Owners Meeting Coming Up

[USAMedia]

The following on an up coming owners meeting was published on Florida Stock Car Racing news on August 27, 2010. In case you didn't see it, here it is.

By Jack Smith

Rex Guy, promoter of Auburndale Speedway, is calling for a speedway promoter's meeting for Monday October 4th. The meeting will be held at Auburndale Speedway beginning at 7:00 PM. The meeting is for Track Owners and or Track promoters.

Guy feels the owners and promoters would be well served by getting together to iron out some of the conflicts that occur in scheduling events.

Anyone who pays any attention to the state of asphalt racing in Florida is aware of late model, modified, truck racing and other events often held on the same dates at several tracks. Saturday, August 28th is a perfect example of this. New Smyrna Speedway has a 75 lap Pro Truck race while Punta Gorda Speedway has a Pro Truck race also. While it is far from settled as to whether this is harmful to the sport, many fans and drivers feel it is, even as in this case, the tracks are 160 miles apart.

In any event any time the track promoters can get together it is usually helpful to the overall health of an industry that is clearly in a decline statewide. Asphalt racing has seen a significant drop in both fan attendance and driver participation in the last several years.

The blame for this decline has been directed at the economy, which in some parts of Florida has been devastating, and other areas as well. Some have blamed bad business practices by the owners for the decline, which a vocal contingent of fans and drivers say includes poor promotion, outdated facilities and other issues. Some owners have gone so far as to blame the poor attitudes of the drivers and fans.

Whatever the reasons, a get together of the asphalt track promoters can hopefully add some positive dimensions to their operations leading into the 2011 racing season.

Rex Guy feels the promoters are hurting each other by scheduling similar events on top of each other and has stated that if the tracks are to be successful, they must work together in more ways to not step on each others toes.

Of course, we have all heard this mantra before. Getting the ownerships to work together for the positive good of the sports and the industry in general been the dream of many in past years. Many have tried but few have managed to get a sustained effort in this direction over the last 15 years or so.

We applaud the effort of Rex Guy to get the ball rolling, and hope the other owners and promoters will attend.

Hope springs eternal.

[gary laplant]

I take my hat off to Rex Guy in trying to get all the owners together for a meeting. I fully agree that somthing has to be done in 2011 to make racing work better for the racers/fans and the tracks in working together.

I know most of you owners and there is some room for improvement in working together to make Florida Short Track racing much better for 2011. You owners dont have to like each other but please put your egos to one side and lets make Fl Short Track racing like it in other states for 2011. We all can help each other to make racing much more fun and all track can have great car count in working together in 2011.

This year there has been a lot of racing dates put on top of each other do to many reason some are good ones and other were not and was bad choices. All I have ever seen in races dates put on top of each other is low car count at the tracks. Owners what good is this low car count in this class because you put a race on top of the track closes to you?

As a promoter and a racer we do not need to lose any more tracks here in Florida. Track owners really need to work togehter and make Florida Short Track racing the best they can for 2011 and work together. Has working against each other been the best for yout track?

If track would work together on getting rules/tires closer together driver could go to different tracks and race.

The big problem is tires there are 3 different tires being sold at tracks here in Florida and each track trys to make driver buy tires at there track. This is very bad in todays time for good car count at your track. This problem has to be worked out for 2011.


Gary Laplant

[Don Nerone]

I went to my first meeting in 1980. we got all the rules and dates set for the year. They didnt last 24 hrs. The meeting wa called buy John Bozwell the pometer of then winter haven Speedway.I went to a meetingin 1985 that Dan Jones called he was with sunshine speedway and i was with desoto in those days,we did work together and things went great. same rules for 3 div.when we had a bug race Dan would not run that class. I rember the fig8 class he ran them 1st and we ran them last the ran 2 races in 1 night.
I think rex was at the last meetimg Fl had and was the one that said he was going to do what he wanted and now a few years latter look here. Rex i comend you for becomeing a good promoter. I have been watching you and you have been doing a great job. It takes time for new things to work.
If you can have a meeting with the good of oll not the one in mind you will have done somthing. we did have it that way for about 3 years.

good luck Jack {you run the meeting}

Don62

[Rick Williamson]

Jack, one of the reasons cars are leaving and not coming back to some tracks are the foul mouths on the hotheaded promoter of the track. And using that mouth in front of drivers in the tech area. And family members like wives were there also.

