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

The $10,000 to win modified show scheduled for Outlaw Motor Speedway in Wainwright for the fourth of July weekend has been cancelled.

Bummer.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

How disappointing. It appears that big money modified shows are all but dead. Two years ago I went to atleast 7 or 8 big money modified shows (shows paying $5k+ win) and this year I have yet to have been to a single one and the rest of the season looks pretty bleak. The closest thing I've gotten to big money shows this year are the USTMS Southern Series and NCRA mod shows I've been to and the TMS race back in March.

Its sad that 2 years ago the state of Oklahoma had 5 big money mod shows in a single season and this year there is not a single one.

I like dirt!

Are the modifieds getting too expensive anymore? Man when I went to S. Coffeyville a couple weeks ago some of them modifieds were unreal!!

I think some would argue that's the case but then again there are some that would argue that was the case with any class in racing. I think the death of the big money mod show has more to do with low fan counts and poor promoting.

I like dirt!

Some how this doesn't surprise me one bit.

God made dirt,man made asphalt.

It's because the locals won't support them. Lanny gets mor for a w'nat show that pays 1k than Greg got for 5k how stupid are people?

I agree C.A. it doesn't make any sense.

We went to Batesville's Modified Madness show last year. $15k to win $2,500 just to start and they started 30 cars! The show also payed non-qualifiers if I remember correctly and had several non-qualifier races. You'd figure the stands would have been pack and the pits overflowing but that wasn't the case. The stands had maybe 40 people in them and the pits around 110 mods. Not the kind of showing this event deserved. We talked to several people in town who had no idea that anything was even going on at the race track (less than 10 mi. down the road). It was a sad deal.

As for the Xtreme shows: Greg and the Timms family put on a heck of a show. Its too bad things didn't work out for it become an annual event.

I like dirt!

Outlaw only got 24 cars for the $2,000 win special they had a few weeks ago. Outlaw in its current incarnation will be done soon. And hopefully someone who knows what they are doing who are good with drivers and can please the fans will take over.

Well this is fact, Muskogee Speedway, on the fairgrounds, will open next season (2008) and is confirmed. More details will be released soon but I do know that they will run on Friday nights. It will be a huge success, in my opinion, but also brings the question. Will a new owner be involved at Outlaw and will they be able to race and survive on Saturday nights?

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

I think everyone here in Muskogee is looking forward to it. Charlie Fulton ran good shows on Friday nights for several years at the Muskogee fairgrounds until Outlaw and its BS came along. In fairness Outlaw's first 2 years were really good though. Whether true or not word had it that Gary Clay built Outlaw to put Muskogee Speedway out of business (and having one of his cronies Danny Leatherman of Tonto Construction [that built most of Outlaw] on the fair board didn't help Muskogee Speedway's cause either). And now Charlie Fulton will be back and Gary Clay is reeling. I think Muskogee Speedway will definitely succeed this time around. Friday night racing at the fairgrounds and its tradition will get interest renewed. I think there will be drivers that haven't raced in the last few years that will start racing again. Can a town support 2 tracks? I can see a scenario in which Outlaw closes downs and sits idle for a few years like Joplin 66 Speedway. And I could see another in which it stays open and races Saturday and with a new owner/promoter hopefully works with and doesn't compete with Muskogee Speedway and they both survive. But if Clay stays in the picture at Outlaw I don't see it surviving after this season. I've heard that they want 1.5 million for Outlaw and considering how nice a facility it is that really isn't unreasonable. Charlie Fulton bought Muskogee Speedway for about $90,000 and with renovations his investment will be about $250,000. So no matter what happens at Outlaw, Muskogee (Thunderbird) Speedway is going to be around again for a long time.

Bigger question is do the racefans have enough spare time and cash to attend two nights of racing in one tiwn?  Recently, following a holiday or other large promotion the fan base has suffered at many tracks. 

Not sure if the overall Oklahoma and surounding economy as a whole can support as many racetracks as are currently operating in the state at this time. 

I do know the majority of the recent grass roots, and pro-am type motorsports promotions I have been following over the past few months have mostly taken it in the shorts hard for the most part. 

Outlaw is a great facility and I enjoyed going over there during its first two seasons.

Thunderbird at the Muskogee Fairgrounds is a classic old fairgrounds track. With the improvements they're proposing and prospect of WoO sprints and late models in '08, I would really look forward to a roadtrip or two.

Muskogee can't support both. Too bad Outlaw's not located somewhere in the OKC area.