by Ron Lueck - 24 Raceway, Moberly, MO: With the first half of the 2010 season completed, the racing events at 24 Raceway will continue, but with a revised scheduling that will still pack in most of the planned racing specials for the summer, along with the remainder of the mechanic's races. It seems we've been in a constant wet weather pattern for more than three months now, that simply won't allow more than 2 or 3 days in a row without precipitation. Traditionally, the better profit part of a racetrack operation is the first half or first three months of the season, and we've had a 50% rain-out ratio for April, May & early June, getting in 5 out of the first 10 planned events. If the 4 planned earlier practice dates were to be included, there was only one of those that came together on a delayed basis, and that ratio would decrease. With recent race numbers 6, 7 & 8, all coming together in a 10-day period as planned, things have started to look better.
We're now into the hotter months of July and August. The previous years of experience are such that attendance does slow somewhat for these months. The business decision has been made to shift to an every-other-weekend type of race schedule. A number of other options for the second half of 2010 were reviewed, one of which was to follow up a Saturday rain-out with a Sunday night "delayed" program. Another was to go to events only once a month. Both of these got the "thumbs down" rejection, as we've got enough specials on tap, as well as a certain number of the faithful fan base to address. The once-a-month deal was not appealing to fans, sponsors and racers alike. As stated earlier, this is a business decision, based on the hard economic times that almost all small businesses have been subject to. Racing by both participant and fan, is primarily based on the disposable income and this adage simply applies to sports in general. The hope is that fans coming to Moberly to watch some exciting racing, as well as the drivers and owners involved on the track, will now be concentrated into a single week from the two that would have been available.
So following this last July 3rd race night, the race event will be the 25-lap Sportsman Special on July 17, moved back one week from the original date. The Hornet Special, a 20 lap race, will also move back one week to July 31. There's a possibility of something else coming thru for that night too, but no confirmations yet. Mechanic's races for July are still set for the days originally as scheduled, and the Hornet Mechanic's race that was one of the casualties from a May 22 too-much-rain&mud day, is now reset for August 14. The annual All-Star Race has been moved up one week and is an invite for the winners of features for 2010, along with that night's heat winners, to compete for the right to have their car's picture on the website banner for 2011. The USMTS race on schedule for August 28 remains unchanged and will be a big draw for those competing in the "Hunt for the Championship" in their Modified Touring Series, along with their fan interest. Season championship racing will wrap up on that same night, for all five of the regular classes of both A & B-Modifieds, Sportsman, Hobbys and Hornets at the end of August as planned.
September still has the B-Modified Shoot-out in its custom format set for September 11, and there will be another race night or two following that on the 18th and/or 25th with the season trophy presentation takng place that night along the front stretch. As for the two-day SpeedBowl planned for Labor Day weekend, the decision has not been made on where and how to go with that one, but it's likely not to be a two day event. That announcement will come later in August, but it would still be held as an A-Modified Special and with a larger purse. At this time, we're simple dealing with the summer months of July and August. A few other tracks in the state have either trimmed down their schedules or closed completely. We're planning on operations to continue for this second half of the 2010 season with this revised schedule as noted above and listed below, and for seasons to come.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
July 17 - Sportsman's Special (a 25 Lap event) + weekly racing series + B-mod Mechanic's race
July 31 - Hornet Special (a 20 Lap event) + weekly racing series + A-mod Mechanic's race
August 14 - All-Star Race (with winning car's photo posted on website banner for 2011) + weekly racing series + Hornet Mechnic's race
August 28 - USMTS re-visiting in the "Hunt for the Championship" + weekly racing series for the 2010 Season Championships
PROMO:
This week, July 10th, 24 Raceway will be taking a night off. Racing returns next on July 17th with the annual Sportsman Special. The Sportsman class will be running a 25-lap feature and paying $400 to the winner. The other four classes of A & B-Modifieds, the Hobbys and Hornet classes will also be racing this night, making it all five classes competing on the high banks of Moberly. "Dirt Track Racing at its Best" will begin that Saturday night at the usual 7pm, with a short driver's meeting at 6pm, followed by hot laps, starting at 6:15. See the flyer for this Sportsman Special on our website of www.24racewayinmoberly.com . Admission to the grandstand area will be only $10 for the next three race weekends at 24 Raceway. Kids 12 and under are always free to the grandstands, so bring the family. Pit passes will be $25 for the next three race events. Racing starts at 7 p.m. with hot laps scheduled for 6:15, following a short drivers' meeting at 6pm. A flyer for the Sportsman Special can also be found on the website of www.heartlandmotorsports.com and can be downloaded from both sites.
