PRESENTS---

BETHEL MOTORSPORTS PARK  RUNNING INTO PROBLEMS

by Mike Fields

January 16, Long Beach, NY--- Bethel Motorsports Park seems to be running into problems with the town of Bethel.  Word has it that Bethel wants the track to operate only on Saturday nights, as opposed to Sunday afternoons as Promoters Billy Bartley and Jason Makarewicz have planned. The town and the promoters seem to be at an impasse.

The town has had problems with previous promoters, and hopes to alleviate citizens concerns. Bartley and Makarewicz don’t want to compete with all the Saturday night tracks, and running on Sundays would allow them to draw from a larger pool of racecars (as well as showing a profit).

The town refuses at this time to be swayed, and the promoters don’t want to operate the facility at a loss.  Since Bartley and Makarewicz haven’t yet paid over the funds and signed the contract as yet with the property owner, they may just decide to pick up their marbles and go home.

As business owners, their first loyalty has to be to the bottom line. Running a race track is not supposed to be a charitable, non-profit activity.  If BillyB and J-Mac succumbs to the towns’ demands, that very well may be what they’d be stuck with.

We don’t know if there is a cutoff date when a decision would have to be made.  We do know that the town council meets again toward the end of this month. We hope that something can be worked out.

THE MOTORSPORTS 2007 show once again had something for everything.  Usually when we go there, we find something of interest that stands out.  For this year’s edition it was a media seminar.

When running an electronic media outlet, that outlet always strives for legitimacy. We found this first-year seminar to be very informative, receiving input from other website operators, track operators, and print media. When we left, it was with some terrific ideas for the future. When we left, it was with the idea that this seminar needs to return on a yearly basis, and be expanded from one hour to two.

Often when we were at the show when it was in Fort Washington, PA, we wished that we could go outside and relax for a while. But there was never anywhere or anything to do. Now that the show is in Atlantic City, the opportunities are unlimited. 

We spent Saturday at the show, and took time to go out and have a great $16 all-you-can-eat lunch at the Wild, Wild West in Ballys. Then we took a walk over to the boardwalk to view the water show at the end of the shopping mall attached to Caesars that runs at the top of the hour, every hour. We found that prices were jacked up for parking because the show was in town.  However, we parked a couple of blocks away at a small parking lot and paid $8.50 for all-day parking.

We didn’t stay for the indoor racing, which we didn’t have credentials for anyway.  However, we do have full coverage from Tammy Longacre, who was there to do the race reporting.

There was a rumor that the show will not be back in Atlantic City next year, as the convention center is already booked at that date.  After checking with the Area Auto Racing News, who helps to promote the show, we were told in no uncertain terms that the rumor was false. We look forward to going back next January.

Jamie Tomaino is always an interesting interview. We caught up to him at the show, where he signing autographs and kibitzing with the crowd.  We asked him about the new format for the “flash” races that the Whelen Modified Tour will be running this season.  There will be three in total--- 1 at Wall, 1 at Twin State, and 1 at Riverhead. From our standpoint we think this is great that qualifying for the shortened features will be through heat races.  Jamie’s take was somewhat different.

“NASCAR has stated what they’d like to do,” Jamie explained.  “But they haven’t given us a piece of paper with the rules. They haven’t yet given us the details. I’m not saying it’s a bad idea or a good idea.”

There has been some confusion regarding qualifying procedures for the “flash” races.  We thought that cars that were 1^st, 3^rd, 5^th, 7^th, 9^th, etc. in points would be in the first qualifying heat, while the drivers that are 2^nd, 4^th, 6^th, 8^th, etc. would be in the 2^nd heat. A conversation with NASCAR WMT official Joe Larsen helped to clear that up. 

“It’s not where you are in points,” Joe stated. “It’s according to your car number, as I understand it.” Therefore, odd numbered cars would be in the first heat, while even numbered cars would be in the 2^nd heat. We neglected to ask if the drivers would draw for their heat’s starting position as they came though the pit gate. We’ll let you know at a later date.

WHEN WALL TOWNSHIP SPEEDWAY opens for 2007, don’t look for the American Three Quarter Midget Association at the track that has supported them for so many years. Although we don’t have the entire story, it appears that the ATQMA has taken about 10 dates at Mountain Speedway, and only wanted Wall as “fill-in” dates. They have a long and storied history at the Jersey Shore oval, and it would be a shame not to see them there on any Saturday when we make the trip down to Belmar.

The IROC (International Race of Champions) Series won’t start its season at Daytona International Speedway during SpeedWeeks in February. Its also very possible that if a sponsor isn’t found soon, the series will be cancelled--- at least for 2007. We’re not exactly certain, as we don’t really pay that much attention to it. However, we’ve noted in the past that the majority of racers that participate in the series aren’t even Champions, or past Champions, of the respective series that they race in. Perhaps were just dealing in semantics again…

QUESTION--- Has anyone noticed that Wall Township Speedway, Thompson International Speedway, and the Waterford Speedbowl still haven’t announced their 2007 schedules as yet?

JENNERSTOWN REJECTS NASCAR--- Last week, officials at Jennerstown Speedway announced they were parting ways with NASCAR and their sanction.

“NASCAR has instituted a new business model regarding its grass roots weekly series program (the Whelen All-American Series). However, that plan doesn’t fit the goals Jennerstown is attempting to accomplish this year,” said track General Manager Larry Mattingly.

Hmmm, let’s see.  NASCAR’s goal is to make money, and unless we’re mistaken, Jennerstown’s goal is also to make money. What are we missing here? Jennerstown has been under the NASCAR sanction since 1987. Other than making note of it, we’re really not interested enough to attempt to find out what the difference in “goals” are. But we think that it’s safe to say that you shouldn’t look for NASCAR to add a Whelen Modified Tour stop there at the last minute…

STROLLING THE BOARDWALK--- While we were out grabbing a bite to eat at the Motorsports show in Atlantic City, we were running across friends from several locations.  One was Chris Turbush, who will be picking up sponsorship that was on the truck his dad ran last year with Dantona Industries. He’ll also have new sponsors BCMG, Cutchogue NAPA, Spano Floors, Billy the Kid Race Engines. Meanwhile, ‘Dynamite’ Dan Turbush will run a full season in the No. 81 Late Model, owned by Doug “Hurricane” Wholey. Doug will be fielding a two-car team.  Looking at this paragraph, it begs the question--- why doesn’t Chris have a nickname?  Well, we’ll work on it for him… Back at the show, we ran across defending Late Model champion Greg Kleila. Greg told us that his primary sponsor won’t be returning in 2007. When we asked why a sponsor wouldn’t be returning to a championship team, his answer wasn’t encouraging… Along with his Figure Eight car, Roger Maynor will be fielding a Late Model owned by Artie Schenk… Steve Tooker informed us that he was putting his Modified together to either race or sell this season…

*****

Those are out thoughts this time.  What’s yours?   Questions, comments, and complaints will reach us at liracenews@hotmail.com. Until next time, Happy Motoring!

     Mike Fields has written for the Area Auto Racing News, Raceway Media Magazine, as well as being a contributing author for the book Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul.  He has also been a co-host of a weekly motorsports radio program. Fields currently writes a weekly internet column, and is an occasional contributing columnist for the Riverhead Racer, the track program for Long Island's Riverhead Raceway.

     While not at his full-time job (babysitting his very rambunctious 3 1/2-year old grandson), he is the owner of The Hero Card Store!, providing specialty autograph cards to racecar drivers and teams. He may be contacted by e-mail at info@LongIslandMotorsports.com, or by phone at (516) 376-4028.

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