46 replies to this topic

[FanJim24]

Unlike most of his board, I can get down with asphalt racing from time to time, especially supermodifieds and NASCAR/RoC style modifieds. It's really kind of a shame that asphalt racing doesn't really have any interest in this area. I'd love to see it somehow have a resurgence or something, but even dirt tracks these days find themselves struggling to get fans and cars. I can't see any resurgence happening any time soon.

Maybe it is a shame, but every asphalt race I've been to as far back as I can remember, (including dirt-asphalt mix hard surfaces that drive like pavement) have been one groove follow/wreck the leader fests.  I don't see a reason to be interested.  

[The Legend]

I love how broke people spend other people's money lol lol lol " if only a guy who's super loaded is willing to buy motordrome and make it look like Bristol and willing lose his ass for 10 years in my uneducated having never ran a business opinion they would make a killing " lol lol lol . There's a reason you wizards of smart don't have the money to do that ..... It's because you have assanine ideas like that !!! Guys with money aren't retarded and won't spend 20 mil to make 20 dollars 10 years from now ....

[BaconBits]

Maybe it is a shame, but every asphalt race I've been to as far back as I can remember, (including dirt-asphalt mix hard surfaces that drive like pavement) have been one groove follow/wreck the leader fests.  I don't see a reason to be interested.  

 

I've been to plenty of asphalt races that were entertaining enough. Asphalt races aren't as "exciting" as dirt races, they're different and more nuanced. It takes a different driving style and a capload more patience.

 

Unless we're talking supermodifieds. If you like speed, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything fast, except for maybe those winged 410 sprints on pavement that they race up in Michigan and down in Florida.

[flash49]

I, too, enjoy asphalt racing.  At the old Heidelberg Raceway, there were always plenty of passing.  The winged super modifieds at Oswego put on one hell of a show, rarely does the winner come from the front row.  If Motordrome didn't run Friday night opposite Lernerville, I would go there more often.  The last super modified show at Motordrome had the winner coming from the twelfth starting spot. 

[BUTTBEAK]

Whom owns  Motordrome Speedway?

I''ve been out of the loop of things there for many years, haven't been there since it was dirt.....and likely won't be unless it was dirt again.

With that, if it was dirt, they would likely have to run Saturday or Sunday, You just can't compete with Lernerville on Friday and not realistically expect to struggle for a dedicated weekly car and fan base.

[BUTTBEAK]

 

I think this is from the internet so it has to be true.

 

Reuters March 3, 2016, New Castle PA:

 

An unnamed western PA racing series has aquired backing to purchase oval pavement racings Motordrome Speedway and Jennerstown Speedway in western PA , along with Erie Speedway in northwestern PA.  The thee tracks are expected to become the northern venue, racing a new Chevrolet, Crate Engine, race car.   It's rumored an eastern Ohio Chevrolet dealer and a Chevrolet dealer in Harrisburg PA have come together to market the new car in the northern portion of the country.  Its appearance will look almost identical to and be similar in size, to NASCAR's next generation race car coming next year.  It's being built by Hendrick Motor Sports in a new plant now under construction behind the museaum at their Complex in Charlotte NC.  Hendricks will market the car in the southeast and southwest.  Drivers racing the car will be the much expected entry level feeder program for NASCAR, with 65% of all NASCAR drivers coming from the new series, within 5 years.  Penske Chevrolet of Cerritos is the Los Angeles Chevrolet, Long Beach and southern California's Premier Dealer, who will market the new pavement car powered by Chevrolet crate racing engines, on the west coast.  Chevrolet offers a variety of sealed factory "crate" racing engines, butt it's not yet known which engine will initially power the new race car.    

 

How about a link to the site of this info, I can't find anything about it.

[BUTTBEAK]

Newest info I was able to  find.

 

http://www.post-gaze...es/201504240150

[pabandit]

I was really looking forward to the ROC race in June.... Oh well!

[Skull]

I love how broke people spend other people's money lol lol lol " if only a guy who's super loaded is willing to buy motordrome and make it look like Bristol and willing lose his ass for 10 years in my uneducated having never ran a business opinion they would make a killing " lol lol lol . There's a reason you wizards of smart don't have the money to do that ..... It's because you have assanine ideas like that !!! Guys with money aren't retarded and won't spend 20 mil to make 20 dollars 10 years from now ....

