up, suckers!" (or was that Jesse James?)....

We need to order a few pairs of these

[dalyduo]

Andrew,

I'm sure Sid will set us straight on this but I don't think the problem is managing all the money... The problem is getting all the drivers to come up with the money. A coupon isn't a bad idea or better yet a donation envelope with a picture card of Sid with the caption, "You better fill this envelope generously because now I know where you live!..."

Originally Posted by Andrew

I had suggested in the SBRS poll they sent out at the end of last years MW series, that they set up a Mechanic's Fund Trust, and as drivers signed up for the races and received their confirmation.

[badgersid]

thank you all for the ideas BUT over 25 years we tried it all.

SBRS the company in no way wants anything to do with the fund . it is a big bookkeeping nightmare to them and i dont blame them a bit.

as far as envelopes been there tried that didn't even get the shirt.

The only way that works is the constant harrassing which i have become so tired of.

the guys that get it GET IT

the guys that dont (70%) DONT

if i did nothing all year the good guys would still be there

to all of you and you all know who you are THANKS

[cdh]

I still say this would get results.........

[LimeRockRacer]

Sid, of the monies that you ultimately collect, what percentage comes from the guys that "get it". If all the BS you have to put up with only generates limited dollars, why put all the effort into trying to get blood from a stone?

In fairness to the rest of us, it is nice to know the guys that don't pony up are reminded, but if you polled the regulars maybe you dont need to put as much heartache into beating the others up and then beating yourself up in the end.

I for one would be willing to raise my contribution to keep you healthy.

[badgersid]

this is just a ploy to keep you in my will .keeping me healthy does not do your cause well

thanks for all the support AGAIN you get it

[badgersid]

over 660 views and 4 people respond. now you all see what i mean.

AND guess what ? 4 of the good guys