Worst Run Progam in a long time.

[hotrodney]

They are getting a similar percentage of empty seats as a NASCRAP race in recent weeks...something is already messing with tradition.

I noticed that too. People can say what they want about football and all that but the fact is, Williams Grove has lost a lot of its luster and the crowds all year (except for WoO weekends and speedweek) have reflected that. The atmosphere there is just flat and the vibe I get is that there just isn't much excitement surrounding the place anymore. It wasn't all that long ago that The Grove was like the taj mahal. Every Friday, the pits were full and anytime anyone won there, even on a regular Friday night, it was held in a higher regard than winning at any of the Saturday night tracks. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Unless the Outlaws are in town, its just another dirt track. They need to mend their relationship with the fans, teams and whoever else and get some promoting going on. Take the money spent on the fireworks that most of us are beyond tired of and put it into the purse or other promotions. Things are visibly headed in the wrong direction and its sad to see what was once Central Pa's most revered and iconic arena of speed struggling to get full fields and good crowds. I won't claim to have all the answers and I don't think for one minute that I could run a racetrack but something is wrong and I hope that we see a revival like we've seen in recent years at Port Royal.

I agree totally. I don't know what they can do, if anything, to restore past glory. They already pay the most, yet Port and Lincoln are drawing better weekly fields now. That used to be unheard of. I think the size and shape of the track is the main problem, motor track to the extreme. You can eat a cheeseburger going down those straights.

[pell021]

I think the reason they lost fans (at least this one) over the last few years is that the racing had been atrocious. That is NOT the case this year though. The racing has been good and I've come back most weeks because of it. The challenge now is car count. A field of 19 410s and 22 358s doesn't do much for me. I like to think I pay for a night at the races — not an hour and a half.

Now what can they do about that? I haven't got the slightest idea.

[CTtoPA]

Perhaps a special event only format would be best for the Ascot of the East.