[Kim 100AW]

I received this from an ABC reporter who had contacted me on the subject. I have no idea what the piece will look like. Could be we all missed a factory ride!

"Hi Kim:

Just want to let you know that our Rally Racer story is scheduled for this Friday ... probably in the 7:30AM (EDT) half hour of Good Morning America.

--Allen

Allen Levine
Consumer/Investigative Producer
Good Morning America
147 Columbus Ave.
5th Floor
New York, NY 10023
212-456-5955

[email protected]"




Kim DeMotte
Official Old Fart, etc.

 

[Jim]

The story is going to be about the scam.

Edit: I hope!

 

[robin]

Check the classifieds of your most recent Grassroots Motorsports mag - the production company is looking to hire a "rally show" producer (something to that effect - it's not in front of me now - I mean I'm at work - I don't waste time with that sh*t at work...)

Robin

 

[Audi UrQ]

I believe the position title was "technical consultant" ......

 

[zipperboy]

This is the scam that never ends,
yes, it goes on and on, my friend........

 

[bluedot]

I just saw the piece on Good Morning America... good short bit of information on Mr. Scammer. I think the bottom line was that perhaps he didn't do anything technically "illegal" although they did say that the attorney general in FL is investigating, but he did act dubiously... and deceived people out of money for a chance to something that was vapor-ware. They also showed producers from other reality shows commenting on how legitimate shows would NEVER charge for casting... I know we all knew that, but he still got the better part of my $10... at least it wasn't $25 which seems to have been the highest he charged for it.

All in all... we got REAL SCCA PRO RALLY footage on a network station, nationally, and in a program seen by millions. No such thing as bad publicity!! So the sport wins!

Pablo.

 

[Don Kennedy]

Thanks for the update for those already at work at 7 AM :'(

 

[akuhner]

Thanks for the update for those of us still hung over at 7am.. }>

 

[grinner323]

anyone copy it that can rip it into a video file and post it on the net? That would be interesting to see.

Philip J. Boer
grinner323(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

 

[Norcalrallyist]

West coast is on right now!

 

[Morgan]

Congratulations to Isaac Taylor (VWRX) on his "15 minutes" of fame

 

[Jim]

I watched it too. The footage showed Tim O'Neil and *I think* Mark Lovell. Isaac Taylor was there too. I think rally got a nice free bit of exposure and the scam artist got a hot foot and should now be sweating nervously.

They said that he started a new reality show scam involving being a radio dj or something like that. After they asked him questions about it, the radio dj website disappeared.

 

[VWRX]

I haven't seen the piece yet -- how did it come together?

The GMA folks were good people, and doing this for the right reasons.

I expect the segment will be chopped down into sound-bites and sensationalism, but I can (now) say that they interview me and three other Rally Racer applicants (read: suckers) for *three* hours, and they went to great lengths to get the whole story. Hopefully they told it well. I went out of my way to make sure they understood the difference between rally, the sport, and Rally Racer, the ponzi scheme. Was initially concerned they'd paint us all with the same brush, and Peoria would get the wrong idea about this thing -- this wonderful, improbable thing -- about which we all care so much. Anyway: that's what it's all about, right? This thing we love so much? I felt like this Eric Canonico Rally-Racer TM guy was pissing on my mother's Thanksgiving dinner, right there in front of God, and my girlfriend and everybody... and you know... that's just not cricket.

Best - Isaac

p.s. Here's the ABCNEWS.com version of the Good Morning America piece:

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/Entertainment/GMA031003_realityTV_hunter-1.html

If anyone is an official subscriber to that video service, they can probably grab a copy of the segment. I'd love to see it -- still haven't yet.

 

[bluedot]

Isaac that link is basically word for word what the report said this morning on TV. They did make sure to mention that Rally Racer is not real racing and is not affiliated to real racing organizations. In fact as they showed the SCCA Pro Rally bits, they mentioned how Rally Racer was trying to emulate "this form of real racing".

I thought the piece was very well put together. It showed our sport in a good way, and showed Mr Scammer (Canonico) as an opportunist. The interview bits were about 60 seconds total (if that much), but I am sure they needed to have all the info they could. I corresponded with Allen Levine as well for this report, sent him all my impressions and info... and he mentioned how getting detailed accounts from as many people as possible helps them corroborate the probability of the statements being made. If everyone feels like there was something fishy... then there is a good chance there was... and if that number is dozens and not a handful, well your odds are too good to say that it was just coincidence from a few unhappy hard to please people.

I hope the FL investigation leads to something... if nothing else, for preventing this guy or anyone else from doing it again... whether it is to Rally fans, DJ hopefuls, etc...

Pablo.

 

[GoetzingerMotorsports]

Maybe it would be a good idea to send along a nice big THANK YOU to those involved for both looking into this scam (another sucker here) and for not painting REAL rally with the same brush? I know my thanks are on the way!

 

[VWRX]

Well, Allen Levine is the person you (and any and all) would want to thank, for taking the time to do things right. He's good people.

And Morgan dear (ahem), this is surely not my 15 minutes of fame. ;-) I can only say: you'll know it when you see it.

-Isaac

 

[Morgan]

>
>And Morgan dear (ahem), this is surely not my 15 minutes of
>fame. ;-) I can only say: you'll know it when you see it.
>
>-Isaac


I have no doubt I will

 

[Kim 100AW]

Latest Update from Rally Racer Scam

Hi Kim:

Thought you might like to know that since we started asking questions, the Florida Attorney General's office has opened an investigation of Rally Racer. If you have reason to lodge an official complaint, the thing to do is to send a letter to the following address:

Office of the Attorney General
Economic Crimes Unit
3507 Frontage road
Suite 325
Tampa, FL 33607

ATTN. Rally Racer Investigation

To be clear: This is just an investigation now. There has been no official allegation of any wrongdoing.

--Allen

Allen Levine
Consumer/Investigative Producer
Good Morning America
ABC
147 Columbus Ave.
5th Floor
New York, NY 10023
212-456-5955

[email protected]



Kim DeMotte
Official Old Fart, etc.

 

[GMA]

OK...I see there's no point in my posting either the story link or the latest information since you beat me to it.

So just thanks again to everyone who took the time to provide information. Feel free to get in touch anytime.

And by the way...I know I don't have to state the obvious...but I will. I work in morning network television. We have to attract a mass audience. And that means millions of people who never heard of rally racing (and many of them - who perish the thought - could care less about it). So please understand why the racing elements have to be kept at a relatively simplistic level.

Additionally, there are always more issues than TV people are able to get into their stories (as Isaac can attest). Some of them are contained in the online version of the story that is linked above.

Finally, the local ABC sttation in Tampa also did a lengthy piece on Rally Racer on their 11PM news last Friday. Here is a link:


http://www.tampabaylive.com/stories/2003/10/031006reality.shtml

As they used to say at Exxon (although it may have been Esso back then),

"Happy Motoring."

--Allen

Allen Levine
consumer/investigative producer
Good Morning America
ABC
147 Columbus Ave.
5th Floor
New York, NY 10023
212-456-5955
[email protected]

 

[Guest]

It appears those who saw your story are happy about it.
I don't get up that early, so didn't have a chance to see it.

Commercial television gives me the heebee jeebees (remember
the NBC Dateline report where they were caught adding incendiary
devices to pickup truck fuel tanks, and other such TV production
abuses), but apparently you were honest in your dealings with
the rally community.

I feel better now.