Author Topic: Dogs Women and Children (Read 15311 times)

Pinecrest · « **on:** July 15, 2007, 07:18:19 AM »

Looking at a thread where the language got a little colourful but not cuss words just a little colourful and several posts were deleted and a warning was left stating watch your language children are reading this bla bla bla ..... It brought to mind a conversation I had with a driver a few weeks back about small children in the pits at many race tracks now.

Growing up at race tracks I remember that every pit entrance had a sign stating NO WOMEN OR ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 Places like Pincrest had that sign until the day they closed and that sign hung at every Winston Cup NASCAR track until 1977 . I can still remember when they first let women in the pits but still didn't have any womens washrooms in the pits that they would have to cross the track to the grandstand side to use the washrooms .

OK I get why we had to let Chic's in the pits (begrudgingly) but when did they start letting little kids and dogs in and why ? Some tracks such as Barrie you have to be at least 14 and I think Oshwegen has a minimum age but places like Sunset and Mosport etc will let you drag any little rug rat into the pits . A few weeks ago at Mosport I was standing on one of those berms around a light standard in turn 2 which I have always thought was a bit of a dangerous place and there was some woman with her crumb cruncher that was no more then 3 playing with its toys on the ground in front of the light pole . Dangerous to say the least and stupid for sure but what the heck is a 3 yr old doing in the pits in the first place ?

A week ago there was some pit lizard ( young female dressed like she is going to a dance usually with heels) at Sunset with a puppy that was about 6 months old trolling around the pits . If thats not bad enough the puppy drops a big steamer right behind one of the pit pads , the chic giggles and just keeps on trolling along , I couldn't believe it .I love dogs and have one but I have never taken one to a race track let alone in the pits and would never think of doing so .

If you have a little slobber monster please stay in the grandstand and for the love of god leave your dog at home the pits or a race track is not the place for your pooch . IMO the pits were a much better place before they took that sign down and they started letting anybody and anything in .

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CanadianRacingOnline.com · « **on:** July 15, 2007, 07:18:19 AM »

bakstreethero · « **Reply #1 on:** July 15, 2007, 07:48:01 AM »

Why shouldn't kids be allowed in the pits- hav eyou ever considered that their mother or father is racing? Racing is a family sport- as long as the kids know the rules- there is NO reason they should not be allowed in the pits. MY daughter has been a the track since she was 2 weeks old ( autumn colours). She is now 3.5 years old and LOVES going to the track. She has been around the tracks for all of her life, and knows how to behave, and to watch for cars and to stay out of the drivers and crews way. By her being in the pits, she has an understanding of the hard work and dedication it takes to be a racer- and hopefully she will want to race when she is old enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THere is NO reason kids should not be allowed in the pits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Pinecrest · « **Reply #2 on:** July 15, 2007, 08:17:35 AM »

Bakstreetboy you are precisely the ones my comments were aimed at . Yes racing is a family sport but the pits are not a public park or playground for your curtain climber. Your 3 1/2 year old does not grasp that there are parts of a race car that are red hot and like all yard apes they want to touch things . Pits are a place of business/ work and I doubt you would let that tricycle motor run around a machine shop or welding shop so why a race car pit ? Sorry but 3 1/2 year olds don't understand hard work or dedication because they have not even developed cognative reasoning yet just ask your pediatrician.

You and your wife cant watch that cookie cruncher constantly and its just a matter of time until one of them gets hurt in the pits.

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CanadianRacingOnline.com · « **Reply #2 on:** July 15, 2007, 08:17:35 AM »

bakstreethero · « **Reply #3 on:** July 15, 2007, 08:48:16 AM »

As a matter of fact- she is in the garage all the time with me- she has her own welding helmet and loves to help me work on the car!!!!!!!!! She does understand that there are parts that are sharp and that parts get hot! If you teach them at a young age- they learn very quickly how to act at the track! Some kids who are at the track for the first time watching- i agree should not be in the pits- but for kids who have grown up at the track- they know of the dangers. Do you think that Jeff Hanley learned all he did from his dad at home?

