One More Big Show To Go

[arob]

Well Texana Raceway Park and the racers that participated lived up to expectations! Great show and , get this , with all the racing going on the races were done around 10:30 BOTH nights! Now it moves on to South Texas Speedway for the Jerry Whiteaker Memorial Dec10 &11 with practice on Dec 9. This time the Sportmods will be racing for$5000 to win with Factory Stocks going for $2000 to win. Friday night STS Pure Stocks and E-Mods will be in support. Going to be a great show to end the 2021 racing season in South Texas. See South Texas Speedway Facebook for details.

[NickHolt]

The Jerry Whiteaker Memorial should draw a lot of interest and a lot of cars!

[HiTech]

39 minutes ago, NickHolt said:

The Jerry Whiteaker Memorial should draw a lot of interest and a lot of cars!

it does nick .. the only thing that hurts is the weather hope its a good weather weekend ..talk to your son  see if he can work something out 

[Nathan]

Considering that SOS is for sale I hope they have a big show

[arob]

I forgot to mention the announcing at the Clash was top notch. Well done Mr. Rodriguez!

[top_shelf_12]

I'm pretty sure someone will come in and keep STS going but yes should be a good show and hopefully that other factor will not be an issue. Someone just make sure to plan a golf outing with Alan that weekend. 

[RodneyRodriguez]

AROB thanks my man always great to get to TRP. Totally agree this is a great time for STS to shine esp with the sale situation stay tuned here and RUSS etc we will let you know everything happening with that!

[HiTech]

12 hours ago, top_shelf_12 said:

I'm pretty sure someone will come in and keep STS going but yes should be a good show and hopefully that other factor will not be an issue. Someone just make sure to plan a golf outing with Alan that weekend. 

 looks like it is for sale and no leasing .someone has to buy it .

[RodneyRodriguez]

I love racing in Corpus. I've said it before to me that's a hotbed for racing in my opinion there are enough teams there to be able to support racing often. 

Other parts of the state teams have to travel a long way to get to their tracks CC just is a racing town always has been it has a lot of feel like those areas along the SE gulf coast.

Hoping to keep the place going!

 

[BeachBum]

If someone was to step up to the pump & buy South Texas Speedway ...

would it be be more successful as a dirt track ... or a new asphalt track?

 

Vote 1 for dirt

Vote 2 for asphalt

 

[arob]

Without a doubt dirt. Asphalt could never match the car counts or excitement dirt does.

 

[RodneyRodriguez]

2 ...would be what saves Texas pavement racing once and for all. Destination spot with beaches and fun for people to come to.

[Nathan]

It had been successful as a dirt track.  My vote is leave it dirt

[BeachBum]

I concur Rodney.  Asphalt would be the hotter ticket in the long run. 

From my experience, it's a stronger draw in a tourism market.  Folks love to see what isn't happening in their own backyard. 

If promoted correctly ... the local fans would also jump all over it.

The key would be attracting a strong car count?

###

2 dirt

2 asphalt

-lol-

Edited November 27, 2021 by BeachBum

[JamesHigdon]

We used to plan family vacations to Corpus around CCS’s schedule; Corpus would be a great market for it second to MAYBE only somewhere between SA and Austin. Look at the Asphalt tracks doing big things now; they’re all in destination markets with ample infrastructure for big shows.
 

Vote 2 for Asphalt. 

[Nathan]

One track will not save asphalt racing in texas.  "Asphalt racing" need to change the way they operate to save teams money.  There are several "asphalt racers"  that have converted to dirt and will explain the money and time savings.  Plus the capital investment that it will take to convert STS to asphalt will cost double the purchase price of the track.  

[HiTech]

13 hours ago, Nathan said:

One track will not save asphalt racing in texas.  "Asphalt racing" need to change the way they operate to save teams money.  There are several "asphalt racers"  that have converted to dirt and will explain the money and time savings.  Plus the capital investment that it will take to convert STS to asphalt will cost double the purchase price of the track.  

if you are racing factory stocks now  buying racing shocks 5000 plus motors and such like  special chassis  .. it isnt cheaper   traveling   still cost alot  just entering a car  each night cost per car . . i travel with the car most of the time and havent saved a dime to go . my son sold his out the only thing left is the motor and trans and trailer .. .why because  it was going to cost to much to run ... ..racing all the way around is costing to much now .the toys are not cheap .

Edited November 28, 2021 by HiTech

[RodneyRodriguez]

I'll clarify, one track will revive pavement racing. One that can operate often and have stability. 

