From Dave Westerman Bronson Speedway in Florida gets a new lease on life starting on July 30th when the track opens for the 2011 racing season after sitting dormant for well over a year. The track, under the new ownership of Chris and Ann Young, natives of Long Island, NY, will host a final test and tune session this Saturday evening, July 23rd in preparation for opening night the following Saturday. Gates will open this Saturday at 4PM with practice from 5-9PM to give drivers a better chance to see how actual racing conditions will be rather than practicing in the heat of the day like the previous two sessions that were held. Pit admission for practice is $10 per person but fans can watch from the grandstands for free. In action on opening night will be the Open Wheel Modifieds, Sportsman cars, INEX Legend Cars, Pure Stocks and Hornets. These classes will run almost every week at the speedway and the five divisions will be the core of racing at Bronson. Gates will open on July 30th at 4PM with racing getting under way at 7:30PM. Adult admission will be $12, Seniors 60+ and students 12-17 years of age are $10, Kids aged 6-11 are $5 and all kids under 5 are free. Pit admission is $25. Other special events will be added as the season progresses. Rather than trying to pull in cars from other racetracks, the Young's are hoping to build a solid following of core racers at Bronson Speedway who will make it their home track. Many of the race teams expected to compete have not raced at all, or just sparingly, since Bronson closed. These drivers are chomping at the bit to get back in action. "We want to put together a great group of drivers, teams and fans who will make Bronson their home," says Ann Young. "We certainly invite drivers from other tracks to give us a try, but we won't be out trying to get them to come here. Everyone will be treated courteously and fairly and we mainly want everyone to have lots of fun in a great family atmosphere," she continues. INEX Legend Cars are a big part of the Young's life since their 17-year-old son Christopher drives one and they hope to get a number of drivers interested in trying these cars out. In fact, by years end, they hope to have several Legends available to rent on a week-to-week basis so drivers can "try the class out" before purchasing one. "We've had contact with several Legend Car teams in North and North Central Florida that have cars but have had to travel great distances to race as well as a few teams in Southern Georgia who are interested, and that, coupled with getting some new faces into the Legends, should give us a pretty strong field of these cars by the end of the year," says Ann Young. Safety will be of prime importance at Bronson Speedway as each car will have to go through a rigid safety inspection before being allowed to compete. Each race night Levy County EMS and Bronson Fire Rescue will be on hand should the need for their expert services arise. Stock car racing isn't all that Bronson Speedway will be hosting. Once the racing program is established, Mud Bogs and Mud Drags will be added. During the off season, flea markets and festivals will be held on the speedway grounds. Also planned are special "Movies in the Moonlight" family gatherings in Bronson Speedway's huge parking lot. This will be a throwback to the times of the old drive-in movie theaters but with a bit of a new flair. Bronson Speedway is located at 9950 NE SR 24 (Thrasher Dr.) Northwest of Ocala and Southwest of Gainesville. Fans and race teams coming from the north can exit directly onto SR 24 from I-95 in Gainesville (exit 384) and drive directly to the track. From the south, take U. S. Highway 27 west from Ocala that takes you to Bronson, FL. Turn right onto SR 24 and go three miles to the speedway. For questions concerning all aspects of racing at Bronson Speedway, contact General Manager/Race Director Mike Odwazny at (352) 486-4998. Sportsman and Modified teams can get Hoosier 650 tires ordered by calling the track as well. Welcome back Bronson Speedway!
