I used to joke that guys who get "involved" become the clipboard man. The clipboard man just scurries around trying to make sure everything is OK.

And it's not OK. Some thing is always out of control. Flaggers asleep. Medics & Crew not on hand when they are supposed to be. Track not suitable for any one of a hundred reasons. Kids riding over their heads, so that they crash, get injured, threaten to ruin the whole thing. There are guys who race, but forget to sign up. Expert racers going out to practice in an Amateur Moto. People partying too hard, and keeping others up as they carrouse after midnight.

And because you are the promoter, it's all your responsibility. No race goes by without someone coming up to let you know his sharp dismay that the track is dangerous, not vintage friendly, not small-bore friendly, conditions unsuitable, too many Ostrogoths, not enough Easter Eggs, etc etc, ad nauseum. It becomes a blur. And with each one you have to decide to do something or not, and which thing to do, how to deal with the situation.

And then your various detractors are always watching to see if you pass that buck knife. But my approach was to own it - make the call, and stand up there and say yep I take responsibility. That way there's nothing to argue about.

So.... if you ignore my advice to avoid race promotion, at least try to remember to enjoy it yourself. The core reason that we do ANY of this - really it is to make our lives the best they can be - to have a good time.

I puzzled over how to write that down- I looked up synonyms for the word FUN. But somehow "fun" just doesn't have anywhere near enough horsepower to represent how monumentally incredible this experience is... the family, the blitz, the smell of two stroke smoke, the glimpses - and moments crystalized in your mind's eye as you lie in bed in the successive days.

halcyon days: hamming it up for the camera at Washougal
Nancy Richards (Racer, Photographer & Team Mom) CJ and Ken Smith (Editor of VMX Magazine)