Farley suspends weekly racing

[FromIowa]

Farley Speedway Modifies 2018 Season Schedule
By Farley Speedway Promotions 0 Comments
Farley, Iowa: The officials of the Farley Speedway have made the decision to suspend weekly racing events for the remainder of the 2018 season. The Special events scheduled will be run as previously scheduled. The next racing event at the Farley Speedway will be the “World of Outlaw” Sprint Car Special which will be run on Friday, June 22nd. The officials of Farley Speedway Promotions appreciate all competitors and fans understanding as the details are worked out to provide the very best in racing for the remainder of the 2018 season. This decision is effective immediately which means weekly racing will not be held on Friday, June 8th. Please log on to the official website for additional announcements regarding upcoming specials that will be run,

[Mindwalker]

Aaaaaaand..... Another one gone! Smh

[bullring]

Aaaaaaand..... Another one gone! Smh

Won't be long and it will only be Blackie and I going to Sycamore. Only track I know that can run 2 nights a week.

[93Nelson]

Sounds like they brought it on themselves. Lots of drivers went elsewhere to race.

[Hollis]

Sometimes racers/former racers are not the best promoters. LaSalle seems to be struggling, Peoria is not exactly a beacon on the hill and may be for sale.

[Krooser]

Sometimes racers/former racers are not the best promoters. LaSalle seems to be struggling, Peoria is not exactly a beacon on the hill and may be for sale.

It takes a couple seasons before a former racer starts operating like a real business rather then just looking at promoting thru the eyes of a driver.

I had an advantage of having a few years to make mistakes with other people's money before I leased my first joint... even then I made plenty of boo boos.

The folks who own Farley also run Dubuque (used to run West Liberty, too.) They are in the trucking biz... perhaps their main source of income is struggling.

[getinit]

Sometimes racers/former racers are not the best promoters. LaSalle seems to be struggling, Peoria is not exactly a beacon on the hill and may be for sale.

The day the Peoria owners decide to sell it won't even go on the market. The city of Peoria wants the property and is willing to buy it the first chance they get.

[FANSFund]

You know weekly racing is a significant struggle when a track in Iowa is shutting down its weekly program.

Yet we keep hearing from our media outlets about the special events, car counts are steady and crowds are huge. I think our reporters need a reality check and they need to give up special events for a month and attend weekly shows at one of their local tracks instead. See what the "top line is doing to the bottom line." The gap between the top and the bottom widens and causes racers to quit because they cannot afford that level. Racing has always been expensive but the soaring rate at which it costs to race is unlike ever before. With continued changes to our tax system... small business who are critical to the financial support of dirt racing cannot afford to participate anymore unless they can "hide" racing expenses like trucking companies, construction, etc.

It isn't pretty picture. The sad thing is that all the businesses in racing need to realize they are developing, pricing and expensing themselves out of a market. They can only raise prices so much before not enough of a market exists to sell and like race tracks - cause them to close down. In business, you have price eslacity of demand and when that ratio too far the wrong direction your business ceases or a new disruptive model comes in and takes over the market (the distruptive scenario likely not to happen in dirt). Case in point, Penske Racing Shocks posted on Twitter they were sending FOUR FACTORY REPS to Eldora Speedway for this weekends Dream. That is four high-level shock guys salaries and expenses you have to cover. Used to be one factory rep or maybe the company owner and a tech guy attending these events. That's a lot of overhead to recoup from racers. And it is not to pick on Penske... it just shows the level at which companies are competing and the overhead that needs to be recaptured thus increasing the cost of racing.

Rich Olson
Minneapolis, MN

[Cardirt0]

The day the Peoria owners decide to sell it won't even go on the market. The city of Peoria wants the property and is willing to buy it the first chance they get.

Yea Peoria is done if its sold. City wants it gone. Its a flood plane and the race track hurts the flooding when it does. City wants to work on the flooding part.

[Cardirt0]

You know weekly racing is a significant struggle when a track in Iowa is shutting down its weekly program.

