Mt. Vernon Raceway Closing Thank you fans and Racers

sad to see the track go but..... when it goes where eill all the MVN racers go. Tri-city is a great track on sunday nights and there is also alot of special shows comming up well im sry the track is closeing i have been there a few dozen times but things like that happen well fans come and support the track the last few weeks it is open GOOD LUCK..... and hope to see alot of drivers at tri-city
 
If you notice something, there is a pattern to this. With the exception of Godfrey, all these tracks are outside an hour drive from St. Louis. The tracks that are closer, Highland, Pevely, Belleclair and Tri-City are still doing quite fine.
 
I am not starting something, but here is one of the reasons that Mt. Vernon did not draw a big crowd. The track is located in a dry county. No beer, no crowd. No beer sales, no extra money. Beer and racing mean money, crowds and sales go hand in hand. That is just one of the problems that hurt Mt. Vernon.
 
Thank you to Rick and Bev for putting up with us as long has you have . Mt.Vernon has been a good track to me I have raced it since 93 in my bomber days . I bought my first latemodel from Rick , He was a big part in helping me get started in the steelblocks and I have had great success at Mt.Vernon because of his help and Rodneys .. Thanks again !!! I hope you change your mind !! Maybe just shut down for a week or two take a break and try it again !! when it shut after the wreck and reopened you had good crowd ?? just a thought regroup change a few things a give it a shot ??
 
I hate to see it happen

I hate to see that this is happening just when i go and get me a hornet car and getting it ready for the september 23 race they decide to go and shut it down. I think that you could have at least waited until the end of the season. I think this bull crap letting all the things that happen bring everyone down. Sometimes things happen outside of our control but we should just put our heads up and not down and just keep going and keep the past the past and look to the future. I think there has been a pretty descent crowd in cars and in fans that we should keep the track open. I wonder what its going to take to keep it open but if all the drivers would get together and want to race we could all get togther to make the track stay open but i think its going to take everyone together and try and get more people to come out and help us with support in them keeping it open. Well lets just say Im not happy and neither are alot of other drivers im sure so tell us please what can we do to keep it open. Alot of people look forward to this every saturday nite and now we have nothing to look forward.

Well another track in the dirt!!!!!!!!!
 
hmmm

ok i know this is a long shot but here goes. that post on my name above was my g/f telling her opinion now it's my turn. i ain't going to whine like some others do. ok Rick heads up how about this...what and would you sell the track for just to make sure it doesn't end up as another Godfrey or I-57 Raceway on Race Track Rd just off the Centralia exit? i know this is not cool at all to see this to us racers of your track. i think on Sept. 9th all of us rednecks and real true die hard racers should get together no matter what the class whether its hornets all the way to UMP Super Late Models meet at Mt. Vernon Raceway yes i know late models aren't supposed to race but why shut them out on the race tracks last night open?! i know like i said this is a long shot but lets get real serious about racing and the track. there comes a time when you put up or shut up. now is one of those times to shine for one last round an round dirt slingin fest. i hope other races feel at least somewhat the way i feel. come **** or high water i will be there Sept. 9th and not as a spectater but showing how much of a die hard racer i choose to be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! to all racers let me and everyone else know whether or not your in and hopefully you will be there especially Danny b/c to be the man you have to beat the man and right now your truely top dog of the Crate series!!!!!!!! let's show em how to really GIT 'R' DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D
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(to all racers)
 
moonflow said:
If you notice something, there is a pattern to this. With the exception of Godfrey, all these tracks are outside an hour drive from St. Louis. The tracks that are closer, Highland, Pevely, Belleclair and Tri-City are still doing quite fine.
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I guess that all depends on what your version is of "quite fine". Is it the fact that they still open their gates once a week and people walk through? By that logic, St Charles was doing "quite fine" for the last 10 years of it's life, and Godfrey was too up until April of this year. Come to think of it, Lake Hill was doing "quite fine" for many years, as was Walsh Stadium in downtown St Louis. Remember Little Springfield? All these tracks were doing "quite fine" up until they closed. Highland and Belle Clair are both feeling the heat from the neighbors who have built up around the track. Yes, we were there before them, but many of us don't live in the towns where the tracks are. That means, we aren't registered voters in those areas, and who do you think the politicians will listen to when enough people come banging on their doors? They have a slightly different funding stream, as they are both fairgrounds tracks. Other tracks have had to step up their programs to compete in the new racing economy, and have done so to varying degrees of effectiveness. But that doesn't mean things are "quite fine". Staying relavent in the minds of a world that becomes more fickle with every passing day has become increasingly difficult. to quote SamIam67 from another post on this board,

As for the greater St. Louis area, there are several Stl-area race fans that would do themselves well by getting their one-tracked Pevely minds out of the blinders! Don't get me wrong, I love that place as much as the next guy and drive the 3.5 hours to get to as many specials there as I can when I'm not announcing at the track I work at, but it's not the only place around there "worth" having a "big" race.
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So I ask anyone reading this to drop the "elitist" attitude and help rebuild our fan base. If the stands are full, promoters are making money (and that's not a bad thing). As long as the promoters are making money, tracks will stay open (barring any political obstacles). Grab a friend who isn't a hardcore fan, and show them a night at the races. And promoters, here's where it falls on you- Give us a show to get excited about!!! We don't want or need 10 classes of cars. Give us 3 good classes with full fields. And turn it into a race- put the fast guys in the middle or back of the field and make them pass some cars. Let them rub on each other. Ever notice demo derbies out-draw weekly shows? If you have a couple of drivers that don't like each other, exploit it! It will help you sell more tickets. Attendance has been falling ever since the fast guys started lining up in front and everyone wanted to play nice. Bah on nice, bah on heads up! Heads up racing has it's place in big shows, but weekly, it's just another nail in the coffin.

