ODESSA, Texas (March 2) – The new promoter at Champion Motor Speedway has asphalt in his background and a fondness for dirt.
Scott Holland takes over the reins at Odessa, where Saturday night shows will feature IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Southwest Racing Specialties Southern SportMods.
“There was a time when you couldn’t have gotten me to a dirt track race,” admitted Holland, former boss at the ½-mile paved San Antonio Speedway. “Then I went to one at Heart O’ Texas Speedway in Waco and now you can’t keep me away.”
With daughter Ivy Jean now enrolled in The Art Institute of Austin, Holland decided this opportunity was the right one to get back in the business and accepted the Champion post after meeting with track owner Murray Erickson.
“We’re creating and perfecting a base to operate from this season. We need to get our car counts up and make sure our track officials are very good before we hold any big events,” he said. “If we’re building an engine, then we’re still work¬ing on the block.”
“Last year we averaged 88 cars running every other week,” Holland added. “We will race every week this year and I’m very, very encouraged. It seems like there are drivers coming out of the woodwork to race.”
Opening night at the ¼-mile buffalo wallow clay course is April 3. Point races are scheduled through Sept. 4.
Champion is part of the ButlerBuilt South Central Region for Modifieds and the Stephenville Starter Southern Re¬gions for Stock Cars and for Hobby Stocks.
“Standardization is the biggest advantage with IMCA. Guys can load up and race just about wherever. They can run the same car year after year after year and that reduces their cost,” said Holland. ”IMCA doesn’t change their rules very often and when they do, the changes are very well thought out. I’m a big believer that the best change can be no change at all.”
That’s not the case when Holland compares publicizing events in the 1990s and doing so today.
“There’s like a night and day contrast promoting then and promoting now, because of the track website and the Inter¬net,” he said. “I can remember sending out 10,000 pieces of mail in a single mailing before. Now, advertising is almost free because of the Internet, email and texting. All it takes is the touch of a button.”
Scott Holland takes over the reins at Odessa, where Saturday night shows will feature IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Southwest Racing Specialties Southern SportMods.
“There was a time when you couldn’t have gotten me to a dirt track race,” admitted Holland, former boss at the ½-mile paved San Antonio Speedway. “Then I went to one at Heart O’ Texas Speedway in Waco and now you can’t keep me away.”
With daughter Ivy Jean now enrolled in The Art Institute of Austin, Holland decided this opportunity was the right one to get back in the business and accepted the Champion post after meeting with track owner Murray Erickson.
“We’re creating and perfecting a base to operate from this season. We need to get our car counts up and make sure our track officials are very good before we hold any big events,” he said. “If we’re building an engine, then we’re still work¬ing on the block.”
“Last year we averaged 88 cars running every other week,” Holland added. “We will race every week this year and I’m very, very encouraged. It seems like there are drivers coming out of the woodwork to race.”
Opening night at the ¼-mile buffalo wallow clay course is April 3. Point races are scheduled through Sept. 4.
Champion is part of the ButlerBuilt South Central Region for Modifieds and the Stephenville Starter Southern Re¬gions for Stock Cars and for Hobby Stocks.
“Standardization is the biggest advantage with IMCA. Guys can load up and race just about wherever. They can run the same car year after year after year and that reduces their cost,” said Holland. ”IMCA doesn’t change their rules very often and when they do, the changes are very well thought out. I’m a big believer that the best change can be no change at all.”
That’s not the case when Holland compares publicizing events in the 1990s and doing so today.
“There’s like a night and day contrast promoting then and promoting now, because of the track website and the Inter¬net,” he said. “I can remember sending out 10,000 pieces of mail in a single mailing before. Now, advertising is almost free because of the Internet, email and texting. All it takes is the touch of a button.”
