32 replies to this topic

[baldtireman]

Write WRG and threaten to lawyer up. It's probably the only way they will wake up and fix them right. One broke the same way at the Firecracker last year. Don Martin had the bleachers painted before every season, and any bad boards were replaced. I'd have to guess that that hasn't been done since WRG bought the place.

You wouldn't be the first person they told to "go away if you don't like it".....

[turducken]

Baldtireman,

 

WRG is garbage, I'll be the first in line to pizz on their graves when they go belly up.

[Spook]

a couple years ago a board I was standing on collapsed in the turn 1 area of the track. I weigh ab195 200 lbs. I emailed the track about it. sure, they fixed that particular board but obviously need to replace several more before something bad happens. luckily I had cat like reflexes and jumped to the next bench before I fell through. others may not be as fortunate. id be a nervous wreck if I was management and there was a sold out crowd.

[Skull]

Do you guys really think Don Martins style of promotion would be as effective in 2014 as it was in 1978 ?? It seems to me the guy at virgina motor speedway takes that approach and never seems to draw a crowd. Times have changed. With that being said I don't believe race tracks should be in the bar business unless it's 2.00 a can like eldora

Yeah, Don would be just as successful today as he was 40 years ago. He networked with both fans and drivers and tried to make everyone feel needed. He went the extra mile for people that patronized his track. I'm not familiar with WVMS or it's issues, so I can't say why they don't draw well.

 

As far as your comments on what other tracks are compared to, I don't think anyone is suggesting that Lernerville is in the same league as Knoxville. It's not in the same league as Williams Grove, Lincoln, or Port Royal, in my opinion. But it's way better than any track in this region and honestly, other than the facility, I'm not at all impressed with Charlotte. The next time I see a great race there will have been the first time.

[BaconBits]

Skull, on 24 Apr 2014 - 07:17 AM, said:

Yeah, Don would be just as successful today as he was 40 years ago. He networked with both fans and drivers and tried to make everyone feel needed. He went the extra mile for people that patronized his track. I'm not familiar with WVMS or it's issues, so I can't say why they don't draw well.

As far as your comments on what other tracks are compared to, I don't think anyone is suggesting that Lernerville is in the same league as Knoxville. It's not in the same league as Williams Grove, Lincoln, or Port Royal, in my opinion. But it's way better than any track in this region and honestly, other than the facility, I'm not at all impressed with Charlotte. The next time I see a great race there will have been the first time.

I don't think Don Martin's would have been so great in 2014 either. It's a much, much different ballgame out there these days. Being a really nice guy with deep pockets and a passion for the sport simply isn't enough anymore. The people at West Plains were very similar to Don in the way that they ran their track. They had to sell out a few years ago, because the losses became too much to bear. If Don were still alive, it would have happened to him, too. Racing in 1994 and 2014 are radically different monsters.


Huck pointed out Bill Sawyer at Virginia Motor Speedway. The guy is a saint. He's dumped millions into the track turning it into one of the nicest facilites in America. He pays amazing purses with racer and fan friendly formats with the biggest sanctions in racing. He has sponsored numerous racers in need over the years. He's added money to the purses on the sly for years.
 

And the crowds and car counts have never been better than lackluster, even at their biggest specials. They don't even run a true headliner weekly anymore.

Edited by BaconBits, 24 April 2014 - 07:43 AM.

[714d]

Any idea why it isn't working? Never been there and not familiar with the situation. Curious why racers and fans wouldn't be there if it's run so well. If you ask a racer from that region why they don't race there, what would their answer be?

[boss man]

BaconBits. VMS is one nice race track. Bill Sawyer does do all of that but the problem with the race track is the location. It is out in the middle of know where

and the towns that you go thru to get there has bars put on there store fronts to keep problem makers out. As far as lernerville goes time have changed. The

big problem with this place now is that you have ownership from another state. This Co. does or could care less about racers, fans, employees like Don did.

It is all about the money. Proof, I was shown a text that was sent from the new owners when they bought out Lernerville. The text read. TAKE THERE MONEY.

You guys can guess who this was sent to? If I was to tell you, my post would be removed. I told this guy if they run this race track like that they will run it right

into the ground! Maybe this is one of the biggest reasons why you do not have the racers, employees, and fans they use to.

[BaconBits]

boss man, on 24 Apr 2014 - 09:20 AM, said:

BaconBits. VMS is one nice race track. Bill Sawyer does do all of that but the problem with the race track is the location. It is out in the middle of know where
and the towns that you go thru to get there has bars put on there store fronts to keep problem makers out. As far as lernerville goes time have changed. The
big problem with this place now is that you have ownership from another state. This Co. does or could care less about racers, fans, employees like Don did.
It is all about the money. Proof, I was shown a text that was sent from the new owners when they bought out Lernerville. The text read. TAKE THERE MONEY.
You guys can guess who this was sent to? If I was to tell you, my post would be removed. I told this guy if they run this race track like that they will run it right
into the ground! Maybe this is one of the biggest reasons why you do not have the racers, employees, and fans they use to.

