North Georgia Gone Again?

[CLICK1]

Is it true that North Georgia is done and will not reopen? Must be out of bullets and can't shout themselves in the foot again. If this is true, this is just a shame, this is the best track in the south. Hate to see it go under again.

[Ford motorsports]

That's the word on the street.

[Chico]

In these economic times it's so hard to start anything from scratch esp a racetrack I would think with improvements ins and purse concessions help and so on there are so many set costs that you would have to pay rain or shine and whether your crowd and cars covered the purse Sad but true No Ga is a fast track But iy really doesn't have a chance right now while we're lucky with so many tracks close by it's also a prob for tracks trying to get back racing Hopefully after this yr things will begin to improve and we as racers and the promoters will all be able to help by being able to race jmo

[Ford motorsports]

I think the track had a chance, but when you take a month off of racing and drivers and fans find new places to go...it's hard to get anybody back. I think the Ellis' did what the could do and i give them credit for doing what they could do. North Ga is too good of a track to just be sitting.

[3stevesmith]

It doesn't suprise me at all. Look at the car count they had last week for their super show. The worst thing to happen to ngs is Monty's ouster @ Cleveland

[acetone]

so its montys fault?

[B_K]

Not sure Cleveland has much to do with it. Its not like they're killing it up there. I counted 49 total cars in Cleveland's rundown from last week. Sugar Creek while not drawing a huge number is costing NGS more cars.

Lets be honest car counts at all three could be better. The economic times in this area (12.1% unemployment) in metro Dalton plus expanded competition in a tight market make it tough. I'm not sure they did themselves any favors with some personnel or by closing a month. It could work as a special event track but without some kick a$$ promotion weekly would be tough right now.

[badacefaist19]

i agree 100% BK. Run North Georgia once a month like Rome does. That seems to be the logical way to run it. $2,000-3,000 to win super. Maybe one other big show. Heck maybe even run it on a Sunday, if Rome is not running, to pull more cars in.

[acetone]

Not sure Cleveland has much to do with it. Its not like they're killing it up there. I counted 49 total cars in Cleveland's rundown from last week. Sugar Creek while not drawing a huge number is costing NGS more cars.

Lets be honest car counts at all three could be better. The economic times in this area (12.1% unemployment) in metro Dalton plus expanded competition in a tight market make it tough. I'm not sure they did themselves any favors with some personnel or by closing a month. It could work as a special event track but without some kick a$$ promotion weekly would be tough right now.
cleveland had a good crowd of fans saturday night. there still open.

[B_K]

Good for them. You need a good crowd with a light pit gate. Ive got no problem with Cleveland with Napoleon gone. I was just saying that the creek was costing them more cars.

Personally I'd love for all three to strive.

[Skinny64]

If NGS can hang on for a couple weeks they will have a few more cars show up... We went to the Creek this past Saturday and i will have to say.... Wow! What a joke. Track was so rough it bent the steering shaft in the car, Bent the two right side shocks, and killed evey rivet in the car. With the economy like it is I dont see people spending this kind of money to repair a car every week. I dont see the Creek hanging on much longer. Unless people decided to travel to Cleavland they will have to go to NGS. From what i can remember NGS was an awesome racing surface to race on and it wasn't really hard on equipment like the Creek. So lets keep NGS open!!!!

[js6859]

Are you sure it was this past Sat.? Other drivers said the track was good. The week before it was bad.

[Skinny64]

It was this past Saturday .... If that is a good track to the locals, they need to get out more! Shoot i have had vegetable gardens that i would have rather raced on...

[JoeDirt]

Day races are usually Bad,,,,,but if they ran occasionally on a few Sundays at 2 oclock or so they would pick up quite a few cars from maybe Cleveland, Sugar Creek, and Dixie. At least try it and see?

[UGABULLDAWGS21]

I'm with joe dirt!!!

[usedtobefast]

It all boils down to the Young's the track will never be successful if they have anything to do with it sodont blame the economy

[bite me too]

If NGS can hang on for a couple weeks they will have a few more cars show up... We went to the Creek this past Saturday and i will have to say.... Wow! What a joke. Track was so rough it bent the steering shaft in the car, Bent the two right side shocks, and killed evey rivet in the car. With the economy like it is I dont see people spending this kind of money to repair a car every week. I dont see the Creek hanging on much longer. Unless people decided to travel to Cleavland they will have to go to NGS. From what i can remember NGS was an awesome racing surface to race on and it wasn't really hard on equipment like the Creek. So lets keep NGS open!!!!

You just signed up on 4m and are trashing the Creek in 2 out of 3 posts.....jus' sayin'.

