Ellisville Speedway tonight?

[Elkoldtimer]

Been looking forward to seeing some late model racing as not much been happening here in north Florida. Anyone going over there tonight- how about car count, know of any cars that are going to be there?

Car counts have been pretty low there this summer. I been trying to get over there a few times and support the track, sure would be nice to see a good turn out tonight.
I remember when the parking lot was full and you had to park on the road for the old USA series.......

[sport603]

USA Series

One of the wildest races I have ever been to was a USA race @ Ellisville in 1991. We got home at 0700 that morning race ended it seems like around 0300. Wayne Reuttiman won, and several ran out of fuel including Dickie Anderson in a 100 lap race. It seems like that was the race when Kenny Vaughn went over the hill and through a fence between 3 and 4 and came back around onto the track through the parking lot. That is a great track hope it does good tonight.

[Elkoldtimer]

Ha! I was there that night too- yeah I remember the car coming back to the track through the parking lot- they got a wall around the place now.

Between the weather and Bristol being on tv tonight I am wondering about both car count and fans.
It's a 2 hour drive for me but I haven't seen any late model racing since their last SLM race- which btw was a great race between Shelnut and W. Anderson with Shelnut holding Anderson off after a late race (double file) restart.

[Elkoldtimer]

just got off the phone with the track and here what they said- " no rain here, we got 12 late models in the pits so far" - so off I go.
They not racing until 8:00 so there's still time for folks to get there and see the show. DAARA there also.......

[ocalasp76]

We had some great racing last night. Saw Jake Perkins in the SLM come from the rear on starting, held up by traffic and broke loose to catch Shelnut in the last 10 laps. Gave him a slight bum with 3 to go and finished 2nd.
The DAARA cars were there in force and one car,the M-1, had the throttle stick and cart wheeled off the turn 2 wall and into the trees. The '65 T-Bird is truly history now. Driver had to be freed from the up side down car and only complained,to me, that his thumb hurt.. He is probably VERY sore this morning.
Only had 2 of us MODs there, so we decided to keep our arm bands for the next race. Pits were full and a great track supplied Bar-B-que after the races.
Thumbs up to the Ford family for all their efforts..
-JIM-

[Frasson118]

Sounds like TC McElyea. Hope he's alright.... he's a hell of a guy.

[lagerhead]

that 65tbird was a realnice car came out of NC about a years ago

[Elkoldtimer]

Not trying to start an argument here but this is my opinion. You and I have a different idea about what great racing is, because that late model race last night was a yawner.
Waited almost 3 hours (7:30ish until around 10:30) for the late models to race and then only 7 start. 3 of them were competitive the other 4 were sleds. Webster, Perkins, and Shelnut lapped all 4 of the others and a couple of them twice.
I like late models and watching a car dialed in like Shelnuts is fine for me but for the average fan that race was a snoozer- 7 cars circling around a 1/2 mile track for 30 minutes with no passing.

I don't know what the problem is but Ellisville cannot draw cars. Their wasn't any other late model racing in the state and only 7 show up? BTW- I was told by the track that 12 SLM were there in the pits when I called earlier that day.
Biggest class of the night was the antique modifieds- 8 cars.

The pits were not full. Car count at Ellisville last night- pure stocks 3, streetstocks 4, sportsman 4, latemodels 7. 18 cars total plus DAARA cars.

[RSB]

It's very sad..

I raced there for many years with pretty large car counts and well run (fast, no screwing around) shows. I've tried to support the place by "giving it another chance" a few times every year but not only are the car counts pathetic, it also just takes forever to get the show started. They just dick around so much that I usually end up leaving half way through. Keep in mind, I'm not a very patient person. In fact I've been called a grouchy old a -hole a time or two..On a positive note, um...It has a nice grassy parking lot and usually the line at the ticket booth is short.

[Don Nerone]

I raced there for many years with pretty large car counts and well run (fast, no screwing around) shows. I've tried to support the place by "giving it another chance" a few times every year but not only are the car counts pathetic, it also just takes forever to get the show started. They just dick around so much that I usually end up leaving half way through. Keep in mind, I'm not a very patient person. In fact I've been called a grouchy old a -hole a time or two..On a positive note, um...It has a nice grassy parking lot and usually the line at the ticket booth is short.

I never called you grouchyLOLdon62

[ocalasp76]

I raced there for many years with pretty large car counts and well run (fast, no screwing around) shows. I've tried to support the place by "giving it another chance" a few times every year but not only are the car counts pathetic, it also just takes forever to get the show started. They just dick around so much that I usually end up leaving half way through. Keep in mind, I'm not a very patient person. In fact I've been called a grouchy old a -hole a time or two..On a positive note, um...It has a nice grassy parking lot and usually the line at the ticket booth is short.

