Bronson Speedway | Karnac Racing News

BRONSON SPEEDWAY GOES GREEN SATURDAY JULY 30th.

By Dave Westerman, Bronson Speedway Media

After months of preparation Bronson Speedway is ready. Drivers, crews,
families, friends and fans are being welcomed back to a speedway with
quite a history of exciting high bank racing.

New owners Chris and Ann Young have a vision for Bronson Speedway that
promises to take you back to grass roots affordable racing.  Every detail
of their plan has taken into consideration fiscal responsibility so that
the racer, the crew and the fan can enjoy the sport they love, all while
conserving costs.

Division rules have been revised to keep costs down, pit admissions and
grandstand admission prices are reasonable and food prices at the
concession stand afford families the ability to eat at the track so as not
to miss any of the action.

A Saturday night schedule format will allow racers to complete their work
week and then plan on a great evening of racing.  Racing will continue
each Saturday night through the end of October.  In November, Jim McClain
has already signed on to sponsor the "TRI-Performance "Thanksgiving Extra
Helping of Speed Legend Invitational."  Legend teams are being invited
from across the country.

This event will be held annually and promises to generate alot of
excitement, action and entertainment for the fans of Bronson Speedway.

On the schedule each week will be the Open Wheel Modified, Sportsman,
Purestock and INEX Legend Cars.  Specialty and other events will be
added in the future.

Mike Odwasny, formerly of Mountain Speedway in PA,  is leading the staff
at Bronson Speedway.  Mike comes with a wealth of knowlege as he has been
both driver and owner, and spent the latter part of his career being
involved heavily with tech and race director responsibilities at Mountain
Speedway.

Jimmy Dunford is the Pit Steward and Jimmy Durden returns to the flag
stand. Chief scorer Kaycie Chambers is also returning to Bronson Speedway
and will have Jessica Markham to assist with timing and scoring.

Charlotte Dunford is returning as Concessions Director, and man can she
cook!  The fans and drivers won't go hungry at Bronson Speedway!  Mike
Schenk of Mike's Ice is the Event Coordinator and a special thanks goes
out to Mike for all he has done to help bring Bronson Speedway back to
life.

Another thanks must be extended to Roger and Marie Mion who have flown
down to Bronson Speedway from NY to revise, repair and revamp 
communications at Bronson Speedway.

Gates open Saturday afternoon a 4:30 p.m., practice begins at 6 and the
first feature event begins at 7:30.

Drifters, the newest addition to Bronson Speedway, will close the show
under the lights  with tire squeal, smoke and driving skills that are
sure to make this opening day a memorable one.

Interest among race teams for the season opener has been at a fever
pitch with many already registering to race.  One driver looking to
return is Gene Owen. Owen has numerous Bronson Speedway championships
to his credit and he is "in it to win it" in the Open Wheel Modified
ranks as he has attended all three pre-race practices held at the
speedway.  

Robbie Cooper, one of the standout OWM drivers in the State, calls
Bronson home as he cut his teeth racing at Bronson Speedway. Cooper
has pre-registered for the event along with, Brian Hutcheson, L.J.
Grimm, Steven Hise and Gator Hise just to name a few.  

Rick Kase and Fred Tuski will lead the charge in the Sportsman division,
Chris Young and Rick Kepley have already entered the INEX Legend Car
action.  Steven Hise, Larry Welter, Jr., Victoria Spearin and David Walls
are set for Pure Stock racing, and, among those ready to buzz into Hornet
action is Mike Copeland.

Bronson Speedway, in an effort to race against hunger, locally is
partnering with www.rockcanroll.com, a hunger relief organization that 
organizes food drives and then enlists the help of volunteers to deliver the
food to local pantries.  So, Bronson Speedway is asking anyone
attending the season opener to bring a nutricious non-perishable
food donation.  These donations will be collected at both the front
and pit gate and then will be delivered to The Childrens Table which
 is a local food bank feeding local children in need.

Come on out to be part of history as Bronson Speedway goes green this
Saturday night.

