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24 Hours of Moab is this weekend.
Rumor has it, that’s it is the last race of promoter Laird Knight that is making any money. All the other races are way down. On many levels, Laird typifies race promotion, swindling of employees would be first on that list. Hiring sales staff, when they pursue and close or nearly close a major sponsor deal, discreetly dumping them, and taking their promised commission.
Making racers pay premiums, leading them on about prizes, and then the old bait and switch. Gunnar Shogren, former Beast of the East, Olde Tymey Racing Legend, has a historical (2006) website documenting his rip off, at the hands of Laird, the key passage:
We not only won the Vet Expert Class, we won the entire event.
No one, no team, no Pros, no ex-Pros, no youngins beat us!We got nothing in return, except a $4.32 apron.
Not the medals we were promised, not any of the many prizes that some “random teams” actually got two or three of.
We did get some “Crocodile Tears” from the promoter…
It’s going to be interesting to hear if any shenanigans go on at this years 24 Hours of Moab. If it does, post up. There will be no more hiding for Captain Conman Laird. The world is from now on going to know if his events are cheating the clients who’ve made him.
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I feel about the same for 24 HOA. I haven’t done a Granny Gear event since 24 Hours of Canaan… 93 or so? but 24 HOA was a rip. And, why the fuck do I pay to race and then have to con one of my bros to volunteer? wtf? check out 24 hours of Cool, (the Coolest 24) run by Jim Northey. Ripping tough course, low entry fee, 3 free meals!! free beer (good stuff too) and to top it off.
He gave 44,000 to Cancer research at UC Davis after the race.
That’s the kinda place you want to throw your hard earned coin at. None of this crap pseudo World Championships stuff. I’m sick of people trying to take from this sport when it so desperately needs people who want to give.
Don’t get me started on pro roadies, sure they take, they take a fucking needle, but that’s been covered this summer…
Crocodile tears can cure cancer.
Bit of a whiney post with no hard facts to back it up….
I smell weed in that link.
yeah, was there the same year Gunner writes about, total bullshit the way it was handled. No race prizes for the ‘amateurs’. All prizes, other than cash for the solos and duos, were handled via a shwag toss/raffle. Not based on the actual results from the race. AND in order to be elegible for the raffle, you had to hand in your ultra-valuble timing card by such and such o’clock. A handful of teams rec’d multiple call ups during the raffle, some teams that stood on the podium got nothing, nothing, for their efforts.
Total fucking bullshit! It’s a RACE, the winners should be rewarded. This isn’t fucking little league where ‘everybody goes home a winner.’
Laird’s an ass.
We (Dirt Church) were there at Big Bear and got the same fucking ugly ass apron for 3rd place (single/rigid). Granted, we’re not in the same league as Gunnar but disappointing none the less.
Fast forward to last weekends 24 hours of Moab, and we travel 2,000 miles from Columbus, Ohio to Moab with 2 injured riders to take first place in the single/rigid point series. Wanting nothing more than a little props from our peers but get totally dissed at the award ceremony without even a shout out.
Even worse Team Mini Mammoth (Duo Pro)/Velo Bellas & Mammoth Fellas (Coed Pro/Am) won the points series in both categories and were dissed as well.
Look it up doubters