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So I got to thinking about something the other day.
What makes a local, Saturday-night (or whatever night) track successful? Is it longevity in an area?
I'm not real sure why certain tracks work in some areas of the state - or even the country - and some don't. The era I grew up watching (and sometimes participating) was the '70s and '80s.
Example: Speedworld. Opened in 1974, correct? Been around for 37 years now. The track is in one of the largest metro areas in Florida, and in one of the largest tourist corridors in the country, if not the world. The Mouse is about 40 miles away, Universal is about 35, Cocoa - the Space Coast is about the same the other direction...but *why* can't this place draw a crowd?? Is it because it's in "beautiful downtown Bithlo"? Is it because traffic coming from the west (downtown Orlando) is a *nightmare* on SR 50 on Friday nights? This place *should* be packed every week. The first time we started running regular weekly shows (with another team and driver) was in the early '80s at Speedworld. Even back then, there were small crowds in the stands and small fields of cars. How does this place survive?
Sunshine Speedway: located in St. Petersburg, ran from 1960 until 2004 (forty four seasons). Leo Musgrave built the place when he was visiting Plant Field in Tampa and saw a lot of cars in the parking lot with Pinellas county plates. He ran on different nights than the Tampa tracks, and drivers and fans came from both sides of the Bay, they came from the south and north. In the '70s and '80s, this place was *packed* with standing-room-only crowds every Saturday night, became a part of the Florida 200 weekend in the early '70s with the Gulf Coast Classic (and later part of the Triple Crown weekend with DeSoto as well). The place only a quarter-mile, but it was 70'-plus wide. You could run three- and four wide. The track was unique in that the outside lane of the backstretch was banked the same as the corners (8 degrees), so you could carry momentum off turn two and down into turn three. The *racing* here was - and still is - the best I've ever seen - and I've been around a few race tracks
Palm Beach Fairgrounds: ran from (I believe) 1950 (as dirt), was paved in 1955, and closed in 1983 (thirty three seasons). The original home of the Orange Blossom 100/200. Ran on Friday nights, with a lot of drivers making the trip south to Hialeah for Saturday. It was a HUGE, fast, half-mile, and turns one and two were kind of squared off and the track actually ran uphill between one and two. Had a lake in the infield. In the late '70s, the Late Model fields started dropping off big-time, and the Limited Late Models became the top class. During the 1980 season, Dick Anderson set a "state record" of 18 feature wins in a row, but *from what I understand*, sometimes he was the only (Super) Late Model to show up and got the "win" by default :-\ In my opinion, Palm Beach fell behind in its facilities, and people and race cars just quit coming. There was also some behind-the-scenes stuff going on with the Fair Board, but I'm not sure of all the details there The place ran a few All-Pro races in the early '80s, taking over the Orange Blossom. The '83 Orange Blossom was the final race at the track, won by Balough.
Hialeah: ran from 1954 until 2005. This was a second south Florida track that ran on Saturday nights. Flat, third-mile (some even say it had "reverse" banking). Very few could make the outside groove work here, but if you did, you could get to the front. Bobby Brack, Larry Rogero, Bobby Coyle, the Allisons, Red Farmer, Buddy Griffin, Billy Barnwell, Tommy Duckworth...a lot of great south Florida guys came out of Hialeah.
Golden Gate: Wow. Probably one of the nicest racing facilities I'd ever been to. The original home of the Florida 200 and the Governor's Cup. Ran on Friday and Saturday nights, switching off classes with Sunshine. But this place only lasted for 21 seasons (the track was closed during the '79 and '80 seasons, and re-opened from 1981 through 1983). Had some of the best racing. The Governor's Cup started drawing some great out-of-state cars, including four-time winner Ed Howe, Dick Trickle, Butch Lindley, Charlie Mincey, Buck Simmons, Mark Malcuit, and many, many more throughout its short history. The track was also known for its great open-wheel racing, with the Florida 500. Frank Dery knew how to run a race track.
