Saying Goodbye: Steve Oloski Arrives Early At Speedbowl For Possible Final Day

Longtime Waterford Speedbowl fan and official Steve Oloski waits outside the track at 8:30 a.m. Saturday in preparation for a foreclosure auction.

Longtime Waterford Speedbowl fan and official Steve Oloski waits outside the track at 8:30 a.m. Saturday in preparation for a foreclosure auction.

WATERFORD – With a foreclosure auction just hours from taking place, and the future of the Waterford Speedbowl as a racing facility in doubt, longtime fan and track official Steve Oloski woke up early Saturday to say goodbye to a friend.

A foreclosure auction is scheduled for just after noon on Saturday at the 64-year old Speedbowl. It’s unclear if any individuals will be looking to bid on the place to keep it as a racetrack.

The 38-year old Oloski, from Oakdale, said he has been coming to the track since he was 13 years old.

“I’m nauseous,” Oloski said as he stood in the track driveway Saturday morning. “I’m sick to my stomach about it. I really am.”

The memories are bittersweet for Oloski. He watched his father Butch die at the track during an event in 1996.

“We started when we were kids and my brother [Rob] raced Enduros here,” Oloski said. “Then my brother moved into a Mini Stock.

“My father was a big part of the crew and he said ‘I really want to build a car and try out the Enduro racing. At the time he was 52. As a kid you’re like ‘Hmmm?’ So we built him a car and he came out. It was his fourth or fifth race out and he was on the backstretch and had a massive heart attack in the car while driving. Bounced off the wall and went into the infield and that was it, he was done.”

Oloski spent the last two months at the track working as the pace car driver for Saturday night events.

“It means a lot to me that I could do that,” Oloski said. “I have so many memories here and it’s good racing. We could be losing a great place here today.”

Track owner Terry Eames arrived at the facility at 9:15 a.m.

“There’s not much to say,” Eames said. “To some extend the fat lady has sung. It’s kind of like when you’re playing poker and there’s cards left to be turned over. There’s just one left to be turned over here and that happens in a little while. In my mind I’ve already kind of moved on and that didn’t happen until just a little while ago that I got in that mindset. We’ll just make the best of it.”

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Comments

  1. What a heartbreaking story, especially for Steve.

  2. The fact that Eames would even be mentioned in this story is laughable….Be Proud Terry, Be Proud.

  3. Track saved! Bought by a race fan! Bring in the new season

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