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

Unfortunately, Creek County Speedway has closed operations until further notice. There is also one other track that is pending, trying to get more information on it.

Sad deal but this is what it has come to as tracks in this state are in bad shape...

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

I hate to see anyone have to close their doors. Especially a dirt track. I have to say I certainly do not help the dirt track racing scene in Oklahoma. Since the closing of SFS I have been to maybe 4 dirt track races. One at Meeker and three at Creek. I have a hard time going anywhere and watching low car counts of mini stocks, mods, sport mods, fwd, etc... Maybe I am a snob and only like watching sprint cars but what makes my second strike against my support is that I don't care to drive over an hour to a "rinky dink" dirt track to see the show. I guess it just boils down to I miss our freakin track and I haven't gotten over that. Everything else seems half ass to me. I know its wrong but its just how I feel.

Lately I am more in to NHRA top fuel than dirt track stuff and I never thought that would happen. I am just jaded I guess, hopefully it will come around.....

Does anyone think that if the state had only, say, 3 dirt tracks, quality of show and racing would improve? Seems like there are 5 to 6 racing on a weekend and all have mediocre car counts, it seems over saturated and spread too thin and no one is making any money. Just my opinion guys.

"They're steering them sum bi***es with their right 
foot!"

SFSFan,

Come on out to Port City here in Tulsa. You can ask Cody that covers the ASCS2 races that PCR is a very good alternative to Sprint Car Racing. This is the best track to go to and enjoy all aspects of Open Wheel Racing. On the 17th and 18th we will have about 120-180 cars in 4 divisions of all Non Wing action. Our weekly show is every Sat night with 6 divisions with over 120 cars. Come on out and enjoy...

Jeff I'd love to go long with this but I cant lol.

Just while reading your post I as thinking Port, Port, Port and sure enough the Super(s) Tidbits attache was all over it. Jeff - this place is not overrated, not overhyped - it really is the best pure open wheel action I have seen - maybe ever. We know how each other felt about SFS - but man......this place is so condusive to wheel to wheel racing and sliders its unbelievable. I will caution you slightly - if the first time you go you don't like it - make sure to go back in a month or two LOL.

The first time I went was 09's Non Wing Nationals. I didn't like it at all. In hindsight I can see why - the 4 A Main's the night before rained out - they started the show off with these makeup races and then the cautions just started adding up. With so much racing to get done, they couldn't fine tune the track prep - there as no time to. That is another interesting part about Port. A few times I have seen them push the cushion up to the wall by the end of the heats - they go out there and just tear the whole thing back up and water it. How many times at how many tracks did we pray for this? LOL. Anyhow, that first show still had 4 a features to run at 1230am. It was just one of those freak deals - but being that it was my first visit - I just didn't dig it ya know.

I went back for the first ascs2 show ever held at Port - a month or two after my first visit - it was epic! I didn't even have a clue who any of the cars were - the racing was just awesome. All told to date - I have been to 16 shows there - 14 were among the best shows an open wheel fans could hope for. The very first wasn't that great and their opener this year was a struggle (still good racing - just not like the other 14 lol).

How many tracks would love to feature such phenomenal racing as a NORM rather than the exception lol. The place is just freakishly good. My favorite dirt track writer even made it there on his way back from a month long tour on the west coast (Kevin Eckert) - and it was great seeing him post all over facebook that of all the races he saw out there - it was on a stop on his way home to Indiana that he hit this tiny 1/8th mile high banked oval and saw the best racing of his entire trip. And thats just Port City. About 75-80% of the races they have there are of a stunning quality. If you're not happy the first time you go - don't be foolish - make sure you go back. I'm very very glad I went back. It's maybe the one track that really still inspires me in a way SFS did. It's not the same of course. But once you really see it a few times - you can clearly see there is an atmosphere there that is missing at nearly every other track in the state. It means something to run well there. And the stands are usually pakced -- now granted these are not really big stands. But I've met two different couples that come down from central Missouri on a regular basis to watch there. I met them the 2nd time I ever went to Port - they are very very nice people - but I thought they were crazy. By the end of 2010.....I totally understood why lol.

The Non Wing Nationals will be awesome. The 1 time I saw it in 2009 was just a freak night where they really did have too many laps to make up and no time at all to make adjustments to the track. I will say though - that in ANY visit to Port City Raceway....be patient with the Junior Sprints! LOL. More times than not - it is a marathon lol - God Bless the lil warriors. It's fun to watch though, and for those who may not want to - good time catch up with friends and other fans or make a trip to their very quality concession stand.

