12 replies to this topic

[D1RT]

Has there been a major surge of new drivers and fans since the end of the 2013 season?? Where are all the fans and car support going to come from to support all these tracks with more than a few of them running the same nights in close proximity of each other , many running the same divisions, and some running divisions only supported by their track. In the recent years area tracks have been closing because of low support by both fans and drivers along with poor profits/high overhead to keep them open but now all of a sudden the area racing scene has seen a potential windfall of big profits opening all these tracks back up??

[gofast05]

Has there been a major surge of new drivers and fans since the end of the 2013 season??
Where are all the fans and car support going to come from to support all these tracks with more than a few of them running the same nights in close proximity of each other , many running the same divisions, and some running divisions only supported by their track.
In the recent years area tracks have been closing because of low support by both fans and drivers along with poor profits/high overhead to keep them open but now all of a sudden the area racing scene has seen a potential windfall of big profits opening all these tracks back up??

if done right, a nice dirt track like Tri City, or AMS as of now, they can make some serious money and pay some good money.

where profits, fans, and drivers are lost, is on a weekly show schedule. and that's not the case for everywhere. I use central pa speedway as an example for a lot on here. and again, when they were running weekly, they started with a good field. but it dwindled. when they went to the Specials Only format, they were very successful. cars, drivers, and fans alike! and most importantly, profits.

[SLMFAN]

if done right, a nice dirt track like Tri City, or AMS as of now, they can make some serious money and pay some good money.

where profits, fans, and drivers are lost, is on a weekly show schedule. and that's not the case for everywhere. I use central pa speedway as an example for a lot on here. and again, when they were running weekly, they started with a good field. but it dwindled. when they went to the Specials Only format, they were very successful. cars, drivers, and fans alike! and most importantly, profits.

If they were so successful why is it no longer a dirt track?

[gofast05]

If they were so successful why is it no longer a dirt track?

because the Baineys have always been asphalt guys. Tim Bainey owned and raced a truck in the truck series. And I believe Benny Gordon had something to do with taking the dirt off the track as well. They had big plans to turn it into a nascar sanctioned track from what I was told. do you think with traffic backed halfway up the mountain to get into the place that they weren't making money? Grandstands were almost full, and there were no spots on the hill at all open at a bunch of the last few years of dirt track races at that place.

[T-440]

I don't remember CPS having very good fields for weekly shows, and I think I only missed about 5 nights the whole time it was dirt... I don't ever remember seeing a full 24 car starting field for any class at any weekly show. They really didn't draw any more cars weekly than any of the other local tracks. My opinion of the downfall of the CPS dirt days was the failed attempt at the two day shows. They had to have lost their hats on those shows. The crowds for the first night of the two day shows were horrible, I actually think some of the asphalt shows have drawn more fans... They did draw some huge crowds for some of the other shows, especially some of the $7000 to win shows that they only charged $15 for. The other thing that hurt CPS in my opinion was the fact that when they started the big shows, a lot of the local teams didn't support them. At the end, I can only remember Fenton, Farrell, Kent, and maybe a couple others that were there. I still think that with the car counts they were drawing for the super lates, they should have added in a steel block/limited late show as a support class and they would have drawn far more locals. A support class with the local late model rules could have doubled the pit entries. They gave up on the 410 sprint shows too quickly. The first year the crowd was good and the car count was light, and the next year it was just the opposite, and they never ran them again. They never brought the Mods back in. I'm not a modified fan, but mixing things up is good and gives fans something different on top of the tried and true big payout late model shows. I had no problem with the lates being the headline event at every show, but I would have liked to have seen the support classes change a little more. I think it is getting tougher to run even a specials only track. It has to be a track that has the seating capacity to support large crowds in order to have a large payout, and you can't out-price your fan base. There is hardly any weekend where you won't find an higher paying late model race in the region. Sprints is eastern Pa already run for at least double what the western pa tracks pay, so you have to pay at least an All Star payout in order to draw any of those teams west, and finding an open date on the sprint schedule is pretty tough. In comparison, there are only 5 tracks in the state that run 410 sprints on a weekly basis, how many tracks run late models? There are way more late models to draw from than there are sprints. You can make more money running unsanctioned specials, but if I was doing it, I would have the sanctioned events. Most of them bring their own officials and tech personnel, so that takes a lot of the hassle away from the track. I also think there are a lot of teams that would rather run sanctioned shows just for that reason, they don't have to worry about getting homered by local track officials.

[badass bowtie]

How is Tri City or what ever the new name is going to be profitable racing on sundays ?? what classes Modifieds and stocks. Yippie. That is why they closed in the first place no fan support. How are things going to be different this time around??

[fordblueoval]

Ask Jeff Taylor how much money, time and effort he spent promoting the one show he had at Thunder Mountain and find out if he made any money or not. I am not sure if he did but I will give him all the credit in the world for advertising and promoting the heck out of that event. I have never seen more fans at the track so perhaps he did actually make a profit.

