RON HERSMAN ANSWERS

Below the reaction of Ron Hersman on my article over the USRA Div II Nats. I don't feel any necessity to reply, despite his text is full of errors. If someone feels the necessity to reply mail to jppro@pandora.be. I'll add your comment on this page. - JPVR

HI JP,

A few comments about your "report" on your website..............

You said......

How long will the USRA give a permission to the commercial sharks Roger & Laura Schmitt to organise major slot-racing events in the States? What they organise has nothing to do with sport, only with money, money & money. Can you imagine that an expert has to pay $ 165.00 US if he wants to enter all the expert races?

First of all...... the USRA racers at the Nats vote on the Nats site for the next year. Not the USRA...the USRA does not decide where their Nats go the following year. The racers in attendance vote on where the following Nats will be held.

It actually cost racers who may have entered all the "Expert" classes a total of $ 190.00 to race in 8 Expert classes/races at Roger and Laura's National Championships this year.

Now while you like to knock the Schmitt's..... at last years nats held elsewhere.... it cost 240.00 to race in all of the Expert classes.

Also it was cheaper for the racers to race in F-1, Euro 32 and Euro 24 this year than the previous year.

Maybe you should give the Schmitt's a bit of credit for lowering the entry fees to the experts???? I don't expect you to do that, but they did lower the entry fees for the racers.

As for how much it costs to race, that is up to the race organizer...then the racers decide with "their" dollars if they will race or not. No one is forcing them to do anything they don't want to do or race.

This years Nats was one of the largest in recent years. Roger and Laura did a great job of promotion and getting racers to their event.

So no Greg Gilbert, no Chris Radisich, no Paul Ciccarello, no Lee Gilbert, no Jonathan Forsyth, no Mike Stahl, no Tracy Chin, no Duran Trujillo, etc. at the start of a series of races being nothing more than empty boxes.

I can not comment on why some of these racers you listed chose not to attend. I know that Duran was at the AMSRA Nats, Tracy Chin was moving and Ciccarello has not raced at a USRA Nats in many years due to his RC racing. Ciccarello attended the Worlds in Chicago trying to win a ISRA Worlds as he had never attended one. Being this past years Worlds was in Chicago, he entered as a one time deal.

The USRA Nats race still went on without them and was a competitive event as well.

Empty boxes, the raceway was quite full and many racers ( 70 to 80 ) entered and raced through the event. Not too bad.

If one has to pay $ 165.00 US to enter a couple of expert races, one can at least expect that there is a proportional prize giving. But look at the miniature plaque given by the family Money-Shark to concourse winners. One needs a magnifying glass to see it. (At Mid America Raceway & Hobbies, I guess, magnifying lasses are for sale at a democratic price of $ 499.95 US).

$ 165.00 would have paid for more than a couple of classes at this race. One could have raced the three Euro classes for a total of 90 U.S. dollars not the $ 165.00 you claim.

For the past 5 to 10 years, the hosting racing holding the Nats, sells sponsorships to the MFG's. The money from the MFG's are used to buy the awards for each class. This usually costs the MFG's 150 to 200 U.S. dollars and this keeps more money in the class pay out for the racers. In the old days, the raceway got 50% of the entry fees and the remaining 50% was paid back to the racers AFTER the awards amount was taken from that 50%...so the racers got back less. So we must thank the MFG's for sponsoring the class awards and letting the racers have more payout money.

So while the concours awards may be small, there is only so much one can do with 200.00 per class when it comes to awards.

I didn't see any 499.00 magnifying glasses for sale at the raceway... only lots of slot car parts, soft drinks and slot racing related stuff.

As organiser of a USRA meeting, the slightest thing she could do was respecting the USRA rule book. That rule book stipulates that any racer having won a race at a USRA Nats can no longer be considered as an amateur. She intentionally raped that rule by advocating that it concerns just the last five years. Then Ron Hershman published his own apology, explaining why he's just a single amateur.

Oh please stop..... the rule book states that any racer having won a AMATEUR class can not race in the Amateur class. I NEVER entered a AMATEUR race or class in years past. I won in many classes before there were AMATEUR class racing. I have not raced in USRA scale racing in 7 years with my last USRA Nats being in Portland, OR in 2004 where I won the EXPERT LMP class and DID NOT enter nor race in the Amateur races. There was no raping of the USRA rules or rulebook as the rule is full of loopholes in regards to some racers who do not fit into the specific rules. Please do not worry, these loopholes will be addressed for the future and rest assured that I and many others will never be able to race in the AM classes ever again in USRA.

