[ASPHALT24]

Looks like Winchester headed back to the stone ages as the legendary track is celebrating 100 years of auto racing with an extremely sad 3 race schedule in 2014. One open wheel race. Fans are tearing up Winchester's FB page about it. I don't know what to say other than it's sad to see this once great racing institution be reduced to what it is today. Time for Charlie Shaw to move on to a new hobby.

[Mud Packer]

After our experiences last year at the Winchester 400, we won't be back until Charlie Shaw no longer has anything to do with it. He has totally ruined a great facility not once but going on twice.

The guys from Champion Racing Association took over the promotion of the track the first time when it was closed by Charlie. They built it up only to be sent to the curb. They showed him how to promote it and apparently he couldn't figure it out. Now it is falling on sad times again. Time to pull the plug, the party is over Charlie.

[oljonesy]

what would you suggest he do? no more usac on pavement,which were always good shows. hoss or must see had lousy crowds and overpriced tickets for those high speed parades, which leaves what? i get tired of the camper situation and the drawn out shows sat nite at 400 wkend also,but to be at an event not just a race is worth it. suggestions folks?

[Mud Packer]

Originally Posted by oljonesy what would you suggest he do? no more usac on pavement,which were always good shows. hoss or must see had lousy crowds and overpriced tickets for those high speed parades, which leaves what? i get tired of the camper situation and the drawn out shows sat nite at 400 wkend also,but to be at an event not just a race is worth it. suggestions folks?

My suggestion to him would be to sell the place. Obviously he hasn't been able to promote it to be successful. The website hasn't been updated since October. I'm not a social media person but from reports I have heard, nothing there as well. After he closed it the first time, the CRA team promoted it and got it back on its feet and off of life support. After that, back to the same old ways of before.

Granted USAC is out of the pavement sprint series but they still have pavement midgets. Winged sprints can be successful and there are other forms of racing that could provide good entertainment. I had hoped that the supermodifieds returning could be successful but a one and done deal doesn't help there.

The HOSS and Must See series have had over priced tickets for sure. When you don't promote to get butts in the seats, you have to charge more. Find a promoter who will do the job and get the place back on schedule.

The 400 weekend has outgrown that facility. The parking is a joke and he won't do anything about it. He stood on the front straightaway on Sunday two years ago crying telling all he would fix the parking issue. Absolutely nothing has changed. Allowing campers to mark off huge amounts of spaces weeks in advance and a helter skelter system of charging for parking will only drive more people away.

He apparently has more money than he needs and can allow the speedway to falter. His business plan hasn't worked yet so I certainly wouldn't hold out hope that the future will be any brighter.

[cowboyhar69]

http://www.winchesterspeedway.com/schedule.html

[johnnythunderhead]

sad state of affairs/ I would have liked to have seen must see and the supers given a couple more years, it could have worked had the classes picked up more competitors/ lets keep our fingers crossed, maybe some bored, filthy rich napcar driver will buy the joint, spruce it up and get it rock'n n roll'n again/ maybe the solution might revolve around placing about 12" of prime sticky red clay over the pavement?

[Stevensville Mike]

Originally Posted by oljonesy what would you suggest he do? no more usac on pavement,which were always good shows. hoss or must see had lousy crowds and overpriced tickets for those high speed parades, which leaves what? i get tired of the camper situation and the drawn out shows sat nite at 400 wkend also,but to be at an event not just a race is worth it. suggestions folks?

I agree. What should they do?

Back over the years, ASA, ARCA, USAR Hooters Pro Cup, and USAC Sprints/Midgets were there quite regularly. The NASCAR Slim Jim All-Pro Series used to show up from time to time, too. Only ARCA and a small USAC Mideget series are left. All else are long gone.

Short of multiple CRA events, the guys that tour are AVSS/HOSS, Must See Sprints, the two supermodified series (ISMA & Midwest) and Top Speed Mods. Not to belittle anyone, but those are a tad of a step down from what ASA, USAR, USAC, etc., were back 10-20 years ago.

They would have to establish a weekly program of late models and mods, I guess. Or maybe some pavement sprints. Spartan Speedway up here runs pavement non-winged sprints every other week on Friday Nights. I was hoping someone else would pick them up on the "off weekends". South Bend Motor Speedway was a logical venue when it was sold/re-opened, but that never happened. Winchester is a haul from the Lansing area, but if another paved track could compliment Spartan Speedway, we might really be on to something around this area for bringing paved sprints back to a few tracks.

When was the last time/year Winchester ran a weekly program?

[cowboyhar69]

When was the last time/year Winchester ran a weekly program?

Would have been the early 90's. Roger and Linda Holdeman tried it in the early 90's when I was a speed sport salesman at the track. When they threw in the towel on the weekly series I remember Linda Holdeman saying to me "Winchester is just not a weekly track"

[arctic monkey21]

Originally Posted by Stevensville Mike I agree. What should they do? Back over the years, ASA, ARCA, USAR Hooters Pro Cup, and USAC Sprints/Midgets were there quite regularly. The NASCAR Slim Jim All-Pro Series used to show up from time to time, too. Only ARCA and a small USAC Mideget series are left. All else are long gone. Short of multiple CRA events, the guys that tour are AVSS/HOSS, Must See Sprints, the two supermodified series (ISMA & Midwest) and Top Speed Mods. Not to belittle anyone, but those are a tad of a step down from what ASA, USAR, USAC, etc., were back 10-20 years ago. They would have to establish a weekly program of late models and mods, I guess. Or maybe some pavement sprints. Spartan Speedway up here runs pavement non-winged sprints every other week on Friday Nights. I was hoping someone else would pick them up on the "off weekends". South Bend Motor Speedway was a logical venue when it was sold/re-opened, but that never happened. Winchester is a haul from the Lansing area, but if another paved track could compliment Spartan Speedway, we might really be on to something around this area for bringing paved sprints back to a few tracks. When was the last time/year Winchester ran a weekly program?

Great post. There just aren't as many series that you can schedule at a track like Winchester and pretty much be guaranteed of a big crowd. I agree with others though that there are things the track can do to get better especially the fiasco that is 400 weekend parking. In my opinion you can fix all those things and still I'm not sure how you can run more successful events.

[oljonesy]

there you have it. who will pay 20 bucks to watch 9 midgets there? now back to asa days,look at the entry list for the front wheel drives, the vores series at raceway park the 6th of april.72 and counting from many states and tracks.along with the cra and modifieds,that may be the future. dont blame charlie for the lack of open wheel,heck senior hanks turned his show into a 2day deal against davey hamiltons gig.i pay for a motel when i go there,charge the portable motel rooms a hundred bucks for the wkend.hmmmmmm?