Phony Protests?

[Floppy Hat]

Anyone have any thoughts on the story that emerged this weekend about Ranch and the protests? Apparently Ranch told Tracy Jordan that Team All-Pro (Tiny) had filed a formal protest against Tracy during the Cedar City event for not properly using a restraint. Apparently, Tracy filed a protest against Team All-Pro this weekend because they used too short of a strap. In the end it came out that Ranch was lying about the original protest by Team All-Pro and no protest was ever filed against Tracy. Seems like a few people were pretty upset with Ranch.

Here is what I read about it at Off-Road.com:

Don, "The Maverick," Robbins met with ORC's Desertbull to explain how the circumstances unfolded. In the last Goodyear/Skyjacker Extreme Event held in Cedar City, Utah, Tracy Jordan and Don Robbins were told by Ranch Pratt that they were protested by Team All Pro Racing over a seatbelt violation.

RCAA Promoter-Ranch Pratt told Tracy Jordan and Don Robbins that Team All Pro had filed a formal protest against Tracy Jordan for his failure to use a safety restraint. And both Tracy Jordan and Don Robbins have carried that piece of information around since the Cedar City, Utah Goodyear/Skyjacker event.

Hence, Don Robbins earlier quote to Off-Road.com, "We've been planning this since two events ago, when Jon Nelson protested us in a seatbelt violation."

While at today's championship event, RCAA Officials were attempting to sort out the drama of a protest that was filed against Team All Pro Spotter, Larry McRae for short roping his spotter rope. This protest was filed to RCAA Officials by Tracy Jordan. Near the conclusion of the protest discussions, Tracy Jordan and Jon Nelson met to discuss these ongoing disagreements. Ranch Pratt met with both Jon Nelson and Tracy Jordan to discuss this protest, however they also discussed the previous protest at the Cedar City event.

That conversation between Jon Nelson and Ranch Pratt in front of Tracy Jordan, revealed that Team All Pro had never filed a protest against Tracy Jordan at the Cedar City event. Ranch Pratt admitted to Tracy Jordan that neither Jon Nelson or anyone else from Team All Pro had protested anything about Tracy Jordan or Don Robbins.

At the awards ceremony when Tracy Jordan and Don Robbins were called to the podium for their second place series win, however Tracy Jordan was not present.

Don Robbins eloquently described how both he and Tracy Jordan had been lied to by Ranch Pratt, at which time Don Robbins apologized to Team All Pro in front of the entire awards crowd. Look for Don and Tracy to be a top contender in next year's season.

 

[Nixter]

I read that same story over the weekend and wondered the same. Wonder how it all went down at ceremony?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Real Worls meets Boy Meets World meets Days Of Our Lives.... DRAMA....

I'm sure there is four sides to this story.....

 

[sukaB]

POO
POO
POO
You go to the doggy park and sooner or later you get POO on your shoe...

Dude looking for POO-

 

[Hickey]

POO
POO
POO
You go to the doggy park and sooner or later you get POO on your shoe...

Dude looking for POO-

BWaHAHAHAHAHAAA!!

 

[Ryan]

OUCH

This is NOT good for the Ranch Pratt camp, which is now the Patey camp, which is now the UROC camp, which is now the future of competitive rockcrawling.

I hope Ranch knows how many competitors/spectators/sponsors/media/etc. are out there right now saying "Well, let's give it a chance and see how it turns out.". Especially people who have had less than favorable experiences with him in the past.

Then this.

Sad day

 

[Floppy Hat]

I really want to know why? Does Ranch have a vendetta against Tracy? Was he hoping to create controversy/publicity? I don't understand why he would do this.

 

[Greg]

Thats very strange news.

I'm sure everyone is wondering what prompted Ranch to fib about a protest. Whatever his thinking was, I doubt the rest of the competition crowd is intrested in hearing his side. It's just one more reason for more people not to like him....

