Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

Originally Posted by Tony Stewart:
trust me i watched on my computer til the bitter end last night, but no one can control the weather. sorry we let you down. i have the upmost confidence in my staff and watched them do everything they could to get it in last night. there are many more variables in what happened last night that usac dictated an was out of eldoras control. i love usac but the show in april seems to make more people unhappy than happy and the weather sucks in april. maybe we should stop running this event. we lose money on it every year. we do it for the fans but seems like thats not enough anymore. sorry

I give you credit for getting on here, even though I probably would not have. You guys were in a tough spot last night, and easily could have cancelled. Just remember a lot of people on this board post a lot, but hardly ever go to races. I think for some people the problem is it seems like something every year. I got to where about 10 years ago I tired of winged racing, and these Usac shows are the only time I get to Eldora. I have been going there since 1982. I hope this show continues to be on the schedule, as to me it has always been the unoffical start of spring. As for being a money loser, pull 3 good shows in a row and the crowd will come back. You can't blame people for being gun shy. Good luck.

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

Modocer - were you even there Friday? Please answer.
The reason I ask is that I think without all that rain, that cushion would have been way farther up the track and it would have been an awesome night for nonwing racing. The track structure itself seemed fine in my opinion. The part they were racing on was fine, its just too bad all the rain screwed up actually having the drivers able to use the whole track.

I think Brent is right, most of the people yelling the loudest werent even there to begin with. If you were, then you obviously didnt pay attention to the amount of water that had fallen and how wet that track was and how heavy and misty the air was all day - there was no chance of drying that thing.

That goes back to my first post - they probably should have just canceled it from the very beginning and not tried to be the superhero by running Friday night. I'll call a spade a spade when I see one, but seriously, some of you are ridiculous on this one. I don't understand how you think you have a right to be pissed off at Eldora or USAC for Mother Natures problem. At least they tried to give us a race, unlike a lot of other tracks in the area.

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

I don't know how much it rained Thursday/Friday morning at Eldora, but I doubt it was any more than how much it rained at Lawrenceburg, and the track was perfect.

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

Originally Posted by dustbowl:
I don't know how much it rained Thursday/Friday morning at Eldora, but I doubt it was any more than how much it rained at Lawrenceburg, and the track was perfect.

Don't know how much it rained south of me, but I live an hour north of the Burg, and an hour south of Eldora (give or take), and work in between. It flat ass poured down rain in Richmond, from 8am, till at least 3:30pm.

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

[QUOTE=sprinterfan;220745]Now I'm not one that runs around shooting his mouth off, QUOTE] :5::5::5: doing a pretty good job of it

As it has been said in this thread you can't just take a tractor or any other equipment onto a really soft race track until it dries out at least a little. I live about an hour west of the track and we got alot of rain here Thursday night and Friday morning. So they probably couldn't get onto the track first thing friday morning. You're on here complaining to Eldora's track crew about the condition of the racing surface but I've got a hunch that if they'd cancelled the race early friday morning you would've been on here busting USAC's balls for pulling the plug too early.
At least they attempted the race.

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

Ill give some advice...... Get some real clay on the track.... Not this field dirt that was brought a few years back that has stone it....If there was more clay content in it, the track couldve been packed tight thursday knowing it was goin to rain that night.....the track wouldve had enough water in it from earlier in the week.. The water wouldve ran off, got better track prep on it.... Yes I know it cost money to haul in clay.. a few years back, Knoxville screwed up with some clay/dirt that didnt work well... they dug it all up, went & got some river bottom gumbo & solved the problem.....yes it is April & weather can be a ***** at times.... but there has to get some more clay in the track & some poeple that wants to work it more than 2 days a week....Mr.Stewart, I think its time that you need to look deep into the people that run the track for you & make some changes like gettin the larry & larry show out of there... its been over due...

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

I was done with eldora after the great dust out of last year. Thought I"d try one more time, and got burned again by piss poor track prep! We all say I"ll never return but we do , we just keep giveing tony our money and then we ***** and moan bout what a poor show we saw but whats Tony care he got our cash again laughing as he goes to the bank . Everybody has to hit him and his track where it will bother him most in his pocket . Everyone needs to say enough is enough and stay away from eldora. As of now if eldora was across the street and I got in free I"d pass it up Tony and eldoea can kiss my :26:

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

As I stated on another thread, if the sprint cars would have been in the push off area when Eldora was ready for them (IMO) there would have been plenty of time to have completed the show!! Instead it seemed like the cars would come up one at A time every 2-3 minutes, then after 10 or so minutes a group would get pushed, repeat this about 7 times and you now have plenty of time to complete the races, and then there would be no "mourning after" problems!! IMO the biggest problem of the night was Eldora inability to get sprint cars to push off. Everything else I feel the staff at Eldora did an outstanding job when the easy way out would have been to give up early like they did Saturday.

