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| Mother Nature Erases July From Racing Schedule | by Bill Green
Tampa, FL (July 31st, 2004) There have been many seasons that the veterans of Easy Bay Raceway Park can remember loosing several weekends to rain, but none has them talking like 2004.
The last full night of racing, not effected by rain was June 19th. Some 6 weeks ago. That's a lifetime for the weekly Saturday Night racer or diehard fan.
Just to add insult to injury, so to speak, East Bay will attempt to finish a Street Stock feature left from the June 26th racing program, when the gates open on August 7th.
Mother Natures cruelty has not been able to knock the spirit out of the owners, but she is surely starting to setback some plans for the off season.
When the current four-man co-owner's took over East Bay Raceway Park, they made an aggressive futuristic plan. Short term, there was the new infield design, the removal of the interior wall, the Go-Kart track, pit parking improvements and the new tech area. The long term goals were obtainable. Each year they would upgrade a part of the facility in need that had been in operation since the mid 70's. The new scoring tower last year was part of the plan. Other future plans include the grandstand seats renovations, front stretch VIP tower upgrade, plus many, many more. But to make these things happen, Mother Nature has to allow some racing.
Saturday Night race tracks don't make money empty. Dirt tracks can't make a dime under the 12-15" inches of rain East Bay has had this July.
Racers and fans are frustrated because she teases them by not dropping any rain until late evening, 5 or 6 PM on a Saturday night program. They've already paid their entry fee or grandstand addmission. The racers have bought a new tire or two, even invested in some racing fuel. Only to wait out the first shower and have their hopes raised by a bright spot, then dashed again as the bottom falls out of a relentless sky.
East Bay owners understand all the ups and downs of track ownership and that Mother Nature is part of the program. But, even they realize that July 2004 is not the norm. It's been a cruel, cruel summer for dirt racers here on the West coast of Florida. And, they can only pray that the quietness of hurricane season, translates into calmer skies over Florida's most famous clay oval for the rest of the season.
So all this rain means that this Saturday Night, East Bay Raceway Park fans can expect to see a months worth of controlled aggression and side-by-side competition like no other. The racers are ready to race, the fans are ready to scream, heck, I'm even ready to get back to announcing the action. The action at and about the institution, the nightly adventure and the personal drama that is East Bay Raceway Park.
This weeks schedule will see the completion of last weeks interupted program. The Twin Street Stock 15's originally scheduled for Aug. 7th will be moved to a later weekend in the season. For more information about any of the make up features or schedule realignments, call the track office at 813-677-7223.
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