 

[Nixter]

I wonder if it was something said maybe at the heat of the moment or something. While I am not pro or anti (Ranch) it does seem like a weird thing to say, and could produce a 'Black-Eye' for this sport if similar things happened.

 

[brian]

.......I know the seatbelt in CC thing happened........doesn't matter who complained...right?????.......rules are rules?????.....

 

[Floppy Hat]

.......I know the seatbelt in CC thing happened........doesn't matter who complained...right?????.......rules are rules?????.....

I'm sure the seat belt thing did happen, and I imagine Team All-Pro failed to let out enough line from that dog leash thing. Both teams should have been penalized, but why would a promoter need to make up a story about a particular competitor protesting the actions of another?

 

[Floppy Hat]

Here is another viewpoint on this issue, as posted by Tracy on the PBB (I'm sure you guys can go over there to read it, but I think this thread needs his input):

To the spectator that doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground:

You would have the right to talk if you knew the whole story. Its pretty easy to make assumptions when you do not know the whole truth. First off there was only ONE protest against all-pro which i am ashamed to say i did. It wasn't to try to gain a win, it was aimed at a payback that has had me steaming since cedar about a protest they had against me for a non-driving call, that took me out of 1st for the series. If you want to talk sportsmanship than lets go, the whole reason this started was about this subject. The day i got to cedar for round 3 a guy i don't really know calls me and says he's broke down in vegas a 400 mile round trip. I went and picked him up and didn't make tech in, so somebody else took my truck through tech. Since there is so many series i didn't have my 4 point harness in and it passed through tech. Had i been there i would have known to put them in. Not knowing tell day 2 that Ranch had let 2 other drivers run without them on a warning that they had to have them at the next event. Well on my last course of the day a judge stops the clock and says put your harness on to only find out they weren't even in the truck. So he tells me to put them in so i did and that was the call. Ranch comes up a couple hours later and says theres been a protest on you from team all-pro which docked me huge points taking me out of series standings. No warning like the other drivers but a penalty, WHEN TO REALLY FIND OUT TEAM ALL-PRO NEVER DID A PROTEST.

After day 2 in farmington i approached team all-pro told them the only reason i had a protest in on them is for retaliation, Jon had said that would be fine but we didn't protest you and asked me who told me that. I told him Ranch and he said he had lied, so i didn't know who to believe. Ranch happened to walk up at that time and Jon Nelson asked him if this story was true and Ranch said yes, so Jon Nelson made ranch look him in the eyes and tell him and ranch then back pedaled and siad they had not. THERE WAS NEVER A PROTEST. And ranch then only apalogized to team all-pro and not me. He made me look like a fool in front off alot of people i look up to. I want to win inside the cones and love the FRIENDLY rivalry i have with all-pro.

I was lied to by somebody we need to trust in this sport. You tell me where the right place was. I left because i didn't want to see ranch again and was ashamed of my actions. You will not have to worry about my poor sportsmanship in the future, the buggy and the trailer are for sale!

To all my sponsors i sincerely apologize for my actions and i thank you all for the help you have given me...To all the friends i have made over the years i hope you know me better than "the" spectator..

Tracy Jordan

 

[Hickey]

Here is another viewpoint on this issue, as posted by Tracy on the PBB (I'm sure you guys can go over there to read it, but I think this thread needs his input):

ouch. Poor Tracy. I hope he isn't serious about quiting.

 

[Greg]

Wow....

That sucks, seriously... Who would have thought! I hope Tracy changes his mind, he's one of the best there is.

Ranch....

 

[sukaB]

Anyone around here have standards anymore...
Why you think I quit running ARCA rcaa after the first year...
People keep giving him money and he buys nice things and then stabs people in the back...
POO
Get rid of POO campaign started today...We shall travel and hurl POO on people till the get the message:

Stop kissing POO

 

[Floppy Hat]

Apparently Off-Road.com has pulled the section of their RCAA coverage with the details regarding the protests. I don't know why, but it isn't there anymore.

