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

Wouldn't you rather race against Clinton Co. than Port Royal?

I don't know but how many fans do you expect to watch limited late models and 305s on a big half mile on a Friday night? Now if your talking running 410s on Fridays that's a whole other problem running against the Grove. If the Grove switches to big events only you might have something but how many of their fans do you expect to switch to Selinsgrove? Probably not enough to make it work. Remember Silver Springs when they closed half the fans and teams stopped going altogether.

And now that half goes shopping instead. 

You didn't comprehend what I wrote. I said run the same schedule as Port Royal and alternate the 305's and Limited Late Models. Meaning on Friday , Run the 410's , Super Lates and 305's on the same weekend as Port would run 410's , Supers and Limited LM. Then the next week the classes for each track would reverse. Alternating and working together.

Something simialr to that , but working together as much as possible.

What about running against the Grove on Fridays?

Selinsgrove & Port Royal tried to do this a couple years ago with Late Models. It was the Moon Shine Camo/ Sirphis Route 35 Challenge it lasted about 2 years before it died. 

Back when they tried it before , it was an issue. I don't think it would be any more. Not many Port Royal 410's go to the Grove anymore , and I know some that do now, would rather race someplace else. The other 3 classes wouldn't be an issue. I think a lot of Port fans that used to go to the Grove would support Selinsgrove too. Plus the LM / 305 fan base would be good. I know it would be a risk , but I'm thinking it would work (better than anything else they have going). Shortening the track a bit would also be a big plus.

So did Moonshine Camo.

I agree shortening the track would be a huge help. I'm just not sure there's enough cars and fans to support two tracks on Fri nights in central Pa.

Agreed on both. It's more than 2 tracks when you consider Clinton County and Big Diamond aren't far from Selinsgrove. There's also Bedford that races SLM's on Friday night. Shortening the track I think might help and possibly open the avenue for an affordable headline division that currently could use a permanent home - wingless sprints. It would also help draw cars should they try running 360/358's again. Any new promoter is going to be in for a challenge. 2 major problems right now are the cost of racing any division and the fact that the fan base is growing old and young people just aren't into it like we were when we were young. The days of every corner garage and every car dealership owning a car, and a mile long line to get in the gate at 5 on a Saturday are long gone. Look at the stands at any central PA track and there's not many young people. This is a big problem. 

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There are 2 tracks in central PA racing 410's on Saturdays now, it doesn't seem to be a problem. There are MANY 410's sitting at home on Friday nights for whatever reasons. Late Models only have Bedford on Friday nights . There are very few central PA Late Models that travel out there. There are ALWAYS plenty of 305s to go around. Limited Late Models always seem to get a full field at whatever tracks they are at. I'm just trying to think of whats best to keep Selinsgrove afloat. All everyone else wants to do is talk the negative. Anyone else have any ideas or not?

In my earlier post I brought up a special event only schedule. Believe me I want the place to survive I just don't know if going head to head against the Grove is the answer. It was said it was tried before well I bet there was more teams and die hards around then to pool from.

As a long time Pa Posse fan, I agree 100%. It always cracks me up with all The Grove bashing. As a fan sitting on a key board, going head to head against The Grove sounds great. But it has been tried before without much sucess. I doubt it would work in today's world.

I've been going to the Grove regulary for over 50 years. Back when Selinsgrove tried running against them the last time, the Grove was THE place to be . It was impossible to do. Everyone knows that the Grove doesn't draw the cars or the crowd as it once did. There are very few cars that even race there every week. Back then there were MANY. I think now is the best possible time for somebody to try running Friday nights. 

I'm a long time season ticket holder. I'm not bashing the Grove . I just know it's not what it once was , and now is the best time for Selinsgrove to get a fresh start and give Friday nights a try.

I get what you are saying and I've been going to these tracks before I could walk. But I don't see a scenario with Selinsgrove trying to run Fridays against the Grove till something changes there. The Grove not being "the place to be" is the problem. The fan base is old everywhere that needs to change. We need more fans at the tracks. Imo we need to fix what we have not expand.

We can discuss all we want about the best way to reopen the speedway even IF there was a rich person willing to do it but the fact is that it's November 1st and not a single boot has been on the speedway grounds in many months. Schedules are being released and not a thing has been done down there. Unfortunately they're toast. (IMO)

I don't know much about Selinsgrove but all I've heard is the fair board are a bunch of jackasses. 2 things kill race tracks more than anything else. 1) a community that doesn't want the track there and 2) jackass fairboard members/track operators. Seems like Selinsgrove is plagued by number 2. 

Yep, you described Bloomsburg Raceway and Selinsgrove Speedway exactly. Both gone. 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15BaeJGBem/

New group at Selinsgrove Speedway. I don't expect them to be around long unless they bring someone with a lot of money to make huge changes and upgrade the facilities.