lot of talk around new york that oswego speedway will soon be sold. word is John Torrese is putting a group of investors together to buy it. i'd like to get some feedback from some folks on this site, how will it affect the track? can these new owners turn the place around? it sure has been disappointing to see the place go downhill these last few years. some races had less than 300 fans in the stands. years ago, they would regularly get 2,000-4,000 people for a regular 45 lap super race. classic weekend saw the grandsstands on both sides of the track nearing capacity. that doesnt happen anymore. classic purse was cut the last few years. Looking for opinions, is Oswego dead? Do you think the track could be brought back to life with proper management? Let me know what you think. I grew up at oswego speedway in the 60's & 70's and would hate to see the track disappear forever like so many other great tracks.
Beautiful location with a view of the lake. If the state doesn't condemn the grandstands, and I mean all of them it will be a miracle. I wouldn't sit in them if I had too.
Put lipstick on a pig, its still a pig. It is going to take a huge sum of money to do that place right. Repaving , new stands, paint, you name it.
Great history, and great drivers, just hope they do justice to the place if they buy it.
Here are a couple guys I thought I'd never see run there who did.
Asphalt24, I am currently in Oswego for the holidays what I am hearing is the Torrese brothers John and Eric are buying the track, for the time being Steve Gioia will still run the track and Chuck Handley will remain on as race director. An announcement is due to be made at anytime part of the agreement to the sale was for Furlong and Gioia to pay the back taxes that were owed on the track. Like yourself I grew up at Oswego in the 60's and 70's, witnessed what I called the mid-west invasion and Classic's with huge car counts. I am looking forward to the rebirth of Oswego and hope the Torrese family can turn things around. This sale of the track has been in the works for months everyone expected it was going to be announced at Classic Weekend this past Sept., looks like it took a little longer to make it happend than first thought.
Hey I think this contest is great, I just joined you IOW guys and Gals and trying to figure out how to upload a lucky shot I have for the contest. Any help would be great.
is it correct to assume that the "back taxes" owed on this facility are property taxes, or a failure to pay some sort of sales tax during the year? i would imagine it's the former, i have to believe the property tax bill for that place has to be pretty substantial. didn't the carusos get jammed up w/the tax man during their tenure, leading them to sell the track?
Originally Posted by ASPHALT24:
is it correct to assume that the "back taxes" owed on this facility are property taxes, or a failure to pay some sort of sales tax during the year? i would imagine it's the former, i have to believe the property tax bill for that place has to be pretty substantial. didn't the carusos get jammed up w/the tax man during their tenure, leading them to sell the track?
I understood what the person was telling me to mean back property taxes, although they received a sizable break on taxes when they meaning Furlong and Gioia bought the Speedway. You might say the Caruso's got jammed up with the tax man, actually the city of Oswego wanted to raise the taxes on the property from $24,000 to $68,000 in one year. An George Caurso did tell me this past summer that played a large part in the Caurso's selling the track. If the tax bill to the city was $68,000 over ten years ago, I can only guess what it might be today. Steve Gioia and Pat Furlong deserve a big "Thank You" for keeping the doors open at Oswego Speedway the past ten years and I wish the Torrese's all the best in their new endeavor.
The latest update, news, rumor or whatever you want to call it out of Oswego is the papers for the sale of the speedway aren't being signed for another two weeks. So, I am guessing the rumor mill has once again jumped the gun when they felt an announcement was going to be made on the 31st of Dec., just like they felt it was going to be made over Classic weekend. One thing is for certain accomplishing the sale of any speedway is no minor task, the announcement will be made when everything is finalized. And racing will continue at Oswego Speedway, that's a positive thing for someone like me who's love for open wheel racing evolved at that speedway.
Good to hear the track will operate next year....may have to make the long haul from speedway, in to the big o next year for the classic. Kudos to those stepping up to save the steel palace!
