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Canadian Oval / Road Racing => Canadian Tracks => Cayuga Speedway => Topic started by: racewoman on July 27, 2006, 10:26:09 AM
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I am doing this poll for 14 days. I will send the results onto Jim Modesto he is the gentleman that was taking our track size comments at the open house on July 23rd. The owners really DO want our input on this before going ahead and making a mickey mouse track that no one will be able to run on. If they do that they will lose out themselves. They know they need to build a track that people will be able to afford to race on and that fans will be able to come out and watch at.
For some reason the poll would not let me add a forth poll that would be the size 7/8 if you would like to see that size please I will make sure all votes are sent on. It should also read 3/4 not 1/4 I didn't have my glasses on when I did this....and I had a hard time seeing what I was typing......
Thanks to Greasemonkey for fixing those problems up for me. It now reads correctly
Thanks Teri
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Myself I am wanting it to stay a 5/8 mile track just a little wider with a little higher banking. NASCAR truck can run on it as they already run on a smaller track. Martainsville is smaller.
I know a lot of CASCAR drivers that love to race on this track and it is just the right size for many other classes as well.
Fix up the washrooms maybe head over to Oshweken and check out the washrooms there in the pits. Air conditioning, automatic flush toilets , auto running facets in the sinks, and believe me it is still a sad thing the ladies washroom is still a mess. It does help with the fans though.
I know people have been working hard. The place looks great keep throwing them what you the drivers and fans want. Lets make it work together.
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I'm not sure what to say RW? I'm thinking somewhere between a 5/8's or a 3/4 mile, so I haven't done your poll yet? Right now I'm leaning towards a big wide 5/8's high bank and making sure it's a 2 groove track! Graduated banking I think is what they call it?
I'm waiting to hear what others have to say, I'd like to hear from drivers, teams, promoters, etc... to hear their views on size's as well.
We need a track that gives us the option to race the other series on i.e, Hooter's , ASA, ARCA, CASCAR, OSCAAR, ALSTAR, LM's, TC's, SS's, OWM's, Sprint's etc ...
But we also need to look ahead into the future, is NASCAR coming up here and if so, to what extent? I think we can expect Busch & the NCTS up here soon, but you have to leave the door open to aquiring a Cup race if and when the opportunity presents itself? I also think the NASCAR Mod's would be awesome even on the existing track!
I've been to Bristol, I think they measure that track around the inside, it's a pretty big 1/2 mile! How is Cayuga measured now, to attain 5/8's of a mile? I would think if Cayuga at it's present size of 5/8's if banked right and maybe a little wider would be fine for all the series we would want to see.
I'd like to see weekly racing again, but I don't know how feasible that would be with permits & the town? I think you'd have to take Saturday as a time slot as Friday you have racing at both Delaware & Oshweken to compete against, where as Saturday you'd only have to take on Flamboro. I've alway's said that the owner of Cayuga & Oshweken should get together and make it a Friday & Saturday show, that way you could have the best of both worlds, utilze the campgrounds at Cayuga and run a bus over to Oshweken if need be??? If that were the case, the owners could put me down for renting an annual RV campsite. I think a lot of families would enjoy that!
I don't know where CASCAR is going? If they're going to be amalgamated into the NASCAR GN Series, ie., Busch North or Busch East and use the new spec chassis, bodies, & engines that's been bantered about, what happens to the existing CASCAR chassis's and motors? Maybe there's an opportunity to jump on the bandwagon right now and use these chasiss's & motors for weekly racing at Cayuga? Otherwise these chassis's & engines will become useless if CASCAR goes NASCAR anyway??? Maybe a Sportsman class with them and or a Truck Series class and an Open Wheeled Modified class with them? That would kind of make these new series a stepping stone to the Busch North Series, if it flies? I don't know, just an idea? It may even keep Tony happy making new bodies, becuase if he does sell to NASCAR, they won't be needing his bodies, right? Maybe the Ottawa track could follow suit and St. Eustache again and they could have a mini series in these classes like they used to with the CASCAR Sportsman from a few years back???
