Finally made it to Monroe Speedway...

[oldyeller]

...where Rusty Marcus spent the season, and that track -- man. It may be the nicest short track in the country -- nicer than Erie, Mansfield Motorsports Park, and now that Irwindale is getting older, I think it's nicer than that track. The all-concrete surface and the broadcast-quality lights just make the cars snap like they do on TV at Bristol and Dover. We sat on the bottom row and the top row of the new aluminum grandstands -- excellent view of the whole track from either. Five water fountains outside the men's bathroom, five outside the women's. Excellent sound system. Suites. Scoreboard. Judging from the lack of rubber dust or chunks in the corners, appears suprisingly easy on tire.

Rusty has done an excellent job there, but like most paved tracks in the south, car count is a problem in all but the entry-level class. Just five late models for the 40-lap feature, two modified classes that look too much alike... This is, after all, the only paved track for hundreds of miles... not many used pavement cars on the market, and area racers can run only at Monroe, or tow a helluva long way.

Bottom line, though, this is a no-expense-spared showplace. And consequently, will probably never make a dime.

[Frasson118]

If it's nicer than Erie, it must be a really nice track.

I also see your point about being virtually impossible to make a profit there. I wonder if putting dirt down would be the savior of that track... there's nothing BUT dirt tracks in Louisiana... and therefore enough cars and fans that it could bring in a lot more income.

[Jane]

I think I was told Monroe costs a cool 6 million to build. Don't know about them turning it to dirt, the whole point was to be asphalt/concrete to pull in the cars. The car counts have been up and down there this year just like alot of paved tracks. But Rusty has tried and I give him credit for that. Don't know where he will land next but he is leaving Monroe at the end of the season. I wish them the best of luck and hope they can get the big races they want, I know Rusty tried his best.

[mizechris]

A very nice track to say the least. Company I belong to did the consulting on the walls there. We did some on the surface itself to.

I am not suprised Rusty is leaving. The track is owned by a board. And everyone on there has there own idea's. There was and maybe still is a fight going on between a guy named Stu Basher and the board. Stu knows everything to know about racing and knows everyone in racing just because he know Bobby Allison. LOL I experienced it first hand. Also La. people seemed to me hated out of staters. All you heard was "we don't do it like that down here."

I also heard they have a ongoing investigation on a past GM there.

You tried Rusty. I know it wasn't you. I dealt with some on that board of directors. I could wait to get on a plane and get the hell out of there.

[Jane]

Rusty did try, he gave it his best but you can't fight a board for sure. Stu is managing the track now and I guess he is going to continue after Rusty leaves. Rusty gave it everything he could but sometimes you can't fight City Hall and you can't keep butting your head against a brick wall, eventually, you get a headache.