By Jack Taylor
Just when local VCS fans and drivers were beginning to feel a whole lot better about the racing programs provided for them at Danville’s county fairgrounds track, a huge turn of events is taking shape behind the scenes. And the future outlook for racing at the popular speedway has prompted this writer to share his views with the die-hard loyal fans of this track.
Those who have supported racing at this dirt oval can only feel a sense of shock as this tale unfolds. And first let me say that as a loyal follower of racing at this arena, I too, am deeply affected
Vermilion County Speedway has struggled throughout the past ten years or more with different enthusiastic promoters attempting to turn back the tide of critics All have struggled in the past and the last four years have seen a quelling of the flood gates of non-believers who bombarded any attempt to make the track successful.
When local businessman, Bill Marietta, took over the helm, the track had little to offer except for a chance to make a change in the future plans and improve that goal bit by bit. Deteriorating conditions, including the track itself, a meager Sunday following of local fans and drivers, and a snub by the sanctioning UMP Summernational tour declining a long-standing profitable Sunday date for VCS and replacing it with a non-productive Tuesday slot. Of course, Marietta refused the new date and local fans were without an important event that had always filled the summer
Looking back, it is hard to recall whether rainouts, chilly weather, lack of cars, or what other obstacles might have affected gate receipts that year, but all who were close to Marietta as friends and workers knew this struggle to survive was a dominate economical factor on his mind. The rumor mill ran rampant at the close of the season. Would someone else be promoting the next season? Would the never-bending Fair Board listen to Marietta’s plea for levity so that he could continue his future plans? Even the word was out that another promoter in the immediate area was considering a Sunday night track.
In the 2000 season, after making the decision in the off months to continue his fight, Marietta made peace with UMP, added a strong Northern All Star schedule and a few UMP Hoosier Series dates to supply fans with some Late Model events The addition of some key friends as co-workers and productive gates on special races energized the momentum as VCS regained some of it’s prominence in Midwest racing
.
Though the road was rocky and financial recovery from the previous two years remained a burden, the 2001 racing season saw VCS advance farther along Marietta’s vision of respectability.
And as 2002 approached, the excitement generated by Marietta and his band of followers was loud and clear that there would be some sensational moves made in the coming season. The first announcement coming from the track was that a $10,000 to win Late Model event would be run in the summer season. The Fair Board, sensing that things were looking better for everyone concerned, landed a grant from the State of Illinois and spent some of the grant money to rebuild the fencing around the racetrack. This improvement opened the eyes of fans and drivers to the energy that Marietta and his co-workers poured into it. A lap-time clock was added to the infield and fans were rewarded with an additional $10,000 Battle of the Borders Late Model show. These two events, along with the Ninth Annual Richardson Memorial race for UMP Modifieds and the Fourth Annual Labor Day Classic for UMP Modifieds, sent fans away at seasons end with visions of more great things to come in 2003.
Vermilion County Speedway had come all the back from the despair and frustration previous promoters, fans, and drivers had endured throughout those dry years Respect had been regained and the credit belongs to Bill Marietta and his band of volunteers for long hours of endurance.
And now for the rest of the story and there is one.
Vermilion County Speedway will probably have a new promoter for 2003. Negotiations are under way with a new promoter who, after having kept a vigil eye on the recent jump back into fame for VCS through the hard and stressful work of many, will soon be turning his attention to racing at VCS.
”If this does not work out in negotiations, I will not let the fans and drivers be left out in the cold,” Marietta said, “I’ll hang on another year”. A representative of Track Enterprises has met initially with Marietta and will meet again on Monday, November 10 with him.
If this evolves over the next few days, Bob Sargent, successful promoter at Farmer City Raceway, Illinois State Fair Mile, DuQuoin State Fair Mile, Terre Haute, and others will be trying his hand at continuing the up-hill climb for VCS to respectability.
Those of you who have witnessed this rise from the depths of scorn and scrutiny, engineered by Bill and Judy Marietta, at VCS can only feel an emptiness as this news emerges.
And as one who has been close to the every day and every year happenings at VCS, I also feel that sadness. This story will be continued.
As the Marietta’s move into a new business adventure, which has already been purchased, we wish them well and extend a thank you for all they have done.