But yeah it's just one of those rare places (unfortunately rare) where many things come together and it's a great show with a great atmosphere. After a few visits - it's clear to anyone the track is about the raciest track imagineable. Hell dude most outside of the 918 are scared of it (or so i think lol). The cushion there is legendary. And man even the announcing is top quality. Bob Oertle announces there - you would know him as AMP on here - and he's one of the best around. Always on top of the everything and keeps everyone extremely well informed with up-to-date information. Never too much and never too little lol. We've heard some BAD announcers over the years - and also some really good ones.....Bob is firmly one of the best ones I have heard. As opposed to Cowtown Speedway - where we had two championships come down to the final laps (in our ascs2 outlaw and restricted classes) and the announcer wasn't even there. I was close to incensed at that, I just made sure to cover it as well as I could later on. still sore at that lol.

Non Wing Nationals would be a great time to make a first time visit to Port City Raceway. You'll love it. Your family will love it. And the next ASCS2 show there in July will be a GREAT time to make a follow up visit. The ASCS2 show there in July is ALWAYS really good. Our last ascs2 show there a couple weeks ago had the entire place going nuts at the end of the night. It was awesome. And really - if I wasn't 2.5 hours away from it with outrageous gas prices to boot - we would be there every week hands down. I already know you'll like it if you make a couple appearances - let me know if/when you go - Wescoe and I would be happy to make it a fantasy section It's great to still have a track that at the end of the night you're almost bummed that it is over but also near euphoric at the fun just like SFS

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

so much for not going long with it lol

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

Cody & SFSFan

Just to let you all know, I work at Port City in Turns 3&4. For some reason they call me Terry the Tormentor.....I love racing and having fun but take my job very seriously. We all have fun there and the workers all enjoy the racing but we do know how to keep the show moving with so many cars..If you get the chance come see me at intermission. I will be on the front row watching my 2 girls doing the Chicken Dance.

Jeff , which three tracks would you choose to do this at? Remember you got almost 4 bucks a gallon for gas higher for diesel. What really needs to be dome more than anything is get 5 to 6 classes of cars, that might be to many even, and run those and that is it. Same rules same everything, Yes, I know we got the USRA for mods and all those other cars but there is still a slight tweak here or there depending on the track.

If you have seen any of Jd Porters post on his facebook page about his trip to Pa last week then you can see how far behind the tracks in Oklahoma are. Last time I remembered Pa, was still in the same country as Oklahoma. He told me at one of the tracks he was at there was a line of fans waiting two hours to get into a race and this was on a weeknight. He was in awe of how some of the tracks ran their programs. This coming from one of the elders, sorry Jd lol, of Oklahoma racing. Oklahoma has lost great promoters, yes we do still have pretty good ones but in order to be a great promoter you have to be a showman as well. As a whole the whole state is in dire straits as far as racing.

Super, nothing against micros but they are not one of my all time favs. Yes, I know they put on a good show and I know there are some great drivers in the classes. I spent five to six years around micros. So I have had some experience with them and yes I have been to Port, would go up there every-week with the guy I use to help.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands 
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he 
stands at times of challenge and controversy." 
Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Erich Petersen 

Let me add one more thing. In the last Sprint car and Midget magazine. One of the writers was talking about how tracks have lost the fun aspect. He mentioned that tracks have gone into the business of trying to attract the corporate dollars so they are more "professional" in the way they run the tracks. The writer mentioned that the promoters need to go back to having fun at the tracks and that is what will bring back the fans.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands 
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he 
stands at times of challenge and controversy." 
Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Erich Petersen 

I still go the the way 81 Speedway operates things. $9 admission, never dead "over the air" time and Warren Hardy does his best to entertain. The concession prices are family affordable and he is not a happy camper if they are still racing after 10:30 after starting at 7:00 PM. He vowed after the 59 NCRA sprint season opener the lateness would not happen again if he could help it and has adjusted accordingly.

They have company picnic nights at the speedway and intermission (fifteen minutes if that) and bring a couple of race cars out and fans get to be on the front stretch.

By the way, the stands are packed almost every Saturday night (I am told) as they are when NCRA is in town.

Did I mention just $9 to get in and see maybe five divisions?

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

I think that all the tracks in the state should come together and get all the rules in line with each other. I have never understood why the promoters have never seen this as a huge benefit. Then run your weekly shows and you could even run a series amongst all the tracks. I remember the (M.A.P.S) Mid America Promoter Series, right here in oklahoma, and that always had very good car counts and awesome racing. This could be a shot that dirt track racing in Oklahoma needs to get revived!

