[bmemmer]

To our loyal fans,

There are many of you, fans and competitors alike, who are upset with our handling of last weekend’s Coca-Cola Spring Classic USAC/UMP DIRTcar Modifieds event. Quite frankly, you should be, for our track surface wasn’t up to our own high standards and our communication regarding the challenges we faced was also lacking to the fans that made the trip to our facility.

First and foremost, on behalf of Eldora Speedway, I apologize for the track conditions and our overall handling of the situation. It was unacceptable and a situation we are extremely regretful of. However, I can promise you that we will do everything possible to make it right and hopefully regain the confidence of our participants and fans.

Immediately following Friday night’s cancellation, equipment was on the track. By mid-morning on Saturday, the track was being groomed into racing condition – only to fall victim to heavy afternoon showers and yet another cancellation.

Our efforts to get the track into proper racing condition have been ongoing all week and will continue until it is exactly where it needs to be. We’re confident our work will be successful, and once we are ready, we will host an open practice session to any and all competitors at no charge. The grandstands will be open to the public as well. We have rain in the forecast the next couple of days, so we’ll announce the practice day and time as soon as we are able to evaluate the timing of the track preparation.

We’d also like to remind all of our ticketholders to last weekend’s Coca-Cola Spring Classic that their ticket value can be applied to any future event at Eldora Speedway with available seating. The Friday leg of the Coca-Cola Spring Classic featuring the USAC Sprint Car Series and the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds will also be re-scheduled for a TBA date.

Please accept our sincerest apology for last weekend’s unfortunate outcome. While some other racetracks were able to overcome pre-season weather woes, our track surface proved especially challenging due to the adverse weather combined with the minimal time we had to bond the new clay we added to the racing surface in the off-season.

Even with ideal weather conditions on Friday, it wasn’t enough to help us get the track in racing shape. And in our eagerness to put on a show for the drivers, USAC and the fans, we pushed the envelope. We thought we could get it right in time, but in hindsight, we should have canceled before the event and not put our fans, sanctioning bodies and drivers in the situation we did.

This is not an indication of what our track will be like this year or how we represent ourselves to our constituents. We foresee an excellent racing surface with the kind of top-notch competition our fans and drivers have come to expect and deserve of Eldora Speedway.

Sincerely,


this was from tony is name wouldn't copy and paste you can find it on Eldora's web site

I just got the same email in reply to one I sent, sorry but 6 months to get a new track surface worked in is plenty of time. I'll be spending my racing funds elsewhere this year... what little will be left if I buy this Harley I'm looking at....lol

[short track scott]

A letter of apology and understanding: Asked for it-got it.
I can't agree enough that this show should've been called about Wednesday. But it wasn't. Everybody learns a lesson in it.

I'm ok with it. IF I HAD BEEN THERE, a letter won't put gas money back in my pocket or time back at work, but communication goes a long way with me.

Maybe nobody there had seen what not enough good prep can cause with new clay. That can't be said again. At least not by they who were charged to provide a good surface.

Next time, don't call a turd a rose. Flush it before it stinks!
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[n8dc]

Originally Posted by racerdog45 I just got the same email in reply to one I sent, sorry but 6 months to get a new track surface worked in is plenty of time. I'll be spending my racing funds elsewhere this year... what little will be left if I buy this Harley I'm looking at....lol

I rode my Harley 3 1/2 hours down there .. It still sucked big time .. I sure hope Tony isnt Bsing us but only time will tell.. Last year I went to the burg and another track (cant remember the name) and I was impressed. Hardly any dust at all. There is no excuse for having a mess like that.. If I remember right Larry was in charge of the all star millstream race last summer also and you couldnt see ***** there either.. I know he was there in some form of higher up role ?... Id like to ride to Eldora on the H/D again but id also like to see a race
Dave

Originally Posted by n8dc I rode my Harley 3 1/2 hours down there .. It still sucked big time .. I sure hope Tony isnt Bsing us but only time will tell.. Last year I went to the burg and another track (cant remember the name) and I was impressed. Hardly any dust at all. There is no excuse for having a mess like that.. If I remember right Larry was in charge of the all star millstream race last summer also and you couldnt see ***** there either.. I know he was there in some form of higher up role ?... Id like to ride to Eldora on the H/D again but id also like to see a race Dave

If I buy it my racing funds are going to be GREATLY decreased this year, lol, but the ride to and from the track will but a little more enjoyable! 46 years old so time to get another one while I'm young enough to enjoy it. Maybe NEXT year I'll ride it up to Eldora once, just to check things out.....

[Kevracer58]

I can understand the frustration of the fans that were there, but Tony's apology seems real. For the folks who still seem upset, I ask - What else could he have done?

[n8dc]

Originally Posted by racerdog45 If I buy it my racing funds are going to be GREATLY decreased this year, lol, but the ride to and from the track will but a little more enjoyable! 46 years old so time to get another one while I'm young enough to enjoy it. Maybe NEXT year I'll ride it up to Eldora once, just to check things out.....

Only 46 .. Im gonna be 59 9/11 ... Buy the harley ride and enjoy ! Im wondering what your looking at . Ive got a glide classic an 06.
I think there is a pm message on here so we can keep it off this thread..
Also I do hope Tony is sincere cause I really like the guy ..
Dave

Thanks for the apology but that doesnt give me my 4 hours there and 4 hours back, gas money, and most of all a blown Easter weekend

[speed bump]

Grow up , get over it and get on with your life and stop crying,
What are you a 5 year old ?

[bahawk]

From 2007:
ELDORA TRACK PREP CONTINUES

STEWART ADDRESSES ELDORA TRACK CONDITIONS

ROSSBURG, OH (April 17) -- “It just wasn’t right, and we intend to fix it”, is how Tony Stewart summed up the first night of racing at his Eldora (OH) Speedway. Tony’s dedicated crew put in many long hours over the winter months in an ambitious construction project to address last year’s criticism of one-groove racing on the historic one-half mile clay oval.

That project involved a tremendous amount of clay being hauled in and a lot of heavy equipment shaping the clay into form. Deep into the project, the inclement weather that inundated the Midwest handcuffed the preparation. Finding nice days to work on the surface came at a premium, and for several days leading up the onset of the season, heavy rains and wet snow hampered the finishing touches.

Stewart summed up the situation as “going into our first race, there was some uncertainty. We were pleased with the work that had been done, but there was still the unknown. That is why, even after mid-week cold temperatures forced a cancellation of our April 7 race, we wanted to still hold an open practice session that afternoon. Unfortunately it got snowed and frozen out, so we entered the World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint race on April 13 with a untested race track.”

He continued, “none of us were satisfied with the results and we will improve it. We all know that what separates Eldora from every other race track in the Nation are three things - speed, slide jobs and bravery, as the drivers run on the ragged edge of the high banks, pushing the right rear tire as close to the outside wall as humanly possible. We intend to get it back that way.”

With that said, crews, under the direction of General Manager Larry Kemp, have been working daily on the race track. Stewart and Kemp are confident that with some weather cooperation the job can be completed quickly.

They both agreed, “give us some time, and we’ll get it right - in fact, we’re not quitting until it is right.”

Eldora’s next event is slated for Saturday, April 28, with the United States Auto Club (USAC) non-winged Sprints appearing for leg number two of the Curb Records Border Wars event.