One thing for sure and this is crucial to getting Cayuga to fly again an that's PROMOTION! The track sits in an awesome location, close to Hamilton, Halton & NIagara so the fan base is there, but if it's not promoted it will just end up the way it is now, in my opinion. I think giving back to the local community somehow and local charities would also help strengthen relations with the town! Maybe 50/50 tickets to start with 50% going back to local charities?
As far as NASCAR Cup fans go, I keep hearing the fans don't want anymore Cookie Cutter Tracks so whatever Cayuga does decide, let's hope it's unique and will attract our friends from down south as well!
Just my 2 cents worth which isn't much if you convert it to US. :wink:
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Oh, one other thing, heat! :lol:
I couldn't get over how warm it was in the grandstands at Barrie this past May, even with snow threatening? Kawartha you can go inside to get out of the cold as well, maybe the track owners might take this into consideration as well, seeing as our season isn't as long up here. If that were the case, maybe we could have an Autumn speedweeks up here, like they do at New Smyrna in the spring. :wink:
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oops now that I have on my glasses I see that I made a mistake on the poll it should read 3/4 not 1/4 geesh I don't think I can even blame that one on the fresh blonde highlites. LOL
Sorry and there is no way I can go in and edit the poll either. Evan if you can please go for it. I tried.
Thanks Geasemonkey for fixing up the problems I had doing this poll. Blonde highlights and all. LOL
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Why don't they advertise here????
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I had to laugh when I read the 1/4 mile option, figuring it was a mistake. On the other hand, if you think Bristol is wild....
But seriously, I'd like to see it more or less stay the same size. Bigger might be better for NASCAR, and if you were only gonna use the track once a year, then bigger would be the way to go. For regular racing series, its already bordering on being too big. So my vote would be 5/8 with higher banking, and do something about those light poles on the infield.
In other notes, yes the washrooms need to be upgraded. Its probably been 4 years since I was at Cayuga, but if I recall correctly, we still had to stand in line to pee in a trough. No biggie for a seasoned fan, but a real putoff for people who'd be out for the first time.
Why don't they advertise here????
That'd be like preaching to the choir.
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Would like to stay at a 5/8 mile. A good size for the truck and busch and still a size you can have some local events.
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A 5/8's "D" modeled on the existing layout but improved banking. Maybe that's not even totally necessary since the gaps in the pavement (there's grass growing in there!!) into turn 3 and out of turn 4 will no longer be a factor, but I'll be happy to leave that call to others. LOL Another lane wider would be good too. We definitely need it to be compatible with as many types of oval racing as possible.
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Might I suggest a new poll if you're planning on leaving this one up for 14 days. Closing this one and opening a new one before too many votes are cast will save you from 'keeping track'. That and I didn't read the posts before I voted and went with 5/8 because I thought you were off you're rocker on the others. :) I'm sure I won't be the last.
PS 7/8's with and inside 1/4 or 3/8 would help with weekly programing if thats what they're trying to do.
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NASCAR drivers have said many times over the years that someone should build another Richmond, which is a 3/4 track. This would keep it small enough for local series' to race on and expand it enough to provide more infield pit area. And maybe the return of a mini oval for mini stocks, TQ's etc. as in the past. I vote 3/4, but would settle for an upgraded 5/8 with more banking. Actually, I'd just like to see quality racing back at the track with full grandstands.
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The size of the race track is vital to the growth of the market and a 5/8 mile track is very considerate to many forms of racing including Nascar,Cascar,IRL, USAC and Hooters competetion. A high banked oval based on its current size and elevating the new track banking to the top of the corner walls is a great idea as long as they incorperate the safer barrier walls into the format. Besides big league racing if they make the banking transential banking allowing cars to compete on the bottom makes the track more adaptaple to smaller series justl like they did with Irwindale Speedway in California.
Keep in mind that the race surface can only be as sucsessful as the fans that fill the stands and that Ladys's and Gentelman is where the focus should be first. Better seats, better food, and better beer stands will bring the fans and that is what fuels a race track. So, although size does matter, according to Sex in the City, a comfort zone for race fans is more important to the sucsess of the speedway, its future and the series or shows they put on.
The last race of the current Cayuga Speedway should be the focus and concern for racers, fans and media, and by providing a show of full grand stands will help the new owners make thier minds up on what to spend, how much and on what will generate the future growth of the speedway.