"Dirt Track Racing at its Best" will return to Moberly at 24 Raceway for the second half of the 2010 season on July 17th through September, with action on the high banks of Moberly, Missouri, off the north side of U.S. Highway 24 and just three miles east of town.
We're now into the hotter months of July and August. The previous years of experience are such that attendance does slow somewhat for these months. The business decision has been made to shift to an every-other-weekend type of race schedule. A number of other options for the second half of 2010 were reviewed, one of which was to follow up a Saturday rain-out with a Sunday night "delayed" program. Another was to go to events only once a month. Both of these got the "thumbs down" rejection, as we've got enough specials on tap, as well as a certain number of the faithful fan base to address. The once-a-month deal was not appealing to fans, sponsors and racers alike. As stated earlier, this is a business decision, based on the hard economic times that almost all small businesses have been subject to. Racing by both participant and fan, is primarily based on the disposable income and this adage simply applies to sports in general. The hope is that fans coming to Moberly to watch some exciting racing, as well as the drivers and owners involved on the track, will now be concentrated into a single week from the two that would have been available.
So following this last July 3rd race night, the race event will be the 25-lap Sportsman Special on July 17, moved back one week from the original date. The Hornet Special, a 20 lap race, will also move back one week to July 31. There's a possibility of something else coming thru for that night too, but no confirmations yet. Mechanic's races for July are still set for the days originally as scheduled, and the Hornet Mechanic's race that was one of the casualties from a May 22 too-much-rain&mud day, is now reset for August 14. The annual All-Star Race has been moved up one week and is an invite for the winners of features for 2010, along with that night's heat winners, to compete for the right to have their car's picture on the website banner for 2011. The USMTS race on schedule for August 28 remains unchanged and will be a big draw for those competing in the "Hunt for the Championship" in their Modified Touring Series, along with their fan interest. Season championship racing will wrap up on that same night, for all five of the regular classes of both A & B-Modifieds, Sportsman, Hobbys and Hornets at the end of August as planned.
September still has the B-Modified Shoot-out in its custom format set for September 11, and there will be another race night or two following that on the 18th and/or 25th with the season trophy presentation takng place that night along the front stretch. As for the two-day SpeedBowl planned for Labor Day weekend, the decision has not been made on where and how to go with that one, but it's likely not to be a two day event. That announcement will come later in August, but it would still be held as an A-Modified Special and with a larger purse. At this time, we're simple dealing with the summer months of July and August. A few other tracks in the state have either trimmed down their schedules or closed completely. We're planning on operations to continue for this second half of the 2010 season with this revised schedule as noted above and listed below, and for seasons to come.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
July 17 - Sportsman's Special (a 25 Lap event) + weekly racing series + B-mod Mechanic's race
July 31 - Hornet Special (a 20 Lap event) + weekly racing series + A-mod Mechanic's race
August 14 - All-Star Race (with winning car's photo posted on website banner for 2011) + weekly racing series + Hornet Mechnic's race
August 28 - USMTS re-visiting in the "Hunt for the Championship" + weekly racing series for the 2010 Season Championships
PROMO:
This week, July 10th, 24 Raceway will be taking a night off. Racing returns next on July 17th with the annual Sportsman Special. The Sportsman class will be running a 25-lap feature and paying $400 to the winner. The other four classes of A & B-Modifieds, the Hobbys and Hornet classes will also be racing this night, making it all five classes competing on the high banks of Moberly. "Dirt Track Racing at its Best" will begin that Saturday night at the usual 7pm, with a short driver's meeting at 6pm, followed by hot laps, starting at 6:15. See the flyer for this Sportsman Special on our website of www.24racewayinmoberly.com . Admission to the grandstand area will be only $10 for the next three race weekends at 24 Raceway. Kids 12 and under are always free to the grandstands, so bring the family. Pit passes will be $25 for the next three race events. Racing starts at 7 p.m. with hot laps scheduled for 6:15, following a short drivers' meeting at 6pm. A flyer for the Sportsman Special can also be found on the website of www.heartlandmotorsports.com and can be downloaded from both sites.
"Dirt Track Racing at its Best" will return to Moberly at 24 Raceway for the second half of the 2010 season on July 17th through September, with action on the high banks of Moberly, Missouri, off the north side of U.S. Highway 24 and just three miles east of town.
