TST, Gone Stupid!!!

[dirt crow]

Hug it out. Lol. That's a good one. ....I was told years ago by a person that's passed on the ice bowl and two race weekends pretty much pay for the entire season. Ice bowl still huge. But I seen a lot of empty seats at this years race weekend. But that's because there's been a fan decline across the street. That ain't helping TST. ....drivers and crews paying to get in pits, and families paying to get in stands to watch their kin race, I'd say that'll break the track even. They all gonna come no matter what. It's just those plain and simple racing fans is what tracks should seek after. That's declined on weekly shows there. That's the area that could be improved upon. Scrap time trials, have heats for all, that'll save almost an hour. Folks can see a great night of total racing and get home at a very decent time. TST is a racy track. So why not race the entire show. ....and if th drivers don't like it, so what. They'll get use to it. You da boss. They ain't. Earl Baltes proved that mentality works.

[Late_Model_Mark]

Dirt Crow and myself are always good terms, DC cares about this sport and the tracks and has his hopes and wants for his local tracks, got no issue with constructive critical thoughts. The cost to run a joint these days is really big, without specific numbers that are private track business, the operating cost faced by my home tracks and other nations track grow by the year. Insurance, omg is that giant, then the outrageous cost of track lights and track electricity, the cost of a professional ambulance that is always on site at TST, food costs, track maintenance equipment operating costs and upkeeps. The purse, employee payroll and grounds maintenance adds up big time, then ya gotta pay the yappin' announcer too. LOL. Plus many other ares that deplete the billfold. Once again we have our shortcomings but we try our best to have the best weekly show in Bama and I think we do. Had another darn good crowd last night with 56 Late Models in 3 "true" classes with near 100 cars.


Late Model Mark
TST Announcer

[dirt crow]

Just to let everyone know, mark and I are, and will always be friends. We've hung out at many a racetrack. He and I even went to the world 100 the year Hartman won along with some others folks. And he even picked me up at the airport on very very short notice one time, at a time in my life when everything was upside down in all areas. I'll never forget that. We disagree from time to time but it ain't no biggie. He knows how I is. We cool. Lol.

[fastford]

good job last night late model mark, your announcing skills are getting better and better, also kudos to the track staff . one of the best regular shows in a while, nice field of cars and good fan participation. if I can get loose from the pits next sat night , im gone come up to tower and aggravate ole mark a little bit. but over all, great job from all last night..........

[GotDirt1313]

Don't know if the offer thing is true, but the $$$ brought in during the two NASCAR weekends and the Ice Bowl is probably more than a lot of places bring in during an entire season.I know the two NASCAR weekends used to be leased to some people. I have no clue if thats still the case.

The Tony Stewart offer, I heard that from Red Farmer himself, and one night me and the other legend, Perry (voiceman) were talking, and the subject came up, and he told me about Holme's offer to them, both I would consider reliable sources. I grew up at that place and I used to love it, but like DirtCrow said, it is in bad need of renovations, especially on the spectator side of it, and hopefully one day that will happen, and I also believe when it does, word will get out, andd the weekly crowds will start to grow.

[redbone]

I was like dirt crow drove 10 hours, 500 +miles to see a great race in Fairbury,Ill. We both will do the same in a couple of weeks to the World 100. With that said I travel to different tracks all across country to watch dirt late models. People ask where we are from, North Alabama. What tracks do you watch locally? This is whats sad because I dont. We hauled a limited late model to TST on their opening nite back in late 70s. Track was a go cart , motorcycle track before then so the track was real narrow and dim lights so we never unloaded. We did race there from 78 thru most of 80s so I go back a ways. Thru the years at times it has had some good racing but not the last several years. I have been a couple times this year and you see dust and black marks in hot laps you know its gona be a crappy nite of racing. HEY DIRT RACIN 101 put some (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) water on track!!!! Mark 7-8 years ago we all talked about how good the racin was but not now. In a national magazine Alfred bragged about the racin which was good but joked about people complaining about bath rooms or lack of . The 2 or 3 that are there work at times ( one of the ladies at Ice Bowl had yellow police tape around it ) but have been painted on the outside probably 30 times . I would to drive 45 miles to see good racin but the last few years have been hard to watch. Have been wishing for years somebody would buy it do some up grades, drill a well or buy water reshape the turns like they were a few years back then maybe TST will be a place to look forward to instead of being ( Hell I aint got nothing else to do, no Lucas or WoW shows in 6 hour radius so I will go to Talledigger shoot the bull with the boys cause the racin most of time is 1 grove bottom CHOO CHOO. I know the replies back will say other wise and I know once in a while there will be a good race. But if you dont work the track , plow it , blade it , water it WEEKLY the racing there will all ways be the same.Slow Dusty Black ONE groove. I hate to hammer TST but at lots of tracks I attend work on their tracks as the nite progess more than TST does all week leading up to Saturday Nite I have been watching Dirt Trackin since 1965 at Del-Ed Speedway so I havent just fell of the turnip truck but I am a very passionate supportive fan who like dirt crow is fed up with the Mickey Mouse way the racing has been promoted in North Alabama for years. So here is wishing someone will purchase TST sooner not later. So until it improves you can catch me heading North ( as bad as i hate to say that word ) to watch some good racing on tracks with a cushion that are tacky and racey