? NO- he learned by being at the TRACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Scooter · « **Reply #4 on:** July 15, 2007, 09:30:22 AM »

Pinecrest, I have to agree with you. The pits is no place for young children. As an adult walking through the pits, even I have to keep my wits about me so as not to get hit by a car backing up, returning to pit or whatever. There is just too much going on, it only takes a moment for a young child to get hurt and you can't blame the driver when he wouldn't even see a 3 year old toddler behind the car.
As for the dogs, well maybe if they are kept leashed, but hey if your dog dodooos clean it up, for those that don't i can just imagine what there property or the street they walk their dog on looks like, mine field heaven, doggie dodo everywhere, be a responsible pet owner, and keep the kiddies safe.
As for the pit lizard, with heels, seen her around, hhhmmmm heals in the pits, guess its a fashion statement, would be fun to watch her fall over though. lmao

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Shadowracer · « **Reply #5 on:** July 15, 2007, 11:02:15 AM »

This thread should be interesting.

As long as some tracks are recieving much of their revenues from back gate entries, it'll keep happening...till one of the little guys gets hurt. A waiver will only protect the track so far.

I've always been of the opinion that you shouldn't be down there unless you're actually hands-on involved somehow, but that's just me. If the significant other is helping out with the car then fine, but if they're just hanging around, why not go up in the stands where you can see something, and make some noise instead? Thats how we did it when Dad was running. Its cheaper, safer, and you can see better.

I do not believe that toddlers should be in the pits at all. Trust me, I love kids, and I'm all about the family aspect of racing...but for me its purely a safety issue. I think they should set the standard around 10 yr old if you're involved, and 16 otherwise.

I've only been in the Del pits a handful of times while the races were running and I didn't like it. (this is as a fan with no affiliation to any of the teams) Last time I did that, admittedly about 12 years ago, I needed to grow eyes on the back of my head to keep from getting run over. I can't even imagine letting a little kid run around down there.

About dogs, I'm fine if they're leashed. But if you don't scoop, you're out.

I just find it difficult to imagine that there was ever a time when women actually were not allowed in the pits. But it was there. For the Delaware history project last year, they put up a little binder of old program scans for the folks to flip through. One of the scans was a "rules and pit conduct", or something like that from the early 70s, and it actually said "no women". Amazing that we could've ever been that backwards.

Maybe the boys were just interested in each other.

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Pinecrest · « **Reply #6 on:** July 15, 2007, 11:05:01 AM »

Quote from: bakstreethero on July 15, 2007, 08:48:16 AM

As a matter of fact- she is in the garage all the time with me- she has her own welding helmet and loves to help me work on the car!!!!!!!!! She does understand that there are parts that are sharp and that parts get hot! If you teach them at a young age- they learn very quickly how to act at the track! Some kids who are at the track for the first time watching- i agree should not be in the pits- but for kids who have grown up at the track- they know of the dangers. Do you think that Jeff Hanley learned all he did from his dad at home?? NO- he learned by being at the TRACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I knew there would be some people like you that just don't get it but I have found that Darwinism seems to look after allot of you and your off spring .

As far as Jeff Hanley goes , Junior didn't let him do anything in or around the shop until he was pretty close to being in his teens . I was working at Hanleys shop the day Jeff broke his leg and Junior would not even pick him up off the ground with his broken leg and just told Lloyd to call Juniors girlfriend to come deal with it . I was also there when I think it was the first time Jeff ever got in the pits I think and he was about 11 .

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mike32 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 15, 2007, 11:21:25 AM »

PC-I notice a few Dogs at Merrittville lately too and just figure it can't be good for the Dog's hearing either. As far as kids in the pits, this is simply the promoters being greedy and stupid. I guess they'll gladly take the extra bucks it costs to get in the pits (over the spectator admission) but I also worry about the day, that someone who has absolutely nothing to do with the maintanence of a race car, gets hurt and the insurance companies void the track's policy. No insurance-no racing. I see this now at Flammy with their poor catch fences and pit spectators standing where no one should be allowed. One major injury and the cash cow there will be closed forever. Also, a resonably full spectator grandstand would be more impressive to any potential sponsor, either for a race car or for track sponsorship. I'm sure when a Sponsor sees the 2/3 empty spectator stands, he must figure, why bother!

