Forum: Oklahomatidbits.com General Forum (go)
Moderators:  /  David Smith Jr

I really dont listen to rumors but this one caught my ear... I cant remember the last time that rain on Friday cancelled the Saturday races at Enid Speedway park.... can anyone?

These are some tough economic times but the car counts are unbelievably low at Enid Speedway Park!!! I believe the only class thats had more than 10 cars is the sportmods...

The last time they raced they were making up an unfinished night and had over 30 sportmods that put on one heck of a show. My only problem was if you wanted to watch all of the races it cost double to the fans because they said they were putting on two shows. I have never seen a track use its fans this way. I guess its not hard to see why they are having the difficulties that they are in Enid...

As for the last rain out... I dont believe for one second that rain on friday cancelled the races for saturday night. I believe that racing at Enid Speedway is all but over. This track needs someone with fresh air and new thoughts to promote it back into the lime light. I have attended races here since 1975 and I have never seen it this bad. I attended once this year and was overtaken on how bad its being run. Im not taking cheap shots at the promoters here, Im just calling it like I see it. It was really good racing, the officials looked mass confused everytime they had to get a lineup reset. The pits and stands havent been that empty since the great depression (remember there were 2 shows). I would hope that the promoters took this weekend (so called rainout) and put some serious thought into getting Enid Speedway Park back where it belongs. This is a wonderful track and has a decent grandstands and clean bathrooms and one racey track!!!!

What has happened in the last 2 years to hurt this speedway?

No one should ever bash Jimmy Minter for he defends this track tooth and nail, Im sure that Im going to it from him but dang it Jimmy, it should be a lot better at Enid Speedway!!!

Jayson Ellis

All I was trying to do was give a view on why we havnt gone this year! Enid is the second closest track {next to SFS} to me but it dosent hold much appeal. Alot of the issues come from the people remaing, the people that have gone, have gone. I slam SFS on the Mod and my car dosent go back, people that slam the track they support and go week after week is a bigger problem than people that just leave. I know alot of you want Enid to keep runnung but it seems like it's been the snowball effect and it just keep gettin bigger. I know one thing for sure if the teams that run there every week keeps puttin it down it will go down and leave very little reason for other Drivers to go race there!

"Racing is an Addiction cured by Poverty"         
BOBCAT

bobcat,

I understand what you are saying... After seeing it firsthand myself, I think Enid needs a change!!!

Its just my opinion and we all know how opinions go....lol

Truly, it was sad to see the stands and the pits that empty... they gave away 39.00 in the 50/50 that night and I bought 5.00 worth of tickets. With a facility that is this good, its a damn shame!!!!

All I will say on this... will see what others think

Jayson Ellis

With all do repect for the Moderator I dont see how we just "Quit Talkin about Enid". He's not Obama but he dose have the power to pull the plug at anytime. Websites are for gathering Info and Enid is info but people that start false rumors and try to intentually try to ruins someones buss. should have the plug pulled. Aparrently he's rethought that statement anyway cause that too was pulled. Again I wish Enid the best of Luck in the future and gets back on a "Great Track"!

"Racing is an Addiction cured by Poverty"         
BOBCAT

so much for being able to speak our mind on the forum....

whats next????????????

NO MORE TAXES

Jayson Ellis

Thanks man. Now that is the kind of feedback we need.

JIMMY MINTER 'AKA'dirtrack234                  
Yesterday 
is history, 
tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift. That is 
why they call it the present.

I was simply making an observation from my experience this year and must say that I stand with what I say 100% !!!!

Jayson Ellis

Hypocrit, That is the word that comes to mind when I read this post.

Jaydad, are you the only one entitled to an opinion? I posted mine months back about the TMS race and you drug me through the mud.

by all means drag me through the mud....

as was the case then, you were allowed to state your opinion. Have yourself a good day

Jayson Ellis

The deal is, you can delete or posts on here and whatever else but you cant stop word of mouth and the radio talk show we have here. We our entitled to our own opinions (its a constitutional ammendment).

Im not bad mouthing our track or Lonnie. For the most part they do a great job running the track. You can ever please everyone. What im mad about is all the rainouts. I guess races anymore just isnt how it was when i helped my dad and when i first started. We would park outside the track and still have the races and with all do respect maybe thats not possible anymore with the fairboard maybe not alowing it

I havent been to Enid this year, i went there last year and the car counts was low when i went. And i used to be around Enid every year in the 80's and the 90's when my dad was head scorer i would go every saturday night with him and sit in the pressbox and watch the races Man, remember even when the winternationals would have no less than 50 cars a class, And there werent that many out of towners who would come in makes me sad to know that one of the two tracks i grew up at is going down.

David Foley

David Foley

"Just let me make it to the Dirt Track.. Truck then u 
can break down!!!"

Where do you start with the problems there? They have totally destroyed any big shows; I have been to many tracks in the US but, I have never been treated as I was last year at one of your last big shows? Everyone knows that the rules are not the same for out-of-town cars, & that track is going to try it's hardest to let a car involved with someone at the track go to victory lane. We are all just sittin back laughin now!! You guys got the first one but guess who gets the last one!!

