CanadianRacingOnline.com
Canadian Oval / Road Racing => Canadian Tracks => Cayuga Speedway => Topic started by: toledo47 on May 27, 2009, 06:57:32 PM
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TOLEDO, OH (5-27-09) - Officials of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) and Cayuga Motor Speedway today announced that the ARCA RE/MAX Series race scheduled for June 28 at Cayuga, has been cancelled and will not be rescheduled.
"We looked forward to building on the 2008 RE/MAX Series event we established at Cayuga, but we've determined that pressing on for 2009 is not in the best interests of the series," said ARCA President Ron Drager. "We wish Jerry Santucci and Cayuga well going forward."
It marks the first time since 1998 that an event on ARCA's 57-year-old national tour was taken off the schedule under such circumstances.
"We at Cayuga Motor Speedway accept responsibility for this unfortunate circumstance," said track President Jerry Santucci. "ARCA is a first class racing organization and we regret the inconvenience this causes the series, its teams, sponsors and fans. We worked diligently, but as deadlines approached it became increasingly apparent we would not be able to promote and conduct the event successfully due to issues within our ownership group."
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And the other shoe drops!
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With ARCA now cancelled that means next will be ISMA which was to be at Cayuga July 12th.Not official but by a posting last week saying Cayuga will not go and is closed is looking like it is true.As for ARCA (cars) coming back to Canada next year who knows with all the work being done at Delaware maybe they could schelude a ARCA Truck & Car Race weekend next year.This event would draw big as this track is close to USA racing fans and fans from all over Ontario.
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Santucci needs to sell the place. None of the sanctions will trust him again.
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Guess Derek Lynch had the inside scoop!
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Sad news to hear, looks like the track is getting left empty again. Just after it was starting to make improvements in sponsorship and presentation to us fans. I can't answer for the drivers as I've never been racing on the track but it sure was looking good in the past few seasons. Sure hope someone steps up and does the track right cause it deserves it.
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What a joke that this track has been since about December. Why did they keep making the BS promises constantly. They knew it wasn't happening, it was so obvious. I guess Santucci was hoping for some miracle to happen so he could pull it off. Instead he screwed over ARCA, the teams and fans, very selfish. Maybe if he would've let ARCA know they could have rescheduled it, maybe even help out another Canadian track. It is exactly 1 month from today til when the Cayuga race was scheduled. It is a good thing for NASCAR that they had this guy figured out before they released the Canadian Tire Series schedule. What a jerk.
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This is the time Delaware should get their Chit together and jump in. I know sponsors are an issue but I'm sure somebody would step in. It could be possible? Freedom of Canadian speech LoL
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Although it sucks about how things transpired, we should never slam anybody for trying to keep a Canadian race track from turning into a subdivision (racers from Windsor know how hard it is to get a new track to race at when the old one meets a bulldozer). The fact that it's still standing after the last couple of years is a plus and lets all hope somebody has the resources to keep it a race track instead of a ghost track. Perhaps the racing gods will smile down on Cayuga as they have appeared to smile down on Sunset.......
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I too am somewhat depressed by the cancellation as I was looking forward to it. I personally would like to thank Jerry and his group for the two good seasons in 2007 and 2008 that they put together. Even with the many struggles they had there were at least 5 good events in those seasons and reallly drove me to mark them on the calendar and when and if competition resumes I will be back. This is a tough economy and moreover a tough business to promote big time auto racing when the series name is not Nascar Nextel Cup. They are very few tracks in the US that are succussful at filling seats in non Nextel Cup events and some have cancelled events this year. A track in the business of running specials needs deep pockets to both float and cash flow big time events and moreover deeper pockets to keep up with both the maintenance & and capital improvements that fans seem to demand.
We will keep our fingers crossed that big news is just around the corner.....
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they could still put a few great shows together with ontario and new york racers in mind, some camping, a good local band or dj to listen too with some pops and i think they would still draw a good crowd...make it a pinecrest reunion and theyll fill the place. lol
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Although it sucks about how things transpired, we should never slam anybody for trying to keep a Canadian race track from turning into a subdivision (racers from Windsor know how hard it is to get a new track to race at when the old one meets a bulldozer). The fact that it's still standing after the last couple of years is a plus and lets all hope somebody has the resources to keep it a race track instead of a ghost track. Perhaps the racing gods will smile down on Cayuga as they have appeared to smile down on Sunset.......
It's not in danger of becoming a subdivison anytime soon...
Farmland, maybe.
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It seems they don't want to do anything these days. it's a nice place but not run right or not enough money to keep it up to date who knows. It is a shame that this is happening to a great track.
they could still put a few great shows together with ontario and new york racers in mind, some camping, a good local band or dj to listen too with some pops and i think they would still draw a good crowd...make it a pinecrest reunion and theyll fill the place. lol
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Cayuga, is in the middle of no-where! That's always been a problem, since the seventies at least. Most tracks have a city within 5 miles. Cayuga has a shortage of motels and is a hassle for most people to attend. It is a nice track and too bad it doesn't have a population, close by, to support it. We ran weekly shows there in the 70's, with the stands filled mostly with friends and family.
Today there's so much racing on TV! In the 70's and into the 80's, local tracks, provided people with there racing fix. Wide World of Sports showed some partial races, interrupted by gymnastics. But if you couldn't travel to a NASCAR or Indy car race, your local short track provided motor-heads with there fix.