Ive seen the best and now I can say the worst promoted tracks in the midsouth!!! I know I miss State Fair Speedway!!! I have been to 81 speedway a lot and its always been good racing there, the tracks in southwest missouri are awesome.... I just know if the promoters would come together then it could only be a good thing!!!

just my opinion

Jayson Ellis

I remember the (M.A.P.S) Mid America Promoter Series, right here in oklahoma, and that always had very good car counts and awesome racing. This could be a shot that dirt track racing in Oklahoma needs to get revived!

Hmmmmmm this description seems to describe the OCRS series

Ok, I'll bite.

I have been saying for years that Promoters need to work together, this old crap about, If you wanna run here, You gunna run my rules is not working. Never will work to get Car Counts or Fans in the Stands.

Same goes with Sanctioning Bodies. Times are tough for all, the Racers, the Sanctioning Bodies we all understand that, but when you throw in the local Promoter that wants to dictate his own set of rules it dramatically effects where Racers will go. Most of them will give up and go Fishing and take their family with them.

Like SFSfan said he has turned to other forms of Motor-sports for entertainment, albeit he is a true Sprint car fan. We are losing to many fans and Racers in all classes because of the Bull shit.

We kinda went through this same deal when Tulsa Speedway closed, and since SFS has closed Promoters and Sanctioning bodies feel they have free rein. SFS (Fairgrounds Speedway) was always the flagship of Dirt Car Racing in Oklahoma. (Man I miss Mr. Carson)

Bottom line is Promoters and Sanctioning Bodies need to come together for the good of the sport.

I like this thread. Well, with the exception of the reason it was started. It is nice to have intelligent posts to read for a change. lol.

Cody, I will take you up on the Port City invite sometime soon. I have been to I-44 but to me, the lil cars just dont do it for me (mainly because of the sound and I am more of a high performance deep sounding engine fan) like the big cars do. But, I am all for checking out a new track and seeing this place.

Erich, I really don't know which tracks would be best to have around. My immediate thought would be Meeker, Enid and Lawton. Everytime I drive down May Ave. and look at the "cemetery" I think, "man, that would be a hell of a place for the city to build a track, it would fit perfectly!" But I know that isn't happening.

Honestly, I am more apt to go to Devils Bowl twice a year than go anywhere else. I like what Mark is doing in Meeker and that really seems like a great place to go. It's Meeker and it is about an hour and a half from my house so for me and my family it just doesn't work out as often as it should. My Dad and I talk about how it's only been two years since the closing of Fairgrounds Speedway so of course the state of racing is somewhat chaotic. It will take a few years for things to even out and who knows what the future holds, maybe someone or some city will build a metro area racing facility and we will have 45 to 60 sprinters every week again. I miss the old days.

"They're steering them sum bi***es with their right 
foot!"

Make sure you bring extra burritos as well. Brandon needs that little push to break though.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands 
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he 
stands at times of challenge and controversy." 
Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Erich Petersen 

If you have 15 or more Sprints that is $600 to win so come on out and race, and Brandon we have 5 straight 2nds with a bad car, so hope to have a break thru this week also, car is at the shop getting worked on by Curtis & Jeff should be good to go this time around.

Danny Waller Jr.
Pro/Street Stock #1J
2006-2007-2009-2010-2011-2012 6 Time BMS Pro/Street Stock 
Champion
4 Time BMS Fall Nationals Champion
2 Time BMS Spring Nationals Champion
Driver: Johnny Reed Jr.

I really think that it is very hard to compare PA tracks to OK tracks.

Oklahoma is the 19th largest state by area at 68,679 sq miles and Pennsylvania is the 32nd largest at 44,820, and with gas prices the way they are and OK being 35% larger, it will cost you more to travel to some tracks depending on where you live in the state.

As well if you look at the 2009population figures put Oklahoma at 3.6 million and Pennsylvania at 12.6 million. With Oklahoma only having 28% the number of people that Pennsylvania has, I think the promotors here in Oklahoma are doing good just to get by.

So are you saying promoters are doing a good job? Everyone is hurting one way or the other rather it be gas money, cost to get in etc etc.

Do not promoters in Pa have to attract fans to their tracks? Do not promoters have to keep those fans coming back. Do not they have to find ways to attract new fans?

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands 
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he 
stands at times of challenge and controversy." 
Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Erich Petersen 

which is even more reason for them all to come together and get the same set of rules for every track. I'm sure if changes arent made then we probably havent seen the last of the closings. I wish everybody the best of luck and hope that all the tracks can come together. Can anyone tell me one bad thing that could come from all the tracks under one set of rules???

Jayson Ellis