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

Jim George, not sure but I would have to bet that Tony lost his rear end this weekend. Figure in the advertising costs, insurance, staff labor from Fri and Sat, misc overhead, plus they had to pay whatever the purse is in the stock car feature that they ran from Friday night.

They basically made zero dollars from ticket sales since they changed it to a rainout / raincheck deal so the only thing they could offset that was concessions and I seriously doubt they made enough to cancel out all that other stuff.

Finishline - I agree, the only delays was trying to get the sprints out on the track. The thing that makes me scratch my head though is the fact that when they put stocks and mods out there, they were all up there in line and ready to go. No delays whatsoever. So why do the sprints always seem to have this problem of moving? Is it Eldora's problem or USAC's problem?

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

The fact is that they must be doing something wrong, because every show you attend it seems that they have fewer and fewer HAPPY folks in the stands. Actually if I'm trying to introduce a friend to the sport, this was always my first choice to take them, now it is my last. It seems that more times than not I go to the Big E and leave wishing I had my money back.

Wow did I take all those years with Earl running the show for granted. Didn't know how good I had it.

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

This date in the spring was the outlaw's 2 day date for years. there has been a problem seeing 2 days of racing this early. that said the last 2 years seems as if the weather has been pretty good except for last friday. i was happy they tried to get it in friday and thought for sure Saturday was a go. It would have been a big money loser maybe if they had run Saturday with paying friday's purse also. Should this 2 day show be moved to the end of April or early May with a single day date this early? I consider usac sprints at Eldora when ever they run one of the greatest events i go to all year. I would like to see one or two dates in the summer on a weekend with a properly prepared surface. It would a real shame to lose usac at the BIG E. I'm sure Tony would just as soom not have these problems who ever is to fault.

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What advertising the was nothing in dayton lima sidney indy ft.wayne area! They do very little! Thats a lot of the problem! You seem to know everything at eldora please tell me how much they spent and where did they spend it!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Why don't you tell us Duke , you seem to know everything .

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

Did you drive to all of those areas and personally check that out Duke? I have no idea how much advertising they placed and dont really care - that wasn't the point of my earlier post. But since you brought it up, I can tell you for a fact they had to place at least some because I heard the radio commercials last week on T102 (Lima) at work and again on 96.1 over in Richmond one night. I remember it because it was a kinda funny commercial at the beginning.

I've seen those little black and white ads in the wapak paper all the time too, not to mention what used to be speed sport every week
(I realize you probably wouldn't read a paper unless someone gave you a copy for free, so you'll just have to take my word on that part though).

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

It amazes me to the number of people that get on this and other web sites and do nothing but complain about track condtions etc. and have all the answers on how to cure the problems. If your ideas are so good why are you trying to impress the people with your knowledge on these web sites? Instead maybe you should send your resume with your ideas to the track's management and who knows you might become the track preper yourself or better yet why don't try promoting weekly shows, just think all the money you will be making each week because of your knowledge on promoting and track preparations.

REH

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

Originally Posted by mowerman:
Why don't you tell us Duke , you seem to know everything .

Now thats Funny!

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

My advice is to make the place 'Eldora Speedway' again.

As soon as Tony Stewart took over, he has made damn sure that everybody knows he owns the joint.

'Tony Stewart's Eldora Speedway' is on the programs, the ads in the papers, and is announced in the radio spots.

Tony always has a speaking part in the radio spots...albeit a generic 1 liner or two.

Billboards, scoreboard, jumbotron, suites...jeez, it ain't a fricken NASCAR track! He claimed he didn't want to change the feel of Eldora, welp, you failed there Smoke!

Earl didn't call it Earl Baltes' Eldora Speedway, he wasn't in the radio ads..... Of course if you knew anything, you knew Earl owned it, he was hands on.

