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2010 Racing Season continues at 24 Raceway with revised
schedule!
by Ron Lueck
MOBERLY, MO (July 9) - With the first half of the 2010 season completed, the
racing events at 24 Raceway will continue, but with a revised scheduling
that will still pack in most of the planned racing specials for the summer,
along with the remainder of the mechanic's races. It seems we've been in a
constant wet weather pattern for more than three months now, that simply
won't allow more than 2 or 3 days in a row without precipitation.
Traditionally, the better profit part of a racetrack operation is the first
half or first three months of the season, and we've had a 50% rain-out ratio
for April, May & early June, getting in 5 out of the first 10 planned
events. If the 4 planned earlier practice dates were to be included, there
was only one of those that came together on a delayed basis, and that ratio
would decrease. With recent race numbers 6, 7 & 8, all coming together in a
10-day period as planned, things have started to look better.
We're now into the hotter months of July and August. The previous years of
experience are such that attendance does slow somewhat for these months. The
business decision has been made to shift to an every-other-weekend type of
race schedule. A number of other options for the second half of 2010 were
reviewed, one of which was to follow up a Saturday rain-out with a Sunday
night "delayed" program. Another was to go to events only once a month. Both
of these got the "thumbs down" rejection, as we've got enough specials on
tap, as well as a certain number of the faithful fan base to address. The
once-a-month deal was not appealing to fans, sponsors and racers alike. As
stated earlier, this is a business decision, based on the hard economic
times that almost all small businesses have been subject to. Racing by both
participant and fan, is primarily based on the disposable income and this
adage simply applies to sports in general. The hope is that fans coming to
Moberly to watch some exciting racing, as well as the drivers and owners
involved on the track, will now be concentrated into a single week from the
two that would have been available.
So following this last July 3rd race night, the race event will be the
25-lap Sportsman Special on July 17, moved back one week from the original
date. The Hornet Special, a 20 lap race, will also move back one week to
July 31. There's a possibility of something else coming thru for that night
too, but no confirmations yet. Mechanic's races for July are still set for
the days originally as scheduled, and the Hornet Mechanic's race that was
one of the casualties from a May 22 too-much-rain&mud day, is now reset for
August 14. The annual All-Star Race has been moved up one week and is an
invite for the winners of features for 2010, along with that night's heat
winners, to compete for the right to have their car's picture on the website
banner for 2011. The USMTS race on schedule for August 28 remains unchanged
and will be a big draw for those competing in the "Hunt for the
Championship" in their Modified Touring Series, along with their fan
interest. Season championship racing will wrap up on that same night, for
all five of the regular classes of both A & B-Modifieds, Sportsman, Hobbys
and Hornets at the end of August as planned.
September still has the B-Modified Shoot-out in its custom format set for
September 11, and there will be another race night or two following that on
the 18th and/or 25th with the season trophy presentation takng place that
night along the front stretch. As for the two-day SpeedBowl planned for
Labor Day weekend, the decision has not been made on where and how to go
with that one, but it's likely not to be a two day event. That announcement
will come later in August, but it would still be held as an A-Modified
Special and with a larger purse. At this time, we're simple dealing with the
summer months of July and August. A few other tracks in the state have
either trimmed down their schedules or closed completely. We're planning on
operations to continue for this second half of the 2010 season with this
revised schedule as noted above and listed below, and for seasons to come.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
July 17 - Sportsman's Special (a 25 Lap event) + weekly racing series +
B-mod Mechanic's race
July 31 - Hornet Special (a 20 Lap event) + weekly racing series + A-mod
Mechanic's race
August 14 - All-Star Race (with winning car's photo posted on website banner
for 2011) + weekly racing series + Hornet Mechnic's race
August 28 - USMTS re-visiting in the "Hunt for the Championship" + weekly
racing series for the 2010 Season Championships
PROMO:
This week, July 10th, 24 Raceway will be taking a night off. Racing returns
next on July 17th with the annual Sportsman Special. The Sportsman class
will be running a 25-lap feature and paying $400 to the winner. The other
four classes of A & B-Modifieds, the Hobbys and Hornet classes will also be
racing this night, making it all five classes competing on the high banks of
Moberly. "Dirt Track Racing at its Best" will begin that Saturday night at
the usual 7pm, with a short driver's meeting at 6pm, followed by hot laps,
starting at 6:15. See the flyer for this Sportsman Special on our website of
www.24racewayinmoberly.com
. Admission to the grandstand area will be only $10 for the next three race
weekends at 24 Raceway. Kids 12 and under are always free to the
grandstands, so bring the family. Pit passes will be $25 for the next three
race events. Racing starts at 7 p.m. with hot laps scheduled for 6:15,
following a short drivers' meeting at 6pm. A flyer for the Sportsman Special
can also be found on the website of
www.heartlandmotorsports.com
and can be downloaded from both sites.
"Dirt Track Racing at its Best" will return to Moberly at 24 Raceway for the
second half of the 2010 season on July 17th through September, with action
on the high banks of Moberly, Missouri, off the north side of U.S. Highway
24 and just three miles east of town.
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