DeSoto Memorial Speedway: opened in 1979, celebrating its 33rd season this year. Took over the Gulf coast Friday nights after Golden Gate closed the first time, then switched to Saturdays and been there ever since. Became part of the Florida Triple Crown in 1981, then ran two of the three shows starting in 1984 (Friday and Sunday). Became a NASCAR-sanctioned track for a while, and ran the All-American Challenge Series opener, the IceBreaker, for *years* (and still does). (Super) Late Models are no longer a weekly draw (at any track that I can think of, really); now, the open-wheel Modifieds are the regular top class.
Citrus County Speedway (Inverness): been racing since I believe 1955. Another track on the Gulf coast that took over the Friday night cars after Golden Gate closed in '81. Still very successful to this day.
New Smyrna: opened as dirt in 1967 (?). World Series began in 1968, drawing top out-of-state teams and drivers. In 1974, the NASCAR Modified division was added to the World Series. Fans from all over Canada and the eastern US make the annual trek to the Daytona Beach-area facility each February, and again in November for the Governor's Cup. A fast half-mile, the track was designed to resemble the "big track" at Thompson, CT (long straightaways and tight, high-banked corners). But the weekly shows fail to draw much of a crowd (from what people are saying).
Punta Gorda: getting up there in years (20 years now this year?). Haven't ever been there personally, but have heard nothing but positive things about the track.
Now, I couldn't possibly go through and list each and every track that's been open in the state of Florida, or how long they were around. But seems to me that some tracks are around for *years*, and still can't quite make a buck or even put on a good show (I know the old saying...LOL)...and some tracks are around for a very short period of time, but yet very successful for that short time. There's tracks up here in Ohio going on their 50th-plus season(s), and still drawing good crowds of cars and fans. Is it because they also have mid-week activities (one track has go-kart racing on Wednesday nights, drifting another night, etc.)? Is it because a few tracks have *finally* caught up to the electronic age and take credit/debit cards at the front and back gate, and at the concession stands? Is it because they *promote* the tracks up here on the radio and TV? The Cleveland area is a pretty big metro area, so we have a big population to draw from, even with the Indians, the Browns, and the Cavs.
Lookin' forward to some discussion on this one
What makes a local, Saturday-night (or whatever night) track successful? Is it longevity in an area?
I'm not real sure why certain tracks work in some areas of the state - or even the country - and some don't. The era I grew up watching (and sometimes participating) was the '70s and '80s.
Example: Speedworld. Opened in 1974, correct? Been around for 37 years now. The track is in one of the largest metro areas in Florida, and in one of the largest tourist corridors in the country, if not the world. The Mouse is about 40 miles away, Universal is about 35, Cocoa - the Space Coast is about the same the other direction...but *why* can't this place draw a crowd?? Is it because it's in "beautiful downtown Bithlo"? Is it because traffic coming from the west (downtown Orlando) is a *nightmare* on SR 50 on Friday nights? This place *should* be packed every week. The first time we started running regular weekly shows (with another team and driver) was in the early '80s at Speedworld. Even back then, there were small crowds in the stands and small fields of cars. How does this place survive?