By Scott|2011-07-29T02:15:09-04:00July 29th, 2011|Bronson Speedway, Tracks|Comments Off

LESS THAN TWO WEEKS UNTIL BRONSON SPEEDWAY RE-OPENS

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!

By Scott|2011-07-22T21:33:42-04:00July 22nd, 2011|Bronson Speedway, Featured, Tracks|Comments Off

Excitement builds for reopening of Bronson Speedway on July 30th

By John Berti, Karnac.com Senior News Editor

The long anticipated reopening of Bronson Speedway becomes reality on Saturday, July 30, 2011.

It’s been tedious process to get the track back up and running what with months of preparation work that went into the facility itself and the lengthy list of red tape that the county demands, but finally it is all behind track owners Chris and Ann Young.

Bronson Speedway is a three eighths mile, asphalt high-banked oval track located on State Road 24 in Bronson, FL.

Many drivers, crews and fans attended test and tunes at the speedway in recent weeks and all left with positive feelings about the track, overall facility, track officials, and the new management.

The opening night race card will feature the Open-wheel Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Sportsman, Hornets and INEX Legends,

Rules for each of the divisions are posted on the Bronson Speedway Facebook page. For any other information about Bronson Speedway call 352-486-4998 which is the official track phone number.

By Scott|2011-07-17T07:52:10-04:00July 17th, 2011|Bronson Speedway, Featured, Tracks|Comments Off

BRONSON SPEEDWAY SEES CARS ON THE TRACK FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY

From Dave Westerman
After many months of inactivity, Bronson Speedway finally saw race cars
turning laps as several drivers took advantage of a special practice
session held on the 4th of July Monday.

Around 14 race teams took advantage of the opportunity to check
out the facility and get a few laps.  Open Wheel Modifieds, Legend
Cars, Pure Stock and Thunder Stock classes were represented and
even a Figure 8 car was in attendance.  The new ownership was
pleased with the turnout on what obviously was both short notice
and a holiday as well.  What may have been even more surprising
was a rather large turnout of fans who showed up to view the action
for free from the grandstands.

A second open practice is scheduled for this coming Sunday,
July 10th.  Pitgates will open at 1PM with practice from 3-7PM.
All cars must go through a safety technical inspection before
going on the speedway.  The schedule for the remainder of 2011,
classes that will be running, and rules will be unveiled at this
practice.  Bronson Speedway's new Race Director and Tech
Inspector will be available to speak with during this session as well.
Once again, the grandstands will be open free of charge to the
public.

Three sets of rules have already been drawn up for competing
classes and all rules for all classes will be available by the July 10th
practice.  Bronson Speedway's new website is nearly complete and
rules will be posted there as well.

Bronson Speedway looks forward to seeing even more cars at 
the practice this Sunday.
Tweet

By Scott|2011-07-06T19:05:22-04:00July 6th, 2011|Bronson Speedway, Tracks|Comments Off

Bronson Motor Speedway takes significant strides toward reopening announcing test and tune dates

Bronson Speedway is one step closer to resuming operations as a
pair of open practice dates have been announced.  

Bronson Speedway will celebrate Independence Day with a special
open practice on Monday, July 4th and a second practice will be
held on Sunday, July 10th.

 The schedule for the 2011 season as well as classes and rules will
be announced at the July 10th practice.  All cars are welcome to
practice on either date.  One class that will be a weekly
attraction will be the Legend cars and all Legend car teams are
invited to attend the practice dates.

Pit gates will open for both practice sessions at 1PM and all cars
must go through a safety technical inspection before going on the
track. The track will be open for practice from 3-7PM each day.
Pit admission is just $10 while the grandstands will be open free
of charge to the general public.

Bronson Speedway will be opening with a whole new attitude and
plenty of excitement.  Show your support by attending the upcoming
practice sessions and see what the excitement is all about!  

If you would like to be put on the direct e-mail list for Bronson
Speedway, please send your e-mail to Dave Westerman at
announcerdave@usa.net.

