New Web Site Owners

[PanchoPistoles]

I also want to thank Jon and Nancy for accepting the responsibility for maintaining this great resource, and Jon Amo for all the hard work of starting and maintaining it to date.

See you all on the salt.

Frank

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Hi there, one and all.  It's time for me to mention donations to the site.

I'm bringing up this topic because today I received a note from one of the folks that has sent a donation since I bought the site -- and he reminded me that I had NOT acknowledged his contribution.  Nor have I for other donations, so I must, in good conscience, apologize to those of you that offered a financial show of support to me for taking over landracing.com.  Please accept this note from me -- I do appreciate the money, and I do thank you, and I do regret acting kind of like a young kid that forgets to send out his thank you notes after a birthday party.

Now -- to donations.  I've got it set up so you can make a donation through Paypal by merely clicking on the button on the home page -- it's down at the bottom.  I'll find out about that donation from Paypal -- they send me a statement telling me who and how much.  As of today -- you'll get a note of thanks from me as well as whatever satisfaction you can derive from helping keep the site up and running. 

Jon Amo is still working with me on stuff here -- we'll be migrating the site from one host company to another one weekend (Saturday overnight) soon.  The new one should be even better at keeping things up and running and also provide room for more folks to be on line simultaneously.  The photo gallery is in the process of getting back on line, Jon A. tells me, and I've got three CDroms of the photos here at this desk -- so you'll soon get the photos again.  I think I remember you asking and Jon saying that it can be done -- that we have a place for you to post photos that you've taken.  I think -- not guarantee -- that that's possible and therefore probably in the works.

And I'm still trying to put together a super-duper special thingie for SpeedWeek this year.  I'm not going to tip my on  just what it is, yet -- not 'til I get some really good satisfaction that I can make it work.  It will probably cost a good bundle of bucks, so I might have to go get a real sponsor to pay the bill for it -- I'll keep you posted, and hope you won't mind it if there's a banner or something maybe even more intrusive to pay for it.  Those ads will only be for a short time, though.  I'd love to make all of the ads go away -- but maybe I shouldn't -- maybe you folks find them and the products and services they offer worthwhile enough that you like having them right in front of you every time you're on line.  Let me know.  Of course - there's still the cost of keeping the site up and running, and if I get rid of ads -- you'll see me begging for donations more often.  If you can -- send a little now and then.  Or do what the people that do the public broadcasting telethons tell you to do -- think about how much value you receive from the site and send an appropriate amount reflecting that perceived value.  Donations will sure keep me happy so I don't have to spend any time looking for paying sponsors.

And speaking of donations, which is how I started this note -- thanks to all that have donated, especially to the fellow that wrote me a note reminding me that I should have taken time to thank him.  I hope the note I sent to him a few minutes ago -- and this public mea culpa -- will let him know that I really am sorry for not thanking him sooner.

[John Noonan]

Jon,

No worries, you are welcome...

J/K

J

[Seldom Seen Slim]

It's Independence Day -- maybe I'll take a moment to think out loud about the site.

When I bought this site -- and buy is what it was, with a goodly sum of money leaving my account and being transferred to that of the fellow from whom I bought it -- I thought that I'd be able to run it like a business -- that it would generate a reasonable rate of return on my investment.  Part of that "income" would be revenues from advertisers that want their service or product to be displayed to folks that see the site, and part would be as donations from those site viewers that felt like offering me a monetary display of their appreciation of the site.  Another thought that was in my head when I bought landracing.com was that I would be able to maintain the site as a meeting place where the land speed racing community could be informed and entertained with not only information about the "sport" - but also from the lively interplay between all of our personalities.

That some of you folks would bring more to the site than would others -- is what I expected.  That some of you would spend your efforts in being disruptive, or would maintain attitudes that are obviously not what the general public on here wants -- is also, unfortunately, about what I expected.  I've asked more than once for one or another of you to moderate (that is, to lessen) yourselves so that fewer others would take offense at what you've said, and in some cases you have complied -- and in others you haven't.  When I have to ask I risk reducing my potential effectiveness as the guy that tries to run the herd -- I lose a bit of respect when you don't follow the rules, and that loss is multiplied the next time it happens.

I just want this place to be as entertaining and informative as it can be.  Bob (bak189) says he came back after his hiatus in the hopes that he'd see more about the Bub's event.  Bob's got a lot to offer -- would some of you that are closer to the Bub's event please get more active in discussing it?  We've lost more than one forum member because some of you insist on ranting and raving (the only way to put it, even if I was glad to see you back online, Kent).  I don't think that causing folks to quit visiting the site will improve the interchange of information, if only because as a result there are fewer of you that participate in the conversation.

