29 replies to this topic

[deadpush]

What is the latest news from Jennerstown? When is opening day and when is the full 2015 schedule going to be released?

[m_stagev]

don't hold your breath!

[Walt Wimer]

It appears to me that pavement racing in the western PA area is on its "death bed"!!!   The biggest problem is the lack of cars, and as long as pavement racing seems so "shaky" in our area,  race teams are not about to spend money to build cars for pavement racing.  Lake Erie had the best car counts of the four pavement tracks last year and now they seem to have gone down the tubes, at least for 2015.  I think the only way pavement racing in this area is going to survive is that someone is going to have to pour some big bucks into it with a long range plan and be willing to stick by their losses for a number of years to build it back up again.  The likelihood of that happening doesn't seem to good at this point!!   Not good news for those out there that are fans of pavement racing or who currently have cars for such.  Overall, disappointing for all of racing in western PA!! 

 

GOOD RACING!!!!

 

Walt

[Just Wondering]

It takes everyone to make a track work.

Look at the likes on Facebook,

Question, where were those people on Saturday night at J Town.

Motor Drome has been open for years with less than average car counts

How long does a track have to be open for racers to support it.

 

I've said this before, if don't support your local track you will read about them in Lost Speedways.

Edited by Just Wondering, 21 March 2015 - 03:56 PM.

[RocketChassis#1]

I said this on Facebook and I'll say it here. Jennerstown was closed for 5 years, while Motordrome was shakey for at least that long. Most of the asphalt racers are running "older" equipment because they don't know if there is going to be a place to run tomorrow.Like Walt says, it's going to take someone who is willing to lose money for several seasons, maybe 5 years or so and prove there here to stay. This needs to happen at either at one or both tracks, (Jennerstown and Motordrome). Short track racing is not as strong as it was a decade ago. Look at the local dirt track scene, and you'll see big problems. Even being in for the long haul right now doesn't mean it's going to be successful.

[Racefan68x]

 :its amazing. I went to modvale speedway in ohio. less than a 2hr drive from Pittsburgh,  they had full fields in every division even the superlates. plus they were running b  mains for some of the divisions. maybe talk to them and find out what they are doing different than up here.

Edited by Racefan68x, 21 March 2015 - 04:51 PM.

[Racefan68x]

sorry I meant to say midvale

[TCM29]

I got a chance to see some new pavement tracks in MI and IN over the past several years when my son was working as a tech man for Must See super modifieds. Believe me, all tracks are struggling, but a few like Kalamazoo and Toledo are getting by as that has been their venue for many years, kind of like sprints are to Central PA. Pavement racing in our area was already in a state of decline, and the years that J'town was mothballed only sealed their fate. Mr. Wimer is correct; it would take a massive amount of money and time with no guarantee it would ever come back to where it was. You can't run a track with only 5-10 late models, or in Lake Erie's case, none at all.

[RocketChassis#1]

It takes everyone to make a track work.

Look at the likes on Facebook,

Question, where were those people on Saturday night at J Town.

Motor Drome has been open for years with less than average car counts

How long does a track have to be open for racers to support it.

 

I've said this before, if don't support your local track you will read about them in Lost Speedways.

While Facebook and Social Media are great new PR tools, they are no guarantee that people will be in the stands. Likes on Facebook are worth about as much as Monopoly money. Jennerstown was closed for 5 years, whatever crowd they had then has moved on to other things. Whatever management might take over would have to work hard to get those people back, if they ever would come back. Motordrome has been on shakey ground since Red Miley passed on. Racers didn't know if they would have a place to race at or not, one year to the next. Solid, long term management is what might save both tracks.The bad thing is it may already be too late for both places.

[Skull]

The folks that were taking Jennerstown over last year seemed to have a solid, enthusiastic business model and schedule. What happened? Did they even hold any events last season?

Edited by Skull, 21 March 2015 - 10:27 PM.

[racer111]

You guys are all correct...I love asphalt, but the reason no one is buying new equipment or even scarfing up the old stuff is because week to week they may have no where to run...don't know much about Midvale, but I bet they didn't close down for five years and try to reopen...possibly the place hasn't changed hands a bunch of times such as Clearfield...even Concord Speedway in NC only runs a few classes now...not sure if it is because that's all they want to run or economics...would have to research the reason there.

[manny]

put dirt back on it and bring in the sprints and late models or close it forever.

[Benny K]

Jennerstown raced last year. Car count wasn't great but they have a 2015  tentative schedule posted on their website.

[RocketChassis#1]

On Facebook the owner of the property, (Dave Wheeler), had posted the deal with the people that ran it last year fell thru. It does say he is trying to find someone else to run it. So I would say that schedule is worthless right now. Jennerstown and Motordrome did poorly on getting info out as far as results, etc. While they may have done some advertising in there immediate areas, I would say a lot of people in the Pittsburgh area didn't even know they were running. A website isn't everything.

[RocketChassis#1]

Returning the racing surface at either to dirt isn't the answer either. Where would the cars come from? What nights would you run? All this would do is possibly split the fields up further at the existing dirt tracks. The asphalt guys all have asphalt equipment. Maybe some stock/e-mod classes could/would run dirt, but what about the lates? Those guys would likely sell what they have, but would they invest in dirt equipment? I'd suspect a lot will just quit the sport.

[racer111]

Some people their answer to everything is, "Put dirt on it." That is definitely NOT the answer to the worlds problems...

[Skull]

Some people their answer to everything is, "Put dirt on it." That is definitely NOT the answer to the worlds problems...

I'm a dirt racing fan to my core, however, in this instance, I agree. Right now, with the state of racing, returning either one or both tracks to dirt are additional expenses that new owner/operators just can't absorb. Besides, going to dirt doesn't necessarily guarantee success for either track. I think it's safe to say the forces that made Jennerstown turn the track to asphalt in the first place wouldn't permit a return to dirt.

If you want to blame anyone for the downfall of Motordrome as a once great dirt track, blame Bruce Rhinehart. He's the clown that skipped town with the drivers point fund which then lead to the sale of the track by Butch Overly to the ownership group that included Dan White and, I believe, Bob Arsenberger. They then paved it, and had a pretty good thing going until the Mileys bought it. Were have we heard that story before?

Anyway, both tracks should still be viable asphalt facilities had they continued to be operated correctly, including continuing cooperation. Unfortunately, neither of those things happened, and I don't think there is any recovery in the distant future.

[Just Wondering]

Dave Wheeler just posted on J Town  FB group page about talking to someone about running the track on a limited schedule this year.

 

Hey!!  Mr. Wheeler, it's next year now.

[Crusty1]

Racefan 68x
Good tech, fair pay back thru the field,good food
Thats the reason Midvale has a good car count with a good fan base.

[manny]

Some people their answer to everything is, "Put dirt on it." That is definitely NOT the answer to the worlds problems...

you're right. putting dirt on everything will not solve anything. this is an example of the world we live in. things have changed and not for the better. nothing is as good as it used to be.