[GotDirt1313]

Very well said redbone, you are exactly right on every point, TST could and should've been a long time ago, one of the best tracks in the country, but it won't happen til somebody with the means steps and buys it, I too started going there around 77' or 78' as a kid, and it's pretty much the same exact place, the place has soooo much potential and I wish I could win the lottery and buy it, but until then it's pretty much all we have locally to see a dirt race, and that is sad!!

[pap]

I'm right there with you guys, started going in 78', 79'. All the things you guys say are what I see myself. I quit going to tst weekly when Bill T. ran green valley and promoted paying 2,000$ to win weekly. It pi$$ed me off that tst's stands would be double what gvs stands were as far as fan count goes and they didn't try to match gvs. I think it was around that time when preacher gave the latemodels 1200 to win. I supported gvs weekly after that because they were attempting to hold a high dollar race every year (bama bash). I would support tst weekly again if they would try to hold a high dollar race, but as we all know the management today isn't going to take the risk to do so.

[redbone]

For TST to hold a high dollar race with WoO has nothing to do with money risk, Outlaws will not go there because of the facilities , bath rooms , stands ( friend of mine nearly fell thru back stands last year, all that saved him his arms caught on the seats ) even fan parking at times is tight. Lucas Im not sure but may be same reason they dont come . But TST was not the only track in our area to go stupid Green Valley backed out of a two nite 20,000. to win Outlaw show only to try a 25,000. win crate race that finished after midnight. Now that was the beginning of the end for GVS. I understand TST is doing a better job on getting show over at a decent hour glad to hear that. That was always a problem at GVS and seems to happen way to often at Fort Payne . I guess Im just spoiled but spectated and raced at Rome , Ga for years Green flag dropped at 7:00 Checkered flag dropped at 9:30 back in Gadsden a little after 11:00. I understand things happen to slow race programs down but not 3 out of every 4 races that some tracks run . Here is the all time crowd killer have an intermission tell the crowd to stretch their legs , go visit the concession stand while we line up the next race . Back in the days when we ran Rome the races lined up in the pits while the race in front of you was racing when checkered flag fell your race pulled out , if you did not get in line on time you went to back ,heats , mains made no difference you knew Mickey would start the race with or without you . Your choice and just look at the crowds he has had the last several years with the races paying 2,000. to 10,000. it really dose not affect crowd size much . I know TST is our last chance to have local late model racing but I still am really amazed that they have lasted as long as they have with the way they have ran the track and at times treated drivers and fans is truly mind boggling

[redbone]

For TST to hold a high dollar race with WoO has nothing to do with money risk, Outlaws will not go there because of the facilities , bath rooms , stands ( friend of mine nearly fell thru back stands last year, all that saved him his arms caught on the seats ) even fan parking at times is tight. Lucas Im not sure but may be same reason they dont come . But TST was not the only track in our area to go stupid Green Valley backed out of a two nite 20,000. to win Outlaw show only to try a 25,000. win crate race that finished after midnight. Now that was the beginning of the end for GVS. I understand TST is doing a better job on getting show over at a decent hour glad to hear that. That was always a problem at GVS and seems to happen way to often at Fort Payne . I guess Im just spoiled but spectated and raced at Rome , Ga for years Green flag dropped at 7:00 Checkered flag dropped at 9:30 back in Gadsden a little after 11:00. I understand things happen to slow race programs down but not 3 out of every 4 races that some tracks run . Here is the all time crowd killer have an intermission tell the crowd to stretch their legs , go visit the concession stand while we line up the next race . Back in the days when we ran Rome the races lined up in the pits while the race in front of you was racing when checkered flag fell your race pulled out , if you did not get in line on time you went to back ,heats , mains made no difference you knew Mickey would start the race with or without you . Your choice and just look at the crowds he has had the last several years with the races paying 2,000. to 10,000. it really dose not affect crowd size much . I know TST is our last chance to have local late model racing but I still am really amazed that they have lasted as long as they have with the way they have ran the track and at times treated drivers and fans is truly mind boggling

[B_K]

You sure WoO is about facilities? They went to Wartburg, and that place is far from a palace.


I'm a newbie compared to you guys (mid 90's), but used to make 6-10 trips a year over there. It was generally a guarantee that you were going to see a good show. I hardly go anymore, last two times were blowing dust and black in hot laps. Plus my patience for 209 classes isn't what it used to be. Place just feels dead and run down.

I can't get used to anybody other than Perry on the mic either.

Used to go to Gvs a bunch too. They paid more, but the racing wasn't as good.

Other than a few places, racing in the southeast isn't in a great spot right now.