If some don't like FR and some think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread -- fine.  Deal with it without getting too nasty, without spending too much time worrying over what he's said.  If you think there's an issue with something that he posts, or with the way that he's posting it -- tell him, tell me, but don't get all bent out of shape.  I'm going to try to let "him" run without preaching at him for a while -- but I reserve the right to come back and praise or damn him if it gets too much for the site in general.

Remember, folks -- I want this site to be vital and fun and educational as well as entertaining.  I put up good money -- money that I could just as easily have put in the will for my heirs -- to save landracing.com from the possibility of going into oblivion.  I'm not going to announce the amount -- but if you want to ask me privately just how much income/revenue has come in in the 3 months since I bought it -- I'll tell you, and I'll tell you just who it is that has sent some of that money.  None of it has come from any of the advertisers, by the way.  I haven't billed anyone -- and only one of them has stepped up and introduced themselves and thanked me for running his ad.  Should those advertisers see this -- my email is jonwennerberg@nancyandjon.org, and I'd be happy to discuss your advertising strategy, results, and budget with regards to this site.

That's it for now.  I'm still trying to get the site running at optimum -- get the gallery going, get the site transferred to another host so it'll cost less and have even more features available (once I learn how to use them), etc.  I'm still hoping to learn how to create new forum sections and how to ---

Hey, you get the idea.  Happy Independence Day, folks, and have a safe weekend.

[SPARKY]

Thanks,  Jon----you have a safe 4'th----thanks for all you do!!!!!

[John Noonan]

Jon & Nancy

Thanks for taking over the site and I am sure it will remain for a long time, I have backed off my franklin comments and continue to use the "ignore feature" however I also find I spend less time as when I see that a certain person has posted to a thread I may be interested in I seem to also ignore that as well and move on to others.

To all:

Have a great and happy 4th of July and be safe!

J

[hayaboosta]

Thank you Jon and Nancy!

Not just for saving the site but all your work associated with LSR at Bonneville and Maxton.  I know I would find it hard to attend a meet and work for the entire event watching the rest of us have fun (although I did see you make a pass in an "old jalopy" last weekend).  Not to mention when you are participating, you still have time for Save the Salt and other dootie duties. 

I wish everyone a safe and fun 4th!

[bak189]

The REAL way to thank Jon and Nancy is to send them $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
=DOLLARS.............to keep Landracing alive..........

[DrofRockology]

I have been impressed with the enthusiasm that Jon Amo has demonstrated as he built his knowledge in the LSR community.
He found out what was fact and what was fiction. He dug hard to make certain that the accomplishments of the racers were reported fairly.

FREUD

uhhhhhhhhh....

sometimes:

Glenn Freudenberger says

"Elmo Gillette is UNSCRUPULOUS and COWARDLY. Morals and integrity are unknown to him.

When I was providing the photographs that were used in the rulebook and the event posters I spend as many as 6 hours per day shooting. I also provided fotos for several motorcycle magazines and European automobile publications. Each time before I went out to shoot I would clear it with Bob Higbee, the official starter. He always knew where I was and he approved of what I did. Elmo decided to police me and dictate the conditions under which I did my work.  When I discussed this with Higbee he advised me to carry on as I had always done.  Apparently this did grind on Elmo.

One day a white roadster with number 69 on it veered 150 feet off of the course and headed directly toward me. The driver was Elmo Gillette. Then he swerved back on the course and finished his run. I was watching the car all the time through a 500 mm lens and was completely aware of what was happening. It seemed to me that he had just established the conditions to report that I was in an unsafe area and was a problem. If that was not his intention and it happened accidentally, he was not qualified to drive that car.

In the late ?80?s when I ran a TZ 750 bike I qualified for a long course record run. My record attempt was on Saturday and I was probably the only bike. I arrived at the line on time.  One car ran and the starter pointed at me and hollered, ?You are next.  If you don?t run now, you lose your turn.? I had just rolled up there and there were at least 2 cars before me. At that time there were separate lines for motorcycles and cars. I immediately turned the bike around, fired it and planned to warm it. It was only the third unblown750 that wasn?t on fuel that had qualified for the long course. The previous 2 belonged to Don Vesco. As I pulled to the line, the starter pointed to me and said,?Go now.? The bike had not warmed at all. The starter never did a safety inspection or even approached the bike. ?Go now, or get out of line.?  I left, cold engine and all.  I didn?t understand the urgency of the situation. It was Saturday. Cars usually ran first to give them more turn around time.  The only runs were the qualified record runs and there were no more than ten total attempts. Between the 1 and the 2 my helmet started to come up over my eyes. I had left w/o my helmet strap being tightened and the starter never even checked me.  That was documented in the story that CYCLE Magazine did on my Speed Week endeavor. You guessed it. The started wasn?t Bob Higbee, it was Elmo Gillette.  He got me again.