Sunshine Speedway: located in St. Petersburg, ran from 1960 until 2004 (forty four seasons). Leo Musgrave built the place when he was visiting Plant Field in Tampa and saw a lot of cars in the parking lot with Pinellas county plates. He ran on different nights than the Tampa tracks, and drivers and fans came from both sides of the Bay, they came from the south and north. In the '70s and '80s, this place was *packed* with standing-room-only crowds every Saturday night, became a part of the Florida 200 weekend in the early '70s with the Gulf Coast Classic (and later part of the Triple Crown weekend with DeSoto as well). The place only a quarter-mile, but it was 70'-plus wide. You could run three- and four wide. The track was unique in that the outside lane of the backstretch was banked the same as the corners (8 degrees), so you could carry momentum off turn two and down into turn three. The *racing* here was - and still is - the best I've ever seen - and I've been around a few race tracks
Palm Beach Fairgrounds: ran from (I believe) 1950 (as dirt), was paved in 1955, and closed in 1983 (thirty three seasons). The original home of the Orange Blossom 100/200. Ran on Friday nights, with a lot of drivers making the trip south to Hialeah for Saturday. It was a HUGE, fast, half-mile, and turns one and two were kind of squared off and the track actually ran uphill between one and two. Had a lake in the infield. In the late '70s, the Late Model fields started dropping off big-time, and the Limited Late Models became the top class. During the 1980 season, Dick Anderson set a "state record" of 18 feature wins in a row, but *from what I understand*, sometimes he was the only (Super) Late Model to show up and got the "win" by default :-\ In my opinion, Palm Beach fell behind in its facilities, and people and race cars just quit coming. There was also some behind-the-scenes stuff going on with the Fair Board, but I'm not sure of all the details there
The place ran a few All-Pro races in the early '80s, taking over the Orange Blossom. The '83 Orange Blossom was the final race at the track, won by Balough.Hialeah: ran from 1954 until 2005. This was a second south Florida track that ran on Saturday nights. Flat, third-mile (some even say it had "reverse" banking). Very few could make the outside groove work here, but if you did, you could get to the front. Bobby Brack, Larry Rogero, Bobby Coyle, the Allisons, Red Farmer, Buddy Griffin, Billy Barnwell, Tommy Duckworth...a lot of great south Florida guys came out of Hialeah.
Golden Gate: Wow. Probably one of the nicest racing facilities I'd ever been to. The original home of the Florida 200 and the Governor's Cup. Ran on Friday and Saturday nights, switching off classes with Sunshine. But this place only lasted for 21 seasons (the track was closed during the '79 and '80 seasons, and re-opened from 1981 through 1983). Had some of the best racing. The Governor's Cup started drawing some great out-of-state cars, including four-time winner Ed Howe, Dick Trickle, Butch Lindley, Charlie Mincey, Buck Simmons, Mark Malcuit, and many, many more throughout its short history. The track was also known for its great open-wheel racing, with the Florida 500. Frank Dery knew how to run a race track.
DeSoto Memorial Speedway: opened in 1979, celebrating its 33rd season this year. Took over the Gulf coast Friday nights after Golden Gate closed the first time, then switched to Saturdays and been there ever since. Became part of the Florida Triple Crown in 1981, then ran two of the three shows starting in 1984 (Friday and Sunday). Became a NASCAR-sanctioned track for a while, and ran the All-American Challenge Series opener, the IceBreaker, for *years* (and still does). (Super) Late Models are no longer a weekly draw (at any track that I can think of, really); now, the open-wheel Modifieds are the regular top class.
Citrus County Speedway (Inverness): been racing since I believe 1955. Another track on the Gulf coast that took over the Friday night cars after Golden Gate closed in '81. Still very successful to this day.
New Smyrna: opened as dirt in 1967 (?). World Series began in 1968, drawing top out-of-state teams and drivers. In 1974, the NASCAR Modified division was added to the World Series. Fans from all over Canada and the eastern US make the annual trek to the Daytona Beach-area facility each February, and again in November for the Governor's Cup. A fast half-mile, the track was designed to resemble the "big track" at Thompson, CT (long straightaways and tight, high-banked corners). But the weekly shows fail to draw much of a crowd (from what people are saying).
Punta Gorda: getting up there in years (20 years now this year?). Haven't ever been there personally, but have heard nothing but positive things about the track.
Now, I couldn't possibly go through and list each and every track that's been open in the state of Florida, or how long they were around. But seems to me that some tracks are around for *years*, and still can't quite make a buck or even put on a good show (I know the old saying...LOL)...and some tracks are around for a very short period of time, but yet very successful for that short time. There's tracks up here in Ohio going on their 50th-plus season(s), and still drawing good crowds of cars and fans. Is it because they also have mid-week activities (one track has go-kart racing on Wednesday nights, drifting another night, etc.)? Is it because a few tracks have *finally* caught up to the electronic age and take credit/debit cards at the front and back gate, and at the concession stands? Is it because they *promote* the tracks up here on the radio and TV? The Cleveland area is a pretty big metro area, so we have a big population to draw from, even with the Indians, the Browns, and the Cavs.
Lookin' forward to some discussion on this one
- coming from the back of the field.
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