GWC: Putting some final thoughts to rest

It's time to finally say "goodbye," or, at the very least, "see you later."

Three years ago, Green-White-Checker started out as a little blog that covered a few tracks in central Maine, with some PASS North Series racing thrown in for good measure. By the time the 2009 season ended in northern New England, GWC had provided extensive coverage of racing on Maine's short tracks, as well as PASS and ACT Late Model Tour events and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing at New Hampshire, Dover and Daytona International Speedway.

To put it mildly, GWC grew up fast. Almost too fast, in fact.

It's been increasingly hard to put these thoughts into words, but here it goes, anyway: Green-White-Checker is closing its doors.

I can't even begin to name all of the friends I've made in this business, friends that are now scattered across the country. I won't name all of you -- because, like any good victory lane interview, I'm bound to forget a few too many important names.

Those of you who know me best might find it awkward to see these thoughts finally written out on a computer or BlackBerry screen -- after all, I've been talking about putting an end to the site almost since before the 2009 season began. Others of you might have had no inclination that this was going to happen at all.

As I start looking back, sometimes I can't even believe how much I did in a few years -- the stories I broke, the sheer number of races I covered, the opinions I've held and publicly shared.

But where GWC really took its heaviest toll on me was not in what I covered, but in what I didn't cover. I spent as many hours beating myself up over all the stuff I was unable to get to or put on the site in a timely fashion as I did actually doing the work that I did.

Only a handful of you will ever really understand that statement, and that's exactly the way it should be. Good journalists never tell you how much they do which you don't even realize. They just do it because they have the passion for it.

My passion for being a good journalist has not disappeared -- but I found myself more and more, as my children grow old enough to know the difference, unable to supress the same passion for spending time with my family.

Really, the decision to stop with GWC was a fairly easy one to make. Over the last three years, GWC -- while rewarding -- has taken its toll on this author's life. With very little financial backing (my own fault, nobody else's....), GWC took an incredible amount of time and money away from my ridiculously supportive family. With very few prospects for the coming season, as well as a new career move which I made to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the time had come to make this inevitable decision.

It's simply not fair to spend every spare dime of my family's earnings so that Dad can be gone for three, four, five days at a time.

I still believe that the worldwide web has a place for regionalized stock car racing coverage, and I've not closed that door entirely. I only know that GWC can no longer be a solo project which I work tirelessly on for little reward beyond a job well done.

I hope that in some small way I've given people plenty of reason to think, to open discussions and to find a landing spot for all their varied interests in New England's racing scene. It's a colorful and vibrant landscape, one that has been a real treat to document.

Thanks to all of you. We'll see you at the track sometime soon.

TB

Comments

[Kevin F]

Wow TB,

Going to miss your insight, scoops and opinions. Thanks for the last 3 years and explaining why you are closing up shop. Good luck with the new job. Hope to see you at the track next year.

Kevin

[Twisty]

Travis,

We didn't always see eye to eye on a few things, but we probably did see eye to eye on a lot more than anyone will ever realize. You gave it a great ride and I'll really miss reading your stuff. Hopefully, for the sake of Maine racing, your retirement won't be a long or total one.

Good work with everything.

- Mike

[Justin]

We love ya, Trav. Good luck.

-Juice

[Rick Shepard]

Man, I am gonna miss GWC and your "insights" and personal thoughts into the New England racing scene. Hope to see you at a track somewhere soon!

[twitter.com/ovalracing]

Travis,

My visits to GWC were frequent and great reading. Maine Fisheries and your familly are the real winners in this story. Kudos for setting yourself a priority and sticking to it.

M.P.

[Andy B]

Travis,

I’ve always appreciated the time & effort you have put in to “get the story right”, a concept foreign to many so called “motorsports journalists” and trade publications nowadays. I think your willingness to step on a few toes now and then, to report the facts, is what set you apart (and above), many others who may have been covering the sport for a longer period of time, but on many levels have much less integrity (and accuracy) than you do.

