Forum: Northern California Sprint Car (go)
Moderators: StuDeedooo

According to the Weekly Calistogan Mike Kenny is retiring after 24 years of service as the Napa County fair manager. Good luck in your retirement

I recognize that Mike Kenney is a polarizing individual and I can't say that I have agreed with everything he has done. This is said from the perspective of having to work with him personally on a few occasions. What needs to be said, and more importantly, is that we all need to be thankful for what Mike has endured, the fights that he has fought, and for those that he has won just to give us the amount of racing that we do have at Calistoga Speedway. Few people outside the immediate area understand the true economics of the town and area. In fact I need to thank Mike for explaining it to me so clearly approximately 13 years ago. There will be some out there who will utter a quiet "good riddance" but I will take this opportunity to say that they do so only from a position of pure ignorance. I will be among the first to wish Mike Kenney best wishes, thank him for his good work, and reflect on the past 20 years of my life that involve the Napa County Fairgrounds. I hope my sense of concern for the future of racing at Calistoga Speedway is wrong in the "post Kenney" era.

Link to article: http://www.weeklycalistogan.com/articles/2008/02/28/news/local/doc47c65ce7d9ddb594893629.txt

The first time I went to the races at Calastoga I couldn't stop thinking how in the hell do they get away w/ racing sprint cars smack-dab in the center of THIS town?! I don't know Mike, I've heard mixed reviews but the fact that he kept the track going in the center of that yuppie village is nothing short of amazing. I hope the next guy has the same juice.....we need that track.

I'd like to thank Mike Kenney...Not only for the years of service operating California's only remaining true half mile, but for bringing back non wing sprint cars for the first time since 1984. That is my #1 "can't miss" show of 2008. I can't wait...

Dean Mills

We thank you Mike for your years of service and for what you have most certainly contributed to racing. Calistoga is the most beautiful track we have in California. You will be missed. It has indeed been a great pleasure working for and with you for many years.

Over a 20 year period the only 'Stoga shows I missed shooting were when they started the 360 races. We only missed those because it was when we were in Skagit for the Dirt Cup.

In all those years, it was a pleasure to work with Mike. He has a unique sense of humor. He would frequently try putting me on the spot for some pretend offense with the most serious expression on his face. In actuality, he NEVER refused any request I presented to him. He was always busy at one crisis or other but would take a minute when I needed to get something done to be ready for the show. In a nut shell, Mike always made me feel Quality Race Video was something of value at his track. When we decided to hang it up last year I had a brief phone conversation with Mike and he again thanked me for what we had accomplished and asked me to be sure and drop in when ever I was in town. I didn't get the same feeling of support from all the tracks that we ran at!

I first met Mike when he was at Kings Speedway. He ran that track with the same honesty as 'Stoga.

Don't forget. Running the track was pretty much second to all a fair board manager has on his plate during the whole year.

As they say, "all good things must come to an end." I hope Mike enjoys his retirement as much as he deserves it!

So what happened with the GSC dates getting dropped from the calendar at Stoga? Tall Stu told me about this the other day, I totally missed it I guess.

Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool, 
but then I'm not 16 so therefore my opinion is of no 
consequence...

Old news Al. About three months old to be exact. For a minute there I thought this might be your post telling everyone your best wishes for Mike Kenney and how you will miss him so.

:-)

haha! Made ya look!

Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool, 
but then I'm not 16 so therefore my opinion is of no 
consequence...

I probably shouldn't... but I have to ask... Did anyone read the above article?

In the article it was mentioned that Kenny and the fair board tried to open a large hotel at the fairgrounds. How would that have effected racing? Is that the reason why there has been little to no promotion of the track even at a local level?

I remember that deal and it went over exactly as I said it would at the time: Like a lead balloon. The idea of a facility on public property that would compete with the private sector was idiotic at best and was received as such. Mike Kenney is not a promoter and I've never said he was. I've always called him a fair manager because that is what he is - it's his career. That being said he does have a history of having a tendency toward including racing as a viable piece of what a fairgrounds can offer. Mike also did race sprintcars at some point and minisprints (I can say from seeing first hand he was FAR better as a fair manager than he ever was behind the wheel of a minisprint) during the early 90's. Could Calistoga Speedway been promoted better? That would be a healthy and lively debate for sure. Has the economic reality of the area around the racetrack changed over the past 25 years? Oh you betcha! Has Mike Kenney won some battles over the years regarding the racetrack? Undeniably. What will determine the future of Calistoga Speedway will be a function of a number of things but two I can identify immediately: 1. The perception of what benefit to the fairgrounds auto racing can bring that the person who replaces Mike Kenney holds and 2. The PROMOTIONAL abilities of whoever is charged with that function if the decision is made to move forward with the continuation of auto racing at Calistoga Speedway. I've always said the non-wing deal would never happen but always asked for someone to prove me wrong. Looks like someone did - this year! I've been wrong before and I'll be wrong again. I don't want to forecast doom for Calistoga Speedway - I'm just worried. It'd be great to be wrong again :-)!

I didn't know Mike Kenney but I have read with interest all of the posts above regarding his contributions to motor-sports at the famed Calistoga 1/2 mile. I am sure he will be missed and I wish him all of the best in his retirement.

I live in Southern California and have since 1986. Prior to my move south I lived and grew up in Tracy and was a regular at Stockton, San Jose and West Sacramento. I had heard so much about Calistoga that I couldn't wait to make the drive up north. This is in the early 70s. My first impression was what a great place for open wheel racing and I agree with Racermom above, who said, "...it is the most beautiful race track in California." Anyway its been more than 30 years since I was there and I can't wait for the USAC/CRA traditional sprint cars and midgets to make their appearance in the first annual Lou Vermeil Classic. We will all be there for the Labor Day weekend - including brothers, son, daughter, grandsons, nephews and friends to welcome make the traditional sprint cars to Calistoga. Its been almost thirty years since the traditional sprint cars have raced at Calistoga.

BTW, Steve Howard of So-Cal Performance in Downey, is selling laps for each night of the show. Contact Steve if your interested.

Bob Davidson, Bellflower, Ca.

"When the green flag drops the bullshit stops" - The 
Great GP