It was simple enough in theory, I suppose.Use a central Maine racing blog to break news, analyze trends, update race info and spout off with some opinions. And it was working pretty well into the summer, with a couple of hundred page views a day and some good give and take with readers.
Then, the Oxford 250 (I'm sorry -- ahem, the 34th annual TD Banknorth 250) rolled around, and it was time to begin analyzing that race and the stories I'd be covering leading into the big event. So, I made the post entitled "Six Days and Counting..." and it all went downhill.
Readers were chiming in, some in support of the race, some opposing the new Late Model rules. They were calling me out, they were calling Oxford Plains owner Bill Ryan out, they were calling one another out.
And then, darn it all, Bill went and posted. His comment was the 16th under that posting.
It was also the last.
"Yeah, after I wrote that, silence," Bill said to me on Wednesday. "Sorry about that."
The great thing about Oxford Plains Speedway and the Oxford 250 is that they remain staples of Maine racing. Because of that, of course, they also remain polarizing forces in uncertain racing times. Together, the track and its marquee event are launching pads for debate.
One thing is true -- reference Oxford Plains Speedway or the 250, and you're going to hear from all sides, good, bad and ugly. And, Bill, as they say in the PR game -- there's no such thing as bad publicity. As long as they're talking about you, you must be doing something right.
2 comments:
Where's the media blitz for that big PASS race? Are they still running the race?
I've noticed on the local forums that once the PASS "friendly" people had to leave for Canada the bickering, arguing, and negativity towards Oxford left with it.
The Oxford 250 is still the premiere race in the region. Period.
Good point about the negativity leaving when folks heading to the race in Canada had to leave too.
I hope they have a great race, but I am not looking forward to the "my race is better than your race" childish arguements that are going spring up next week.
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