Yet we keep hearing from our media outlets about the special events, car counts are steady and crowds are huge. I think our reporters need a reality check and they need to give up special events for a month and attend weekly shows at one of their local tracks instead. See what the "top line is doing to the bottom line." The gap between the top and the bottom widens and causes racers to quit because they cannot afford that level. Racing has always been expensive but the soaring rate at which it costs to race is unlike ever before. With continued changes to our tax system... small business who are critical to the financial support of dirt racing cannot afford to participate anymore unless they can "hide" racing expenses like trucking companies, construction, etc.

It isn't pretty picture. The sad thing is that all the businesses in racing need to realize they are developing, pricing and expensing themselves out of a market. They can only raise prices so much before not enough of a market exists to sell and like race tracks - cause them to close down. In business, you have price eslacity of demand and when that ratio too far the wrong direction your business ceases or a new disruptive model comes in and takes over the market (the distruptive scenario likely not to happen in dirt). Case in point, Penske Racing Shocks posted on Twitter they were sending FOUR FACTORY REPS to Eldora Speedway for this weekends Dream. That is four high-level shock guys salaries and expenses you have to cover. Used to be one factory rep or maybe the company owner and a tech guy attending these events. That's a lot of overhead to recoup from racers. And it is not to pick on Penske... it just shows the level at which companies are competing and the overhead that needs to be recaptured thus increasing the cost of racing.

Rich Olson
Minneapolis, MN

Yep when they have to cost more cause there ant a lot racing drivers no more to buy them its BAD. Nascrap is now paying to keep the lower classes going. FarmerCity maybe Killed by rain killing the race that keeps the track open rained out. The 25 cent hamburg is gone. the 4 buck one has replaced it. I drive past B King cause i can make 5 of them at home for the same price. Tec is not allwas a good thing. And they cant say its cause people ant working cause we at 4% at unemployed .

[Mindwalker]

Won't be long and it will only be Blackie and I going to Sycamore. Only track I know that can run 2 nights a week.

With 17 to 20 lates every other sat nite... Sycamore is doing very well. The stands are primarily full every weekend.

[Mindwalker]

Yea Peoria is done if its sold. City wants it gone. Its a flood plane and the race track hurts the flooding when it does. City wants to work on the flooding part.

Hate to see this happen but it's pretty much inevitable.

[Hollis]

Yea Peoria is done if its sold. City wants it gone. Its a flood plane and the race track hurts the flooding when it does. City wants to work on the flooding part.

Not sure what the Peoria can do. Track is not located in Peoria. It is located in West Peoria which has it's own government. Peoria county and West Peoria could come up with something but it does contribute to the tax base for both.

[Mindwalker]

Never knew Peoria was divided like that.... I learned it here? 😀

[Cardirt0]

Not sure what the Peoria can do. Track is not located in Peoria. It is located in West Peoria which has it's own government. Peoria county and West Peoria could come up with something but it does contribute to the tax base for both.

But Peoria gets hurt by the Flooding. so they can get a say in it on a State level. They can go to the County and make a case and I think they will win it. Peoria is in that Flood plan so they do have a say.

[mcarter815]

That’s two eastern Iowa tracks losing weekly racing in the last year with West Liberty being the other. Unfortunately they happen to be two of my favorite tracks to race at.

It would be nice if the local sports writers would cover the weekly racing along with the touring series. It’s hard to come up with a viable sponsorship package when there is so little visibility on the weekly races and the crowds are dwindling.

[Hollis]

But Peoria gets hurt by the Flooding. so they can get a say in it on a State level. They can go to the County and make a case and I think they will win it. Peoria is in that Flood plan so they do have a say.

I am not aware anytime the creek floods that it touches city property. Peoria Flooding comes from the river and not the creek.

[Krooser]

Gary Oliver from TriCity Buggy told me there are 99 counties in Iowa and everyone has a race track.... I think the majority of them raced at least during their county fairs... no where near that number today.

Racers need to be more concerned with putting ass*s in the seats rather then fancy shocks, pull down rigs and aero push.

[stock car driver]

Iowa has too many tracks, if half of them closed MAYBE some would stay open and people would be interested in racing again because there will be more than 10 cars in a feature so it might be fun....

Been saying this since I moved to Iowa in 2002. And its only gotten worse.

[Highbanked]

It's not for lack of money, their all multi millionaires