Tony wants to be the big shot and the center of attention, but when everything goes to sh)t, he wants to blame somebody/something else....the weather, USAC, etc.

I think it was 3 years ago or so, the Sat. night program of the 4 Crown was dusty as all hell. They pissed around before the heat races for a couple of hours watering, etc, and even had Tony in a tractor pulling some kind of tiller contraption. Then Stewart goes into the press box for his abligatory interview, and says that he want's everything to be perfect for the fans. By the time the 2nd midget heat was running, the dust was rolling again. When the 1st sprint heat was running you couldn't see the grandstand from turn 4...none of the grandstand at all, nor could you see the cars. You could hear the cars going by, but if you would have been deaf, you would have had no idea you were even at a race track...because you were essentially blind also!!

Their track reshaping/changing of the banking sucks. The new 'clay' sucks. The mixing wood fiber into the 'clay' idea sucked. (remember the dust bowl) The USAC motocross race sucked........

Didn't TS get into a bit of a riff with a track promoter in Australia regarding track conditions?..;). The race track he want's everybody to know he owns has had consecutive YEARS of poor track conditions, but hey, they are trying, and what more could a paying customer ask for? :14:

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

Just my opinion on this whole deal. Suprised Tony came on here at all, no win situation for him. I have been going to Eldora since 1973 and thru the years there were good track conditions and there were bad ones. That being said there has just been a string of bad ones in the past three years. Starting with that 4 crown from 3 years ago there just has not been a non wing show that has had good track conditions. From a business standpoint you have to realize something isn't right with the surface, you can't just miss the track prep that many times in a row. There has to be someone responsible, the buck has to stop somewhere. If the knowledge to prep the track isn't there, stop the bleeding and get some help. That way we can all get back to looking forward to making the trips to Eldora the special trips they used to be. As my man Tony Funk said change something and put 3 good ones in a row on and the fans will come back.

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

[QUOTE=REH24;221342]It amazes me to the number of people that get on this and other web sites and do nothing but complain about track condtions etc. and have all the answers on how to cure the problems. If your ideas are so good why are you trying to impress the people with your knowledge on these web sites? Instead maybe you should send your resume with your ideas to the track's management and who knows you might become the track preper yourself or better yet why don't try promoting weekly shows, just think all the money you will be making each week because of your knowledge on promoting and track preparations.

REH[/QUOTE

I think that is exactly what a lot of folks on here are saying, that if we did send in our resume that it wouldn't matter. Because they do not feel that there is a problem.

You can't fix it until you admit it's broke.:7:

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

I know a lot more then you will know ever about racing! And how to take care of dirt tracks! Tell me was the any ad's in the dayton paper or any tv any where? No is the answer!

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

Originally Posted by sprinter:

Originally Posted by REH24:
It amazes me to the number of people that get on this and other web sites and do nothing but complain about track condtions etc. and have all the answers on how to cure the problems. If your ideas are so good why are you trying to impress the people with your knowledge on these web sites? Instead maybe you should send your resume with your ideas to the track's management and who knows you might become the track preper yourself or better yet why don't try promoting weekly shows, just think all the money you will be making each week because of your knowledge on promoting and track preparations.

REH

I think that is exactly what a lot of folks on here are saying, that if we did send in our resume that it wouldn't matter. Because they do not feel that there is a problem.

You can't fix it until you admit it's broke.:7:

Do you personally know of anyone that talked to these promoters face to face instead of getting on here complaining which does nothing. All the complaining on here for over the past years about Eldora, has anything really changed at that track in regards to preparations. Maybe the complainers who has all the answers should talk face to face with the promoters and give them some suggestions. Who knows what can happen, like I said they might end up being hired.

REH

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

Need For Speed, your post is spot on. That 4 Crown fiasco of several years ago did me in on Eldora Speedway. The funny thing was, after TS did the obligitory tractor ride and the dust was spread over half the county, there was a line a block long to tell him what a great job he was doing.

Just like Tony George and his ill concieved IRL.

Eldora is for reading about in history books.

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

Originally Posted by REH24:
Do you personally know of anyone that talked to these promoters face to face instead of getting on here complaining which does nothing. All the complaining on here for over the past years about Eldora, has anything really changed at that track in regards to preparations. Maybe the complainers who has all the answers should talk face to face with the promoters and give them some suggestions. Who knows what can happen, like I said they might end up being hired.

REH

Awww geez...........