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Thunder6 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 15, 2007, 11:36:10 AM »

Just think about how low most of us run our racing seats... makes it very hard to see a little gaffer when either going forward or reversing. Actually I was thinking about that, and I was in the pits at Barrie when I was about 6 or 7 (early 80's). But it was always AFTER the show. And in the old days they had rides for the kids and you got to do a lap of the Speedway in the Stock Car (at about 10 MPH but it was cool, "just climb on in there kid, and hang on to the roll cage"), and the kids got in the car at the starter's stand. Guess you couldn't do that kind of thing now... And how many mother's would freak about that...

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Statsman · « **Reply #9 on:** July 15, 2007, 02:14:23 PM »

I agree that if you don't have something specific to do in the pits you probably shouldn't be there. It is a dangerous place and I've seen death and injuries there in my day. I'm always on my toes to stay safe and find it difficult to understand how small children have any reason to be there.

The no women in the pits rule seems pretty archaic these days with the number of driving and pit crew participants that are female.

The comment about the kiddie rides at Barrie brought back a funny memory for me. When I was a kid they used to put a ballot in the program that you filled out for the rides. Well it got to be about mid-season and my name had not been called so it became time for a new strategy. In those days we lived in Toronto and came up to Barrie for the weekend, track co-owner/promoter Gerry Watson let us stay in an old house trailer that he had parked at the track. On Sunday mornings we'd pitch in and help do some clean-up around the place. I'd often go rooting under the grandstands finding stuff and there were always progams that had slipped down underneath the night before. This provided quite a supply of the kiddie ride ballots. So the next week there was a considerable amount of ballot stuffing. When they were pulling the names, every second one was one I'd filled out.

Of course fate had its own punishment for the ballot shenanigans as our car had yet another blown junk-yard Ford engine that week and I had to take a lap of the track in the car of our points race rival Jim Viktil. I didn't stuff the ballots again after that one time

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Pinecrest · « **Reply #10 on:** July 15, 2007, 04:00:20 PM »

As far as dogs go with cars exceeding 100 DBA and dogs hearing as acute as it is I think the humane society would consider that a form of animal abuse . There have always been dogs in motorhomes etc but walking around the pits with a dog is just not right .

I will tell you how this deal with 3 yr old children in the pits is going to go . Some mother who is eating a hot dog is going to take their eyes off their ankle biter and someone is going to back over the kid killing it . The parents of the kid are going to sue the driver , the track owner and the guy who sold them the hot dog that distracted them . Thats just how things are in this litigious society these days . The track will have to close because no insurance company will touch it and every other track will be forced to raise the back gate price to 30 or 40 bucks because even though they may have different insurance carriers most of them draw from the same insurance pool of funds .

As far as women in the pits excluding two or three that are driving at any given track 99 % of them that are walking around the pits should be in the grandstand because I have yet to see a single one change a tire or even put a fan belt on a car .

Over 50 years of no dogs kids or women in the pits worked pretty well and i sure don't see how letting them in made things any better.

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racewoman · « **Reply #11 on:** July 15, 2007, 05:39:37 PM »

Pinecrest I have to agree with you on NO KIDS in the pits and NO DOGS in the pits.

However saying that my oldest son was in the pits at the drag races. Thought one night he was going to be born there! He use to fall asleep in the stands when we went to watch. When I was working on the car he would be in a playpen. We took a few years off of racing and got into CASCAR where my kids were NOT in the pits. Oval tracks have a different set up. It is just not safe for kids.

Now both my sons race and both have been on CASCAR teams as well as myself. I have changed tires. Done whatever needed to be done except the cooking.

For your thought of women that they don't need to be in the pits. inecrest who did your cooking for you when you were on a team?

Just kidding man and any women that may read this....it is just a little inside joke to the driver I was crew for. He knows I can cook just don't tell anyone buddy.

