Racing Dreamz End of Spring newsletter

[RacingDreamz]

To our friends and supporters,

Yep, it's time for the End of Spring Newsletter.  Where has the time gone.  So many things that has happened this spring, so many things getting ready to happen this summer.  And of course, we want to share them with our friends, supporters and fans.  So first, let me express our deep gratitude for your support.  We know in our hearts that you are behind us 110%.  Now, our wallets, tell us someting else.  But we all know and realize how this economy is and we do not begrudge anyone.    Please notice the "smiley face".  LOL...  Seriously, we do appreciate all your support. 

Now, on with the news.  I guess the biggest news right now is the fact that we have grown so much that we have had to find other office space and other facilities.  A big thanks to Avalon Computers in downtown Elizabethton, Tn., for offering us their upstairs.  Effective, July 1, Racing Dreamz will have a large office and a private "Racing Simulation Room"  Avalon are building our computers, at a much reduced cost, so that we are able to get the sim training going.  We plan on building a custom sim rig with a complete 12 feet surround display.  This will have 3 seperate 42" wide display screens.  We plan on having either 3, 3D ready projectors or 1, 3D projector using the Warpalizer software.  We also plan on building the sim to have motion actuators.  Hopefully, we can afford that so it will give a much more realistic experience.  With the surround display and motion, the only thing missing will be the actual G force in the driving experience.  We feel this will give the Racing Dreamz kids a large step up on the competition.   And we'd like to thank Mr. Joseph Roque and Mr. Nick Black for building a custom, simulated, sprint kart track, exclusively for Racing Dreamz.  This unique track will be raced on the Kart Racing Pro simulation and is very challenging.  When the kids master this track, they will be ready to race, in real karts, anywhere and against, anyone.  So, BIG thanks to Joe and Nick. 

We also would like to announce that UTV Rally Raid(www.utvrr.com) has begun planning their Youth class for us to be included.  This is a great opportunity for us and the thousands of young people racing now.  This is a venue specifically for families that dont want to see their kids mamed in motorcycle or ATV accidents in racing.  The UTV Youth class will be UTV's, side x sides, and buggys.  All with safe roll cages and harness's to keep the kids safe.  This is what it's all about folks.  Seeing the kids, smile and laugh, even if they crash, because they will not be hurt.  A big thanks to Jason and the UTVRR gang for building the youth class. 

I'd like to also invite, not just announce to, everyone to come to the weekly Carter County Car Club car show event in downtown Elizabethton, Tn.  Where they close the streets and allow people with custom cars, trucks, hot rods, unique vehicles and people like us, to show the world what they got.  We even parked and showed our 95 Nissan XE pickup.  Yes, we washed it.    This is the truck my father got for his 35th anniversary at his job.  He's taken very good care of it and he sold it to us.  In the two years we've had it, we've also taken very good care of it.  But the main story here is that we are setting out a racing simulator outside(on the sidewalk) and in front of our new office and Avalon Computers.  The last two weeks there, more and more interest is building and this coming week, we plan on seeing a great many people lining up to try their driving skills on the Playseat/Logitech, Racing Dreamz simulator.  Of course, donations are accepted and appreciated.  Last week, I even taught a 7 yr old girl how to drive the Baja Bug and she did a few laps around Daytona in a 750 HP Imapala Nascar COT.  And she did it at speed.  She couldnt reach the foot controls(I did that for her), but she tooks the turns at 150+ MPH.   So, it's a blast   Come on out and we'll set up a 5 lap race against the Artificial Intelligience system.  The computer learns from your mistakes.   

Aside from the sim racing downtown, meeting a slew of new people, we have been on the search for property.  The property we've been searching for is to build and house the Racing Dreamz tracks.   We were looking at some in Johnson County but those are not going to work out.   So we started elsewhere.  A tract of land in SW Virginia looked promising, but it has Right of Way issues.  So, that's out.  Another property to build the Sprint track on, was a HUD property.  We tried to see how that would go, but if you know anything about HUD and the government, you know it's a total mess trying to get anything done.  Besides, the house needed ALOT of work.  We thought about housing the office there.  But after we learned of the downtown location, we felt this would be a much better fit.   But, that still left us without track property.  A few years back, I learned about a 95 acre tract inside the city limits of Elizabethton that was a foreclosure.  It was going to be a low income housing at one time, but that fell thru and the bank foreclosed on it.  Being the curious person I am, I called the bank about it.  Actually a few times.  We talked a great deal about Racing Dreamz, our goals, our hopes  and how this 95 acres would be, actually, perfect, for Racing Dreamz.  Listing price was $300K.  Today, they told us, they would take, $150K, for it, exclusively, from Racing Dreamz.  Imagine, 95 prime acreage, for just $150,000.  And like the TV commercials say, "But WAIT!!! There's more!!", there is more.  A timber company has expressed a GREAT interest in the timber that is on the property.  It is mostly wooded.  Cant have race tracks that have a bunch of trees, can ya?  So, I talked with the timber company.  They will pay, at closing, $75,000.  THAT's HALF of the total money.  So, I had to beg, but we're begging, if anyone knows of an investor, sponsor, brother, dad, sister, grandma, even, that would help us in any way, we will match funding for $75,000.  The property lays perfect for both styles of tracks for our Bill Ross Off Road program and our Todd Murray Sprint kart program.  To make it even sweeter, for the investor, for $75,000 matching, we'll share race track proceeds with them.  Not only do they help a struggling childrens non profit, they get money back.  I have all the paperwork on this property and the 'written' garauntee from the timber company.  So, please share with your friends and family.

This about wraps up our End of Spring newsletter.  Oh, amost forgot.  Since we've gotten our IRS tax exempt, non profit, charity status, we've been searching for grants(other than govt).  We have applied for some, been turned down by a few already due to locations and mission, but we are working on it.  A great thanks to Conni Wells and gang at Axis Group for their help.  They have really stepped up to help us here.  Also thanks to Conni's husband Bob.  He has painted a nice 2x4 ' sign for our new downtown office.   

So, if you're in the area, come down and visit us.  We're at 602 E. Elk Avenue, Elizabethton, Tn.  Upstairs.  We'll even buy you a cup of coffee or a dopesy dola.  A great coffee house, just up the street.   
Thanks for reading and again, a big thanks for your support.  Donna and I, and the Racing Dreamz gang, really appreciates your help.   Please visit our website or give us a call if you want more information on Racing Dreamz. www.racingdreamz.org.  See ya again, at the end of summer when we are planning the 1st Annual Racing Dreamz Benefit Concert.   

Thanks