Open Road Race Results: Iron-poor
Midland's inaugural John Foster West Texas Open Road Race is history, as about 60 participants from across the nation (and at least one soul from the UK) sped to Rankin and back yesterday. And I feel quite unsatisfied after seeing accounts of the event in the local paper and TV news coverage.
As you would expect, the Reporter-Telegram had the most thorough race results, showing the top three finishers in each of the 16 classes. That report gave no times or average speeds, but most disappointing was its failure to tell us what the winners were driving.
Now, an open road race is different from, say, a Nascar or even a Formula 1 road race, where drivers compete against other drivers. In those races, the vehicles aren't real...that is, they don't bear enough resemblance to the family sedan to make them mentally accessible to the average spectator. But in an open road race, the competition is against the clock -- success depends on coming as close as possible to averaging the speed set for your competition class; only the bad boys in the Unlimited class get to truly put pedal to the metal* without regard to the clock -- and the machines at least began life on a dealer's lot.
I didn't watch the race -- I have other priorities on Sunday mornings -- but I was fascinated by the vehicles I spotted around town over the weekend, distinguished by the race numbers they bore. There were a plethora of Corvettes, a sprinkling of Vipers, several Beemer coupes and a goodly number of Camaros (the quantitative indicators are highly technical terms easily interpreted by the cognoscenti). These choices are not surprising, and knowing this might have been enough to satisfy my curiosity about the machines. But then I read this photo caption in the newspaper, and I realized that there was probably quite a bit more to the event than we were seeing in the news coverage:
A 1962 Dodge Polara?! A 200-mph Polara, no less. And they placed second in the unlimited class, behind a guy from Alpine, Texas. He could have been driving a '58 Ford Fairlane for all we know.
I hope next time, we'll get a little more detail about the cars themselves. Surely the coverage will mature with the event.
Note: I did discover via Google that the event has its own website. As of this morning, there were no race results posted. (This leads to a pet peeve: why are website URLs so often missing in our local media coverage of events? I smell another post.)
*Someone really needs to come up with a new cliché for speeding. "Fuel 'til you drool"? "Gas to the mass"? "Speed 'til you bleed"? OK; let's see if you can do any better.
Eric, re: "This leads to a pet peeve: why are website URLs so often missing in our local media coverage of events?"
Jeff, my indictment of "local media" wasn't directed at the online versions; please forgive the loose wording that made it sound like a shotgun indictment. I'm specifically referring to the MRT's frequent lack of links, and I find the road race example to be particularly egregious, since it's one of the sponsors.
I sometimes wonder if links are omitted in a (futile) attempt to avoid sending readers to competing information sources. Then I think, "no, it's just lack of focus or insight by the writer." I'm not sure which is worse, but perhaps neither is accurate. As a newspaper journalist, perhaps you could enlighten us as to the possible reasons...?
I do appreciate your insights about running the race on Sunday, and the comparison with the similar event in Fort Stockton. I'm sure there are a slew of excuses as to why a Saturday race wouldn't work for Midland, but my perception is that the Fort Stockton event continues to grow in popularity.
Posted by: Eric at October 20, 2003 12:34 PMGood grief, I’ve never even seen a Polara before…
I think I expected fins.
Posted by: Daniel Morris at October 21, 2003 07:26 AMAbout the publisher
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Eric, re: "This leads to a pet peeve: why are website URLs so often missing in our local media coverage of events?"
For the two weeks leading up to race day, a link for the JFWRORR web site was featured on our "Today's Links" page.
Also during that time, a button - using the race logo as a graphic and taking our readers to the race's web site - appeared on the mywesttexas.com home page, prominently displayed 'above the fold' as they say.
Could local media do a better job of promoting online components/supplements to their story? Yes, I think we all could. But to have this particular example used to illustrate your pet peeve leaves me a little exasperated.
Any suggestions you and your readers might have to help us do a better job along these lines would be accepted with genuine gratitude.
There, now that I've vented ... it's good to have you back on the Web, Eric!
Another comment you offered ... "I didn't watch the race -- I have other priorities on Sunday mornings" ... I suspect you and I missed the race for similar reason. It reminds me of this race-related sidelight.
West Texas' first open road race - the Big Bend Open Road race between Fort Stockton and Sanderson - was initially proposed to run on a Sunday. This prompted feedback from the Fort Stockton Ministerial Alliance. Led by First Pres's Jim Miles, they objected to still another Sunday morning event being set-up in competition with church (and closing the only road some ranch families had to get to church), and would race organizers give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to moving race day to Saturday?
Race organizers said, 'Yes' and the race is now in its sixth year, and still running on Saturdays. Some of Fort Stockton's pastors and church elders are among the volunteers that make the event a success each year. Then, on Sunday, they 'remember the Sabbath and keep the day holy.'
For me, it offers an interesting point of contrast between Fort Stockton and Midland, especially as the Tall City often presents itself and its religious values as an example for other communities to follow.
Posted by: Jeff McDonald at October 20, 2003 11:37 AM