In short- the more people that show up to support it, will grow it, and the size of the track will be based on what race fans want.
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Make it 5/8 with an elevated backstretch so the haulers don't block the view.
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MidAmerica & RaceChaser bring up 2 excellent points.
Visability (nothing is more aggrevating from a fans perspectice than not being able to see over haulers and buildings)
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Get rid of the tower in the infield the haulers are no problem
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Midamerica you think that it really matters how many show up for the last race before the new track is built? These guys are putting a ton of money to build this track and I think they already have some big events coming to the new track and this will bring in the fans.
A CASCAR race isn't going to prove anything. People that will attend the last race are people that attend CASCAR races and people who want to see the place one last time before they build the new one.
The new owners already know what they are going to spend way before the thought of this last race. Yes by all means go out and show your support but this is not going to affect what is going to happen after this race.
The new owners have to focus on the media as the old owners didn't treat them very well and a lot of them never came back. I was one of them and I know a couple of others that were not impressed on how we were treated. If you were on the board a few years back you would have read my message after I got back from there.
Someone mentioned safer barriers. This will be installed if they ever want too see a NASCAR event at their track,
From what I can see the new owners have done their homework and this is going to be the best racetrack in CANADA.
I can't wait to go too the new track and I'm sure I'm not going too be disappointed.
Have a good weekend
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BTW I disagree heartily that it should be D shaped. The only reason for a doglegged frontstretch is for better visibility from the seats. At Cayuga that's already not a problem.
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Progressive banking would be cool.....
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Done Racewoman.
1/4 is now 3/4 and I have added 7/8 for those that vote for that size.
Greasemonkey.
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Get rid of the tower in the infield the haulers are no problem
Hi Jim, I don't recall the track allowing the haulers inside while the races were running these past few years? They always park them at the back, don't they?
Seems to me, I've been there for a few practices while the haulers were in the infield and I think if you were sitting in the lower sections, this could cause problems?
I think what they might want to consider, is if they ever get the big shows in town, ie., the NCTS & the NASCAR Mods and or NASCAR/CASCAR at the same time, there is a possibility there could be anywhere from 60-80+ rigs in the infield at one time, now that could cause a visability problem if things weren't layed out properly???
If they're going to rebuild the track, they may as well do it right. And keep all the infield buildings, tech, etc, low. Look at Bristol, there's very few seats that you can't see the entire track from. What they did down at DIS, putting that 4 story building for the media (or whatever) in the infield, ruined the view for about 50% of the fans, if you ask me, so I do agree with you about the tower. Besides, who wants to go to a race, if you need to watch it from the monitors, you may as well stay home and watch it on TV. The monitors are nice however if you want instant replays.
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A lot of great ideas, hope they are being emailed to track
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I will e-mail them all to the right person forsure. Keep them coming
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BTW I disagree heartily that it should be D shaped. The only reason for a doglegged frontstretch is for better visibility from the seats. At Cayuga that's already not a problem.
By "D" shape I mean as it is now with a straight and flat front stretch and a mildly curved and slightly banked back chute. No dog legs. Assuming that whatever they end up with will not include any type of tower structure on the infield the views would be quite good from all but the lowest rows such as it mostly is now. Of course that can be addressed as well coming from a "blank sheet of paper" perspective.
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A tunnel entrance would be cool too, that would solve 2 problems, #1 access to the infield or vice versa during on track activities. and would eliminate the bump going into 3 that is a result of haulers crossing the track. If the track is to be built from scratch, wouldn''t it be a good idea to take grade out of the infield to lower the whole thing? with the pits sunk down further, you could still have all the haulers in the pits, and not obstruct anyones view. As for size, i'm traditional, keep it 5/8, but throw the banking to it. Bristol north? :D
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I was hoping that they would totally rebuild the Grandstands and perhaps sell the corner stands to Oshwken which badly needs upgrading as far as spectator stands are concerned.
I hope the owners realize that the problem with Canadian short track racing is, in the last couple decades, we've have too many track owners, and not enough track promoters!