[skinnyracer39]

It all boils down to the Young's the track will never be successful if they have anything to do with it sodont blame the economy

sorry but i just had to throw my 2 cents in on this one ,unfortunately you must not know the young's ,because it sure don't sound like it to me ..............

[Skinny64]

No I actually signed up to 4m to show my appreciation to Jeff Smith and Alan Green and to support them as fans...but when i seen a post started about NGS closing i spoke up in support of it. Since someone thought the creek was hurting NGS by stealing cars i said my peace about it and told them how sucky my visit was. So if we are all still counting.... im three days into this and now have 3 post on how bad Sugar Creek is... 2 post on how im fans of Jeff Smith and Alan Green and 1 post on how i support NGS! Figured i would save time and just bundle all the #'s together to make it easier to keep up with. I hear the way to go now days is to bundle!

[Sugar Creek Promoter]

I will be the first to admit we have had a rough track a few times this year. If you were there this past sat night I have no idea how u can say the race track was rough. We had a total of 35 cars and a smooth racetrack. So out of appreciation for you coming to race with us i would like to give you 2 free tickets to this weeks race. Please give me a call 706-455-5396 thanks Promoter Andrew Moreland

[Skinny64]

I appreciate the effort to get us back but it will take my shock guy a week to fix the shafts in the shocks so we are sidelined for this weekend. I will say for everybody reading all this.... absolutely nothing wrong with the peoples attitudes and our typical cutting money and or purses.... but the race track was horrible for us. Maybe if we were regular's we could build a car to withstand the conditions but after my $525 shock bill and time of fixing the little things on the car im not sure we will be back.... so again Andrew i appreciate the thought but we will stick to or sister state west where we can race for nothing more than the cost of gas and routine maintenance .....

[js6859]

Is it a fact that North Ga. is not going to open or a rumor? They have a lot of races schduled and I am sure that people would like to know for sure.JMO

[car 13]

I'm not sure how anyone can blame the Young family for the current problems that N Ga is having. They have tried to work with the current & past promoters to keep the track open. It is in their best interest for the track to be open because even when the track is closed there are bills to pay and with no income from the lease the responsiblity to pay the bills falls directly on their shoulders. Anyone who hasnt ran a business probably doesnt understand this. The taxes & upkeep bills arent going to pay themselves. If they dont spend the money required to keep the place upkept them it will go downhill fast. Go look at any house that has been foreclosed on that the bank hasnt been paying someone to preform the routine maintance on ... ie yard work etc... and you will see what i mean. I have a house like that next door to me and it has quickly became a eyesore & safety hazard.

Its too bad that the current promoters havent been able to make enough profit to enable them to keep the gates open but i'm sure it's a business decision plain & simple. It takes money to make money, but there is only so much you can lose before you have to call it quits. Its been said the best way to make a million dollars quickly running a race track is to start with two million. The current promoters also has inherited the reputation and problems from the promoters before them. Its not very hard to run a race track into the ground, but it takes a long time & plenty of money to rebuilt one that has been run into the ground.

Hopefully someone else will step up and try rebuild N Ga but with today's economy they will need to be willing to take a loss for some time before they see a return on their money.

[TUTY]

Off the subject but it's really hard for a promoter to make any money any more. Our local 1/4 track has been around for 40+ years and it's a process of elimination to see who's going to run it. Track seats 1200 in grandstand (to small to run a big show) so they run a couple USMTS modified shows and a regular weekly program. Weekly about 40 cars come in 4 classes + mini-sprints, which have been a savior to the track (18 to 20 sprints). Low car count puts about 350 to 500 people in the stands at $11 addmission and $25 pit passes. If you do the math at these track and there's alot of them across the united states, it's $1000 to the good or $1000 to the bad every week. I counted the other day and there's 21 race tracks with in 1 1/2 hours ! Wonder why, it's just like if a gas station on the corner is making a dollar, someone builds one bigger and better so no one makes any money.

[TUTY]

A smart person can for see the future and gets out before it takes everything from you !

[JoeDirt]

Just try to race a Sunday Day Race and see how many you will get?

Dixie, Cleveland, Boyds & Sugar Creek cars have a chance of all racing....

[otto9]

How much dust do you planning on having with a Sunday day race? It would do no good to have a Sunday day race because you might get those cars from other tracks but then the dust would be so bad they would not come back

[Hyatt144]

Does Leon still have anything to do with NGA. If so i can understand why it would close down that cat is a joke.

