03/17/2020
ATD Readers:
We have been monitoring public and private actions and responses to the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We hope that all the precautions being taken in the U.S. and Canada now will be effective and will lead to minimal interruption of the 2020 WISSOTA racing season, but we also have to admit that it could be a little while before things return to normal.
Because of that uncertainty we felt we should reach out to you, our readers. Obviously, our editorial content is primarily generated when races are being held. If the 2020 season is affected in some way because of the Coronavirus, our publishing schedule or content for this year may be affected as well.
That may mean fewer issues this year than usual, and/or perhaps more legacy/historical content. Should that happen, we hope you will be both patient and understanding that this is out of our control. As a subscriber, you will continue to receive or have online access to every issue we produce this year.
Because so much is unknown to us as this is written, we also know that one consequence we could face - even when racing fires up - is unexpected problems with printing and delivery of the print version of ATD. We depend upon a third-party to print the newspaper, as well as the USPS and Speedee delivery service for distribution of it. If we should encounter major service disruptions at either, unexpected cost-of-service increases, or other complications we are not aware of and can’t plan for today, we may be forced to change our operation in ways that could impact you.
If we determine at some point a major change to our product or its delivery becomes necessary, we will alert you in one or more of the following ways: in the newspaper itself, by mail, by email, on social media, on our website, or on WISSOTA’s website or social media pages.
We have been delivering to you what we believe is a high-quality product these past 26 years and we still hope year 27 goes smoothly. We have our fingers crossed. Although we had not seen this particular challenge coming, we have been planning for the future and working on improving our product in a variety of ways this winter. And if needed, we can accelerate our plan to offer expanded and better! digital delivery of ATD (in a format that will work great on ANY device: phone, tablet or computer) to make sure you still get All The Dirt.
Like most of our readers, we love the old-fashioned paper in our mailbox way more than an email in our inbox, but the uncertainty of the Coronavirus pandemic - along with the march of technology - is forcing us to look right now at all possibilities. Sometimes challenges provide us with opportunities to grow and improve. We’re not quite sure how the landscape is all going to look in a month, six months, or a year. What we do know is that we love racing just like you, we love bringing this newspaper to you, and we hope all aspects of your life - including racing - go on this year without major difficulties or disruptions.
For all of us fans, this year may end up being like a tacky, rough race track with holes, ruts and a big cushion. We may all get bounced around a bit, trade some paint, and the race might be a little scary, but we’ll finish it together and get prepared for the next one.
Best Regards,
Scott
Scott Hughes, Publisher
All The Dirt! Racing News
All The Dirt! Racing News is the #1 source of information for the racers, fans and promoters who love WISSOTA dirt track racing. All The Dirt! is available by subscription (online or print) - and at the top WISSOTA tracks during the summer.
