Sunday, February 25, 2001
Area race tracks stay on course
Kentucky Speedway hasn't hurt attendance at others
By Tom Groeschen
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Owners of the five other area race tracks agree Kentucky Speedway is good for area racing. But they also noticed no major differences in their own race attendance in 2000.
“We have our own following,” said Richard Weinle, owner of Edgewater Sports Park in Cleves. “I don't think they took away any of our fans, and I don't know if they brought any new ones to us.”
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OPENING DATES
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Opening dates for local race tracks (listed in order of when they open):
• Edgewater Sports Park (Cleves): Saturday-today
• Tri-State Dragway (Hamilton): March 3-4
• Thorn Hill Drags (Kenton, Ky.): April 7
• Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway: April 28
• Kentucky Speedway (Sparta, Ky.): May 11-12 (USAC Midgets, ARCA race)
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Weinle said his only concern was the notion Kentucky brought “major league” racing to town.
“We've been here since 1954,” Weinle said. “We've had NHRA events, like the Federal Mogul, which we still have. They've got a nice facility at Kentucky, but they didn't invent the wheel here.”
Tom Konop, a local racing historian, said Cincinnati's first organized auto races were at the old Oakley Mile harness track in 1901. Konop said Cincinnati since has had nearly 40 racing venues, with Lawrenceburg Speedway (Ind.), Florence Speedway (Union, Ky.) and drag strips at Edgewater (Cleves), Tri-State (Hamilton) and Thorn Hill (Decoursey Pike in Kenton, Ky.) still active.
The remaining tracks have existed for decades.
“We get enough to keep the bills paid here every year, I know that,” said Jerry King, owner of Florence Speedway.
King said Kentucky Speedway — which last year featured a NASCAR Craftsman Truck race and an IRL race — at least stirred the local media to cover more motorsports.
“People call and talk to us that wouldn't give us the time of day before,” King said.
King's track sits on U.S. 42 in Union, Ky., a major “back road” for Kentucky Speedway patrons who fear I-71 traffic. King watched Kentucky Speedway patrons streaming past his track last summer, taking their dollars down to Gallatin County. But King still drew thousands for his big shows, such as the annual North-South 100 race.
“We've had a little drift-down from Kentucky with sponsors,” King said. “Now, Kentucky has done some good marketing, and they've got the money to do it with. We do all right.”
Bob Louden, owner of Tri-State Dragway, said Kentucky Speedway is so far removed from his track geographically (about an hour south) and physically, they are different animals.
“We're a drag strip and they're a round track,” Louden said. “I do think (Kentucky) is the best thing that's happened to racing around here in a while. But the only way it would affect us is if they'd put on a drag race, which they don't have.”
Lawrenceburg Speedway, located about 30 minutes west of downtown Cincinnati, has changed operators since last season. It plans to open in late April.
Thorn Hill drag strip, another independent entity in Kenton County, Ky., operates weekly shows from spring through autumn.
Weinle, whose Edgewater strip has hosted the likes of “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, still pulls nearly 15,000 people for his annual NHRA Federal Mogul races in August. It's not the 60,000-plus that Kentucky Speedway can handle, but Weinle said it proves many forms of racing can make it locally.
“We have a big following,” Weinle said. “There's room for all of us.”
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Area race tracks stay on course