Houston's bread and butter is the straight line the oval is a bonus if needed, which it isn't.

Self-standing paved track in Corpus would be my answer. Have a good stock car class, bomber, and 4 cylinder class and let the others fall in place.

[arob]

I'll put it this way. If STS was paved I would be making a lot of trips to I-37 and Texana.I grew up at CCS and SAS and it was great. But dirt is it for me now. Racing is simply much better.

 

[RodneyRodriguez]

If STS was paved I'd probably have an apartment in Corpus.

[BeachBum]

On 11/27/2021 at 4:10 PM, RodneyRodriguez said:

2 ...would be what saves Texas pavement racing once and for all. Destination spot with beaches and fun for people to come to.

 

3 hours ago, RodneyRodriguez said:

If STS was paved I'd probably have an apartment in Corpus.

If the local dirt track racers refuse to support an asphalt venue ... then make it a special event facility & bring in some asphalt touring shows. 

I think the regional CC & tourism market would eat it up. An asphalt facility would be a feasible gamble.  Might be the "last" best shot at saving short track motorsport in our neck of the woods.

Edited November 28, 2021 by BeachBum

[arob]

If STS became asphalt I would go check it out depending on classes, format and car count.

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2021 by arob
add a thought

[HiTech]

4 hours ago, BeachBum said:

 

If the local dirt track racers refuse to support an asphalt venue ... then make it a special event facility & bring in some asphalt touring shows. 

I think the regional CC & tourism market would eat it up. An asphalt facility would be a feasible gamble.  Might be the "last" best shot at saving short track motorsport in our neck of the woods.

 ALOT of the asphalt drivers left to go dirt racing it was cheaper then  but mainly i think track managers were one big issue ..   had kyle stayed open we would still have least one asphalt  car if not more ..i grew with blacktop in my blood and still have it .but the cars now  are dirt  set ups and so on . hmp at one time talked about haveing a factory stock  race  there .and we were for it ready and willing  but that never happened .and if they want to have one we would show up no problem .i think it would be fun as heck   watching those drivers hang onto a car built for dirt .as for arob  you would show up if there was some great racing going on .. admit it ..you love  great racing  just like the rest of us .

[ron.brown11]

I like Mr Higdon's idea, but with a little twist on it. I know that some (Nick) wouldn't like it though. How about a nice 3/8 mile, progressive banking asphalt track on the grounds at COTA? Got to be progressive banking, no follow the leader, or running over each other racing. Great side by side racing is very fun, and you sure tear up a lot less cars when you don't have to wreck someone to pass. 

Almost all freeway miles from OK, Houston, Dallas, SA, Laredo, El Paso, and not too many backroads from Corpus. I bet you could draw some from Mobile and Pensacola too. Especially if you run some Super Late models. Because it's already a racetrack, permits shouldn't be an issue. All the basic infrastructure is there. Who knows, maybe they could negotiate 1 race a season on the big track, a la Texas World Speedway. It would also make a great prelim for a cup weekend. 

But we all know the reality of it. Whoever wants to do this (or any asphalt track), must have deep pockets to start, and be willing to not see a profit for at least 3 years. I personally don't know anybody with those kind of pockets. However, I really believe that if something could be worked out to partner with COTA, maybe just maybe, it would take only 2 years to break even. I'm also pretty sure that COTA would like to have another revenue stream too. 

I know that it's not worth 2 cents, but that's the best bet I see to having another asphalt track in the heart of Texas. I'd love to work on that project!

[top_shelf_12]

As a lifelong resident of Corpus Christi (and the first half plus of my life spent admiring asphalt racing across Texas) I can almost assure you asphalt in CC will not be the saving grace. If asphalt is/was so strong in CC, why is CCS a wrecker yard now? SAS was dearly loved, had great promoters, yet sits in the decrepit state it's in. The last few years at CCS were dismal and hasn't been successful since Owen ran it. I don't think the city would support asphalt again and to convert STS to asphalt probably wouldn't be cost effective and to wait on those asphalt guys to come back. STS is a dirt track, should stay a dirt track and if it's the city is the reason to support racing, CC isn't the city to save asphalt racing. I hope Houston can keep it going because I don't want this to sound like an attack on the asphalt side but CC/STS isn't the savior. Even with people promoting STS that may or may not have been well liked, it's still viable as a dirt track, plus the proximity with TRP and I37 is helpful, especially when they work together.