30/03/2025
First and foremost Thank You. Thank you to everyone who checked in on the boys, shared, liked and love hearted.
Yes there are 3 sides to every story. This is our side. It's long, but it has to be, to explain the whole story and that it is not a simple situation.
JULY 2024 we did not renew our membership at Bunbury.
NOVEMBER 2024 we were told by a committee member that there had been an item raised by another committee member at a meeting around that time, suggesting that Leaman nominations would not be taken for future race events. Also that Jake's achievements whilst a member of Bunbury, be somehow removed.
Hurtful, yes, but even more bewildering, because why? Why would the boys be singled out like that? Why in November 2024?
DECEMBER 7th the boys weren't racing at Bunbury, but Jake was signed in and helping pit crew. The impact this targeted attack took on his confidence and mental health had taken its toll, as it would on any 14 year old who had spent hours, days and weeks volunteering at that track over the past few years. Scott and Jake had had enough of hearing about this and took Jake's name plate off the Bunbury perpetual highest points trophy and called to ask for a committee member to meet them at the pit gate to accept the trophy back. No one met them at the pit gate, so they walked through the pits to the pit tower. Another phone call and still no one from the committee came to accept the trophy back. Eventually a committee member came to Scott, and Scott asked them if it was true that it had been raised at a meeting that the boys' nominations not be accepted, and the committee member confirmed it had been. This confirms that prior to December this particular committee member had raised blocking the boys' nominations, and attempting to scratch Jake's achievements.
'THE INCIDENT'
Having had it confirmed now by 2 committee members, Scott said he'd rather give the trophy back to the particular committee member who raised the agenda item originally, and spotting them in the pits, took the trophy directly to them. They were now in a driver's pit bay, standing in the back of a hauler, above Scott, who was standing on the ground. Scott wanted this weird vendetta by the committee member to be finished with, so he attempted to hand the trophy to them by extending the trophy out in his hands toward their hands. The committee member raised their hands and refused to accept the trophy. SCOTT PUT THE TROPHY ON THE HAULER'S RAMP. IT WAS WHOLE AND UNBROKEN. There are witnesses.
Yes, Scott's voice was raised and he swore. A person representing Bunbury Car Club had said they wanted his son's achievements erased, achievements hard won. They had said his sons shouldn't be allowed to race at a track they had spent countless hours working at. They had continued to push this agenda, and no one was willing to explain why? What exactly had we done?
Another committee member entered the heated exchange (which is by definition what it was) and said to put the complaint in writing and to f**k off. Scott started walking away, the committee member yelled something at Scott, and he turned around, for the other committee member to jump down and poke him hard in the chest several times. Scott raised his hands, palms out, and told the committee member f**k off and don't touch me. SCOTT DID NOT PUNCH ANYONE. Again, there are witnesses, and Speedway Sedans WA spoke to the witnesses at the time. Jake and Scott left the venue. For all of you repeating rumours like 'I heard he punched the chief steward, I heard he threw the trophy at them' don't you think he would have been immediately suspended and fined??
Yes Scott swore, yes he raised his voice, yes he entered someone else's pit bay. There was no fine, no suspension, nothing ever written to us by any governing body or club. Presumably because whilst Scott had absolutely raised his voice and sworn, the committee member had physically assaulted Scott. Scott spoke to Speedway Sedans WA in the following days, and their stance is that there is no issue, if it was to be raised there would possibly be a fine or suspension. Speedway Sedans WA's stance, as of last week, is STILL that there is no issue that they are interested in.
We are not proud of Scott's actions, there were other ways to handle it, we are not saying 'poor us', we are saying that taking it out on the kids 3 months later is extreme, and if it were your kids that someone especially brought up blocking from racing, how would you feel?
Yes, we agree, there must be more to it. It just doesn't sound right, blocking kids and erasing their achievements for no reason. But that's exactly our point - what could we have done that was so horrendous to warrant that? We'd love to know, honestly, so we can understand where this all started.