[John Berti]

I admire you, Rex, for your understanding that racing in Florida is in trouble and your willingness to set up a meeting where track owners and promoters can sit down to share ideas on how to save racing in the Sunshine State.

By the same token, as Don Nerone noted, this is not the first time anyone has ever attempted such a meeting and it seems nothing ever changes. Sadly racing in Florida has become dog eat dog and everyone for himself while the total picture of the future of racing is overlooked.

I wish you nothing but success, Rex, in this venture, but don't get your hopes up too high for change.

[sprinter15jr]

What time is the meeting?

[Boneman]

dog eat dog Welcome to capitalism. This is supposed to be a system where the fittest survive. The only place where "equality of outcome" thinking exists is in academia, and in the current white house.

Do you know how much cooperation I give or get from my competitors in business? Maybe 2% of my business involves my competitors in some way. I suggest the track owners shoot for a slightly higher degree of cooperation than that, but I wouldn't expect too much more.

Don't bother lecturing me on how important it is to work together, have common rules and not schedule on top of each other. I am fully aware of this, but I am also realistic enough to see that the survivors will be those who build the better mouse trap, not the ones who let their competition direct them.

[Boneman]

Hey SprinterJR, something tells me we are not invited.

[carolwicks]

an idea?

i think having a representative from the stands from each track would be a good idea... NOT an employee ... the track owner and a non biased regular patron....
carol aka oz

[andre]

Don't bother lecturing me on how important it is to work together, have common rules and not schedule on top of each other. I am fully aware of this, but I am also realistic enough to see that the survivors will be those who build the better mouse trap, not the ones who let their competition direct them.


Bingo!!!! We have a winner... I approve this statement 100%. As a promoter, I had the oppportunity to go to those ''friendly'' meeting. 1st think you know, the ''establishment'' take the floor over and all the rest has to follow.

The successfull one will not close shop for another to survive, this is not a businesswise move.

[carolwicks]

Why?

what about the tire issues. i doubt anyones going to change. wish they all used the same tires. maybe we should develop a track only tire and every track use the same one... the drivers are the ones who pay up the ying yang for owner choices.
i guess its worth it to keep "trying"... it all seems so stupid because it is the tracks who lose out!!!! fan count and car counts are down and it isnt necessary...actually everyone loses...maybe this time it will sink in... hope so.
carol aka oz

[rknhvc09]

Jack, one of the reasons cars are leaving and not coming back to some tracks are the foul mouths on the hotheaded promoter of the track. And using that mouth in front of drivers in the tech area. And family members like wives were there also.

AMEN TO THAT!

thats the reason we will never step foot on auburndale speedway property again, unless theres a new promoter thats is. sad to see one man single handedly destroy a racetrack!

[Rusty the 50/50 Guy]

Carol...to answer your question...I touched on this one when I asked in another post "Would this work".

Each track has their own deal with each tire maker...they put money/services/supplies into sponsor the track...you will not get everyone on the same page for things like that...wellllll should not say that...it will take a long time...as any improvement would...

Each track needs to have their own "events" and build new ones trying to take events from other tracks and have an instant success does not always work...the last time I saw an "instant" success was the Mopar Sprint and Midget Classic...and that thing had a ton of money thrown at it! Go out on a limb and start new traditions and make the old traditions better than ever!

Just a ramble but wanted to answer your question Miss Carol

[jacko241]

I have not been a participant in short track racing for almost a decade, but I have remained a fairly regular spectator. I was at the Clyde Hart and I was so impressed with the late model car count. I found out later they allow all types of late models (limited,super, ASA) to run together. What a great idea, rules that make it easy for everyone to race.....

[admin]

The Owners/Track Promoters Meeting will be held at Auburndale Speedway on Monday October 4th. The meeting is open only to Track Owners and or Track Promoters. Rex Guy suggested today that that perhaps series promoters could get together with owners in a meeting at a later date, but not at this meeting.