Later

ok I'm kind of gonna weigh in lol

I have been under the impression that the lease - or whatever is paid to the Fair Board - has been doubled or worse. Several have been under this impression. I think I remember even seeing it on here. So if I am wrong fellas - please by all means correct me. Because my opinion is largely based on that.

Maybe this Lonnie fella has made some people mad - maybe he isnt that good of a promoter - I just dont know. But I know enough that if he all of a sudden had to pay more/double - what he has in the past to run that racetrack.......what was to be expected?

If he was put in that situation - hell no you can hardly consider runnin special events or NCRA. Thats like tying someone down and tellin them to jump. That would change everything. If this was the case - then he would have to run a full season gettin all the same numbers (pit and fan turnout) all year as he has had in years past - and yet not turn much a profit.

If the promoter(s) was put in this situation - then I feel that should be considered before throwing him/them under the bus. If this was the case financially - Enid would have had very little room for error - very little room to operate.

I find it ironic all the swirl about them having single digit car counts. I was at Meeker on May 9th and they had single digit car counts too. But yet people spoke highly of that show - I guess maybe its something in the water?

Keep in mind - I am delivering this opinion under the NOTION that the promoter(s) had to pay a lot more to operate the track this year than they did last year. If that is incorrect - I would appreciate knowing so I am not under that impression anymore. Being under that impression - I'm scratching my head at much of what is being posted. Please respectfully correct me if I am wrong.....

How much would could a wouldchuck chuck if a 
wouldchuck could chuck would

The rent has raised 2 or 3 times in the past 3 years or so. They have dont alot of things to improve our track here like paving the spot where the water hole is and new gas tanks new pit boards, walls around the porta-pots, list goes on. Maybe im just a little whinning baby but MY OPINION i thought it was nice enough to race sat. I dont run the track so i dont know how it was. I do find it funny the people that complain about Jonny or whoever from last year. When you have rules you have to enforce them or why have them. Everytime Jonny had to take the emods to the barn he was a no good S.O.B.

Dustin,

Milt and I heard the same crap about Johnny last year but we was always glad to be in the barn, it usually meant that we had another good finish. Its my experience, if they are complaining about the rules and going to the barn that there is something that particular driver/owner doesnt want to be found. I seen Johnny make some tough calls last year but if its illegal then its illegal and it shouldnt matter where your from!!! As for the track, I wont make any more assumptions, I just hope that it can get back where it was not so long ago!!!

JMO

Jayson

Jayson Ellis

The fairboard has let Garfield county tax payer's down in my opinion. The truth to the matter of raising the promoter's fee's is, they did. I've heard it was 25% over last year which would bring it in around $1,200 a night. That's not the problem Enid's facing. The problem is the $30 pit pass, drop in payout for the best class they have going, racing at a place where your made to feel you don't matter, no promotion of the track locally at all.

If Charles Lupi or C Ray where to come to Enid it would be back to the old days in my opinion.

The fairboard needs to let the promoter have the concessions back (for a weekly fee) instead of the way they operate it now. You can't buy hardly anything after the feature's have started.

The raise in the pit pass is what hurts most of us. The tracks insurance cost them a set amount every night and it's not based on how many bodies are in the pits. We used to bring 4 to 5 guys a night with us when it was $20. I wouldn't mind paying $30 for the driver and car but give the pit guys a break and you'll see allot more people in the pits.

Give some of the out of town cars a couple of free pit passes if they come to race. Give the locals guys a free pit pass if they have more than 4 paid people with a car. Try something instead of nothing.

JMO

Mark

You don't know how close you are. Thanks. The biggest reason is the fair board. If everyone has noticed that has raced at Enid this year you have been treated good. We just need the cars to show up and give just one try if you don't like it fine but give it a try. But like you said and I have noticed from other tracks they don't have there past car counts also. I know every time I say something good about Enid there are some out there that will trash what I say, they do it eveytime. I was asked to just leave these 'not this one' alone but you made such a good point I had to say something. But I will do my best not to reply to negitve replys because all it will do is get more crap started. We are off this weekend then were back on track on the 30th and I know alot of the sport mods will be gone the next two weeks with the NCRA show. Good luck to you guys and the cars that show up here. Thanks again for your post it is a great one that has alot of truth to it.

JIMMY MINTER 'AKA'dirtrack234                  
Yesterday 
is history, 
tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift. That is 
why they call it the present.

The problem the track is running into, is the current state of the economy. Right now, more than ever, the track needs to compete for the "entertainment dollar" with other businesses within the community. Right now Enid is probably averaging 125 paid people in the grandstands at $10 per person, which equals $1,250 for tickets paid to get into the grandstands. There are alot of things people can do in this town for $10 or less per person. So what about this idea. What if they charged $5 per person in the grandstands with kids under 10 getting in free with an adult. With this, if you only get 300 people, you come out ahead of what you are currently making. Who knows, with proper advertising, you may even get over 1000 people. The days of telling people about the races and expecting them to be there are over for now. Now, you have to give people a reason to show up and I think $5 tickets would be a good enough reason to come to the races. People in the Enid area like the races, its just that for some, $10 per person is to much for the way the economy is. Just my opinion.

Darin Busch