Track unsure about fans
It’s still unclear if local speedway can allow spectators
I’m kind of feeling a little deja vu — only it’s a year later.
Albany-saratoga Speedway promoter Lyle Devore is trying to play host to his season opener at the Malta track, but there is still uncertainty as to having fans in the stands when his initial event hits the speedway on April 16.
The schedule shows a warm-up session on April 9, while the Hell or High Water opener is slated for the following week.
“We are still unsure as to what we are allowed to do,” Devore said. “We will do what we can but there are still some things unknown, and we just want to do the right thing.”
Devore had to go the entire 2020 season at the popular oval without fans in the stands, and it wasn’t easy. He never lowered the racers’ purses despite lean times, and he managed to get 14 of the 17 shows checked off his to-do list.
But he hopes he won’t have to do that again.
The efforts of Devore and his Albany-saratoga team were recognized with the first “National Auto Racing Promoter of the Year Without Fans” award from the Auto Racing Promoter’s Workshop in Daytona Beach, Fla., in February.
“It says a lot for our entire operation,” Devore said. “We rolled the dice each week. It was a struggle, but fortunately we had a good car count and thank god for all the racers that helped us out.”
Devore teamed up with Dirt Track Digest TV, and race fans were able to use pay-per-view to see the Friday night races.
“That helped, but there is nothing like having fans in the stands,” Devore said. “We have to survive, and the only way we are going to keep surviving is fans in the stands.”
It’s a year later and the COVID-19 regulations still don’t seem clear.
“I’m very enthusiastic,” Devore said. “I think when the fans are allowed they will come back in droves and we can have a great season.”
Bristol happenings
After the dumping of more than 2,000 truckloads of dirt on Bristol Motor Speedway, the anticipation was high for last weekend’s NASCAR racing on dirt events — it was the first time since the 1970s that NASCAR drivers would compete on a dirt surface.
The event, which was rain delayed until Monday afternoon, was won by Joey Logano.
Unfortunately, torrential downpours for much of the weekend put a damper on local racers Stewart and Jessica Friesen becoming the first married couple to compete in the same NASCAR race since the ’90s. Jessica was attempting to qualify and join her husband in Saturday’s Pinty’s Truck race.
There were 44 cars vying for 32 spots, but Saturday’s qualifying was canceled due to rain. Stewart, a Series regular, got into the feature by way of his points standings, but Jessica wasn’t allowed a chance to qualify. With more than 300 career wins, he was a favorite to win. He finished 12th.
Stewart also secured a ride in the Food City Dirt Race — his first NASCAR Cup start in the Spire Motorsports No. 77. He finished 23rd.
What’s next for Heffner?
Former Lebanon Valley Speedway champion J.R. Heffner was also hanging out in Tennesee last weekend — also trying to gain entry into the Pinty’s truck race on dirt.
Heffner’s not new to truck racing. Over the past few years, he has been hitting events here and there, but this was his first time at Bristol Motor Speedway.
“The surface was what got my interest in running that race,” Heffner said. “It is similar to Lebanon Valley and we have had a lot of success at the Valley.”
The 49-year-old showed up with a beautiful bluethemed truck owned by Bruce Cook/jordan Anderson. They were slow in the first practice session but quickly got it figured out.
“We made some changes and went out in the second (and final) practice session and we were less than 3⁄10ths off the pole,” Heffner said. “We felt we were real competitive at that point, and we knew what we had to do to make it better.”
But that changed quickly. About five or six laps in, the steering broke and Heffner took a hard crash.
“At first I thought I went through oil because it acted that way on the track, but I didn’t see any and then I realized what was happening,” Heffner said. “I had no control over what was going on and I was just along for the ride. It was devastating for everyone.”
Heffner was scheduled to start the fourth qualifying event on the pole — they were crushed.
The inclement weather canceled the qualifying events and pushed the feature event to Sunday, and then Monday. Since the team fell under Anderson’s owner’s points, Heffner could start the feature event from the 29th starting spot. But it didn’t happen. “We would have had to be in line the next day by noon, and there was no way we could make that happen,” Heffner said.
It was an effort put together with local sponsors A. Colarusso & Son, Inc., Upstate Utilities, Izzi’s Trucking & Rigging, J. Hunziker Excavating Inc., Snapon Tool (Scott Hamlin) and Uncle Ron Showers. So now what?
“We were looking to build off of that race and see where we would go from there, but now it’s ‘what to do’ — I’m so disappointed; these guys didn’t get to see their truck run.”
The trucks run on a dirt surface again on July 9 at Knoxville Raceway in Iowa, but according to Heffner no plans have been made, as of yet, to attend the event.
So for now Heffner will focus on his successful car in open-wheel cars. He will spend Saturday nights at Lebanon Valley Speedway and will take in some of promoter Brett Deyo’s Short Track Racing Series events.
He said it
“It’s incredible seeing what Stewart has accomplished — to see the way he has grown up and what he’s done has been impressive. He’s opened a lot of eyes to the sport and he has been a huge benefit for dirt track racing in general. And what’s so cool is he never forgets where he came from, he doesn’t lose sight of where he’s been, and that’s remarkable.”
— Lyle Devore on Stewart Friesen’s successful racing career. Devore picked up some of his early promoting skills and talents from working with Friesen’s family, which owned Ransomville Speedway.