Just when local VCS fans and drivers were beginning to feel a whole lot better about the racing programs provided for them at Danville’s county fairgrounds track, a huge turn of events is taking shape behind the scenes. And the future outlook for racing at the popular speedway has prompted this writer to share his views with the die-hard loyal fans of this track.
Those who have supported racing at this dirt oval can only feel a sense of shock as this tale unfolds. And first let me say that as a loyal follower of racing at this arena, I too, am deeply affected
Vermilion County Speedway has struggled throughout the past ten years or more with different enthusiastic promoters attempting to turn back the tide of critics All have struggled in the past and the last four years have seen a quelling of the flood gates of non-believers who bombarded any attempt to make the track successful.
When local businessman, Bill Marietta, took over the helm, the track had little to offer except for a chance to make a change in the future plans and improve that goal bit by bit. Deteriorating conditions, including the track itself, a meager Sunday following of local fans and drivers, and a snub by the sanctioning UMP Summernational tour declining a long-standing profitable Sunday date for VCS and replacing it with a non-productive Tuesday slot. Of course, Marietta refused the new date and local fans were without an important event that had always filled the summer
Looking back, it is hard to recall whether rainouts, chilly weather, lack of cars, or what other obstacles might have affected gate receipts that year, but all who were close to Marietta as friends and workers knew this struggle to survive was a dominate economical factor on his mind. The rumor mill ran rampant at the close of the season. Would someone else be promoting the next season? Would the never-bending Fair Board listen to Marietta’s plea for levity so that he could continue his future plans? Even the word was out that another promoter in the immediate area was considering a Sunday night track.
In the 2000 season, after making the decision in the off months to continue his fight, Marietta made peace with UMP, added a strong Northern All Star schedule and a few UMP Hoosier Series dates to supply fans with some Late Model events The addition of some key friends as co-workers and productive gates on special races energized the momentum as VCS regained some of it’s prominence in Midwest racing
.
Though the road was rocky and financial recovery from the previous two years remained a burden, the 2001 racing season saw VCS advance farther along Marietta’s vision of respectability.
And as 2002 approached, the excitement generated by Marietta and his band of followers was loud and clear that there would be some sensational moves made in the coming season. The first announcement coming from the track was that a $10,000 to win Late Model event would be run in the summer season. The Fair Board, sensing that things were looking better for everyone concerned, landed a grant from the State of Illinois and spent some of the grant money to rebuild the fencing around the racetrack. This improvement opened the eyes of fans and drivers to the energy that Marietta and his co-workers poured into it. A lap-time clock was added to the infield and fans were rewarded with an additional $10,000 Battle of the Borders Late Model show. These two events, along with the Ninth Annual Richardson Memorial race for UMP Modifieds and the Fourth Annual Labor Day Classic for UMP Modifieds, sent fans away at seasons end with visions of more great things to come in 2003.
Vermilion County Speedway had come all the back from the despair and frustration previous promoters, fans, and drivers had endured throughout those dry years Respect had been regained and the credit belongs to Bill Marietta and his band of volunteers for long hours of endurance.
And now for the rest of the story and there is one.
Vermilion County Speedway will probably have a new promoter for 2003. Negotiations are under way with a new promoter who, after having kept a vigil eye on the recent jump back into fame for VCS through the hard and stressful work of many, will soon be turning his attention to racing at VCS.
”If this does not work out in negotiations, I will not let the fans and drivers be left out in the cold,” Marietta said, “I’ll hang on another year”. A representative of Track Enterprises has met initially with Marietta and will meet again on Monday, November 10 with him.
If this evolves over the next few days, Bob Sargent, successful promoter at Farmer City Raceway, Illinois State Fair Mile, DuQuoin State Fair Mile, Terre Haute, and others will be trying his hand at continuing the up-hill climb for VCS to respectability.
Those of you who have witnessed this rise from the depths of scorn and scrutiny, engineered by Bill and Judy Marietta, at VCS can only feel an emptiness as this news emerges.
And as one who has been close to the every day and every year happenings at VCS, I also feel that sadness. This story will be continued.
As the Marietta’s move into a new business adventure, which has already been purchased, we wish them well and extend a thank you for all they have done.
