my letter to Heartland Park, the CRB, BOD, Jim Julow, and many others.
if you feel the same, please share with your RE, BOD rep, or whomever will listen.
Heartland Park Staff -
Please forward this message along to Ray Irwin and Ed Ozment, as I could not find their email addresses on the website. Although I'm sure Terry will share this with her husband.
All -
Even though we are a not for profit organization run mainly by volunteers, I personally expect the club to be run to a certain standard. Over the past couple of years, there has been a serious problem developing. It comes as no surprise to anyone receiving this message that the move to Heartland Park for the Runoffs was a controversial one from the beginning. In my view, we have only made a bad situation worse.
I don't remember exactly the timing of events, but I believe somewhere after the announcement was made, and the start of the 2006 season was when Chris Bovis left Heartland Park as Track Manager, and Ed Ozment stepped in. There are probably very few people that are aware the track manager of Heartland Park is married to the current VP of Club Racing, Terry Ozment (who was Director of Club Racing at the time Ed took the job).
When I first saw pictures of the changes to T1/2, and T8/9, my initial reaction was they made changes to the wrong section of the track, and the design looked like it was drawn up by someone who has never driven a race car. While attending the last national race at Heartland Park, I walked the new sections of track on Friday and was terribly disappointed in the way the changes were executed. Such obvious oversights of serious safety hazards (a light pole at T2) cemented my belief that someone with neither racing or course design experience was involved. Much in the way the initial 'Alpha' design seemed it was just thrown together (as evidenced by the 15ft of extra pavement, curbing, and grading that took place later, and yes I was there and drove it the first weekend), T1/2 and T8/9 create a feeling of deja-vu. No curbing in place, seriously bumpy pavement (especially considering it's brand new), light poles, no sand or gravel traps, and other than a waist-high concrete wall spectators stand unprotected less than 20ft from cars traveling 100+mph. I can't see how a reasonable person would find this acceptable for any track, much less a "Runoffs caliber course."
Later that weekend I learned that Ed Ozment was actually the one who layed out the new course. I can't say for 100% certain, but I don't believe Ed has any actual race driving experience. All those I talked with that weekend including people who have been in the club and local to the area for 25+ years couldn't ever remember him racing either. I'm sure there are designers out there that haven't ever driven a race car, but given the situation, this doesn't sit well with me.
Whether you are aware of it or not, there is significant amounts of dissent forming towards the SCCA; much of which revolves around holding the Runoffs at Heartland Park. I realize there is nothing we can do for the 07 or 08 Runoffs, but I fear the major conflict of interest created by having Terry Ozment as VP of Club Racing, and Ed Ozment as Track Manager for Heartland Park may influence the decision. This is one of the many reasons I feel it necessary for SCCA to remove Terry Ozment from her involvement with SCCA, and/or Ed Ozment be removed as Track Manager at Heartland Park.
As a resident of Kansas City, I am largely benefited by having SCCA's biggest event so close to home. However, I feel that it is creating much dissatisfaction amongst our National Drivers, thus sending many to NASA and their National Championship. We are already struggling with losing members to this competing organization, and I believe this trend will continue if the venue does not change for 2009.
The VERY least we need to do as a club and track owners/managers, is ensure a safe environment for our competitors, spectators, and workers at the 2007 Runoffs. The current design of Heartland Park is a long way off, and I beg you, for the good of the SCCA and Heartland Park, to remedy this situation.
If any of my understandings of the timeline of events, people, places, or positions involved are erroneous, I sincerely apologize. Please understand I only write this in hope of keeping SCCA as the best motorsports sanctioning body in the United States.
Thank you,
Travis Nordwald
Kansas City Region
Member #338522
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