Now what are we supposed to do? It's not easy to find a track that runs a heat or two and then spends the next hour working the track. But there's always hope.
Sportsman Speedway closed
Started by TUNACAN, Dec 30 2015 10:00 PM
46 replies to this topic
#21
Posted 01 January 2016 - 07:28 PM
#23
Posted 02 January 2016 - 10:39 PM
Does anyone see a move toward afternoon races? Years ago when I ran karts, it was nothing to tow 3-4 hours away. The races started around 1-2, and you were still home at a decent time. Obviously tracks were short on lights, and had fewer fans. Looking ahead, if the average racer is towing 3-4 hours away, the chances that his or her fans following religiously are slim.
Food for thought, as tracks evolve, so will everything else that follows.
#24
Posted 03 January 2016 - 08:43 AM
Afternoon racing only works for paved tracks and they are all but dead in the western PA area!!
Walt
#25
Posted 03 January 2016 - 09:36 AM
Does anyone see a move toward afternoon races? Years ago when I ran karts, it was nothing to tow 3-4 hours away. The races started around 1-2, and you were still home at a decent time. Obviously tracks were short on lights, and had fewer fans. Looking ahead, if the average racer is towing 3-4 hours away, the chances that his or her fans following religiously are slim.
Food for thought, as tracks evolve, so will everything else that follows.
I agree with Walt on this one. Less is more, IMO. Four divisions or less, start on time, keep the show moving with no intermissions and get the people on the road by ten. Consider that stick and ball sports are over, on average, in 3 to 3 and a half hours or less. There is no reason other than Mother Nature, a serious accident or equipment failure to keep someone from seeing their favorite driver run their feature at 12:30 a.m.
#27
Posted 03 January 2016 - 09:01 PM
Walt,
I agree with you on the four class rule in the last 20 years I have watched the transformation of racing take a step back I have missed only a handful of events at Mercer in that time and the same for the last 10 at Lernerville with Hickory and Tri City as well and observed the stands start to empty out after about 10:30 and only have a very few left until the end.
I hate to admit it but I have a self imposed time of leaving unless there are special circumstances that dictate otherwise and I hear that same song from many other fans ,the expediting of a program is critical to establish a consistent fan base.
I understand everyone needs to race and should have that chance however it should not become a burden to fans with next day obligations .how has this happened in retrospect most of our present owners /promoters have inherited this issue and now must make some hard decisions for their ability to have a chance of keeping the track in operation.
I am only sharing my opinion and observations and realize it may be received in a bad manner and that is not what is intended.
Praying for wise decisions
Bill Beck
#28
Posted 04 January 2016 - 08:29 AM
^well said sir. Looking back to the 80's when I started, MCS had 4 classes, and they pretty much followed expense. Enduro Pure Stocks, Super Stock, Late Model and Modified. Full fields for all classes. That was at a time where one could get their feet wet for a VERY reasonable cost and learn the ropes. Use the same car and make it into a super stock the following year, and finally evolve that stuff onto a Late Model and work in steps. Looking back, it was much more manageable for the driver/owner to afford to move up, or even begin. Many tracks had a Novice class, and just for that reason. To allow new drivers to enter the sport, but once they learned the ropes it was time to move up.
These rules helped introduce new faces into the sport. The FWD cars started out the same way, but once people saw that in order to have fun you needed to start with a much larger budget, that class too has dwindled.
The problem is much larger than the here and now. Given the lack of new involvement, we wont have a sport in 10 years if things don't change.
#29
Posted 04 January 2016 - 11:15 AM
See, I'm the opposite of what I'm hearing from most of you. I leave early if I need to, but I love as much racing as can be squeezed into a program. I enjoy the Stampede--ridiculous amount of racing. I'm glad I was pretty oblivious about Thursday night--I couldn't make it that night. That would have changed things for me. But with not knowing about the death, leaving early for me was not watching the demo derby on Saturday night.
I get that you can't do that every week, but I'm not in a hurry to chop a program either.
My dad drove late models in the early 70's at North Hills, Butler, Mercer, Blanket Hill, and occasionally Tri City. We won the last late model track championship at Blanket Hill.
