National notebook
Notes: Racing to begin anew at Wayne County
Jason and Kristin Flory during their 2005 racing trip to Florida Speedweeks. (DirtonDirt.com)
Long-time Dirt Late Model racer Jason Flory has seen racetrack promoters consumed by the bottom line fail time and again. "The money is the easy part," Flory said. "You've gotta have the passion to make it work."
The 34-year-old Flory hopes his racing passions are enough to create a successful venture at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio, the 3/8-mile oval that Flory will soon begin promoting with help from his wife Kristin. The Florys partnered with long-time racing sponsor Joe McIlvaine, who completed the purchase of the track from Ernie Coffman last month.
Flory, who along with Kristin has received notice as a rare husband-and-wife Dirt Late Model racers, plans to put his driving career on hold in reviving the track where he won the Super Late Model championship in 2006.
"I'm going to put everything I have into this promoting and make this place successful," Flory said. "Failure isn't really an option, so racing would really just be a distraction."
The track, promoted by Brad Malcuit until it closed last last season, is scheduled to reopen on July 8. The track crew is busily renovating grandstands, painting builds, repairing equipment and baling hay in the parking lot to whip the 46-year-old facility into shape.
Flory plans four regular divisions of Super Late Models, 410 sprint cars, pure stocks and four-cylinders with occasional visits by modifieds during a stretch of nine events scheduled through the season-ending Freedom Fighters event on Sept. 24. He's aiming to draw perhaps 85 total race cars per night, including 25 Super Late Models.
"What I tell everybody is that I know the race cars will be there," Flory said. "I just need you and everybody else to bring you and 2,500 of their best friends with them."
McIlvaine owned a trucking company and loves racing, so Flory had designs on moving his support in sponsoring a race car to support in operating a racetrack.
"I'd been after him for a while to do a racetrack," Flory said, adding that McIlvaine wanted to see Wayne County to remain open. "He reminds me every day it was my idea."
Because of the late season start, Flory plans to use the remainder of 2011 as a launching pad for the first full season in 2012. Nine races are split between Friday and Saturday to determine what will work best in an area where a nearby Friday night track (Lakeville Speedway) and a nearby Saturday night track (Hilltop Speedway) are already operating.
"This is just get your feet wet and figure out how many times you trip and fall on your head," Flory said, and later they'll discuss "this is what we did wrong, and this is what we should do different."
Flory has never promoter a track, but he jokes that "it don't look that hard" and after watching missteps of other promoters in 15 seasons of racing, "I figure I can't do any worse."
He hopes the four-division lineup, with Late Models and sprints racing for $1,200-to-win, $200-to-start weekly purses, is successful.
"We figure it's a good balance between two premier divisions, and we've got two support divisions," he said.
Friday races are scheduled for July 8, July 15, Aug. 5, Aug. 12 and Aug. 19. Saturday action is set for July 30, Aug. 27, Sept. 17 and Sept. 24. More information is available at wcspeedway.com
"We're pumped up," Flory said. "We're looking forward to it." — Todd Turner
BOGGS CAR BEING PREPARED FOR HALL INDUCTIONS: The National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame hopes to display 1995 Dirt Track World Championship car of late driver Jack Boggs at its next induction, executive director Bill Holder said. The Hall of Fame received the donation of a complete side of sheetmetal for the car, then embarked on the project. MasterSbilt Race Cars pointed Holder to long-time racer Mike Bechelli, who had the car on his property. "He's got 5 acres," Holder said. "He said it's out there somewhere in the weeds." They found the frame, and Holder had more donations of original parts from a former crew chief. The original graphics designer will help recreate the light blue scheme and if the volunteer work is done in time, the car will be part of this year's ceremonies. — Todd Turner
CALIFORNIA RACETRACK LOOKING FOR SUPPORT: After coming under attack from a community group concerned with noise and environmental damage, Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, Calif., is gathering support to assure the 54-year-old track won't be closed. The Community Alliance for Fairgrounds Accountability has hired an attorney and has threatened to sue for the shutdown of the racetrack, which hosts a regular Crate Late Model divisions among its classes. The racetrack is gathering signatures on a petition at saveoceanspeedway.com to rally fans who'd like to see the oval continue operations at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. — From staff reports