At least the current USRA administration followed the rule book as it is written and did not change the rules as we went along through the event. Past Administrations have went on as there was no rulebook and/or applied it as they seen fit or to who was in question at the time.

As for my apology..... I never said or stated that I was a Amateur. I was told I could race the class I did and I used it as a warm up race for the expert race.

The lonely correct thing Ron Hershman should have done was vacating the 4"5 Nascar Amateur's result by declaring that Phil Sloan was the winner.

You as many others do not know this..... I went to Phil Sloan and handed him the award for first place as well as the prize certificate. He would not take it even when I left it sitting in his pit box. He brought it back to me and shook my hand and stated he was there to race and have fun and he did both.

Then Ron Hershman published his own apology, explaining why he's just a single amateur. How disgusting! Hershman is the #58 on the all-time IOC-list having collected 287 IOC points since 1989. He is a full pro. Moreover can someone tell me how Hershman could enter the USRA 4.5" Nascar races ànd as amateur ànd as pro? Indeed, among the pros he finished 16th and last.

I never offered a apology.... I gave a explanation of how things went down in regards to the ruling and how the USRA classified me as well as Dave Fiedler, Rande Marshall and Mike Iga. Nothing more or nothing less. The plain facts.

The IOC list and IOC points have NO BEARING on the USRA or the USRA classifies racers in their organization. Maybe you feel they should, but they do not.

The USRA results have a bearing on the IOC list....not the other way around.

While I as well as Dave Fiedler, Rande Marshall are "pros" on your IOC list, why are you not calling them "conscienceless characters" and "born cheaters" as you do me???

As far as me entering both Am and Expert 4.5" classes.... many racers do as well and have many times in the past in all of the AM/Pro classes.

When I asked last summer to American racers what a kind of a woman is Laura Schmitt, I heard regularly: "She is a pure bitch." If I see how she works to have the 2012 USRA Div II Nats again in her hands, I should believe it. Chris Radisisch wrote the following on her vicious plan how to vote for the 2012 USRA Div II Nats

Being you like to "stir the pot" why don't you please list the American racers who said Laura Schmitt is a "pure bitch". Please post the names of these racers who claim this. For one there is no way that Mid America could ever have the 2012 USRA Scale Nats. No way she could conceive some "evil secret" plan to do so.

Do you really believe what everyone tells you JP? Don't you understand many tell you what you want to hear or to make you feel good while licking your boots to get a free trip to your races in Belgium. You should hear some of the things that all the American racers say about you when they return from your races. You have been used so many fucking times by these racers in America so they can get a free trip from you. They play you like a harp. They don't care about you or your races...they just want to feed their own ego's by getting to go over to your races and then feel important and above the racers here in America because they got to go to your races on your dime. They are only worried about themselves and the free ride you provide.

As for what Chris Radisich tells you.... believe what you want. Chris Radisich is not happy with Roger, Laura and other USRA officials since they tossed Monty Orhen's BOW products out of the USRA because BOW could not comply to the USRA rules. Chris raced for BOW and this is the ONLY reason he did not attend this years Nats. When he allowed BOW armatures in, he was a Team BOW racer and he changed the USRA rules to allow this to happen even when BOW DID NOT comply to USRA rules at the time. Of course he made things happen to make sure BOW did get in, but in short time and after Chris was no longer in control of USRA, the USRA reversed some of the wrongs Chris did while he was USRA president. Now Chris is protesting the Schmitt's because they upheld the USRA rulebook as they should have. No BOW...no Chris R at the Nats. There were plenty of classes Chris could have entered that BOW does make arms for that were allowed in those classes.

As for the voting for the USRA Nats in 2012, all racers were allowed to fill out a ballot and put it into a ballot box. The same thing that happened this year, happened in 2007 and 2008. It's the fairest way to do it. Every racer that attends the Nats, has the chance to vote on where they would like to see where the Nats go the following year. Prior to this current system, the Nats site voting was one of the most corrupt things I have ever seen in my life. The first Nats I attended in 1986 as a USRA regional director, I witnessed at a meeting, where agreements were made as to where the following three nats would go. No other raceway had a chance of getting the Nats as it was decided by 10 or so guys in a hotel room where the Nats would go the following three years. It hasn't been this way in a long time and now it's done the fairest way it could possibly be.