Several people around me at that joke of a 4 Crown, went to the pressbox after that 1st sprint heat, and knocked on the door trying to get Tony to come down to the turn 4 grandstands and see if he could actually see the damn races. The story I got from 2 different people when they got back was....They beat on the door forever, and somebody finally opened it, and said 'What the hell do you want?'. And these people said 'We want Tony to come to turn 4 and see if he can see the races, cause we can't!'. The Eldora 'rep' said 'Why what's wrong with the races?' (I don't know how he could've been that dumb!) These people said 'We can't see them, that's what's wrong! It's so dusty that we can't see the race track, the cars nothing!!', and this clown had the nerve to say 'Well, it is a dirt track, what do you expect', and he slammed the door. I got this info from these people as they were packing up their stuff, and leaving....one of the guys came down from Canada. He was so pissed off that he said "I ain't even waiting 'till morning, I'm packing in the camper and we are leaving as soon as it's ready to go. I'm never coming back to this place" And I followed them out the gate and left too.

Larry Kemp and Larry Boos have been to DARF meetings on 'Promoter's Night', and both have been asked/bounced about the track conditions and dust. Both of them just blow you off like you are a jack@ss and they say 'It's a dirt track, what do you expect'.. Eldora reps at the Piqua Mall race car show have been bounced about the track conditions and dust problem....same ol' crap 'It's a dirt track, what do you expect'. I wonder if they reherse that line of sh1t, or they have said it so much that it just comes naturally now!

I drive to the track and pay my money to see races. I'm not there for the beer because I can sit at home and drink...save the gas and the $18 'cover charge', I'm not there because I've got nothing else to do, I'm there to see the races. One time it's dusty as hell, the next time it's a mud hole, another time they should have been racing dirt bikes and not sprint cars...they aren't consistant in the track prep, unless you take into account that they consistantly screw it up! If Tony and company can't at least provide a place that you can see what you paid to see, then forget it and forget them.

It's just like 'sprinter' says, they won't admit that they are screwing up the track prep, so why are they going to think anyone can do any better. To quote him "You can't fix it until you admit it's broke"

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

Originally Posted by Need For Speed:
Awww geez...........

Several people around me at that joke of a 4 Crown, went to the pressbox after that 1st sprint heat, and knocked on the door trying to get Tony to come down to the turn 4 grandstands and see if he could actually see the damn races. The story I got from 2 different people when they got back was....They beat on the door forever, and somebody finally opened it, and said 'What the hell do you want?'. And these people said 'We want Tony to come to turn 4 and see if he can see the races, cause we can't!'. The Eldora 'rep' said 'Why what's wrong with the races?' (I don't know how he could've been that dumb!) These people said 'We can't see them, that's what's wrong! It's so dusty that we can't see the race track, the cars nothing!!', and this clown had the nerve to say 'Well, it is a dirt track, what do you expect', and he slammed the door. I got this info from these people as they were packing up their stuff, and leaving....one of the guys came down from Canada. He was so pissed off that he said "I ain't even waiting 'till morning, I'm packing in the camper and we are leaving as soon as it's ready to go. I'm never coming back to this place" And I followed them out the gate and left too.

Larry Kemp and Larry Boos have been to DARF meetings on 'Promoter's Night', and both have been asked/bounced about the track conditions and dust. Both of them just blow you off like you are a jack@ss and they say 'It's a dirt track, what do you expect'.. Eldora reps at the Piqua Mall race car show have been bounced about the track conditions and dust problem....same ol' crap 'It's a dirt track, what do you expect'. I wonder if they reherse that line of sh1t, or they have said it so much that it just comes naturally now!

I drive to the track and pay my money to see races. I'm not there for the beer because I can sit at home and drink...save the gas and the $18 'cover charge', I'm not there because I've got nothing else to do, I'm there to see the races. One time it's dusty as hell, the next time it's a mud hole, another time they should have been racing dirt bikes and not sprint cars...they aren't consistant in the track prep, unless you take into account that they consistantly screw it up! If Tony and company can't at least provide a place that you can see what you paid to see, then forget it and forget them.

It's just like 'sprinter' says, they won't admit that they are screwing up the track prep, so why are they going to think anyone can do any better. To quote him "You can't fix it until you admit it's broke"

Exactly my point "Why get on here and complain because it doesn't do any good". Do yourself a favor, stay home save gas and enjoy a cold "YUENGLING".