 

 

Racing is the only business I've ever seen that turning a profit is considered to be a sin.


There is NO track in racing that has the fans, employees and racers thet they "used to". Is that because WRG owns every other track too? Or is it because times have changed?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by BaconBits, 24 April 2014 - 11:08 AM.

[turducken]

prior to buying the extreme series, WRG publicly stated that none of the guys following the extreme series could handle the WoO schedule.

 

Then at the banquet that year after buying out extreme from Bland, they would not make the full point money payouts to the extreme series champions (at least the regional champions) unless they showed up at certain WoO races the next season...

 

two of those extreme teams have or had multiple wins on the WoO series since then and Clanton has challenged for a championship and Beitlers car won RoY with Hubbard and Challenged fro a championship with Francis at the wheel.

Edited by turducken, 24 April 2014 - 11:55 AM.

[Skull]

I don't think Don Martin's would have been so great in 2014 either. It's a much, much different ballgame out there these days. Being a really nice guy with deep pockets and a passion for the sport simply isn't enough anymore. The people at West Plains were very similar to Don in the way that they ran their track. They had to sell out a few years ago, because the losses became too much to bear. If Don were still alive, it would have happened to him, too. Racing in 1994 and 2014 are radically different monsters.


Huck pointed out Bill Sawyer at Virginia Motor Speedway. The guy is a saint. He's dumped millions into the track turning it into one of the nicest facilites in America. He pays amazing purses with racer and fan friendly formats with the biggest sanctions in racing. He has sponsored numerous racers in need over the years. He's added money to the purses on the sly for years.
 

And the crowds and car counts have never been better than lackluster, even at their biggest specials. They don't even run a true headliner weekly anymore.

It's not just that Don was a nice a guy with deep pockets that liked to spread it around. Yes, he was a good guy and generous, but there was a method to his madness. Plus, Don was shrewd a operator.

 

When the track first started, it operated on Fridays, same as the old Butler Speedway. Direct competition. Don's solution was to buy it. And close it. There are people that were Butler regulars that have never stepped foot on Lernerville's property because of it. He also had an agreement with original WoO Sprint series owner Ted Johnson that no other tracks within an X number of miles (100? I've heard) were permitted to host WoO sanctioned races. So yeah, Don was a nice guy to a degree, but he could be just as ruthless and pragmatic as any other astute business person. Couple those traits with hiring and taking care of good people along with being smart and prepared, and that's a formula for success in any business climate at any time.

Edited by Skull, 24 April 2014 - 05:51 PM.

[BaconBits]

Skull, on 24 Apr 2014 - 6:50 PM, said:

It's not just that Don was a nice a guy with deep pockets that liked to spread it around. Yes, he was a good guy and generous, but there was a method to his madness. Plus, Don was shrewd a operator.

When the track first started, it operated on Fridays, same as the old Butler Speedway. Direct competition. Don's solution was to buy it. And close it. There are people that were Butler regulars that have never stepped foot on Lernerville's property because of it. He also had an agreement with original WoO Sprint series owner Ted Johnson that no other tracks within an X number of miles (100? I've heard) were permitted to host WoO sanctioned races. So yeah, Don was a nice guy to a degree, but he could be just as ruthless and pragmatic as any other astute business person. Couple those traits with hiring and taking care of good people along with being smart and prepared, and that's a formula for success in any business climate at any time.

Think about it, though. Imagine if Don had done that in an age where the internet is as prevalent as it is now. He'd be crucified, and labeled a pariah that is doomed to fail.


This is why you have to be a f*cking asshole to get invovled with race track ownership/promotion these days. You could be the greatest guy in the world with the truest intentions and you're still going to have a large contingent of folks who shit on literally everything you do.

[turducken]

While lernerville is not the facility that Knoxville or Eldora is, he was considered as much a promoter as Ralph Capitani or Earl Baltes and was voted as such in the early 90's. Martin was often in the top 10 of most influential people in dirt racing as well.   Lernerville is twice the faciliity that any of the 3 central pa tracks you mentioned are, they are dumps with a rich history.  the racing at the grove if often times a train race, lincoln does have a nice surface though.  The bossman is correct about VMS not to mention Bacon he has successfully navigated that place through an awful economic downturn and is still open.  Don and those who worked for Don took care of people made everybody feel necessary and that is how you run a business if you take care of people the bottom line will take care of itself.  that was true in 1979 and true today.

[flash49]

I love going to Lernerville as much as anyone, but to call Williams Grove, Lincoln, and Port Royal dumps just makes you look stupid.