I don't know what a kind of a sanctioning body the USRA is. All I know is, that if it is a serious institution, the lonely correct decision is that Laura & Roger Schmitt can never more organise a USRA meeting. Both refused to respect the elementary USRA rules. So, how one can give such persons another chance to violate the rules??? The Schmitts are not interested in the noble art of slot-racing.

The USRA only organizes 2 races a year. The Scale Nats and the Wing Nats. not much of a sanctioning body as the "word" USRA is a ugly word to most raceway owners and the industry as a whole in the U.S. Most raceways want nothing to do with the USRA anymore and it's been that way a long time. Not many raceways here even use USRA rules for their racing programs and most only use USRA rules when they host a USRA race.

Laura and Roger will only host another USRA race if they bid for one and they secure enough votes from the membership to win the race.

Laura was voted in as USRA Scale Director again as NO ONE else wanted the position. No one would run against her. I would think if so many were unhappy with her and the way she does things...they would have voted her out of office...they DID NOT do this.

Same goes for Roger, we was once again voted in as Scale Tech Director.

They must be doing a pretty good job as if they were not, they would have been voted out of their positions.

While many may tell you they are no good and want them out of office, the ones who were at this year's Nats were too chicken shit to raise their hands and vote them out of office or they just didn't attend the Nats. Their loss if they didn't.

If Laura and Roger were truly "violating" the USRA rules, they would have been voted out. I for one, would have voted them out if I felt they were not doing their job. The only ones that want them out are the guys who ran BOW products and that is a very small group of racers. Not big enough to make a difference in the voting.

If one let them do they'll created ten or twenty classes more, because the more classes the more money they can earn.

There are proposals right now to have less classes raced at the Nats...not more. Less classes in less days will bring in more racers. I agree more classes and more days make it smaller overall. Roger and Laura also realize this and the proposals will be voted on by the membership in October.

That he's a born cheater was already proven at the 1988 Chicago Worlds, where a public's race was organised with a 1/1 Ford Fiero as first prize. Entrants at the public's race had to swear that they never had driven a slot-car in their life. And what happened? At the start there was a certain Laura H. Later it appeared that she was Ron Hershman's wife. Typical for the character Ron Hershman is!

While I enjoy reading your "rants and raves" on your website I find your lies to be quite as enjoyable as well.

You saying that racers racing for the Fiero in the public race had to swear that they had never raced a slot car is complete BULL SHIT and you know that. Total lies once again.

Let me quote to you the rules you published for the race and also in "Euro-Slot" magazine Issue Spring/Summer Nr. 11-12. I am certain you have some old copies lying around that you can check to see what your claiming is NOT true.

From Page 21

The Public race for the Pontiac Fiero

From 15th May till 22nd June anyone who wants to, can enter the qualifications for the first Pontiac Fiero competition. The conditions are:

1. that ones owns a 1/32nd Euro Toy car ( a DeBella or Lil Brother version)

2. that one is not on the IMCA-slot racing lists ( see back of this number )

3. that one is willing to pay US 5.00 per qualification test. One is allowed to qualify as many times as one would like to.

Then in your "Special Issue" Third year there is more about the Public race.

On the inside of the front cover is the following............

IF you are a outsider to slot racing, that means, if you are not listed on the IOC-list 1987, then you can enter the Pontiac Fiero Race for the Public.

So those were the rules.......... Laura Hershman WAS NOT on the IOC 1987 list and therefore allowed to enter the race.

As was Mark Mattei a local raceway owner in the Chicago area and Yvonne Kulich, Former Grand Raceway owner Jerry Kulich's daughter.

Rich Hord was a long time Chicago are racer at the time as well.

All were allowed to race as they WERE NOT on the IOC 1987 list, but they were also not "Outsiders" to slot racing at the time and you knew this at the time also.

So please stop with your lies of me being a born cheater and lying about me saying my ex wife never raced a slot car.

The entrants were never asked that and the only thing that would have kept them from being allowed to enter is if they didn't run a fast enough time to make the race or if they were on the IOC list-1987.

Here follow some reactions at the OWH forum of Paul Kassens.

