Hi All,
WOW! You can imagine my surprise when I looked at this thread. Guess some of you may want to hear what I have to say- if not, tune out now.
First let me note that in all of the time (4 ½ years) I served as SEDiv CR Steward, I think maybe I missed two Steward?s meetings/conference calls. I also covered for the NEDiv Steward during a transition period and returned rally to the SE primarily at my and John?s own personal expense. Helped any one who asked for help with their rallies- even answering those middle of the night ?what should we do? calls. In other words I have always been available to help grow and support our sport- in SEDiv, nationally and internationally. As a competitor, I came up through the divisional ranks, ran the national series 3 ½ years then helped with other rallies, and have helped many others get started in rally. Hopefully, those of you who know me, think of me as a friend to the sport of rally.
SCCA has evidently replaced me as your SEDiv CR Steward; however, I have yet to be informed of this by phone, e-mail, fax, or anything else. How did I find out? One day several folks either called me or forwarded e-mails to me from Mike Strawbridge who was announcing that he was SEDiv CR Steward and he wanted their support! This shortly following a face to face with Mike and Bill Perry regarding rumors that they were trying to have me replaced as SEDiv Steward which they denied.
My response to this is: Got Balls Anyone? (Trevor and others I ran the national championship with in 1998 or 99 will appreciate this).
How I think this all started.
Silly me, I had to have major surgery to remove an 8 inch tumor in my abdomen and 18 inch section of bowel last August. Of course once the diagnosis was made in late June, I was a basket case. After the surgery I was really too weak to do much for almost 4 months but I did manage to make it to Wild West to help although I was not much help. This was when I missed my first SEDiv meeting in 3 years in January 2003.
Prior to this Jan meeting, I had a problem with the SEDiv Administrator, Phil Mellor. The Stewards were asked by the CR Manager to appoint/recruit interested RallyCross Stewards, Spectator Safety Stewards, etc. I did what I was told, submitted the names to the CR Manager, copied the correspondence to Mr. Mellor and was subsequently blasted because these folks were not approved by the SEDiv REs etc. This was when Jim Kloosterman was taking over for CR Manager and I turned the matter over to him for review.
The Jan. meeting was held at Jekyl Island, a 12-hour drive for me from Knoxville, TN. An ice storm hit the city on that Friday causing power outages and many other problems because it hit suddenly in late afternoon. I had just evacuated my school and was in the attic with the plumber trying to keep a pipe from bursting when another school close by called and announced that their remaining students were evacuating to my school! I got home at 1am and was definitely not up to the drive to the SEDiv meeting. I faxed my report that had already been e-mailed to Phil Mellor at the Holiday Inn. Seems this report went ?missing? but am only guessing from inferences. This is when I received the first poison letter from Mr. Mellor. Seems the SEDiv boys had formed a plan to throw me out of the club.
Things got worse in SEDiv with the suspension of CR. I was now trying to keep everything glued together. When I did not go to the July SEDiv meeting for which I had no notice or correspondence regarding other that my request for location/time to Mr. Mellor 3 day?s prior, they decided to make Mike Strawbridge CR Steward. I received another poison pen letter from Mr. Mellor stating that he was going to ask for my removal. That was the last of the correspondence. I have received no word since from anyone on an official letterhead stating the specific reasons I was replaced.
This is the second time SEDiv has killed our rally program by turning it over to the road race guys.
SEDIV of SCCA and SCCA have created an enemy where they once had a friend.
I have since accepted a partnership with NASA Rally Sport to administrate the Eastern US program. I am committed to making rally fun again. I am committed to the development of rally from the grass roots up to the international level.
I officially invite you to join NASA, get your NASA rally license, help develop rallies, and help officiate at NASA rallies. Let?s have fun again and go rally racing!
Yours In Rally Sport,
Kendall Russell