#31
Posted 04 January 2016 - 02:32 PM
Legend says exactly why our sport is taking a dump. People run those bottom classes now, and for the most part stay there because its what they can afford. Those who can afford are, and those who cant are sponsored by MasterCard and Visa. Go big this year, next year go home. AKA Tax Season Racers AKA 401k cash out racers
#32
Posted 04 January 2016 - 02:57 PM
Everyone wants to mention the 80's and how tracks were packed , back then street stocks were street stocks with home
Made cages welded in and home built motors. Many people had less than 5k in the entire car. If that was still the case car counts would still be solid but it's not . Back then late models were built like tanks and didn't " flex out " in 30 or 40 races back then 23 degree heads with stud girdles and rev kits are what you had ... Not 430's turning 8500+ like now that can't entirely be blamed on the tracks. With the cost of racing today less can afford it so less tracks can be sustained it's basic economics . The strong will survive
Made cages welded in and home built motors. Many people had less than 5k in the entire car. If that was still the case car counts would still be solid but it's not . Back then late models were built like tanks and didn't " flex out " in 30 or 40 races back then 23 degree heads with stud girdles and rev kits are what you had ... Not 430's turning 8500+ like now that can't entirely be blamed on the tracks. With the cost of racing today less can afford it so less tracks can be sustained it's basic economics . The strong will survive
#33
Posted 04 January 2016 - 05:17 PM
Didnt the reopening of Sportsman start with a guy agreeing to a lease, doing some upgrades, and then having the rug pulled out from under him when the owners suddenly decided to open it?
If Glenn could have come up with the money he could have had the race track, his backer to help purchase the track back out on the deal. It was that the inheritance tax or something like that was coming due and they needed to sell the track so they went to uncle Jim and he agreed to purchase the track. They didn't screw Glenn he just couldn't get the money.
#34
Posted 05 January 2016 - 09:18 AM
Read their up yours message on the website...
"During the 7 years that we ran Sportsman's Speedway we were always accommodating with the drivers. They knew they could call us at any time and we always listened to their thoughts and ideas and tried to be fair with everyone. We have heard people ridicule us for the way we did things and that always gave us something to laugh about. If you never owned or operated a race track and had all the responsibilities connected to it, you have no idea what you are talking about. There are lots of tracks out there for sale if you want to find out for yourself."
Any other legitimate business operation that treats customer feedback as "...gave us something to laugh about.", WILL AND DESERVES TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS!!!!
Not sure what has happened to motorsports entertainment in our area but if the facilities continue to operate with this mentality then the writing is on the wall for the future of area motorsports.
#35
Posted 05 January 2016 - 10:07 AM
It really is too bad. The facility had potential, and I think they were trying to make it work.
My dad drove late models in the early 70's at North Hills, Butler, Mercer, Blanket Hill, and occasionally Tri City. We won the last late model track championship at Blanket Hill.
#36
Posted 05 January 2016 - 12:06 PM
False. Glenn was sitting at the track with the check waiting for them to come get it. They had "other priorities" and told him to come the next day. We all knew what that meant...they were going to screw him and they did just that.
#37
Posted 05 January 2016 - 01:04 PM
I have kept this story to myself but now I am going to tell it. A couple of years ago I made the trip to sportsmans and I decided to buy a 50/50 ticket. The Colwell's ran the track and had a couple of family members racing. The one was running a street stock he rolled it on the front stretch. Some of the family members in the stands ran on the track I didn't think that was right leave it to the safety crew. Anyway as they were walking past me the one said to the other well I know where my 50/50 money is going. Now it could of been nothing maybe they were just lucky but it sure makes you think. I have also known of other story's about favoritism at the track.
#38
Posted 05 January 2016 - 02:40 PM
False. Glenn was sitting at the track with the check waiting for them to come get it. They had "other priorities" and told him to come the next day. We all knew what that meant...they were going to screw him and they did just that.
I'd heard from a real reliable source that Glenn got screwed in the deal. I didn't know many details, but he basically lost the money he'd already spent on capital improvements.
#39
Posted 06 January 2016 - 06:43 AM
Mr. Paden leased the track after it had been closed for many years. Cleaned the place, made many improvements. The following year, they wouldn't lease it back. He had a good field of cars, and good crowds in the stands.
#40
Posted 06 January 2016 - 07:30 AM
A " good crowd and field of cars " is one that allows the promoter to make a profit signifigant enough to justify his enormous risk and time invested ..... Can you say with any real certainty this was the case ?? Or let me guess your speculating without any numbers at all
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