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Re: Why not? (kinda long)

To: autox@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Why not? (kinda long)
From: MBStevens1@aol.com
Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 17:21:09 EST
Adam Popp wrote:

>         So those are the top 10 reasons shy autocrossing should be on
> television.  Only the big races like pro solos, national tours and the
> Solo II nationals would be televised because that's where all the big
> named autocrossers and sponsors, are all together, in one.  If I owned a
> television station, I defentely would have autocrossing on my station.
> So that's what I think and I would like to know what you fellow
> autocrossers think about it! If my message was a little long, I'm sorry,
> but next time it won't be.  I'm out!!!

I turned on the WB station the other morning and there was a "RealTV" show on.
For those who have never seen it, RealTV is a program where they show real
video clips of funny or amazing or scary things happening.  They've long since
used up the funniest, most amazing, and scariest things, so they've moved on
to content that is maybe less intense, but still interesting.  Anyway, on this
episode they had a segment about two girls and a guy who were supposedly
aspiring actors and they had enrolled in this amateur stunt-driving school in
Arizona.  The school was held over the course of a weekend on a large parking
lot (sound familiar?) and since it was a stunt-driving school, it included
action stuff like spin-outs, near misses, and the like.  But other than that
it looked an awful lot like autocross.

During an interview clip with one of the girls, she said, "This is so amazing!
No where else can you drive like this in a parking lot without getting in a
lot of trouble!"

That comment resonated in my head and I immediately thought about this thread!
That is the talk of someone obviously unenlighted about autox!  So if RealTV
will show a segment on that stunt driving school, maybe I should contact them
and point out the error of that statement -- I could tell them, "All across
the country, on almost any weekend, average people like you and me can drive
like that in parking lots without getting in any trouble!"  Maybe we can get
RealTV interested to do a segment on autocrossing.  It definitely has the
thrill value, it's a whole lot more "Real" than watching NASCAR or CART, and
it would have mass appeal simply because it's something that obviously too
many people don't know anything about!  (After all, how many bungie jump
scenes have they shown?!)

I think they usually want video tape submissions, but their coverage of the
stunt driving school was onsite, so it is not out of the question that they
might just want to do their own footage.  But, I know some of you out there
must have some great video from a ProSolo (or even the snow events), so if
that is what RealTV wants, I may be sending a solicitation to the list for
people to send in videos.

This might not end up with whole Solo II events being regularly broadcast on a
network or national station, but at least it could get us a couple of minutes
of airtime on a national show!  Who knows?

I'm heading off now to realtv1.com to see how I can submit my suggestions.
I'll let you all know if anything comes of it...

Yours in speed,
Mike Stevens
ES Altima SE

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