I have to go with some of what you said, but especially the grouchy old a-hole part.
The Fords are trying to make it work and put a lot of heart and hard work there. Being in the pits from week to week I can see it. The electrical system is old and they just had to do some upgrades,on their dime too, and now all the lights are working again. I walked into the electrical room Saturday morning and saw stuff I changed out in Miami in the mid 70's that was OLD then. Line starters have not been used in years for instance and there a 4 of them in there..
BTW.. between races I watched some of the Bristol race in the RV and saw a BUNCH of empty seats at a race that has most always been sold out. Things are tuff all over and comments like above and others just doesn't help much. Enjoy what you have and while we have it, because the alternative is worse.. JMO
-JIM-

[Ocala Camper]

Just an opinion

I agree that it is just your opinion, and we all are entitled to them. If you drove three hours to come to Ellisiville to see Late Models race and as you said the race was a yawner, I am sorry you felt that way. We are working hard at trying to keep a short track racing in North Florida from going belly up. If you have some worth while ideas of how this can be done, feel free to PM me and I will be glad to entertain your thoughts. We do not have bottomless pockets that we can just throw money out and attract cars from all over the state. We have had two other attempts this year at big races and one was cancelled by the series because they could not produce enough cars to put on a show. The second one that we had was for Sportsman and Mother Nature opened her rain bucket from every place south of Gainesville. This past Saturday, we also had that problem. A race track just to the south of us had to cancel their program because it rained so hard the entire infield area was flooded. We on the other hand did not have a drop of rain. this will keep cars away. If you have not been to Ellisville this year, the fans that we had there this past Saturday was an above average crowd. I did a quick count of people and I came up with approximately 300 people. That was a good crowd for us. We have tried free give aways, we have tried pack the car nights, we have dropped our admission fees, I cannot go out and drag people out of their houses. As far as the car count goes, your numbers are not totally correct. the number of cars that you posted only indicated what ended up making the feature races. There were actually 10 Late Models (which is still not great) but two cars broke during practice and could not continue, There were and additional 3 Pure Stocks in the pit that did not make the feature race. (neighborhood track was running double points/double purse/50 lap Pure Stock race that took some cars). We had two other Sportsman cars in the pits that could not make the feature and there were actually 23 DAARA cars at the track. I believe that we had a total car count in the pits Saturday somewhere aroung 52 cars all total. Yes, I agree these numbers are not breaking records, but we are still able to attract some cars that enjoy racing and are able to keep a short track open. Just look at what happened three weeks ago not more than 50 miles from us in Putnam County. They could not keep up with the weather issues (over half of their race dates have been rained out) and the owner decided to shut the gates.

We will be holding a 35 lap Pure Stock race the first week of September and a 35 lap Street Stock race the end of September. Coming in October, we are in the process of putting together either a 50 or 75 lap Sportsman race paying at least $1000 to win. As I said, If you can give me or any of the team members at Ellisville Speedway and ideas, feel free to PM me.

Thanks for the time to vent my opinions
Don

[Elkoldtimer]

I appreciate your efforts to get Ellisville back up and running. I've been going there as a fan since 1992. I think the place looked great last night- mowed, painted, pressure washed, new speakers and new lighting- that's great and I probably should have said so in my earlier post.

I realize that you cannot control the racing on the track but my initial question remains- I don't understand why the car count is still so low. I was there opening night and here we are a year later and still no cars.
My car count was accurate for cars that started the features- as fans cars that are in the pits broke down do not really matter, just saying.

I hate to see the way short track racing is, especially late models, here in north Florida right now. I have tried to support your track since you reopened and have been to pretty much all your big shows- pure stocks, street stocks, modifieds, sportsman and late models. Hard to put on much of a show with only 5,6,7 cars I understand that. So why are't they coming your way? Citrus was closed and FUPS wasn't running so why no sportsman show up? There wasn't any other track running late models in the entire state. Yes the weather may be playing a part, but I looked at the radar and made the 2 hour trip so I know race teams could have done the same thing if they chose to, my question is why do they choose not to?

I guess if your looking for suggestions from me I would say talk to the promoter up at North Florida Speedway- they seem to be doing ok on both car count (average 12 per division) and fans.

[cfontfan]

New Smyrna was racing super lates. That might have kept a few from coming up there

[ocalasp76]

... and FUPS Sportsman were at A'Dale which got rained out..
Dirt racing has always been popular and North Florida Speedway is 10 minutes down the road from Ellisville.
Our promoter,Don, has been on the job since day one and pulling a lot of tricks out of the hat.. and BTW, Dons only compensation so far has been a 'pit pass' each week he comes.

The biggest complaint I have heard from other teams who don't come to Ellisville is that it is to far and away from all the other tracks they can run at. Big purse races even isn't enough to get them up there sometime..
NSS is 50 miles closer,round trip, to my house and I try to race both because of the people and track conditions are everything I prefer.. I tried Bronson for a season but don't get me started on my opinion there.. We have heard from drivers who race Bronson and not Ellisville because they are afraid of the big track..?? To fast for them... Hell, get a slower car then. PUSSYS is all I have to say about that..
Nuff said..
-Ge Um-