[blackcloud]

It all boils down to the Young's the track will never be successful if they have anything to do with it sodont blame the economy

Not sure how you know the Young's but I do not understand your logic on how the property owners have any effect on what the promoters do or don't do. you may want to change your member name from usetobefast to stillprettydamstupid!!!!!!!!

[blackcloud]

Put the track for sale if you cant run it on your on. You don't need to change your screen name black cloud just change the sign out on 225 to blackcloud speedway

If you run such a successful business and care about what happens to the speedway then why did you not step up to the plate as a sponsor. If you dont have the money to keep the track open and help sponsor then dont get on here and bash the people involved that you know nothing about just because you want to be one of the key board warriors and try to stir the pot. If you know so much about everyone involved then call me in person and we can discuss this matter.

[chrisd4]

ok folks ive worked at ngs for two seasons and raced there for round five years ill tell ya this much as for the youngs they are some of the best folks around i NEVER had a problem with them. kevin and kelly young are two really good men who love ngs and really wanted it to stay open butttt times are tuff if things dont get better soon we may not have any tracks open round these parts of the country and ill say as for the ellises they to are some really good folks. hey they all tried to make ngs work butt maybe if work picks up people get back to work and start racing again and fans show back up the track may run again who knows for sure is the good lord. i hate that ngs is closed but why bash people heck we all have did our best so thats how i see it truthfuly and i have nothing but respect for the youngs and ellises.

[blackcloud]

ok folks ive worked at ngs for two seasons and raced there for round five years ill tell ya this much as for the youngs they are some of the best folks around i NEVER had a problem with them. kevin and kelly young are two really good men who love ngs and really wanted it to stay open butttt times are tuff if things dont get better soon we may not have any tracks open round these parts of the country and ill say as for the ellises they to are some really good folks. hey they all tried to make ngs work butt maybe if work picks up people get back to work and start racing again and fans show back up the track may run again who knows for sure is the good lord. i hate that ngs is closed but why bash people heck we all have did our best so thats how i see it truthfuly and i have nothing but respect for the youngs and ellises.

I agree with you Chris, Thanks for the support

[stevo]

the last guys just got it so their son could win. maby some one will get it and have a few big shows along with weekly, and make it go.

[99plummer]

The problem is the same at every track that goes under these days...A lack of promoters ...tomany tracks have track operaters and no real promotors...I only live about 25 minutes from the track and I NEVER!!! and I mean NEVER see or hear any local advertising..But I see Dixie and Rome stuff all over...I live about half way between Dixie and North Ga....there is no reason for that...I have been to a ton of race tracks all over the south and mid west...The economy is bad but that is no reason,,,I see tracks that are at this time having some of there best years ever the last few seasons...to many rule chances that dont make sence and cost racers too much money and a lack of promoting is one of the worst problems these days...

[JJinGA]

Hmmmmmmmmmm... I know this will never happen, but wonder if Mickey Swims could do anything with North GA? Dixie has a packed house (pits and grandstands) EVERY single week just running reg shows. And two weeks ago at Rome, there was hardly any room to stand and watch the race. He could make North GA into a (5-6 show a year) Friday night track like Rome is on Sunday nights. Wonder if the Dixie regs would come up and support him? Like I said, I know it will NEVER happen, but it would be interesting.

[Ford motorsports]

That would never work, I don't think any track is going to run against Boyd's on Friday night. Also a lot of Dixie guys probably couldn't get off time and up here with the hour or so drive on Friday nights. This is a SATURDAY night track.

[acetone]

The problem is the same at every track that goes under these days...A lack of promoters ...tomany tracks have track operaters and no real promotors...I only live about 25 minutes from the track and I NEVER!!! and I mean NEVER see or hear any local advertising..But I see Dixie and Rome stuff all over...I live about half way between Dixie and North Ga....there is no reason for that...I have been to a ton of race tracks all over the south and mid west...The economy is bad but that is no reason,,,I see tracks that are at this time having some of there best years ever the last few seasons...to many rule chances that dont make sence and cost racers too much money and a lack of promoting is one of the worst problems these days...

when you have atlanta area as a source of fans thats a lot of people to choose from.

[Skinny64]

Does anyone remember the Tri Racing circuit? It worked back in the day for Mickey and Mike .... why not give it a shot again? Replace West Atlanta on the schedule with NGS..... I'm in...

[RaceProMarketing]

I wonder how this will effect Ray Cook's Southern Nationals race that was scheduled there for Thursday, July 19?

[Ford motorsports]

I'm sure Ray will lease the track or something for this race.

[badacefaist19]

I would hope so. But I don't think that would be too likely of Ray. That's a lot of money to spend for one night of racing.