LOL you want to quote what others think of me racing in the AM class. That's OK..... most of those who you quoted are BOW racers or racers with a personal jealousy problem that is their own making and not mine.

You want to make comment on me based on what other competitors of mine have to say.

Well should I believe all of the following I read about you on the internet???

Things such as........................

In 1989 the Onyx F1 team was bought by unusual Belgian millionaire Jean-Pierre Van Rossem. He had the cars painted pink and blue and for a single F1 season was a regular figure in the F1 paddock, his long white hair and beard and his considerable girth, making him rather noticeable. The downturn in the world economy saw him sell the team at the start of 1990 to Swiss Peter Monteverdi and Van Rossem disappeared back to Belgium.

A year later he was in jail for fraud but once released he somehow managed to get himself elected to parliament. He then shocked Belgium by writing a guide to Belgian brothels and upset the royal family by making loud republican noises when parliamentarians were taking their oaths of allegiance to King Albert II. Van Rossem is in the news again, having been sentenced to five years in jail for fraud. He remains at liberty thanks to his parliamentary immunity to prosecution, although this is expected to be lifted shortly. Van Rossem paid for his F1 team using money from his Moneytron investment scheme which former clients say lost them AUS$200 million...

He became famous with 'Moneytron', a stockmarket investment company that could offer apparently endless returns.

Van Rossem had developed a model that could predict the stock market and beat the capitalist system. His sympathies for the theories of Karl Marx did not stop him investing for the very wealthy in the world and accumulating 800 million dollars for himself. He declares himself an "anarchist".

Due to belief in the Moneytron system and also his sense of show and publicity he made large sums of money. He also traded duplicated stocks, according to him, 'A way to fuck the system'. He was the sponsor of a Formula One team in 1989, Moneytron Onyx, which placed 10th of the 21 teams.

The revenue service and the court were not blind to his methods. He created the political party ROSSEM to avoid lawsuit (elected politicians are not liable in court) and he got three seats in the lower house at the elections of 1991.

In 1991 he was sentenced to 5 years in jail for fraud

And plenty more here about you.............. 
 

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_feature_item.php?fes_action=&fes_art_id=10481&fes_page=3
 

So is all of this to say you are a "Born cheater"???? Devising " A way to fuck the system"?

Maybe me racing in Am 4.5" Stock car was a way to "fuck the system" as you have been quoted as saying.

Rest assured, I will not serve any jail time for racing in a amateur class at a slot car race. Nor have I been convicted of fraud or any other criminal activities as you have.

Rest assured if you had done in the U.S. a system such as MoneyTron..... you would probably be sharing a jail cell with Bernie Madoff right now.

So please do not call me a born cheater when I have not cheated anyone out of anything such as you have. You go on about me stealing 20 bucks from Phil Sloan.... how many millions did you steal from your unsuspecting clients in the 80's???? I don't think I am going to be brought up on charges of stealing or fraud anytime soon in a court of law.
 

The USRA rules and officials allowed not only me, but other racers to race in the Amateur classes when they should not have. They made the call.....not me. Not trying to make them out as the bad guys in this case. It happened and it will only help the USRA straighten things out and have better rules to prevent such things from happening in the future.

It's your website and you can post any thing you want... it's your website...publish all the lies you want...the facts and truth still remain.

If you think you could do a better job at organizing races and the racers in the U.S, by all means, move here and do it. Come to the USRA Nats and maybe we can get you voted in office and then you can take it over and grow it.

Tell you what....... why don't you organize a race here in the states.... put on a epic event of massive size..... show us it can be done.

While you go on about how horrible the USRA and their races are..... the USRA does not have to pay anyone to attend their races. When you organize races in Belgium.... how many have their way paid to attend??? 90% of the entrants.

I think if you didn't pay, you would soon find out that not many would attend your races on their dime as your races and IOC list mean nothing to the racers.

You, your website and IOC list could go away tomorrow and slot racing will still go on without you. Slot racing does not need IMCA or the IOC list.....only JP has it to justify his meddling in slot racing.

While I respect all you have tried to do to promote slot racing and I have enjoyed the two times you paid my way to your races, your constant meddling in USRA racing in the states has done nothing to improve racing here in the U.S.  Your rants about it has had no effect on our slot racing here.

Best Regards,

Ron Hershman