(Press Release from Team BCR)
After a successful ARCA open test with Team BCR at Kansas Speedway just one month ago, John Lowinski-Loh is set to make his ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards debut in the No. 09 Auto Go Ford Fusion.
“I’m getting really excited about the race on Friday,” says Lowinski-Loh. “It was definitely a transition going from short track racing to speedway racing, as well as driving a car with a considerable amount of more horsepower and weight, but it came to me fairly quickly. With strong support from Howard (Bixman) and the crew, the open test was very successful.”
Lowinski-Loh will make his debut in the Kansas Lottery 98.9, which will be broadcasted live on Fox Sports 2 at 7:30pm CT. Practice will take place on Friday from 9-10:50am with Menard’s Pole Qualifying beginning at 1:35pm CT. An ARCA autograph session will also take place behind the media center at 3:30pm on Friday.
Lowinski-Loh added, “I’m setting a goal to qualify and finish the race in the top-10. I believe that’s very attainable with Team BCR’s talented crew and winning equipment. I can’t thank Howard and the entire crew enough for a great car earlier this month. We learned a lot at the test and I gained valuable seat time. It’s a honor to be a part of a winning organization that has won five races this season, competing in a part time schedule. This is the next step to further my career into the NASCAR ranks.”
Team Manager, Howard Bixman commented, “Team BCR is very pleased to have John in the #09 Auto Go Ford for the final 2014 ARCA race at Kansas. John was impressive at the rained shortened open test there, giving us great feedback and managed to be very competitive throughout day. His drive and experience has gotten him to this point of his career and his realistic outlook will make him successful this weekend and into the 2015 ARCA Racing Series season.”
The Milford, Mass. native driver currently competes at Thompson Speedway. Lowinski-Loh was the track champion in 2012 competing in a Thompson Modified as well as the Rookie of the Year in 2011. He also holds one race victory in 2013 at Thompson Speedway driving a Late Model.
I didn’t realize that Thompson had regulars anymore considering their current NASCAR schedule…..What are they down to now for 2015′, I think I heard 3 races…?…By 2018′ they should be building them condos on the front straight…….
Concerned, people like you are what’s killing this sport. Let’s just spread rumors with no supporting facts. Very healthy for the sport. Very healthy.
I’m killing the sport…???? Really…?….Really..?….So what is Thompson management doing for the sport then…???
Yes, you and many others who would rather take the time to bash a track than support it. It’s like a cancerous disease spreading across all blog sites and social media. Have you ever heard the adage “Support Your Local Short Track”? I’m guessing not, or rather than trashing the track because they cut back the schedule, you would look at it from their perspective like most others do. What you seem to not realize is that a speedway is a business. It survives based on sales. Yes, sales. Ticket Sales, Beer Sales, Food Sales etc. When a track such as Thompson begins to struggle to make it into the black on any given night, which Thompson was indeed doing in the years leading up to this year, they begin searching for a new business model as any intelligent business would do. A business, such as the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, can only survive so long in the red. Look at Lanier in GA. Look at Gresham Motortsports Park in GA, look at Punta Gorda Speedway or Citrus County Speedway in FL, or how about the shaky ground that Waterford has been on for a number of years. If OWNERSHIP does not make intelligent business decisions, they fail. It is exactly the same with Joe Schmo the Plumber or Bob the Builder down the street from you. Unwise investments, business ventures or simply poor marketing can cause a great failure.
Thompson has taken a step back to a short schedule. My personal 2015 prediction is 7 races once again, Icebreaker and World Series on their Traditional weekend dates and the remainder on Wednesday Nights. This season, the crowds were larger and fields of cars were larger at every event than any single event that I can personally remember going back 10 years or so, though I honestly did not go to every race in the past 10 years.
Thompson ownership made a business decision, not management. Jonathan, Donald, and DR are in full control of the business aspect of the Thompson Speedway Properties, from the Road Course, to the Oval and Golf Course and there is a reason that it is the largest and longest lasting Motorsports Facility in the Northeast and likely, the country.
When people like you, come on here, or Facebook or other media and social media outlets for the sole reason of trashing the track it has a great negative impact. What you view as a simple comment, reaches person after person and has the ability to sway their decision in this very impressionable world that we live in today. There were tracks in the Midwest this year, which shut down solely based off of negative social media (http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140702/SPORTS/140709893) What happens when this happens to our tracks here? It’s a scary possibility and people need to open their eyes to the fact that this CAN happen anywhere.
We are lucky to have such great facilities such as the Waterford Speedbowl, Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park right here in our own back yard with such a deep rich history in the foundation of Short Track racing in america. Thompson was the first Paved Oval in the United States, opening in 1940. For a track to last 74 years, it takes many intelligent business decisions along the way and support of it’s loyal fans and racers. Support ALL your local short tracks, before it is too late…
You are living in the past pal…The current Thompson management are the ones that destroyed the racing business.there….Too many hands in the honey pot…The old man has been pushed aside, doesn’t even have an office at the facility any longer…This lucky semen club is pushing NASCAR racing out of the picture at Thompson with only 3 events scheduled for 15’….You mistake negativity with reality….Maybe you should go the Stafford and see the crowds, the car counts, etc…….The reviews on the road course are poor at best……….What style condo will you be buying on the back straight in the next few years there…?
IDK Dingus. Thompson needs to cut back due to “finances”, yet Waterford (which it seems has always been under tough times) can host racing 3 nights a week? Why can’t they do golf, the road course, and oval racing on a full season schedule.
I find it funny that you want to point to Stafford when their crowd was less than impressive for this past weekend’s Fall Final… I wished I had a bed in the stands to take a nap during the Tour race. God knows there was plenty of room.