This may or may not make a difference, but I felt it was something that had to be said, and I make no apologies for it. Yes, I see the pattern of the tracks being further away from the metro area, and yes, I see the "dry county" reference. But both of these can be overcome if the racing warrants it. If we don't get our heads out of the sand and realize what's going on all around us, all we will have one day is our memories and video games. But I guess that would be "quite fine".
 
Thanks Rick and Bev for the great racing over the years.
Now a challange to any driver that has drove at Mt.Vernon lets bring all the cars back for the final nite and would be nice to see 50 cars in each class show up if 50 lates show up i would give rick extra 100 dollars for the latemodel winners money. the fans deserve one great final nite.
 
we need like.. a town.. where no1 can bug us all.
just a racing town
where everything that goes down is racing
and no neighbors to complain
or nothing
:D
im to much of a dreamer.. sorry.. i had to add it in
 
To Rick and Bev.

Louie and I would like to thank you for all the great racing you have provided in the past, some being good and some not so good but with most of the times we enjoyed ourselves . Rick wherever your mind takes you in the future I wish you nothing but good wishes. Now to my next issue is a comment Doug made in reguards to guys not having the best of feelings for one another or the comments to demo derbies what part of dirt racing states going out and ramming into another car I know alot of fans enjoy the wrecks they will happen at any race track but not on purpose I can speak for every race crew member or car owner who works on his or her car no one enjoys fixing body work or replacing bumpers especially if it is done on purpose and if you dont believe me ask Rick himself, also no hard feelings Rick .... Take care of yourself and Bev .
 
Doug--> Pay attention to what I'm saying. Belleville and Highland, yes, are facing pressure. But both tracks are unique as to their situation...and that's the fact is that those tracks are on the fairgrounds. Since they are ran by fair boards, and get their money from the city, essentially, and turn a profit for the fairgrounds, it'll be a loooooooong time before I see either closing. Also, when you look at the crowds at both, support is good for both tracks. Pevely has a good money base, and a smart promoter. There's a snowball's chance in hell that it'll be closed in the immediate feature.

When you look at the overall state of things, the oversaturation of tracks in the area was eventually going to result in the closure of some. Even in business, the "survival of the fittest" attitude still holds strong. And I'm not going to refer to the old tracks, because those were different times. I want to focus on the right here, right now.

Oh, and Godfrey........the owner sold out. No one forced him to close.
 
I AM TRULY SORRY TO SEE ANY TRACK CLOSE!!!

AND HERE IS MY 2 CENTS . . .

I think the major thing that needs to be changed at Mt. Vernon is the owner/promoter of the track owning the most competative cars at that track. You can either be the owner/promoter or you be a racer, but in my opinion, you CANNOT be both. It never did sit well with me (and I know a lot of other people who agree) that Rick owned the most competitive cars at the track. I know for a fact that Rodney was allowed to "practice" at that track when others weren't allowed the same privilege. I know the argument has always been that Rick doesn't make the calls, the officials do. But, Rick pays the officials who make the calls and that means he makes the calls. At least that 's how it works in the world I live in. I know a lot of people who have been put off by this appearance of impropriety at Mt Vernon and won't go there because of it.

I also think advertising big purses and then failing to pay out has also caused a lot of people to not even consider the drive to MtV. That's bad business no matter how you look at it. It costs money to haul a car - but to haul a car with the promise of a big payout only to find out it's not true - that tends to leave a bad taste in your mouth.

I also think that if Rick did actually interfere with Clay County's sanctioning (I don't know if this is true or not) - But, if he did, then that's bad business too and will clear out the stands quickly. Racers are loyal, but the appearance of impropriety (which runs rampid at MtV) is a sure fire way to run people off for good.

These are just my opinions, of course.
 
agree

i agree Danny that we do. Mt. Vernon needs to be gotten ahold of by alot of good promoters that tops when Lomax owned it and now Rick Heck. don't get me wrong yes they are and were both good guys but with these other tracks pushing and making sure they are staying around longer maybe its time someone else steps up to the plate. time to show what all of us truely love and put it into the track and let every obstacle or person no matter what the city, or county say or what they want to happen. the fairgrounds are to the right of the track and Affordable Mobile Homes to the left and i know Mt. Vernon is always looking for more land for some stupid Mall, Wal-mart or any other dope developer to go up. maybe they all need a bit of a wake up call and to show no matter what we will show how much we love the great and growing sport. time for us all to show we know how to get a track to wake up and stand up as the dirt gets slammed to the walls etc. and all of us to go flying around living in the zone. the 3 greatest racers i have seen of the C.A.R.S series is Danny Jolly, Ray Emling Jr. and Shane Cockrum. yeah its a lower cheaper racing series but thats also where the best of the best racers come out of them along with all the classes with great competition. the show needs to be stepped up another notch in the belt so to speak. maybe if the track is actually going to close on that night then all the racers that show up should be allowed to qualify for something different and after the show all racers go out on the track and have them all line up etc. for one last great racing night photo!!! to all racers keep your head held high and
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good luck to all track related and racers alike!!!!!
 
I agree with DieHardDirtFan 100 %. I couldn't have said it any better about Mt. Vernon and the reasons why they came up on hard times.
 
i agree totally with that point, also.
but not all the cars he owns is that competitive. like his sons in the C.A.R.S. series there arent the winner every weekend. i dont even think theyve won there in that class.
but that is true. his late model does turn faster times then a lot of the other guys out there. not all of them, though.
 
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