OSW Closed 5/11 and 5/18

[zidek12]

The day's of racing for free are gone thats why I don't race there anymore. It cost's alot of money just to show up every week toll's fuel pit pass x3 run for 200 to win im not albert einstein but wtf !!!!!!!!!!

[RSB]

Tired of "the economy" excuse... The 3 most successful shows right now are in Citrus Co., Marion Co. and Columbia Co.

Nobody can convince me those counties are healthier than Orange/Seminole/ Osceola/Brevard (OSW), or Hillsborough/Pinellas (East Bay). There are a LOT of tracks struggling in Fla, but I have to believe it has more to do with management than "economy".

Sure, it has some effect, but to place the blame squarely on that is just keeping your head in the sand. Why do some of the brokest counties pull the biggest crowds and fields of cars????

I think you're allowed to use the "economy" excuse if your job/ business was construction related. I'm making about half the money I was before 2008. Therefore, NO race car in the budget! Hopefully things will get better...but I'm getting older. And less interested.

[Frasson118]

John... I didn't mean to imply that people SHOULD be able to afford it, just that of the people that CAN do it, most of them chose NFS over CMP to race at. Of the, say, 100 cars in the Lake City 'area', 80 went to one, while 20 went to the other. The 'economy' didn't dictate that.... other factors must have.

[RSB]

True dat....but I can remember when both tracks had full fields. When I first moved up here, I was trying to decide where to race and I ran the dirt track a few times on Friday night and ran the asphalt on Saturday. Rear end and tire change and I was good to go!

[Lizzard]

It's the economy. Gas prices, and no jobs. Come November when the idiot in the white house gets fired we will see cars, fans and tracks coming back.

Maybe someone will buy OSW and PROMOTE it.

[Luis G]

Wonder how many people that don't check the web sites showed up to OSW Friday night.

[buddman1]

Just a Fan

I know you drivers miss the fans in the stands. I've been a loyal fan since the first Red Tag Race (you old timers know what that was). I've been there when you had to climb over the folks to just get a seat and in the stands were all friends you got to see on Friday night. After Clyde passed thing started to change because of the $. Corners were cut with the facilities and the Staff. The family feeling was gone!! Now they just wanted our money. So many things lack. I remember the day when a driver couldn't make the feature and Clyde would stop by with a handshake and thank the driver for coming out. Of course there would be a little gas money passed to help the pain. That is what family was. The races weren't delayed just so the concessions could sell more, the idea was to have a race. Now the concessions have gotten so high that we can't afford to buy the stuff because the concessionaire has to have high prices so Robert can get his cut. Promotion is the key if this track is to survive. I don't live on this site so how would I know if there was a $5 fan appreciation nite? Orlando is full of visitors from all over the world and they don't know that this track is here. Come on Robert. Either run the track , get a decent promoter that is a promoter (yes, you would have to spend money on this!), or just shut it down.
PS- And I was one of the folks to drive there Friday night to see the gate locked and not see the courtesy of a sign stating "Scheduling Conflicts".

[modracer#8]

hey buddman I agree with you and I have said it before also. these websites are no place to advertise for a track most of what little people / race fans comeing to the track do not come here for race track info . none of these websites sponsor any tracks that I know . someone correct me if I am wrong . so you know there not promoteing this website or any others for race fans to go too for info . if the race tracks don"T advertise how in the world is anybody supose to know there open ? these tracks should be sending tickets to radio stations to give away when I am in the car listening they give tickets away all the time for other events.

[dd38]

How about flying a banner plane over all the attractions? Clyde is rolling in his grave and probably has been for a looooong time. He didn't care if there were only 2 cars on the track and 4 fans in the stands. There were no short cuts with the man (well maybe in the bathroom facilities).

[LOGANSTANFORTH]

If you do not advertise people will not come, hell there are people that live in Auburndale, Winter Haven, and Lakeland that think Adale has been closed for the last several years, yes, a track that races 30+ times a year, people have no clue it even exists and the last few weeks have seen a higher car count than anything in the last 10 years. 120 last weekend from what I understand. And the majority of those cars were from the 3 lowest paid classes...

[Jeff42442]

times or tough i still thank its the economy a average
family just cant afford it anymore same thing with average racer when
we race we spend 100.00 and we race the strictly stocks
i no we all talk about the way it used to be iam 57 years old things have
changed we need to fix this problem today and not worry about the past
lets make racing fun again for the fans and drivers ithink they should
have a meeting with drivers track owners etc and come up with a solution
before we lose 2 more tracks nss osw

concerned jeff patti megan

[modracer#8]

LOGANSTANFORTH I have heard the same over here about osw people thinking it was closeed or never new it was there .

[davem]

Hey Don... It used to be "Promoter of the Week" when Herndon owned the place until you took over in late 1985... That place was a blast in '86 and in '87 until Clyde bought it... We had more race cars and fans than we knew how to deal with... Wish that old magic could be re-captured!

I was there through all of it. I came back for one year under the Harts and have not been back to that track to race since. We used to bring 20 to 40 people in the stands. We had another 15 to 30 in the pits with the several cars we had running. Don did a good job there when he came!

[Benny The Mule]

I think you're allowed to use the "economy" excuse if your job/ business was construction related. I'm making about half the money I was before 2008. Therefore, NO race car in the budget! Hopefully things will get better...but I'm getting older. And less interested.

Yes sir, i have been in construction my entire career and it started slipping in 2007 and went to crap in 08!

I was saving that last new chassis and a layoff forced me to sell it in August of 09.

I haven't been back since but want to......I'm not THAT old yet.

[Benny The Mule]

That's right Dave, when Don took over the pits were over flowing with cars. Over 100 every night for almost two years, including Figure Eights which were very popular. Packed full grandstands as well. Started going to this track in '79, lived through the shut down in the early 80's, thats when NSS went to a Friday/Saturday schedule to help the OSW drivers.. Glad when the Hart family bought the track. Even remember the red tag days when the county tried shutting the place down. Clyde fought that on TV like a tiger. Remember the power truck coming in to cut the power at the counties order. I hope all of these efforts have not gone to waste and the old place will survive yet another fiasco. Honesty was missing this time with the "schedule conflict" statement. Wonder how many fans, of the remaining ones the track has, will show up this Friday to see a closed track. Not the best way to re-start a track, if that happens. Well off to Darlington.

I started going to OSW in 81-82 and was there for the Nerone heydays....that's why i don't pick on him TOOOO much on here.

I remember the front parking lot with cars all the way out to the drag strip entry road!