Today, why get out of your Lazy-boy chair?
Racing goes in cycles! Hopefully, the fans will regain the need for live racing. The smells, the sound and then meeting of like minded people. Unless Hagersville grows, Cayuga will continue to be best suited, for special events and maybe buses to bring the people would help.
Today, there so many other forms of entertainment, for tracks to compete with. Racing still provide the excitement it always has, as today's breed of daring young ( and older ) men, in their jaunty jalopies thrill fans and provide breathtaking moments of heart stopping action. Maybe we need promoters to return to the carnival type atmosphere. The feeling of a big happening. A spectacular event that one doesn't want to miss.
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I live in Cayuga and can assure you with the local housing market, Cayuga Speedway is not going to be a sub-division any time soon.
I think Cayuga is a victim of it's size. It's only suited for special event these days. It needs a series with a good draw to be viable. Forget weekly racing there anymore, too expensive, it's a thing of the past.
I've heard conflicting stories about whether ISMA is still coming or not.
The track apparently balked at the $100k for the NCATS. They were only guaranteed about 13 cars. As a fan, I wouldn't have been impressed. I think that there were only 19 cars for the first race this year. The fee for ARCA is similar. But were guaranteed more cars. There were also stories about problems with local by-laws. The rumour of the track being sold comes and goes as well.
I think that the economy has thwarted a lot of the plans for 2009. As far as Cayuga being in the middle of nowhere, most tracks are. Urban sprawl would shut them down otherwise (Speedway Park, Pinecrest).
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Could someone please give me a little bit of credit. I've been to the track a 'few' times and I'm aware of the likelihood of an actual subdivision popping up where the track is.
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Could someone please give me a little but of credit.�  I've been to the track a 'few' times and I'm aware of the likelihood of an actual�  subdivision popping up where the track is.
heh...sometimes on the internet you can't just use a figure of speech. Â :)
it always has, as today's breed of daring young ( and older ) men, in their jaunty jalopies thrill fans and provide breathtaking moments of heart stopping action. Maybe we need promoters to return to the carnival type atmosphere. The feeling of a big happening. A spectacular event that one doesn't want to miss. Â
No maybe about it, you nailed it EEracer. Short track racing is sometimes too slick and too polished in its presentation - trying to pass it off as professional racing, rather than "daring young men in their jaunty jalopies" Â It needs to be a little rough around the edges.
However, I'm not sure how this would have helped Cayuga. They packed them in there when they were doing the ASA races and Molson was picking up the ad costs, but the place has struggled both before and after that era. They were putting on awesome shows at a good price when Evans was running it, and still they couldn't fill the place.
I just don't see what else they can do without a big, big sponsor partner to help with the ad costs.
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After reviewing all of the comments about Cayuga Speedway and its current status I think its only fair to say that everyone making a statement in a negative matter of fact should really think about the big picture, as scary as it might be.
To open this track for any event is a game of chance at best, regardless of the program.
First off there was a ton of Racing series that were told theyhad dates in 2009, and most of them even had signed contracts, but the contracts are worthless when the deals were negotiated based on the track opening in 2009..and it isn't.
For any Series to take them to court over the whole deal is worthless as you cant get money out of a stone number one, and two- no Series in their right mind wants to start battles with Tracks as it makes things bad for the future and the sport.
As far as shows go, what Series would you consider running, keeping in mind you have to sell tickets and attempt to make a profit !!
ARCA- The same price as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series- $60,000 and you would get a full field of 36 plus cars...but NO locals in the Series, and one shot at the weather as they wont do a rain out date in Canada. Â
Show rating - 7 out of 10
Profit- 2 out of 10
Nascar Canadian Tire- Way.. way.. overpriced for a field of 16 cars and worse yet...they have really about 10 guys that have a shot at winning so you could change that number to 10. Â
Show rating- 3 out of 10
Profit- -10 out of 10
ISMA and Sprint Car Show- The advantage here is fans love to watch something different and Open Wheel Shows tend to draw the more educated fans and the thrill seekers.
Show rating- 8 out of 10
Profit- 5 out of 10
OSS, Super Late Models, Limited Late Model shows- These are the only true racing series that have a chance at making a go of it at Cayuga. The show cost is for each series is under $7500.00 and they all come with plenty of cars, which means plenty of supporters both in fans and crew members. They are full of local shoes and the cars are very fast at Cayuga with 50 lappers and 100 lappers still long enough to make it a race but not so long that you don't wake up drooling on the person sitting next to you.
Show rating- 10 out of 10
Profit- 10 out of 10
Besides racing cars there also needs to be something else going on at the same weekend. Â A Big Band with an appearance on the front straightaway. Â A Car Show or Truck Show. Â A Party for the fans in the Camping Area with free Camping.
Even a visit from the "Girls Gone Wild Bus" would help out the deal !!
That's my idea's of what needs to happen and I am sure there are many that agree and disagree with my picks, although its pretty much common knowledge that Cayuga Speedway is not the Crown Jewel that it once was, but more a place waiting to happen. Â Â When ??....who the heck knows !!! Â Â Â Â
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SO what happens now? will it open in 2010 or is this the end of it or a new owner??
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I guess the only positive note coming out the cancelled race is that it would not have run yestarday anyway. It rained hard all morning and drizzled on and off all afternoon and rained hard again in the late afternoon.