East Bay Closing- Opinions on this?

[kidrock]

Fairbury is running a strong weekly program, maybe more promotors should find out what it is that they're doing. They have a good racing surface. They have a good payout. They have good fan pricing. And they finish in a timely manor. JMO

What about their fan base for weekly shows?

[ZERO25]

From Dustin Hughes on Facebook.




If you don’t believe me that Big Shows and Big Corporations isn’t killing weekly racing than you can read it here from the man himself !!! I give weekly dirt track racing five more years tops.

East Bay Raceway Park:

The Story Behind its Final Season

DirtJanuary 3, 2024

Mike Adaskaveg

When East Bay Raceway Park concludes the 2024 season in October, it will close its gates for good. The owner and promoter of the Tampa, Florida, track, Al Varnadore, admitted the decision to sell the facility didn’t make him popular.

“I’m the most hated man in Hillsborough County,” Varnadore said. “The people on the internet are angry — real angry — and some of them from as far away as Iowa are sticking their noses into my business. They come here once a year and don’t see the big picture. The track is losing money — but I went forward with a big schedule for our last season — and I didn’t have to.”

That 2024 schedule begins as it has done for decades, the Winternationals. That starts on January 17 with the Top Gun Sprints as the headliner. The Winternationals features a who’s who of racing divisions and series. Crate Racin’ USA late models. UMP modifieds. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. High Limit Sprint Car Series. 360 sprint cars.

The season concludes on October 12 with a $50,000-to-win Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series race dubbed the “Grand Finale.”

However, in between those bookend events is a weekly racing program, just like at many other oval tracks in the U.S.

“East Bay Raceway Park does not make money in the regular season,” said Varnadore. “We do well in January and February, but the rest of the year it is a struggle to keep the place open.”

The traveling series have also played a role in shrinking profit margins for tracks, according to Varnadore.

“The million-dollar late model drivers are complaining how much they are losing,” Varnadore said. “The series promoters want higher purses. Pay-per-view is great for people who like to sit at home, but the money they are paying isn’t coming back to the racetracks. We can’t have every fan in front of a home TV set — we need to sell hot dogs to survive.”

More than four years ago Varnadore announced the sale of East Bay Raceway Park to The Mosaic Company, a phosphate mining company that owns land neighboring the track.

“When I made the deal with Mosaic, I promised our racers there would be five more years of racing,” Varnadore said. “I wanted to give them plenty of time to decide if they wanted to phase out or race elsewhere.”

Varnadore forecasted the future for where East Bay Raceway Park resides now.

“On November 7, 2024, the 28 acres the track is on changes hands,” said Varnadore. “There will be no more East Bay Raceway Park. It will be another mountain of dirt left over from mining phosphate.”

Al Varnadore also made a prediction for what dirt-track racing will look like.

“Special events will replace weekly racing at most racetracks in five to 10 years,” Varnadore said. “The companies that own the series will need to own the racetracks. They have to be able to pay the purses and do the things it takes to make it all work.”

When the gates finally close on East Bay Raceway Park, it will be a bittersweet moment for Varnadore.

“I just want to relax and spend time with my grandchildren,” said Varnadore. “I worked hard — awfully hard — for 22 years. I won’t rule out that I will still be involved in something racing. I just won’t put myself at risk by investing in a racetrack.”

Al Varnadore, owner and promoter of East Bay Raceway Park.
Nathan Stephens


Hey Al, why dont you start telling the truth. You were in the middle of being foreclosed on by your "lady" banker, and sold the place cheap to Mosaic to keep from losing it! You only found out because you saw the 500k investment architectural drawings. H er and her family are huge race fans and extremely good business owners!

[Fast Wheels]

There are many factors that have killed racing. One of the top factors is the people that pocket money selling chassis, racing engines, tires, shocks and anything else. Race car drivers are the smartest people and those with money will pay anything to win. This is driven the cost of racing sky high.

Another huge factor is these low-cost Internet broadcast.

if a track controls their own pay-per-view, and gets the profits from it, it might help the business continue its revenue.

But these tracks that have bought into being broadcast on Flo Racing have just been playing stupid. I think most of them broadcast on flow for their ego of being on TV or the series force them to. There is no way they’re getting any money from the broadcast when flo only charges $150 a year. As a race fan, it makes much more sense to sit home and watch it on TV. The facilities are (normally) cleaner at home, the seats are more comfortable, the food is better, no gas, expense, and no waste to travel on a rain out.

[Fast Wheels]

Default
There are many factors that have killed racing. One of the top factors is the people that pocket money selling chassis, racing engines, tires, shocks and anything else. Race car drivers are the smartest people and those with money will pay anything to win. This is driven the cost of racing sky high.

Also, these high dollar purses for all classes. do nothing to forward the sport. Including the super late models. It just encourages race teams to spend more money to win. The purses have been jacked up so much now that a $50,000 win race is no big deal. I don’t see how any promoter makes a dime of having one of these races these days.

Another huge factor is these low-cost Internet broadcast.

if a track controls their own pay-per-view, and gets the profits from it, it might help the business continue its revenue.

But these tracks that have bought into being broadcast on Flo Racing have just been playing stupid. I think most of them broadcast on flow for their ego of being on TV or the series force them to. There is no way they’re getting any money from the broadcast when flo only charges $150 a year. As a race fan, it makes much more sense to sit home and watch it on TV. The facilities are (normally) cleaner at home, the seats are more comfortable, the food is better, no gas, expense, and no waste to travel on a rain out.

[dynotimeonly]

Flo, MAV, DirtVision, HTF streaming will be the death of the sport. Like it or hate it, it's the truth. PPV is coming next to ALL sports. You wanna watch a Sunday afternoon football game? Belly up sunshine, it's gonna cost you.

[jog49]

Of all the reasons listed, at the top of the heap is the fact that these younger generations have NO interest in racing and could care less if the venues survive. And as one might imagine, they won't survive!

[dirtcrazy4u]

Younger Gen z people are not into racing. Bad
Promotors that could care less but think there doing right by opening the gate every week. Bad

Case in point. PPMS the Miley family lost interest in the place many years ago. Red Miley cared, after his passing I don't believe they invested a dime. After years of rumors the day came when it was finally sold. Many thought the gates would be closed. Instead, the people that bought it have slowly been listening to the racers and the people in the stands. More cars, more fans and a new attitude to the whole place is reviving PPMS.

It takes hard work on everyone's part. Some just don't care anymore.

[kidrock]

Flo, MAV, DirtVision, HTF streaming will be the death of the sport. Like it or hate it, it's the truth. PPV is coming next to ALL sports. You wanna watch a Sunday afternoon football game? Belly up sunshine, it's gonna cost you.

I think you are right about PPV will be the next thing.

[TS FAN]

PPV is already here obviously. However the NFL tried it for one of the playoff games and it was a disaster. I know Nascar is going to try it in 2025 for 10 races. Not sure how that will turn out.

I think dirt track racing is in great shape. I think the broadcasting of events is a money maker for tracks that want to progress. I think there is far too much worry about doom.