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Anyone think they'll build a garage area in the infield, then make the teams park their haulers outside the back gate?.. Would that work? They could probably build the garages along pitroad (probably where that fence is). I bet you'd easily be able to see over them if they put them there.
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I haave been thinking about this subject ever since the pending sale was announced.
My immediate first thoughts were that anything larger than 5/8 or 3/4 mile would eliminate anything running in Canada presently. However I would suggest that anyone here or involved with the planned reconstruction of the track reserve their decissions until after October the 15 of this year. The reason I say that is that date is the conclusion of the schedule at the new Iowa Speedway.
For anyone not familiar with this project go to www.iowaspeedway.com and have a look, the "gallery" section has hundreds of photos documenting the building of this track. The schedule calls for a USAR Hooters pro cup race on Sept. 15 and an ASA late model race on Oct 14 and at the conclusion of these two events we will have a better idea of the feasibility of a track larger than 3/4 mile running what amount to late models. One would also have to monitor the sanctioning body sites to see what changes they may require prior to these races.
I will point out that the "budget" for this project was announced at (if I remember correctly) 40,000,000 which I find very high but what do I know.
I sure hope that the Cayuga team would visit this site before committing to anything.
And finally my personal thoughts on a rebuild of Cauyga, especcially after looking at the latest pictures of the Iowa track with how much room there is in the infield, I would turn the track around, that is to say I would salvage the existing grandstands, make that the backstrretch, put a 3/8 or 1/4 mile oval infront of the existing grandstands, put a trioval dog leg on the old backstretch converting it to the new frontstrectch with all new facilities. This would include the low garage and proper pit road. And my guess is that all of that would require a track of at least 3/4 mile.
A comment on the measurijng of race tracks. Horse tracks were always measured at where the horse would race which is to say 3 or 4 feet inside the inside rail. I believe that many auto tracks, in order to enhance themselves measure the track at where a car could run against the out side wall, or even right at the outside wall.
Thanks for taking the time to read all of my ramblings.
SRAMA
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i think you're right on re the measurement being 3-4 feet from the inside rail and a lot of promoters have fudged the size of their tracks. e.g. Ransomville calling itself a half mile when times are what one would expect of a 3/8. Humberstone calling itself a 3/8 when a big quarter mile might be correct. Little Valley, formerly a fairgrounds horse track, is the only true half mile I think I've really ever been to.
I realize that anything bigger than 5/8 for the new Cayuga might eleminate any local divisions, but are the local divisons even under consideration, or will it be a CTS, ARCA, Hooters type track, not requiring local cars for back up?
The new owners will have to learn to advertise, something our local tracks can't seem to fathom. I was talking to a local fan at Holland last night and he couldn't believe that tracks like Oshweken and Flamboro don't advertise in the major area local newspaper (the Hamilton Spectator.) You can't rely on Tim Miller's occasional free mention in the Auto Section of the paper, which people tend to throw away unless they're looking for a new car. This stuff has to be in the sports section or how about the "entertainment" section as an alternative of going to the movies
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Hi, I have raced Cayuga in a Cascar and love the track but my love for the track comes from the speed we reach there. If the track were made larger I would love it more. MAKE IT BIGGER!!! Shawn Mcglynn
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Are going to run both Cascar races at Cayuga(Sportsman and Super Series) Shawn?
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well the radio ads have started playing on CHAM 820 in Hamilton and they must have signed the former cast of Hee-Haw to do it, you know, the "Bubba" style of advertising. They're almost downright embarassing. Phoney southern accents, etc.
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Mike at least there are ads out there. I wonder if there is any pleasing you at times. You seems to complain that there are no ads anywhere and then when there is you still complain.
I saw a few people from Cayuga out at Oshweken Friday night. I was going to go and talk to them but when I got the chance to they were gone. I hope that they enjoyed so good racing at Oshweken it was a good night of it.
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Shawn yes at least for the Labour Day weekend race this year the CASCAR Sportman Series will be there as a support race along with the Canadian Vintage Modifieds.
The Sportman's Texaco Havolive 100 race is slated to start at 9pm on Saturday night.
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Anyone know what to expect for a car count for the Super Series?? It would be nice if there was a good number of cars for the final race before it is redone.