 

[goin4xn]

This is rediculous (I don't care if I spelled that wrong).

There is no way this would have happened in UROC.

*IF* his rig passed the Tech inspection as Tracy said it did then that's RCAA's mistake *NOT* Tracy's mistake.

Anyone can make a mistake when teching in a vehicle. That's why UROC has different satges with different inspectors looking at different things. That way nobody get's overwhelmed with a whole vehicle and the likelyhood that we let something slip is diminished. That being said things can still slip through. Tech inspectors are still human after all. *SO* if it's a mistake that we've (UROC) made by passing them on Tech then it's our fault and the competitor cannot be punished by our mistake.

UROC has setup the rules so that a team can protest their own score but not another teams score. If there is an equipment violation (or a suspected equipment violation) then competitors must lodge a written protest (I don't have the rules in front of me, this is by memory so I might not be 100% correct). If this is the case then a group of three UROC marshalls will re-do a tech inspection to verify if there is an equipment issue using the original tech inspection form. If it shows that the form was covered and signed off then it was a mistake we made. The competitor will have to correct his vehicle before attempting the next obstacle. There will be no penalties issued for a mistake made on UROC's part.

However, if there is a written protest that proves to be groundless under the follow-up inspection then the protesting team get's a point penalty. This is the keep things fair and to prevent this sort of thing from happening.

Finally - everything in UROC is handled with the utmost professionalism. That's why many of the competitors are here. They've been to the other events and are happy with the way UROC does things. There are not lies and there is no deciete.

I like Tracy and I hope that he will be back competing for next year.

 

[spencurai]

This is rediculous (I don't care if I spelled that wrong).

There is no way this would have happened in UROC.

*IF* his rig passed the Tech inspection as Tracy said it did then that's RCAA's mistake *NOT* Tracy's mistake.

Anyone can make a mistake when teching in a vehicle. That's why UROC has different satges with different inspectors looking at different things. That way nobody get's overwhelmed with a whole vehicle and the likelyhood that we let something slip is diminished. That being said things can still slip through. Tech inspectors are still human after all. *SO* if it's a mistake that we've (UROC) made by passing them on Tech then it's our fault and the competitor cannot be punished by our mistake.

UROC has setup the rules so that a team can protest their own score but not another teams score. If there is an equipment violation (or a suspected equipment violation) then competitors must lodge a written protest (I don't have the rules in front of me, this is by memory so I might not be 100% correct). If this is the case then a group of three UROC marshalls will re-do a tech inspection to verify if there is an equipment issue using the original tech inspection form. If it shows that the form was covered and signed off then it was a mistake we made. The competitor will have to correct his vehicle before attempting the next obstacle. There will be no penalties issued for a mistake made on UROC's part.

However, if there is a written protest that proves to be groundless under the follow-up inspection then the protesting team get's a point penalty. This is the keep things fair and to prevent this sort of thing from happening.

Finally - everything in UROC is handled with the utmost professionalism. That's why many of the competitors are here. They've been to the other events and are happy with the way UROC does things. There are not lies and there is no deciete.

I like Tracy and I hope that he will be back competing for next year.

ummm....Ranch IS UROC now. That is why this is such a big deal to those of us on the board...we lost one of the best things to ever happen in rock-racing and picked a floating turd....for your sake, I hope you use whatever sway you have in the organization to keep your department in UROC minimally affected by this raging idiot.

 

[goin4xn]

ummm....Ranch IS UROC now. That is why this is such a big deal to those of us on the board...we lost one of the best things to ever happen in rock-racing and picked a floating turd....for your sake, I hope you use whatever sway you have in the organization to keep your department in UROC minimally affected by this raging idiot.

No - Ranch is *NOT* UROC now. What role he is to fill in the orginization is still up in the air. This kind of statment is emotionally charged and is not a fact. It may be your perception but you (and I) do not know what position Ranch will hold within UROC.

 

[RockMonkey]

*sigh* Remember when UROC was FUN???