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

Williamsgrove was just flat out angry and distraught with Selinsgrove decision to run some Friday nights - enough so last year that Selinsgrove lost their speed week show.....

fast forward to tonight and williamsgrove is canceling on a Friday for beautiful weather.....where some other teams would have had a crack at the winners check.....

The weather the day before was bad, most were expecting the same on Friday. That being said, they pulled the plug early, they knew some of the top teams were out of town and the crowd would be small so they can blame iffy weather. That place really needs to become a special events facility and run races only twice a month. Maybe fans would start showing up if they just ran special events instead of weekly shows.

There's a lot going on right now. There are PA cars in Ohio Speedweek, the Midwest/Knoxville/Huset's events and even the NARC on their way to the Dirt Cup via Oregon.

It's like what used to be the Month of Monday has expanded to more like two months, starting around the time of the Eagle HL event last week.

I agree with you both on some of your points.  Williamsgrove is a private business and they are free to make whatever decision they so choose.....Actually i really can't blame them for not wanting to take a possible financial bath last Friday night....it was a business decision in the best interest of staying open.

Selinsgrove on life support to start last year- when some incredibly dedicated and just plain and simple good old fashioned racing people.......made a business decision to run some Friday nights in an attempt to make some money and a go of it......my point is.....

....Williamsgrove and some media went blitzkrieg on Selinsgrove for that decision of infringing upon their Friday night monoply.....which was a simple business decision to save the speedway.

OBTW been to all the 410 shows and the WoO late model show that track has been impeccably prepared and incredibly racey.  Kudos to the track crew....

Beezr you might be onto somethng - I even admitted to attendance to the special shows only.  I haven't used my reseved seats at Port for the last couple races.....this past Saturday was simply because I hate 3 division shows especially when those divisions usually draw very well..... Expendable entertainment funds i believe are tightening up for many....heck gas prices alone make it a financial decision for many to drive to tracks.

RunWYB:

I remember the days when as a fan, or a car owner, 'fuel cost' never even entered into the 'where are we going to the races at' conversation - it was always just about the time to get there (sometimes we'd pick a closer track just because we didn't have the time to get there, or the lateless of getting back) and maybe ticket/pit price.

Not now.

It's like the cost of getting there is now #1 on the list, then it's the other factors.

Very sad indeed.

I sure miss the days when you could load up the sprint car behind the F350, go to the station and put about $20 diesel in it and literally make it to the next state to race...89 and 99 cent diesel back then made a huge impact.

Now that aspect of the matrix really puts the squeeze on race tracks, as teams have gotta make enough to be able to keep going down the road...and the show has to be significant enough for the fans to want to travel to so they can be entertained.

So this is the biggest issues of tracks, scheduling, series, fans...as the matrix has changed and it's forcing us all to make decisions we never had to make before...which certainly has helped expedite the advent of event streaming on multiple levels (and I'm not suggesting that's a good thing).

Dmantx - couldn't agree more.  
 

my dad and I still go to a lot of races between Port and Selinsgrove.  I grew up going to Selinsgrove as it was really close to home.  
 

As I look back dad worked hard all week and Saturday's we worked hard around the house and in the garden or what we called a truck patch back then.  We worked hard all day but at 4pm quick shower to get in our truck with the board on the front - quick stop at Biff Burger on the strip and than go pack the clay and push sprint cars.  I would give anything to go back just one time in the old push truck and a biff burger meal.

I felt like the luckiest boy a live and would be super depressed if it rained as that was our entertainment.. as there wasn't espn , or way to many club sports etc.....

Without getting anymore long winded what I'm trying to say is besides costs there are to many other DISTRACTIONS!

Sitting in the stands at my midwestern local race track as a kid, I would have been envious of you!  Dad and I did the same thing, only to stop at Golden Point (our local precursor to McD's) for burgers on the way to the track.  We'd get there early to watch track packing - he'd read the newspaper and drink coffee and I'd watch the trucks and cars go around and around.  To be back there one more time......