By John Berti, Contributing writer to Karnac.com
I am very happy to report that Sunshine Speedway is back. It is now showtime: Showtime Speedway. The fans are back in droves, a beginning nucleus of drivers, many of whom raced at the track before it closed on November 20, 2004, are back in some cases with the very same cars they raced back then.
The man behind the successful reincarnation of the Pinellas Park, FL speed plant is Robert Yoho a local businessman and a long time racer himself. He has leased the track from the state, put up grandstands, and refurbished everything to bring the track back to life.
It is really something to watch Yoho in action on race day. He is so focused on putting on a great show for the fans and keeping the drivers who come to make that show happen happy. You easily sense his passion.
A driver’s meeting is like watching a great coach in action as Yoho gives a pep talk to the drivers encouraging them to put on a great show for the fans. You realize the appreciation and respect he has for the drivers who come race at his track which is lacking at so many other Sunshine State tracks. He’s a good listener too. That same appreciation and respect is there for the fans as well with numerous giveaways during the course of the night. He even made a personal, public address announcement to the fans showing appreciation for their attendance.
Yoho is off to a great start and I, for one, hope he keeps it up.
I attended the Saturday, August 4th race program, a regular show, which, I believe, is only the third show staged since the track re-opened. Open Wheel Modifieds, Modified Minis, Pro Trucks, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks and Kid’s Fast 4’s made up the race card. I was very impressed by the efficient manner in which the race program was run. You would think that Yoho and his support staff had been running races for decades as one race was over another was heading onto the track. The racing action started at 7 p.m. and completed by 9:30 p.m.
Now that’s efficiency and respect for the fans time. I’ve been to far too many tracks in Florida that are so disorganized that the races aren’t over until the 11 p.m. to midnight time frame. Wrecks were cleared up quickly and efficiently with quality tow vehicles handling the job.
While the car counts are not overwhelming, as of yet, they are surprisingly better than some of the other Central Florida area tracks who started their seasons back in February or March. It only bodes well for the future of Showtime Speedway when they are able to run a full season of racing. Some of the drivers who may become full time drivers at Showtime next season are presently hooked up in point races at other tracks. I don’t rule out the possibility that car counts will continue to increase this season.
I look forward to my next visit to Showtime Speedway. I encourage any race fan to check it out for themselves as I honestly feel you’ll be glad you did.