WATERFORD – In the midst of the Late Model feature, and with two full features remaining to be run, Waterford Speedbowl officials made the decision to suspend their Finale Weekend card Sunday.
The racing card will resume on Saturday Oct. 12, and will share the bill at the Speedbowl with the HDRA Drag Nationals at the track.
The Late Model feature was suspended after 34 of 50 laps had been completed. Also left on the schedule to be run Sunday were 50-lap features for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified division and the Street Stock division.
Track owner Terry Eames said management made the decision to resume the Late Model race rather than call it official with the fans in mind. Typically a race that is stopped because of weather after the halfway point is called official.
“We owe it to the fans to finish it up,” Eames said. “It’s a tough call. They weren’t racing on the greatest track out there. The fans deserve to see a good finish.”
A heavy mist had hung over the track from the start of the Late Model feature. After a caution was flown for a multi-car wreck in turn three the decision was made to suspend the show. Keith Rocco was leading the Late Model feature when the event was stopped.
Schedule and timing details for Saturday’s events are expected to be finalized by Speedbowl management by Monday.
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Well, I like where Terry’s heart is at, but I gotta believe some of those LM drivers are going to have reservations about coming back to the track for a total off 14 laps of competition. 14 laps is basically a consi race with no feature at the end.
How about an add on 25 lap “Outlaw Stock” event with a bonus payout for participation in AND both, and larger bonus payout for a top five finish in both the remaining LM feature and the Outlaw Stock” event?
Track title already decided.
Let’s get one more race in before season end!!!
I like the sound of that idea JR. The only issue is the fact that there’s no front or back gate coming in on Saturday. Might be a stretch looking for the track to pay another purse that was never planned for while likely making next to nothing to open reopen the track Saturday and run events.
The HDRA event scheduled for 1PM Saturday has free admission, but the update at http://www.speedbowl.com says to save your ticket stubs from Sunday. I’m not sure how that is going to work; I suppose there will be an announcement on Monday. As far as the Late Model race, it seems the fair thing to do would be to call it a completed race or run the entire 50 laps on Saturday. As JR said, returning to the Speedbowl next week to race for five minutes doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for the Late Model teams.
On one side, I applaud Terry for only suspending the race, and continuing it next week. Rather than collecting his money and saying see you in the spring. But on the other hand, the Late Models or ANY other division had NO business being out there on that track when that mist started. My driver could not see clearly out of his windshield sitting waiting for the Legends race to finish due to the mist, and many crew members were complaining to officials about the conditions and nothing was done until there were many torn up race cars, including ours.
I understand Terry and the Officials were trying to give the fans what they came for and get everything in, but the decision to continue racing, no matter who made the call, cost many of us quite a bit of money.
Well; it was very stupid to have even to start the race. It was raining when the cats went out on the track; that’s great thinking on the track ,lets put cars out on the track with slick tires in the rain, way to Waterford. They should start the race over seeing seeing it wasn’t fair with cars sliding over the over the track. IS THE SPEEDBOWL GONNA PAY FOR THE DAMAIGE CARS (NO)