By Scott|2011-07-01T07:20:18-04:00July 1st, 2011|Bronson Speedway, Featured, Front Page News, Tracks|Comments Off

Bronson Speedway Has New Owners And Plans A Spring Reopening

By John Berti, Karnac.com Senior News Editor/Writer

Bronson Speedway, after over a year of inaction, will be reopening this Spring in the hands of new ownership. The new owners are Chris and Ann Young from Calverton, NY, a hamlet of Suffolk County, on Long Island. The Young family has had a long association with the sport of auto racing in a competitive nature spanning 40 years.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Ann about the acquisition of the track, their background in the auto racing and their plans for the future of Bronson Speedway. I posed several questions to her and got her responses.

JB – What made you and your husband decide to purchase Bronson Speedway?

AY – We have a love of racing that has spanned some 40 years. My husband, Chris, is a longtime NASCAR modified competitor at Riverhead Raceway in Riverhead, NY. I have been a NASCAR official serving in the capacity of a scorer at Riverhead. Our son, Chris, competes in Legend car racing. We just figured it was time to experience racing from the other side as track owners.

JB – Who will be running the track for you?

AY – Local resident Mike Schenk will serve as our facilities manager. He will oversee the maintenance of the facility and assist us with operations. Chris and I will be hands on promoters and I will be at most events.

JB – Will you and your family be moving to Florida permanently?

AY – We intend to keep our home in Calverton for the time being as my husband and son wish to continue racing at Riverhead. We also have a condo at Daytona Beach and on occasions when we come to Bronson we will be able to reside in one of the houses that came with the track purchase.

JB – Why do you feel you will be successful at Bronson Speedway considering that the track has had many operators in the past and many tracks have closed in Florida.

AY – First let me say that failure is not an option. We plan to bring a humbleness to racing at the track. Our drivers, car owners, crew members, and fans will be treated as if they were clients and guests. They will be treated with the utmost respect. It will be our privilege to serve them. Any employee that does not heed this policy will not be employed for long at this track.

We intend to have several in house cars available to rent. We feel this will help young racers who yearn to get involved in the sport, but don’t have the finances to have their own race teams. Mentoring will be a strong point at Bronson. If there is someone who wants to become a race car driver we’ll be there to encourage and support them in any way we can.

JB – What divisions do you intend to regularly run at your track?

AY – As this is our year of getting into play, we intend to meet with the drivers in the area to get a sense of what they run and what they would like to see us run. We are firm believers in Legend cars so I can assure you that Legend cars will have a strong position in our race programs. Our goal is to build a strong following of our own so as to assure good fields of cars, keen competition, and a great show for the fans.

JB – Do you intend to have traveling series race at Bronson?

AY – Yes, we would like that very much. Our long range plans are to bring in some of the larger touring series to the track.. I’d even like to see us do a North-South Challenge type race down the road.

We intend to work closely with Dennis Anderson of Grave Digger fame who more recently has added King Sling , a monster mudder to his arsenal, for the Mud Truck Series so as to bring a show like that to Bronson.

JB – Do you have any idea of an opening date?

AY – We are not prepared to release a grand opening date as of yet. We have a team of local people working every day to prepare the facility for racing. As you know the facility was vacant for well over a year, so a lot of maintainance was neglected. The grandstands, concession stands and the rest room facilities are in the process of being readied for fans.

We also met with an electrical contractor to repair and replace some of the lighting issues we discovered.

We appreciate all the interest in Bronson Speedway and will release this information as soon as it becomes available. Being racers, we don’t want to have to rescind any dates so it is wiser, we believe, to post the dates after all the work is complete.

Personal Thoughts

It is nice to get a track back for a change considering how many Florida tracks have closed down in recent decades. It is the feeling of this writer that the Youngs will be very successful in running Bronson Speedway. They have a great attitude that shows more of a concern for the racers, fans and the continued regeneration of the sport than for their own self interests. I look forward to the grand opening and wish great success to the Youngs in their new endeavor.

By Scott|2011-03-23T02:35:51-04:00March 22nd, 2011|Bronson Speedway, Featured, Front Page News|Comments Off