SMOKY MOUNTAIN SEEKS REVIVAL WITH SPECIAL EVENT: Shuttered since May 10 because of poor attendance and low car counts, Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn., is reopening June 18 to host a Southern All Star Series event under the promotership of Chris Corum, formerly of 411 Motor Speedway. "One race will not turn things around completely," Corum said, "but it will make a difference in the future of this track." The 4/10-mile oval has a rich history that includes NASCAR-sanctioned events, and the second SAS event of the season at the track could determine whether more events will be held later this season. "It's a racetrack that's struggled for the past few years, but there are things that can be done here to get it headed in the right direction and having a big race like this is a good place to start," Corum said. The 50-lap feature pays $5,000 to the winner. Crate Late Models are among divisions on the undercard. — Richard Allen
TRI-CITY ADDS BONUSES FOR FIRST-TIME WINNERS: Tri-City Speedway in Franklin, Pa., and Jay's Auto Wrecking have teamed up to provide $250 bonuses to first-time winners in the the track's unsanctioned events for the Super Late Model division. "We are just happy a business like Jay's is willing to step up. ... You would have to look pretty hard to find a company that does more for local racing," said Tim Engles, promoter of the track that added the Super Late Model division for 2011. Because the bonus wasn't instituted until June, all previous Tri-City winners — John Lobb, Mike Knight and Robbie Blair — are also eligible to receive $250 for their next victories. Drivers can win the bonus a single time. It's available at every weekly event regardless of car count, but it won't be in effect for the July 1 ULMS event or the World of Outlaws-sanctioned Oil Region Labor Day Classic weekend. — Joe Lodanosky
THUNDER VALLEY HONORS TRACK FOUNDER WITH SPECIAL EVENT: Thunder Valley Raceway in Central City, Pa., hosts the fourth annual Willie Will Tribute on June 18, a $3,000-to-win event for Super Late Models that honors the memory of the track's co-founder. Will along with his wife Deanna and family members developed the Laurel Highlands track that opened in 1997 and has regularly hosted Super Late Model and Semi-Late Model divisions. Saturday's 35-lapper pays at least $300 to each starter and $150 for non-qualifiers. Nikki Will-Mowery has added $1,000 to the purse and the Will family is providing the evening's trophies at the Joe Padula-promoted oval. — From track reports
SERIES SCHEDULE CHANGES: The Carolina Clash Late Model Series added a July 9 event at 311 Motor Speedway in Madison, N.C. ... Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway has boosted the purse of its July 1 UMP DIRTcar Summernationals race, making it the most lucrative race on the tour, the track announced. The inaugural Chris Smith Memorial will pay $12,000 to the winner of the race that's 15th in the grueling 25-race tour that runs from June 15-July 16. ... The Nebraska-based Super Late Model Racing Series added a June 17 event at Riviera Raceway in Norfolk, Neb. ... The July 20 Deery Brothers Summer Series race at Quad City Speedway in East Moline, Ill., has been dubbed the Hershel Roberts Memorial as a tribute to the racer who lost his battle with cancer earlier this season. Admission is $10. ... United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series events at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla., have been removed from the schedule. UDLMCS added the Nov. 26 Harvey Jones Memorial at North Florida Speedway in Lake City. — From various reports
CRATE NOTES: Fastrak Northeast stripped Russ King of his May 30 victory at Lernerville Speedway for using tires that didn't meet factory benchmarks, the series announced nine days after the race. The driver from Bristolville, Ohio, forfeits $2,000 in earnings, hardware and series points. Max Blair of Centerville, Pa., was declared the winner. ... Crate Late Models with Fastrak Northeast's touring series have been added to the July 26 card at Dog Hollow Speedway in Strongstown, Pa., a recently announced date featuring the inaugural World of Outlaws Late Model Series visit to the track. Crate racers will gun for a $1,500 winner's purse at a track that has hosted Fastrak-sanctioned weekly racing since 2007. The race will serve as a tuneup to the Oct. 1 Fastrak Grand Nationals event at Dog Hollow. — From series reports
ODDS AND ENDS: Super Late Models will run at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tenn., for the first time in several years with a $2,500-to-win Thursday special on June 16. NeSmith Chevrolet-sanctioned Crate Late Models will also be in action. ... The Arizona-based Total Seal Late Model Dirt Series will randomly draw for $100 prizes among drivers finishing 10th-20th in the next three series events starting June 18 at USA Raceway in Tucson.