You keep citing current management, yet last I checked Josh Vanada has been the track manager for a total of 6 races now. Hardly enough time to “destroy the racing business there”
3 Races for 2015… Your new name should be delusional racer. You will see… Mark my word. Oval racing will never disappear from Thompson.
Jason, it is no secret that Thompson had been struggling for a number of years to even break even on Weekly Racing. They adapted a new business model. Have you been to any of the Road Course events? They look like they are doing a pretty good job to me multiple days each week.
As for Waterford, Terry has not put a dime into that racetrack in years unless he needed to in order to keep the doors open. When you have a facility the size of Thompson, the overhead costs are much greater than Waterford no matter what event it is. Terry runs those events each week as cheap as he possibly can. Waterford and Stafford combined run fewer events per week than Thompson does. Thompson, as I said have adapted a business model that (for right now) works for them and as I have seen, it has been a very successful season for them overall.
Now, I will add this… With Palmer opening up soon, and the new Road Course in New Hampshire, I think Thompson is going to have their backs against the wall soon. Both facilities so far (on paper) provide much more than what Thompson does. I do believe that Thompson will be forced to add more oval dates in the near future because SCCA, NASA etc will be looking to do events at the other courses rather than do so many at Thompson. That is where their new business model may end up biting them back because they currently have all their eggs in one basket, and us oval drivers have somewhat been an afterthought. But, only time will tell the tale and there is nothing that you or I can do to change how things are running.
Support what you have, before it’s gone…
Support from both side of the fence Dingus, both sides I said……….Your not supporting the NASCAR family by diminishing the schedule every year……..
As you stated Dingus my boy “support what you have, before its gone” and the NASCAR crowds are going away,from Thompson that is..
Think of it this way. If a particular sales item is not selling, why keep large quantities in stock? Why not sell what is the current trend and can make you more money.
If you have not noticed, with the exception of the failure of the SK Light division (which was actually larger this year in the few races they ran than in past years) car counts in the Late Model division have gone up significantly, SK fields have grown slightly, Limited Sportsman division has increased car count and Mini Stocks have maintained consistent with last year. Then if you look towards the stands, the crowds have been noticeably larger than last year also. I don’t necessarily see what they are doing with the schedule as a failure as you seem to.
If you pay attention to racing across the country, Oval Track is slowly fading away. It’s a sad fact. Have you been to the Lost Speedways Facebook page? Have you seen how many tracks have cut back or closed? You keep pointing at Thompson like they are alone, when in reality they are not at all. Not even close my friend.
Thompson has it’s issues. No one can deny that… But so does Stafford, Seekonk, Waterford, Lee, Riverhead, Star, Hudson etc etc etc. No place is perfect, and everyone does things the way they think they will work.
I would love to see Thompson go back to a big 20 race schedule. I love driving there even though it’s easier for me to get to other tracks. But if they are not making money doing it, ask yourself the real question, how long can it sustain before they go bankrupt or close everything?
Now… Which would you prefer? A partial schedule with good racing, big divisions and nice car counts, or a dormant facility that may potentially turn into 72 holes… You are thinking about all of this in a very entitled and selfish manner. That mindset is ruining racing across the country.
Your points (some of them) are well taken, but I disagree with your comments that some of us feel entitled and are selfish…..I support Stafford and Waterford on a weekly basis, and even frequent tracks such as Monadnock when possible…These are facilities that support or at least try to support “real” oval track racing for both racers, crews, and their fans………They don’t throw out a few big shows every once in a while to see if they can score $$$$$$….The current Thompson management were handed to them a profitable entity, but these spoiled lucky semen members have in their own inept, unqualified, and pompous fashion have decided to faze out NASCAR racing because they say they are losing money….So don’t do me any favors by throwing me a bone of 3 races next year, in fact stick it up your a–…Again I will support the venues that support “true” oval racing locally..
Wait a minute here… Let’s think back and figure out when was the last time Thompson was REALLY profitable when it came to racing? With more cars in the pits, than in the stands and really no division going past 15 cars regularly in the past number of years, I would wager to bet the last profitable year for them was some point in the 90s! Well before current management and tech staff had even passed the 8th grade! Sure, there are things they could have possibly done along the way in terms of promotion, marketing etc. that may have boosted their success rate, but that goes for every track around here.
You are being entitled and selfish in the greatest sense of the term. You are expecting a business to give up it’s profits in order to do something that pleases you. That my friend is the truest sense of selfishness.
Like I said, they are a business. To an extent, they must cater to their customers (us) but they also must maintain a level of profitability in line with allowing them to operate a successful business. You obviously are not going to get it so this will be my last response to you. I don’t like the short schedule either, but I understand simple economics which is something you clearly have no understanding of.
Entitlement my good friend is having family members all involved in management with at least 3-4 taking down 6 figures plus perks annually……..These people contribute nothing to the NASCAR side of the business which is (was) the foundation of the current business environment there at Thompson (race track, golf course, restaurant, go-cart track, etc…)…I don’t know the last time Thompson was truly profitable, but I see a lot of family members on the payroll, and I see $8 million dollars spent (CT. taxpayers money included) invested outside of improvements to the oval…You have vilified my point that since current management has taken over in the past 10 years that they have raped and pillaged the oval track racing side of the house…
Remember, you are the one that took the stance of defending Thompson after my initial comment…Now you are flip flopping on your opinioned comments…
WTF…I thought this article was about John Lowinski-Loh start at Kansas. Congrats and good luck John.
Good run by John with a 10th place finish,