Citrus???

[scottgarrity07]

Does anybody know what's going on with Citrus? Two weeks in a row with "phantom" rainouts. Kinda fishy....

[Matt Albee]

Everybody but you i guess. Catch up Scott. Gary has very little money to work with, and every " rain out " is a night he doesn't have to turn on the lights and pay a purse. It's been discussed before.

[OldSchool+]

Scott, I too am wondering what is behind the rainouts.

It seemed like they were getting sponsorship and had resolved to improve things...

I missed a non-wing sprint car show there a while back and am kind of regretting it.

[Scott Prentice]

paved racing in north Florida is pretty much gone

CCS ended/cancelled the season early last year and now they have been closed the last 2 weeks- it looks like this week is not happening either (at least according to the Bronson Speedway facebook page)
stick a fork in it

SGMP- closed
Columbia- dirt
Bronson- floundering
BRP- dirt
CCS- closed
Volusia- dirt


"the pessimist never gets let down" =>JC26

10-4 brother, not a whole lot to be optimistic about around here unless you like 4-5 car classes. Of course there is always the bigwheel or kids bike races at intermission....

[OldSchool+]

Auburndale, Desoto, New Symrna & St Pete are things to look forward to.

And the other venues could rebound. Citrus & Bithlo tracks both inherently provide good racing. All it takes is money.

There have been many ideas floated here regarding improving car count, perhaps along the way they will improve the deal as well.

[Roadtrip]

The "official" word was that this past weekend was not a rain out, but that the Big G himself could not be there to run the show. Take from that what you will.

[scottgarrity07]

When I raced at Citrus in 2010 there were good car counts and big crowds. I don't get how badly things have gotten there. True Gary has pissed some people off and Critter leaving didn't help but I thought there was a strong racing base in the community up there. I always wondered why it was so successful up in the boonies. I was told because "what else is there to do on a Saturday night in Inverness?" Even Adale at it's low point with Rex Guy's shenanigans still drew some cars and decent crowds because of the COMMUNITY. I don't think there is anything new drawing the fine Citrus County folk away. They are just not going. It's a shame. That track has been there forever. Sadly, unless the ship gets righted in a hurry, they will need to find something to do on a Saturday.

[OldSchool+]

They call pull 'em somewhere, kind of like the 07 car...

An even bigger puzzlement is why the Orlando area has never had the same "racing community" mindset that the west coast has, though Auburndale is not on the coast...

Man, they used to be northeast-style serious about their racing in Hialeah. Shame that is gone.

[KevinK77]

Citrus Closing???

Website says all racing events suspended at this time.

[OldSchool+]

changed since this morning.

I wish the track and the promoter well.

[jacko241]

I only raced my super late there once, during Speedweeks 2011, and they still drew 16 supers with NSS running the World Series at the same time. All the classes had decent car counts that night, I was impressed with how the place ran. Sure is a shame.

[openwm53]

Ccs

Is a great little track. In 2011 and 2012 they were getting very decent car counts....2013 Sunshine re opened and they lost some cars. especially in my class including myself. Things haven't been the same since.......the old staff is gone and well ............it just isn't what it was. I hope that something is done to re vitalize the track because it is a bull ring with an outside groove. Good racing. Hopefully it isn't gone for good. I would like to see critter and cope go there and bring it back to life..........maybe even T.C.

[MiniRacer26]

It's not the "rainouts", its the fact that Gary has ran yet another track into the ground. Many of us gave him another chance at the beginning of the season and supported the track, but its more of the same. The problem is the promoter, we are done with his bullshit and refuse to support him. The comment about the track being packed out in 2010 is a factual statement....isn't it weird that the unemployment rate in Florida at that time was over TEN PERCENT and the average now is less than 6? Its not the economy, its the manner in which the place has been managed. If the new promoter is honest and straight forward with the racers, the place will have good car counts again and the community will support it.

[Groundpounder]

I have been critical of this guy and the dufus that he had doing their "PR" last year. Nothing really personal but the BS and lies seemed suspect to the situations.
If you can't make it, I see no sense in him throwing his good money away. I agree he should shut down and let somebody else make a go of it. I sure would.
In reality, tracks closing across this country are a sign of the times and not necessarily related to promotional skills. Some guys thought they could hop on the train and ride it but...it ain't necessarily so....

[scottgarrity07]

It's not the "rainouts", its the fact that Gary has ran yet another track into the ground. Many of us gave him another chance at the beginning of the season and supported the track, but its more of the same. The problem is the promoter, we are done with his bullshit and refuse to support him. The comment about the track being packed out in 2010 is a factual statement....isn't it weird that the unemployment rate in Florida at that time was over TEN PERCENT and the average now is less than 6? Its not the economy, its the manner in which the place has been managed. If the new promoter is honest and straight forward with the racers, the place will have good car counts again and the community will support it.

That's what I was thinking Nathan. In 2010 the economy was in the tank yet the car counts and crowds were good. Here we are in 2015 and things are somewhat better and NOW the place is in the crapper. I guess all the fingers point to Gary.