Sidebar

[craigbraddick]

Hi John:

And if there is a plus side for any future racing at Yavapai, it is the fact that it is well located, not surrounded by other tracks and the summer climate is ideal for racing.

I would love to be part of a new enterprise there. If you read the local paper, there are people )the same people) who always say it should never have left Prescott, yada yada yada...but my personal experience was local businesses were excited about this years race meet. They knew there were new staff there, trying to make a difference and many of them paid sponsorship money. In fact, I sold many of them sponsorships (easily out selling the professional sales person they had on staff) by just going out, meeting people, introducing myself as the new announcer. The accent intrigued them and it was pretty easy to talk them into a sale. Hasten to add, the GM and myself made sure all the sponsors got their money back.

There was also one time where I managed to impress a local traffic cop when the racing secretary and I were caught backing up on the highway! I used my best upper class English voice: "I do apologize, Commander. I am Craig Braddick, the new Track Announcer at Yavapai Downs, don't you know? And we do not have roads such as these in England so I am afraid my navigation skills are not what they should be. I am sure you understand, this poor American man (Racing Secretary) is acting as my driver you see, and one shouldn't punish the poor when they are doing the bidding of their masters"

He smiled, advised us not to do it again and we were free to go.

Craig