REH

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

What in the blue hell are you talking about REH24???????

You ask if anyone has actually talked to the promoters 'face to face' about the problems, I tell you YES, and on more than one occasion, and you make this nonsensical statement>

Originally Posted by REH24:
Exactly my point "Why get on here and complain because it doesn't do any good". Do yourself a favor, stay home save gas and enjoy a cold "YUENGLING".

REH

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

Originally Posted by need for speed:
what in the blue hell are you talking about reh24???????

You ask if anyone has actually talked to the promoters 'face to face' about the problems, i tell you yes, and on more than one occasion, and you make this nonsensical statement>

:3::5::9:

Reh

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

I didn't go last year , the first time not going to Eldora . 2 years ago I said I would never go back , the dust is so bad that even with goggles you can't watch the show . I love getting some dirt and dust on me , but you can't even watch the races over there . All you see is a giant cloud of dust blowing 30 go 40 mph at you . Now that ls a lot of fun. When they start putting water down and keeping it a race track I'll go back.:14::15:

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

Originally Posted by gtownplowboy:
Just my opinion on this whole deal. Suprised Tony came on here at all, no win situation for him. I have been going to Eldora since 1973 and thru the years there were good track conditions and there were bad ones. That being said there has just been a string of bad ones in the past three years. Starting with that 4 crown from 3 years ago there just has not been a non wing show that has had good track conditions. From a business standpoint you have to realize something isn't right with the surface, you can't just miss the track prep that many times in a row. There has to be someone responsible, the buck has to stop somewhere. If the knowledge to prep the track isn't there, stop the bleeding and get some help. That way we can all get back to looking forward to making the trips to Eldora the special trips they used to be. As my man Tony Funk said change something and put 3 good ones in a row on and the fans will come back.

Not that staunch open wheel fans will necessarily care, but Eldora isn't missing the track set-up for just the USAC or sprint car shows. Our family used to go over routinely for USAC, WoO, and the late model shows and let me just say, they can frick up the track for a late model show just as badly as they can for a sprint car show. When it became clear to us that the priority was no longer a well-prepared track for the drivers to race on, we called it quits on the track we'd been going to for over 30 years. We haven't been back since the 2007 World 100. Truth be told, we haven't miss it. There are just too many other good tracks out there waiting for us to find them.

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

First, this was a tough weekend weather wise, so I really blame no one. But watching the track prep since Tony has taken over, and not just the USAC shows, has been BRUTAL/PATHETIC. I personally think Tony is just looking for a reason to PAVE that place so his NASCAR buddies have a little playground. Not that he needs a reason, he owns the place, but what better reason than no fans show up...:42::

To me Eldora has been OVER-RATED since about 1996 or 97, but I still love the atmosphere at the BigE...If/when he paves the place it will be no big deal though, I've had my fill the last 20 years :24:

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

Originally Posted by Pine:
First, this was a tough weekend weather wise, so I really blame no one. But watching the track prep since Tony has taken over, and not just the USAC shows, has been BRUTAL/PATHETIC. I personally think Tony is just looking for a reason to PAVE that place so his NASCAR buddies have a little playground. Not that he needs a reason, he owns the place, but what better reason than no fans show up...:42::

To me Eldora has been OVER-RATED since about 1996 or 97, but I still love the atmosphere at the BigE...If/when he paves the place it will be no big deal though, I've had my fill the last 20 years :24:

He is not going to pave it.

Re: Advice for eldora speedway
 

Originally Posted by Pine:
First, this was a tough weekend weather wise, so I really blame no one. But watching the track prep since Tony has taken over, and not just the USAC shows, has been BRUTAL/PATHETIC. I personally think Tony is just looking for a reason to PAVE that place so his NASCAR buddies have a little playground. Not that he needs a reason, he owns the place, but what better reason than no fans show up...:42::

To me Eldora has been OVER-RATED since about 1996 or 97, but I still love the atmosphere at the BigE...If/when he paves the place it will be no big deal though, I've had my fill the last 20 years :24:

I haven't been there in about 4 or 5 years. Been going to there since the mid 60's.

If they would pave it, I would be much more likely to show up there, especially for a Sunday afternoon race. I can't really drive at night. I like dirt tracks, but I like pavement more. So kill me.

At least people would at stop complaining about the surface at Eldusta.