Friday July 30th Racelegal

[boragirl]

you guys should try to make it out if you can..... yoshi and i are racing the vw's and my buddy is probably gonna bring his bike. the more the merrier :thumbsup:

qualcomm, think it starts at 7.

[Paul]

if they don't clear up the financial situation it may be the last one for a long time.

[FunkTron]

if they don't clear up the financial situation it may be the last one for a long time.


whats the financial situation? didnt hear about this.

[Troike]

Something about the alloted funding from the State not being applicable since the management changed departments within the control of the Government ... a lame bureaucratic mess.

I've never been to one of these events, wish I'd been around the last few years to make one. Then again, racing my car in a straight line would be asinine; my only hope is to try to find some people to race up/down the mountain back in AZ :)

[boragirl]

Something about the alloted funding from the State not being applicable since the management changed departments within the control of the Government ... a lame bureaucratic mess.

I've never been to one of these events, wish I'd been around the last few years to make one. Then again, racing my car in a straight line would be asinine; my only hope is to try to find some people to race up/down the mountain back in AZ :)

i was talking to a girl who worked there yesterday and she told me she heard some council woman saying she really didn't care if they shut it down because they would be making money off of racers either way. i mean, everyone probably knows this is true but for her to come right out and say it like that? :wtf: i wish i had this lady's name.

[FunkTron]

i was talking to a girl who worked there yesterday and she told me she heard some council woman saying she really didn't care if they shut it down because they would be making money off of racers either way. i mean, everyone probably knows this is true but for her to come right out and say it like that? :wtf: i wish i had this lady's name.


oh really now?!?!?

im sure there arent too many council "women" in the position to make statements like that. this we could probably find out...especially with our vast internet resources...and our crack team of cyber investigators. :D :tup:

[madajb]

whats the financial situation? didnt hear about this.
Heh, the City of San Diego has sent the City of San Diego to collections.
=)
===
By now you are aware of the City of San Diego's latest action, they have taken their own RaceLegal program to collection for $ 49,000. They have also chosen not to release any additional race dates at the “Q” beyond our July 23rd and 30th race dates. Union Tribune columnist Bill Center sums it best in his article of July 15th. Mr. Center's article is reproduced below for your reading.

By Bill Center

UNION-TRIBUNE

July 15, 2004

The award-winning program to redirect would-be street racers into organized drag racing meets will close down Aug. 1 unless a funding problem can be worked out between the city of San Diego and the RaceLegal drag racing program.

RaceLegal owes the city $49,000 for rental of the eighth-mile, four-lane drag strip on the west access road to Qualcomm Stadium plus storage fees and salary for San Diego Police officers assigned to the meets. But RaceLegal also has a grant of $350,000 from the California Office of Traffic Safety – which the city is supposed to bill for funding RaceLegal's meets. "We're caught in a giant Catch-22," said RaceLegal program director Lydia DeNecochea earlier this week. "The money is there, that's the ironic thing. Overall, we're inside our budget for this year. We just can't access our money.

"We're facing being shut down because we can't access our money."

The highly successful RaceLegal program hosts Friday night runs at Qualcomm Stadium. Through the middle of 2003, RaceLegal was run out of a San Diego State University program founded by Dr. Stephen Bender. When Bender decided to retire, he also decided to shift the program from the control of San Diego State to the city of San Diego's Traffic Division. "There was never a problem accessing the grant money while we were with San Diego State," said DeNecochea. "With Steve retiring, the timing of the switch seemed to make perfect sense."

But the flow of funds has dried up. And now there is another twist.

The grant money, which is in an escrow account, is designated to pay for administrative expenses and salaries. RaceLegal is supposed to pay for rent and operating expenses from gate proceeds. On an average night, RaceLegal attracts 250 cars at $20 each and about 2,500 spectators at $5 each.

But with the grant money not flowing, Bender and DeNecochea have used the gate receipts to pay salaries. They have also borrowed $110,000 from themselves believing the grant money would be released by the city. "We've been borrowing money from one fund to finance the other so that we can keep operating," said DeNecochea.

Because the city has sent the $49,000 bill to collection, it has not granted RaceLegal any additional dates beyond July 23 and July 30. "If we're not racing in Qualcomm in August, who knows where those kids will be racing," said DeNecochea. It is not a hollow warning. The RaceLegal program has won high marks from both the San Diego Police and San Diego County Sheriff's departments for its efforts in getting racers off the streets.

Said DeNecochea: "We can't get additional dates until we clear our debt with the city. We can't clear debt until the city gives us our grant money."


===


-ajb

[madajb]

Oh, and as far as I know, you guys only have 2 female Council Members:
Donna Frye & Toni Atkins.
But I don't know if you've had an election since I left, so if you really care, go look it up. heh.
-ajb

[ncttrnl]

Ya know, with as many members as this site has in southern california, we could be very political in situations like this.

Don't take this as an invite to go off and write some half assed letter to the mayor because those actually tend to hurt your cause more than help it. I'm sure we have at least one lawyer/pre-law student/English major or someone that can write an actual elegant and well thought out letter and petition we could sign.

Something along the lines of we vote and are in your district and fell strongly enough to vote against you if you don't support this program.

In anycase, I am going to try to make it out since this will at least be the last opportunity to race Melissa. Should be pretty interesting, both our cars are running like crap so its gonna come down to who's is less crappy.

[SYNYSTAGLI]

Results of the race?

[boragirl]

In anycase, I am going to try to make it out since this will at least be the last opportunity to race Melissa. Should be pretty interesting, both our cars are running like crap so its gonna come down to who's is less crappy.

well said, tony, well said :tup:

oh and speaking of english majors, i do believe it's "whose" and not "who's"..... yes i am a jackass :D

[GTISurfer]

Gates open at 6 PM

Admission Fees:

Spectators: $5.00 (12 and under - Free)
Racers: $20.00

Friday Night Event Hours:

- Gate and tech open at 6:00 PM sharp.
- Racing begins no later than 6:30 PM.
- Tech closes at 10:30 PM.
- Racing ends at 12:00 AM.
- Trophies awarded at 12:00 AM.

[CMH]

I was talking to someone about these events which I used to go to all the time. I guess the cops are cracking down on some of the cars that show up, which seems to be odd to hold a event for racers then give them tickets while they are there or get their information and then find them at home to give tickets while on the street. Has anyone here had this problem or have you heard of any problems like this. My car is very modded and I would like to go to this event again but wont do it if it puts me in a spot to get a ticket while going thru tech.

[ncttrnl]

I was talking to someone about these events which I used to go to all the time. I guess the cops are cracking down on some of the cars that show up, which seems to be odd to hold a event for racers then give them tickets while they are there or get their information and then find them at home to give tickets while on the street. Has anyone here had this problem or have you heard of any problems like this. My car is very modded and I would like to go to this event again but wont do it if it puts me in a spot to get a ticket while going thru tech.


They had a real problem with that in the past. The cops would camp on the side streets and wait to bust people leaving.

It hasn't seemed as bad lately but its your call. I think they asked them to calm down with that awhile ago because they were scaring away the people from the legal races and back to the street races.

[bugzy]

i guess me and paul probably heading down there tonight ;)