I think the age should be at least 13 in order to go into the pits. As for running around we as adults do it at times. Myself I have been in a hurry to get something back to the pit stall and have had to run. Or working on my son's team I have been watching him race and he has come in to pit and I have gone running to the car to change his tire or cut/rip the bumper off for him.

During my time in CASCAR after taking a few years off from racing. My kids were NOT in the pits until they were old enough to drive a race car. They both have also worked on CASCAR teams.

Flamboro has kids running around in the pits and I have no problem to tell them to walk. There is age limits at most tracks. Flaboro is the worst track I have seen for this as their exit from the trackis in a bad spot. You really have to watch out.

At Delaware I knew at one time there was a sign posted at the spectator gate no dogs allowed. YEAH! For them. Maybe shadowracer can tell us if it is stil there.

As for women/young girls wearing high heels to a track LOL It is a race not a fashion show.

I am sure it is eye candy for the guys but come on it is a race. I am a woman that is secure in myself I don't need to wear skimpy clothes and high heels to a race or anywhere else to make myself feel good.

Racing is a family sport. One thing I wish CASCAR?NASCAR would do is open the specator gates at the same time they open the pit gates. That was the only problem I ran into. I needed to be in the pits to work on the car. This may help take car of the problem with kids in the pits. Change the time at all tracks.

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John · « **Reply #12 on:** July 15, 2007, 06:00:18 PM »

Quote from: racewoman on July 15, 2007, 05:39:37 PM

At Delaware I knew at one time there was a sign posted at the spectator gate no dogs allowed. YEAH! For them. Maybe shadowracer can tell us if it is stil there.

It is still there & enforced. The only animals that would be allowed in are service dogs.

To get a child into the pits at Delaware is a lengthy affair - - 3 forms to fill out (Minor wavier, parental consent wavier, general wavier). It is not very common to see children in the pits - - occasionally you'll see more of them at Enduros on top of the haulers watchin' dad race and that's just fine by me. Most teams are good at using their judgement when it comes to the kids, and understand that the pits are not a good place for babysitting.

Delaware is however, a unique situation: Infield pits. Many other ontario tracks who pit on the outside of the track are in a different situation.

At Delaware you'd have to want them down there pretty bad; Down below as a non member the child would pay $27.00, up top... Well, they're Free! (12 & Under)

Has this been turning into a bone of contention at other tracks? This is really the first I've heard of this being an issue.

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racewoman · « **Reply #13 on:** July 15, 2007, 06:11:00 PM »

Flamboro it is just way to easy to get into the pits. I can't remember now if it was free for the kids to get in or if it was $5.00. Crash if you are reading this do you remember? Or did you even know?

Ron knows ask him if you don't know buddy.

I know at Delaware I had to sign my kids life away so that they could get into the pits to help work on the cascar. Same as many other tracks.

Even up top at Delaware I had no problem telling the kids to walk please. Janice Richmond, Stephen's mom and Iwould be talking and the kids would be running around the building and falling. Where are the parents?

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Pinecrest · « **Reply #14 on:** July 15, 2007, 06:25:49 PM »

Cascarjr52 its not a big problem yet but at tracks such as Mosport and Sunset where I have seen it for myself there is a growing number of 3,4,5,6 yr olds running around the pits some under close parental supervision some without . I just remember when it was a strict tabooand now at some tracks it seems like its bring the kids the dog and cat and your pet budgie in the pits .

Racewoman the meal deal was always the same whether it was back in the day when we ran Cayuga on Friday nights and everyone had to leave strait from work to get there or it was Oswego or Flamboro , or a Cascar race etc etc . The trailer / 5th wheel / motorhome would be parked just outside the gate and wives/ girlfriends would make the food . You have never been able to bring a motorhome or what ever into tracks that had the pits on the inside of the track and even many outside the tracks would not allow it .

The whole drag race pit is a different deal since no cars were allowed to drive in the pits and had to be pushed up to the staging area at all but the hillbilly tracks. Did you say you changed tires on a Cascar crew , if so who was that for ?

I was just kidding about getting the women out of the pits , I knew once we let you in there would be no getting you out .

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