12/02/2018
We knew our announcement that the Crawl was moving would get some pushback, but because we've seen so many misconceptions, questions, total falsehoods, conspiracy theories, and generally off the wall stuff, I feel it's best I go into detail here from a variety of angles. This applies to what we've seen as a whole, and not any individual of course, but as a promoter, it can only be viewed as a whole. Also do us a huge favor and share this. We can't possible reach every group that this resonates with...
First, why are we moving? We had a great thing for sure, but it was becoming a victim of it's own success despite our best efforts.
Probably the biggest factor is rider safety. Taking a group of 800 riders, of drastically varying skill levels through some extremely technical routes became extremely dangerous. This is fact. Maybe it didn't impact you personally, but it happened non stop. It's a matter of protecting people from themselves to some degree.
Probably second on this list is the stress on the community. We have FANTASTIC working relationships with the mayor, police chief, and dept. of tourism. They for sure would "tolerate" us coming back, as they know us personally, and what our intent as promoters are. This doesn't get around the fact that it's a visceral stress on the community though. Being local, we fully understand the tone of Townsend and respect it. It takes 2% of a group to make everyone look bad, and there's too many examples to list. Again, it may not have impacted you personally, but it happened nonstop.
There's a long list of other reasons, but why all the way to Alabama? It's just a simple reality that Barber Motorsports Park is THE premier motorcycle venue on the planet. So many posts infer it's just a track day. They do have one of the best tracks in the world, but the event is FAR from a race event. The fact it's an option on site is an asset, not a focus. There will be involvement for every interest attending. There will be an entire community vibe of onsite camping with all night food trucks, moto movies, and activities. I've seen posts saying full gear required. This event is tailored for this crowd, and will be accessible to all without a list of requirements. I've seen "it cost $1000 to go to Barber". They've slashed pricing on everything to make this doable for anyone on the cheap. I've seen "I don't care about a museum". That one’s actually kinda funny to those who've been. It's over 1600 bikes, and the world's largest Lotus collection among other things. Know what's cool about having that on site (lots of things really, but...)? As a promoter, if you traveled 18 hours to go to the event and it rains one day, there sits 12 hours of world class entertainment. They host Indy racing, and probably the country's largest moto event, Vintage Festival. They simply know how to do it right.
On the business side..... What's the goal of MNNTHBX? For the last four years, we've invested 1200 hours (that's a real number) annually to build the greatest event in the country, and never once designed it as a revenue generator. This was our most lucrative year, and we pocketed $400. The goal as passionate enthusiasts was to further the mini scene, and put smilies on faces, which we accomplished. Seeing it all come together was wildly fulfilling. Those who know our team personally know that’s it. There is no other motive or angle.
This leads my to my Dr Phil moment.... We never asked for anything in return. What is a real heartbreaker is the level of toxic hate towards us for moving. How many people went ballistic on the internet? A lot. How many people called to have a rational conversation or ask questions? Two. That's sad. This was an eye opener to me. I don't understand why many feel they have to hate something to support something else. Trust me when I say, we take lots of pride in our Great Smoky Mountains, and the desire we've help build to come here. We understand the allure more than anyone. The fact is, this has become a competition, which is ridiculous. Four years ago, we asked people to trust us and come to Townsend. We had great support, and something amazing was built. It's much the same today, asking for a little belief, that just maybe, we know what we're doing. The primary point is this, and I speak on behalf of the entire MNNTHBX team, we hope you go wherever makes you happy, and you can enjoy motorcycles and friends. I can totally understand why that may be the Smoky Mountains, but I don't understand the desire to see our next step fail (it won't).
Case in point, I reached out to the organizer of the new Smokies ride group today, with a very positive, supportive post. He admittedly doesn't know where to start, and nobody knows better then we do. Thought it would be a good gesture to offer some support, to ultimately make riders happy regardless of where they are. I was shocked to see the post was reviewed and denied, I assume because we're now the enemy. That's absurd.
Do me a few favors... Go on a trip that makes you happy, and support the ones that aren't at your event. We're all motorcyclists, and share a lot of the same passion. Step back from the keyboard a minute and think of some real world dialog. Consider the rationale that may not be your own. Ride. If you have questions, contact us directly and not on social media.
If you end up in Townsend, we hope you enjoy our area, and have the time of your life. Know we understand the appeal, and you have our support. If you end up with us at Barber, know the whole industry is putting in the work, and prepare to be amazed. If you end up somewhere else, enjoy that too. Ride.
