Young Riders Fund on Facebook

I think everyone is making a mountain out of a mole hill here. Some will choose to help by joining the facebook group, which Garyb425 has indicated is to show sponsors a following.

Others may choose to throw a dollar or two their way if they are so inclined, this wasn't really a plea.

Everyone in racing is asking for a handout of some sort or another, unless you are independently wealthy. There's contingency you sign up for, (which is a two way win-win), parts and services or direct $$ sponsorship. This happens at all levels of racing. All work hard making it to the track. Most need some financial backing, whether you're sponsored by a business or visa-visa-mastercard.

Now people can ask folks to support them using paypal or some other form of donation. Social networking has changed the face of that interaction. Some ask for their race program, some ask after a devastating accident. Either way, it's another tool.

IMHO, if there's a special opportunity for a racer who's done the hard work asks for some help and I have the means and the inclination, I'll probably help a bit. If you need help from us for your race season, we have a sponsorship program in place.

For individuals, you need to ask yourself if you are willing to help these racers or not as each opportunity arises, just as you might buy Girl Scout Cookies or Scout popcorn from a co-worker. If the answer is that you'd rather put your money toward something else, that's cool. So far I haven't seen any arm twisting going on here, just simple requests.

I personally encourage all racers and businesses who are passionate about this sport to help either (or both!) the Red Flag Fund (assist injured riders), or The RRW Action Fund to provide airfence. A very small donation can make a big difference, and all contributions are very much appreciated. <------------------ yes, it's a shameless plug.

 

I agree Sean. With Jake's racing we have just done the best we can. Sure we have looked for corporate sponsors to help out. We have had individuals say let me help you with tires or fuel or whatever. We have accepted that help whenever it was available. But I don't think I have ever seen kids or their parents walking around the track asking for handouts that I know of. The only posts I have ever seen is when there has been an awesome opportunity to ride at Indy or over in Europe and they asked for help. I say if you don't want to give then ignore it and don't give. But to go on here and say kid racers contribute zero to the world is just stupid.

 

Once again, all that I asked was to join the group, and then only if you want to do so. No one asked for a penny, and the kids asked for nothing - I asked, and aside from having spoken to some of the people who are involved I have no connection whatsoever to the kids or the fund.

If you ask me to join a page which costs me NOTHING to support pretty much ANY roadracing cause (with, at this juncture, the possible exception of 'he who must not be named') you will have my immediate support. Again, these kids did NOT ask for money - the fund was set up by people who WANTED to do this, not by the kids or their parents.

To reiterate for the slow, no one is asking you for a penny.

 

Yeah, but I think I would have felt a little guilty even as a kid knowing that my parents had to belittle themselves to ask for funds for my hobby.

Maybe that's just the respect I have for my parents?

I completely understand that if I don't want to contribute, then don't. It's just getting old in a recession seeing my inbox, forums and facebook requests asking for funds every day for someone's hobby. And yes, I call it a hobby because obviously they are not making enough funds by doing it to support it hence asking for donations?

 

This is what I was trying to say. "Panhandling" was a term that popped into my mind but might not have been the best choice.

 

At all levels of sports and school activities this is occurring, the difference is that it's generally for (and endorsed by, might I add) school or private groups. I mentioned the scouting organizations, but also figure skating and ice hockey clubs; football, basketball, gymnastics and baseball; music, dance and theater programs, both in and out of school. During the summer I go in and out of stores with people asking for donations for Veterans groups, more scouting groups, the Salvation army. It's a generally accepted part of our culture. Kids want to take trips through school or church so they ask family and friends to help and now there are online donation sites.

This is probably going to become more prevalent. If each of us makes a policy on how they would like to support various requests within the sport, then it should not pose a big problem.

 

Maybe you would or maybe you wouldn't have. I don't know you. What I do know is that I have never felt belittled for seeking sponsorship, I can't speak for the other parents but I doubt they feel that way either. Every sport has sponsors, young girls that belong to Girl Scouts ask you to buy cookies as a donation to help their cause, kids at school have fundraisers, little leagues have fundraisers to help pay for uniforms and end of the year banquets. I guess none of them should partipate in any of those things if their parents cant pay? I think its best just to agree to disagree on this subject. You don't really get it.

 

No, I really don't get it. All these other org's you speak of have a good or service to offer me for donations - Buy popcorn and $2.00 goes to our cause.

If I give you $2.00 are you going to put my name on your bike - probably not. If I give you a thousand, probably so. That's fine if you are asking for that as a sponsorship. I'm not saying "you" personally did this but, asking "hey I don't have funds to go to the track I'll set up a donation page" is a bit messed up IMO and that's what I have been seeing alot lately!

 

If my parents had to kiss ass and beg for it, no I wouldn't.

Maybe it's an Italian upbringing, I don't know.

 

Little Ben handed me my ass on any number of occasions and the only thing Mary ever asked of me was to GTF outta his way.

 

Well I guess you don't understand the word "marketing" then do you? I don't ask for sponsorship funds from people that won't get anything in return. If you have service or product that would be used in the race community or it is something people would be interested in, then I might approach you, because whether its $2.00 or $2,000 I would respect you enough to put your logo on my son's bike. If I needed that last $2.00 and that's what you gave I can assure you that my son would be just as thankful to you as he would had it been $2,000. Maybe you should try sitting down and speaking to some of the parents who have children who are trying to make this a career and see what they have sacrificed and given up to get as far as they have. Most families don't take real vacations with kids who race because the track is their vacation. Maybe thats wrong in your eyes. We aren't asking you to agree with our choice. I suggest you just delete any requests you get for money and skip over any post on the sites that are about helping a young rider out.

 

I can assure you I have never kissed anyone's ass as you put it and I sure never begged for it.

It could be that your not a parent and until you are, you don't know what your limitations would be.

 

Racing is great and teaches kids a lot about determination and setting and achieving goals. But, there comes a point when the parent should accept the reality of this sport before they go bankrupt. Even the factory boys have to stop racing at some point. I hope they have a back up plan for when that time comes. Lets face it, this isn't NFL or MLB, very few retire with millions, or even thousands for that matter. Kids should follow their dreams, but parents shouldn't allow their kids dream of being a 'pro racer' to hender them from having a stable career and a good life outside of racing. I was always asked, "Daniel, what are you going to do when you're done racing?" I would always say, "Well.... I'm not sure, I don't have time to think about that, I'm focusing on racing." That was stupid of me.

 

does your minivan have a motorcycle wheel sticker where the soccer ball normally goes?

 

Well put...

 

Does your head have an empty space where your brain normally goes?

 

I guess you're not on the interwebs enough. Hell, I'm not and I still get the requests and updates all the time?