[Express Man]

D1RT; I have been saying this for months! Lasky had to give away the tickets at Motordrome hoping to fill up the stands and sell out the concession stand! Thats the speedway I want to buy. Then the other two will be open as well! Where are all the cars comming from???? It will take three years for these car counts to come up at these pavement tracks! By then they will all be closed again! Everyone is in it for the "Long Haul" till they lose money about three consecutive weeks! I hear lots of ideas from the bench racers here! Like specials only! You can win big or lose big as promotor on those shows! One mistake and your out of business! And Big shows are not favorable to the racer for sure! Too exspensive on equipment! Latest RUMOR is that the Ebensburg guys are leasing Dog???? If they do...they would be smart to stick to thier original Sundaynight plan! And If they think they can run Steelblock and not Superlate.....forget it! Weekly show with a couple specials would work for them! Thats the only track I can see room for to re-open! I think the rest of them are kidding themselves! But I wish sucess to all! I am allways glad to see anything positive for racing! But I just don't think going broke is positive! Wrong Economy! Good Luck Guys!

[racer02]

Motordrome had decent counts in all divisions (except late models a couple times) all year long, and historically Motordrome teams ran Saturday nights at Jennerstown..so I expect they will be fine. Central PA Speedway is the one that's gonna take awhile to build up their car count since they're so far away from the Motordrome/J-town teams. I definitely wish them luck out there. As a RACE fan, I'm thrilled to have a variety of racing options locally again. If all three tracks (especially Motordrome and Jennerstown due to their close proximity to one another) work together on the rules package, then the sky's the limit!

[jmmr]

Motordrome had decent counts in all divisions (except late models a couple times) all year long, and historically Motordrome teams ran Saturday nights at Jennerstown..so I expect they will be fine. Central PA Speedway is the one that's gonna take awhile to build up their car count since they're so far away from the Motordrome/J-town teams. I definitely wish them luck out there. As a RACE fan, I'm thrilled to have a variety of racing options locally again. If all three tracks (especially Motordrome and Jennerstown due to their close proximity to one another) work together on the rules package, then the sky's the limit!

I'm no sure what races you saw at motordrome but only two divisions had what could be called 'decent' car counts-I was at every race. Chargers and four cyl. Were the only two. That is unless you consider 8-12 cars 'decent' car counts. Most guys I've spoke to have no plans on running every week at both tracks- the projected payout for lower divisions at Jtown- and poor tech, combined with issues like one or two cars running away w a huge lead every win at drome - have made Jennerstown much more appealing. Some guys that ran drome state they are running Jtown only and some guys who have cars like us aren't even running them-or at least not running all the cars they could run- til they see how things pan out. And while I'm sure their are a few guys building new cars I doubt it's many. 6 years ago a street stock up for sale wouldn't last long on this site- now you can't give them away. What's that tell you. We have three cars we used to run weekly- we will be running one weekly and stepped back a division because of all the b.s. . As Mark Cottone would say ' it's gonna be interesting.'

[gofast05]

Jeff Taylor set up a great race at Thunder Mountain. Whether he made money or Audie made money, I have no idea. I never saw that many people there either. Even when the Chili race was held there, it was a pretty good turnout. That track has a Ton of potential and I really wish someone would do something with it.

[Skull]

Reopening Tri-City can work, if it is done right. Who knows what this guy has planned for the future, but we all know he is going to run specials only this year. I think his line up for this seasons programs is a little too crowded. Three divisions, that way he can start a little later so the track won't dry out like it used to do when they started at 6:30. I know the three classes I'd schedule would not have the words "Crate" anywhere in it, but that's a whole other topic. I think his shows will be too long for a Sunday evening. I'd like to see the Stocks run, but I'd leave after the Sprints and Mods because of an hour and a half ride. I have no idea what will happen with the asphalt tracks, but I think reopening DHS will be an abject failure. They couldn't get cars or fans there before, what is going to change from then to now? Sorry, but I don't see it. Bottom line is this region is saturated with race tracks and disparate divisions. There iare not enough sponsorship dollars or fans to go around.

[longtimeracefan101]

Reopening Tri-City can work, if it is done right. Who knows what this guy has planned for the future, but we all know he is going to run specials only this year.

I think his line up for this seasons programs is a little too crowded. Three divisions, that way he can start a little later so the track won't dry out like it used to do when they started at 6:30. I know the three classes I'd schedule would not have the words "Crate" anywhere in it, but that's a whole other topic. I think his shows will be too long for a Sunday evening. I'd like to see the Stocks run, but I'd leave after the Sprints and Mods because of an hour and a half ride.

I have no idea what will happen with the asphalt tracks, but I think reopening DHS will be an abject failure. They couldn't get cars or fans there before, what is going to change from then to now? Sorry, but I don't see it.

Bottom line is this region is saturated with race tracks and disparate divisions. There iare not enough sponsorship dollars or fans to go around.

I agree to many divisions for his sunday night shows. I have an hour or so drive and the show will be to long run 3 classes and get people out OH YEA AND NO CRATES that WILL keep me home