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OLD BALL PARK-16th st
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2/14/13, 5:55 PM |
#1
OLD BALL PARK-16th st
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 123 |
Anybody know whats going on at the 16st ball park, I went by Sun.on the way to the World of Wheels and seen all kinds of construction and building going on what used to be the grandstands? looks pretty amazing, all glass. Going to ba a ball park or what. Last time I was there was when they was running the Midgets.(Tony George & Ed Carpenter) Somebody spending some bucks.
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2/14/13, 6:00 PM |
#2
Re: OLD BALL PARK-16th st
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Senior Member
Race Count Last Year: 59 Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 5,070 |
Quote:
__________________
Mike
Be nice to people on the way up. You might need them on the way down. Jimmy Durante |
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2/14/13, 6:00 PM |
#3
Re: OLD BALL PARK-16th st
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 1 |
condos
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2/14/13, 8:21 PM |
#4
Re: OLD BALL PARK-16th st
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 5,072 |
Quote:
__________________
John Hoover
“To whom little is not enough, nothing is enough.” Epicurus |
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2/14/13, 9:16 PM |
#5
Re: OLD BALL PARK-16th st
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Senior Member
Race Count Last Year: 59 Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 5,070 |
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I personally didn't have any problems either John. However, I have heard some of the stories from others that did. Even when the Indians played there, that area was not the best. Your comment about mismanagement is right on. To bad since it could have been a real nice facility with some proper leadership.
__________________
Mike
Be nice to people on the way up. You might need them on the way down. Jimmy Durante
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Last edited by Mud Packer; 2/14/13 at 9:18 PM. |
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2/15/13, 12:14 AM |
#6
Re: OLD BALL PARK-16th st
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 5,072 |
Mike if you remember the Speedway basically owned the place and it was the very end of the era where the Speedway had to do zero promotion to sell out IMS. Naturally they figured that 16th st would sell itself out just as easily. The nights they did promote, UAW night etc they packed the joint. The nights they didnt you could have shot a machine gun and not hit anyone. By the end they were drawing 200-300 a night and I knew half of them. In fact a bunch of people I know in racing I met there. Still the racing was exciting as hell, car count was never a problem and it was in the heart of open wheel racing. Such a damn shame.
Here is a race that was on Speedvision in 97.
__________________
John Hoover
“To whom little is not enough, nothing is enough.” Epicurus
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Last edited by racefan20; 2/15/13 at 12:46 AM. |
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2/15/13, 1:25 AM |
#7
Re: OLD BALL PARK-16th st
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 290 |
I seem to remember an article in Open Wheel Magazine where Dave Cassidy admitted that very thing. I was there for opening night (that was the biggest trophy I've ever seen), and for the final night of Summer Sizzle. A racy little joint
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2/15/13, 9:16 AM |
#8
Re: OLD BALL PARK-16th st
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Senior Member
Race Count This Year: 3 Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,221 |
Just like John, Vicki & i hardly ever missed a race, 15 minutes from home & racey as he11! the only folks who hated the place were the car owners and the crack dealers, the owners for all the repairs they had to do afterwards and the dealers for not being able to hear the prices offered. Mis-management was the problem 100%, with the promotions guy spending his whole week just driving around in the convertible pace car and not hitting the radio & tv stations. I do remember Tony G.'s last words about the speedway, he said "with our huge p.r. dept. right down the street (at IMS) we could have done alot more to promote the track." To little, too late! We were only one lottery drawing away from saving the joint, cause if i would have hit a big powerball drawing, we would have still been racing there, bob.
p.s. NEVER had 1 problem in the parking lot, maybe cause they had good lighting and would leave them on awhile after the racing...unlike speedrome! |
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2/15/13, 9:48 AM |
#9
Re: OLD BALL PARK-16th st
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Senior Member
Race Count Last Year: 59 Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 5,070 |
John & Bob,
I agree totally. Mismanagement and lack of PR sent this track to an early grave. Sure wish that it could have worked because the racing was great. Mr. President, when you do win that big lottery, please buy any one of a number of speedways that are currently shuttered. God only knows what the future of some of these places might be.
__________________
Mike
Be nice to people on the way up. You might need them on the way down. Jimmy Durante |
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2/15/13, 10:31 AM |
#10
Re: OLD BALL PARK-16th st
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 5,955 |
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Honest Dad himself |
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OLD BALL PARK-16th st
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