By Brandon Wright, Times Correspondent
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
GIBSONTON — The National Football League's championship game may have come and gone, but the biggest event of the East Bay Raceway season is culminating this weekend.
"In a way, this is like our Super Bowl," track owner Al Varnadore said. "It's the biggest drawing event of the year."
The East Bay Raceway schedule is in full swing and continues this weekend with the second round of the season-opening 35th annual 2011 Winter Nationals.
"We're looking at drawing anywhere from 500 to 1,000 extra fans (during the Winter Nationals) per night," track worker and former East Bay Raceway photographer Russ Calabrese said. "We've got drivers coming from all over the country."
The Winter Nationals kicked off Feb. 2 with the Open Wheel Modifieds and wraps up Feb. 26 with the NeSmith Late Models and World Street Stock class. But this weekend draws the biggest crowds as six straight days of racing in the Lucas Oil Late Models caps off on Saturday night.
"(The Late Models) are the most exciting class and certainly the most popular," Varnadore said. "Most tracks can only handle three or four days in a row of racing. We're one of only two (dirt) tracks in the country that has six straight days of racing."
Part of the Winter Nationals allure for Northern drivers is the climate. Racers who would normally be shoveling out their driveway this time of year can compete at the nationally recognized track, although rain has pushed back a few events since the track opened last week.
"We get a lot of drivers who come down from Canada and the Indiana-Ohio area because they're usually snowed in right now," Varnadore said. "It becomes like a work vacation."
The Winter Nationals also gives a boost to the local economy. While there are campgrounds available at the track, the sheer influx of racers means local hotels and restaurants see an uptick in business.
"All these people have to eat and stay somewhere," Calabrese said.
In addition to the Winter Nationals, the East Bay Raceway begins its regular season March 5 and that extends through Dec. 17. There is also a Go Kart Track and the newly built Motocross Track, which Varnadore hopes will be ready by March.
"This is a very family-oriented business which is why we have the Go Karts for the kids to get involved as well," Varnadore said. "It's a very close-knit bunch out here."
For more information and a full race calendar, please visit eastbayracewaypark.com.
Brandon Wright can be reached at hillsnews@sptimes.com.