Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

     I'm 1100 miles from PA racetracks. Can someone please explain why Port Royal is such a polarizing subject on this forum?

Same reason Knoxville....Jackson Motorplex......and Husets/Badlands is on theirs.......seeing as how this forum also reaches them (of course) and they too are then 1100 miles away. Ya only want news and chat from your backyard? I don't.

Short answer? People have different opinions on topics.

I don’t think it’s all that polarizing. You have one guy the board likes to pick on for always harping on track conditions. You have the occasional nonsense about it being the best dirt track in the history of the world, and most people are amazed that a track that was Central Pa’s eyesore has become its finest facility.

Yep.... one guy is obsessed with lap times. Most other fans seem to want competitive racing

Port Royal is my home track. Always will be. I've been going there since I was 2 years old and up until recently, I rarely missed a 410 show there. The current promoter and his team have done an outstanding job in turning the facility around. Just about everything from the lights to the foodstands have been revamped and updated. Track prep is where they lose me personally. It's usually dry as a bone and slick unless it rains (like it did this past Wednesday) and I'm not a fan of that. They also absolutely refuse to leave a nice cushion build. If it starts to build one, they will be on the track with trucks beating it to a pulp as soon as they get a chance. Even when the track is dry and the cushion is already on the fence, they'll still go out and kill it. I'm a fan of sprint cars getting a little bit of bite, not floating through the corners like they're floating on air running half speed. That said, Port is still a great place to catch a race and I still enjoy going there despite all that. I just don't go as much as I used to. I spend a lot more time at Lincoln on Saturday nights than I used to even though Port is much closer to me. Some of the Port Royal faithful, as dsc1600 said, really like to exaggerate how good Port is and even the announcer at Port often uses victory lane interviews to try and get the drivers to give them compliments. It's a good track no doubt but some people put it on a pedestal above all others and that is simply inaccurate. 

Pretty much.

A

Port Royal is a spectacular track, but like others have said people go a little overboard about how spectacular it is. The racing is great, sometimes, and at least good most of the time. Facility wise there isn't a track in PA that can begin to compare IMO. Port has the best track layout from the pits to the stands and everything in between.

Racing wise, there are a few tracks that are generally either as racey, or more racey than Port Royal on a regular basis but obviously fall behind facility wise. I think it shouldn't be polarizing, I think we should be thrilled to have multiple tracks that a case can be made for being so great. But I'm at Lincoln more often than not, if I was closer to Port I would be at Port more often than not. The tracks are so close that distance from my house is often the deciding factor.

As far as people going overboard, one example just happened recently. After Saturday's race at Port which was good but in my opinion, not nearly the barn burner some people professed it to be, I don't know how many people I saw that proclaimed it race of the year. Now I am fully aware that the whole "good race/bad race" thing is in the eye of the beholder but just the night before, Lance Dewease held of Danny Dietrich and Greg Hodnett with the top wing falling off to win at Williams Grove. One of the most spectacular things I've ever seen. Port was a good Saturday but lets face it, what happened at Williams Grove the night before was as unique and legendary as it gets. Let's reverse the roles. If Port Royal's exact race happened at Williams Grove the night before and the race that happened at Williams Grove happened at Port Saturday, what would those same people think? We all know how that would go. Overall, my favorite race during Speedweek was at Selinsgrove. Rarely do you see 2 guys battle that hard for the lead carrying that kind of speed for almost half the race but what Lance did Friday is the kind of thing legends are made of.

How about the view and surface at Selinsgrove? Moving the pits outside was a great call. It's like having a new track in the area!

Tower is still in the center, but trailers outside is a big step forward.

Hell, DD and Larson at Lincoln was a hell of a race too. The hype for Port is a bit much as a PA local. 

Yea, that race was excellent. I went to first 4 Speedweek races, they were all entertaining except the opener at Williams Grove.

Seems like every area has its controversy, in the Great Plains its all about Husets/Badlands.  But the fans seem pretty happy in Indiana & Ohio.....

Totally. I made the same comment. I used to go there and get the same exact seats each time because they provided about the least obstructed view out of all the non reserved seats. I got there early Sunday and just checked out seats in different areas to see the view. Great move on their part. That was the number one issue I heard people bring up regarding Selinsgrove.

So where would that place you? 

Great Plains somewhere?

     10 miles southwest of Husets Speedway

Just like every speedway they have great shows and at times they have not so great. This years Speedweek finally had no rainouts, had hot weather which hurt a bit. I think all the track are very good, but my issue with Port is how they troll for comments, retweet every word tweeted unless it isnt positive. We all know hoe Port has rebuilt the facility: new surface, new fences, new seats, new lights, but does every drive there have to be asked how great it is?

Agreed. Been saying it for years now. At first I thought it was just me but then I've heard a lot of other people make the same comments. They definitely crave attention.

That's mostly just Brouse. The guy acts like he's never missed a race in the history of Port Royal speedway but before he became Port's announcer, he was Selisngrove's media guy for decades. Aside from that, there's no doubt that the transformation of Port Royal over the last 5 years is very impressive - the seating, pits, lighting, guard rails, widening the turns - pretty much everything, including the track surface(YES IMO it is good much more often than not) and lastly but not leastly - the schedule and purses! More big paying races is always a great thing. $51,000 for this years Tuscarora is fantastic! Even with all that, it's still a big strung out 1/2 mile motor track of which we have too many in PA. I will say it's the best 1/2 mile in PA, all things considered. 

A

Thanks Murph!

"hot weather".... no kidding

It dawned on me sitting at Lincoln, broiling, with the sun in my eyes, that they should reverse pits & stands (not that it will ever happen) The shade from that big line of trees by the haulers looked SO inviting....

I'm one of the few who never wears a baseball cap, but bought one (Lance!) just to keep the sun out of my eyes (& i was wearing shades!)