If you ask him about those times and he says, ? I don?t remember that? just remember his recall about other happenings may not be complete either.
If he says, ?I didn?t do that.? He?s a Dodgeed liar.  He cost me a record attempt and I remember that exceedingly well.

In my opinion, any judgment made on information Elmo Gillette provides is fallacious. Integrity is a concept that he has never known.

How many others has Elmo Gillette stomped on and they never reported it? I have no idea. One is one too many.

If anyone in this arena lacks guts it is Elmo Gillette.  Attending Bonneville since 1949 has not added a single point to his IQ.

No doubt Elmo voted for Jim with a pink color crayon.

?It?s better to be known as a fool than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt.?  ANON

It takes a man of great fortitude to tell Mary West to BUTT OUT while looking at his own BUTT everytime he shaves.

With absolute assurance that I am correct,

Happily...

Glenn Freudenberger"

mark and i wrote the following reply before i had an account:

No offense, Mr. Freudenberger, but it is evident that at least one of the people in your diatribe IS a liar, but it is not Elmo Gillette.

You say that Elmo veered 150 feet off of the course and headed directly toward you because of some kind of vendetta against you because you didn't have enough sense to be in a safe place.

First, I find it hard to believe that anyone would intentionally drive off of the course, perhaps causing a spinout or worse, and aborting a run just to taunt somebody who doesn't have enough sense to get away from the course.  The entire concept, unless you live in a world of TV movies, is ludicrous.

BTW: until I jogged his memory Elmo says he had no recollection of you or any altercation with you or any alleged record attempts you may, or may not have made.

The Vendetta Theory dissolves at this point.

But, I digress.

There are two sides of Elmo Gillette in the world of Land Speed Racing.

Everyone who knows anything about Bonneville knows the sides and can sing it along with me.

POLITICAL.

MECHANICAL.

You'll notice "DRIVER" does not appear above.

That's because Elmo built and tuned the Flatheads and Small Blocks and Offys and Arduns.

Elmo did drive the Redhead and the Ranchero.  He also drove the Dietrich/Walker Streamliner in an exhibition pass during the 50th Annual Speed Week.

None of the rides he took was ever in a white Roadster with or without the number 69.  Not the '29 Highboy or Jim Lattin's Deuce Street Roadster.  Not even in the Warm Up Area.

Unfortunately for you and your attempt at impugning the character of a Land Speed Racing legend, who was president of SCTA and Meet Director of the Bonneville Nationals more than any other person in the history of the sport, thereby politically slandering Elmo's longtime friend, teammate and political ally, Jim Lattin, has coughed back through your blower.

How the heck is anyone supposed to believe the rest of your drivel?

Sincerely yours,
Mark Gillette

glad to see that jon amo is gonzo and that we now have a much better owner!

[DallasV]

That was a very strange tyrade calling out the old owner of the site for something he didn't even write (kind of like cussing out the CEO of Burger King because you didn't get pickles on your whopper). I think both the old and new owner have done an outstanding job. I believe you would be hard pressed to find anyone who has given as much information to the masses about LSR as Jon Amo by creating this website. I understand getting tweaked by someone bad mouthing your old man, I don't understand the focus of your anger with JA, I doubt he had the time to investigate the validity of every post put on the site. 

[DrofRockology]

That was a very strange tyrade calling out the old owner of the site for something he didn't even write (kind of like cussing out the CEO of Burger King because you didn't get pickles on your whopper). I think both the old and new owner have done an outstanding job. I believe you would be hard pressed to find anyone who has given as much information to the masses about LSR as Jon Amo by creating this website. I understand getting tweaked by someone bad mouthing your old man, I don't understand the focus of your anger with JA, I doubt he had the time to investigate the validity of every post put on the site. 

maybe.

if you go back, however, you will find that jon amo was big at passing out criticism and chastisements of other people and quick at jumping on somebody's ass for not playing fair.

what's good for the goose...

jon amo slapped my hands more than once for doing similar things he has done.

you can't have it both ways!

jon wennerber, on the other hand, seems like a reasonable guy!