Although you have covered races from Unity to Daytona, I realize the one great omission in your motorsports journalism career is a one-on-one interview with yours truly. Normally I don’t do interviews, but perhaps somewhere down the road our paths will cross and we can make your motorsports career complete.

Best wishes & good luck from the last honest person on the racing internet forums,

Andy Boright

[Eric Rodzen]

Andy B quote:

"Although you have covered races from Unity to Daytona, I realize the one great omission in your motorsports journalism career is a one-on-one interview with yours truly. Normally I don’t do interviews, but perhaps somewhere down the road our paths will cross and we can make your motorsports career complete."

Travis maybe you should rethink this retirement thing. An offer like that from Andy could put you on the national map. I can see Speed, ESPN, and TNT all calling for interview footage. Probably even CNN would want to get in on the action. You would be world famous Travis. You would have money showered on you to continue your blog just to let the world hear more from Andy.

[Wayne]

Travis I guess this is a big THANK YOU. Not only to you but the family that allowed it to happen. It has been a pleasure to read the news. It is also a pleasure to say i as one know another Travis away from the race scene. May good things continue to go your way. I will see you on the water or ice. And the smelts are biteing.
[IMG]http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj192/pro390/Openwater2009493.jpg[/IMG]

[Eric L]

Travis........good luck my man. It was great to get to know you and hopefully our paths will cross again real soon.....and in the meantime I will continue to have GWC bookmarked as this is such an addictive sport, that you'll be back

[B]

Great "see ya later" letter! I know that as time permits you'll check things out and still be around. Enjoy the new chapter in life and family! :) Don't be a stranger!!

[Mike Lange]

Good luck, Travis. If you ever get the urge, I'll be hanging out in the Unity Raceway pits next summer. And I'll let you know when they've cleaned up the sawdust in the VIP booth. LOL.

[robert macarthur]

well like i said 3 years ago i will out last everyone in this business, as they all fall by the wayside and they tried to expose the biggest icon in racing this is what happens. there all over powered by the forces of the showstoppa and will fall one at a time for a long time,as i change the scope of short track racing there will be many travis's coming along to stir the pot only to be defeated by the man himself, you have done the right thing as many cant except the challenges of a war and many cant take the defeat. you have paved the path for many to follow and for that i am thrilled,it was fun while it lasted with you but i quess i must move on and make dave moody the next victim of the racing world.thanks for the press especially the bad press and good luck in the future,

[Andy B]

This is one pot stirrer you won’t outlast MacArthur. I was in the sport decades before you even heard about it, and I will be in it decades after you quit.

BTW – any luck in paying out that $20,000 point fund for the Modifieds from ’08 yet?

[Justin]

Don't cheapen this comment thread. Save it for the message boards.

[Mark Poirier]

Nice run, Trav. Good luck in the new career and hope you get back to this...

[Paul Jensen]

As editor of a regional racing site myself, I understand the work and sacrifice required to maintain such a site. Yours was an outstanding effort and I'm sure the racing community in New England will miss you. Best of luck in the future!

Paul Jensen
Editor
Middle Tennessee Racing Scene

[robert macarthur]

one problem andy, all you are is a voice in the back ground that means nothing when its all said and done. you are just another spectator with an opinion thats all. you will be nothing more than that ever.i am the one with the track i am the one rubbing elboes and i am the one making the final decisions on how racing will be conducted in new england not you not ever.the 20k point fund went smoothly i'm sure after the 180k paid out in 08 to mod drivers not many are missing the 20k breakdown, and if they are well its to bad it had to be the way it was.

[mike harnish]

Good luck travis.. you did a fine job most of the time.. lol

[Zoe and Mike]

Thank you Travis for all the hard work you have done. We really enjoyed socializing with you at times and having this site to read. You gave a great deal to the racing community here in New England. We will miss your updates, your humor, and your aversion to food that didn't come wrapped in a package(germs)
THANK YOU SO MUCH :)

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[school_dubl]

Hi Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

[Realestate]

With the new 2011. Year! Congratulations.