You mean a retard like Tony Stewart buying Eldora?

[714d]

Tony Stewart buying Eldora is not even comparable to what he said. He bought a successful track that was still in full operation. The thought of "you'd have to be retarded" refers directly to the idea of buying a dead track and losing your ass for 10 years in hopes that SOMEDAY it might turn a profit as suggested above.

[tonyp]

I love how broke people spend other people's money lol lol lol " if only a guy who's super loaded is willing to buy motordrome and make it look like Bristol and willing lose his ass for 10 years in my uneducated having never ran a business opinion they would make a killing " lol lol lol . There's a reason you wizards of smart don't have the money to do that ..... It's because you have assanine ideas like that !!! Guys with money aren't retarded and won't spend 20 mil to make 20 dollars 10 years from now ....

And what about the guys who bought Jennerstown? All well respected, successful long time business owners and in 2015 they bought a track that hadn't run for at least 4 years then opened in 2014 and basically collapsed again under someone else and now it's turning around. Why isn't it possible that people might get involved with owning a track because they enjoy the sport and not only to make money? Just like 99% of all the racers at local tracks who will never make a profit racing, according to you they should all just hang it up right? Since they won't make money at it. I'm not telling anyone how to spend their money, if you want to race, great. If not that's your choice too. Same goes for buying/operating a track.

[The Legend]

And how is jennerstown doing ???? With no other real competition how packed is jennerstown ???

[TCM29]

And how is jennerstown doing ???? With no other real competition how packed is jennerstown ???

Watch how packed it is July 16 for the IMSA super modifieds. 

[The Legend]

What does it cost to get them there ?

[Skull]

Tony Stewart buying Eldora is not even comparable to what he said. He bought a successful track that was still in full operation. The thought of "you'd have to be retarded" refers directly to the idea of buying a dead track and losing your ass for 10 years in hopes that SOMEDAY it might turn a profit as suggested above.

Jon has often suggested that owning a local racetrack, ANY local racestrack is strictly a losing proposition. Although I completely agree that track owners are not getting rich, I also believe that not many people love the sport enough to put up with the headaches for peanut profit. Most of these folks already own other businnesses and I'm sure they know the pain threshold were headache and profit intersect. Point being that if the product is good enough, there is money to be made. Where Jon and I likely disagree is how much.

[pabandit]

And how is jennerstown doing ???? With no other real competition how packed is jennerstown ???

[pabandit]

And how is jennerstown doing ???? With no other real competition how packed is jennerstown ???

[pabandit]

Actually, Jennerstown did pretty well. The last Supercup race they had was one of
the best I saw all year anywhere!

[FanJim24]

Ask Missy Gadina how profitable promoting a track is, in money and appreciation.  She went from camping out at the car shows promoting the track to hanging the for sale sign in about 3 weeks.  You could see that she loved Blanket Hill and was pouring her heart into it, and the drivers turned on her because she wasn't paying tow money for micro track that she was losing money on.  The thing is that she was will to lose money on the track if the drivers would have just raced.

 

You all know that to end up with a small fortune in racing you have to start with a large one.  

Edited by FanJim24, 13 March 2016 - 04:42 PM.

[TCM29]

Given the topic of this thread (asphalt racing), it is quite apparent that this type of racing has certainly suffered a serious decline over the past ten years in Western PA. Jennerstown is the only remaining venue, and from what I have learned, it is being leased by a group of great people that have a genuine interest in keeping the facility in good condition for the betterment of the area, and to uphold their fond memories of what it used to be. I don't think any of the parties intend to lose money, but given the stark reality of short track racing, it is unlikely that things will ever return to the glory days of the 1990's. Pavement racing is fast- dirt people will never admit that the lap times were significantly slower when Sharon went back to dirt, but often the passing is not there and sometimes the races seem boring. I've attended races over 50+ years, and have seen great shows on both, but in recent years I have found that fans want to see real speed and horsepower, and that is why I mentioned the likelihood of a strong crowd at the scheduled ISMA show in July.  As far as opening a race track, it's certainly not where I would put my (first) dollar.