December 12, 2024 • 28 mins
Rich Farmer joins the show (on Jacob's birthday) to talk about the 2025 All Star Circuit of Champions.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:23):
Welcome back to the Ohio Dirt Track Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
My name is Clint Knight, I'm Jacob Fordy and.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
We pretty much just got back to town from three
days in Saint Louis craziness in the Dome at the
Gateway Dirt Nationals.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
We had a blast.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
But we are back in Ohio now and we're ready
to talk about some Ohio stuff and we've got Rich
Farmer on the phone and we're excited to talk to
you about all kinds of stuff that you've got going
on this coming summer. How are things going for you
this winter so far?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
It's busy as normal for us.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
So that's you know, that's a good thing I think
in most cases.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
So yeah, it's great to be on the show. I
appreciate you having me so rich.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Like you said, you're very busy. You're very busy last
off season too, once you took over Fremont once again.
But now you're even busier because now you are heading
up the.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
New All Stars.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
You know, So, what what has that process been like?
You know, getting that name up, that name and that
series up and going again.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Well, you know, the nice thing is we have the
you know, the oldest name and wing sprint car history.
It's the oldest series.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Started in nineteen seventy, so you know, you get you
get a lot of traction automatically because you got name recognition,
you got.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
You know the stuff.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
And fortunately for us, as you know, we've been in
the sprint car business for a very long time, so
we have a lot of our own reputation and so forth.
It kind of helps carry it as well. So all
in all, I'm not going to say it's been easy.
It's not easy by any means, but to be where
we are today, we're not quite four weeks into this
(02:03):
and and we've got a you know, a healthy Ohio
Speed Week.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
We have a healthy schedule on the horizon, you know.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
For for all of that being said, and you know,
we have the Fremont schedule pretty well wrapped up. A
little bit of some tweaking here and there that we
need to do, but it's minor, so all in all,
for where we're at this time of year, I think
I think next month I'll still be able to get
away for a few days and enjoy us some sunshine
somewhere south.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I know that schedule is getting ready to drop here
on this week Thursday to be specifically. And you just
mentioned that it's been four weeks into this planning, and
I was thinking about that today, the logistics of starting
this engine backup right after it's been sitting. But I imagine that,
(02:52):
you know, with your experience for Fremont, that's kind of
a kind of old hat at this point. I mean,
you've got standard agreements and probably that I guess what's
the boiler plate agreements that you're able to utilize the tracks? Uh,
you know, get all that stuff going really quickly. Is
four weeks fast for something like that or is four
weeks kind of the normal for ability to schedule that's
(03:13):
gonna span, you know, potentially a couple months.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
I think four weeks is insanely fast.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
I thought you were gonna say that.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Yeah, when you.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
When you look at what you're trying to accomplish, I
think four weeks is is.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Uh, you know, you got to think of it.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
You're you're four weeks without visiting a racetrack and being like, hey,
we're gonna be able to put you back on board
for next year before you leave.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
You know. That's how that's how.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
This would normally work, right Like when we have a
race sponsor they're down there getting the pictures in victory
Lane or whatever, like hey, count you in for next year, yeah,
you know, and and you get some of that you know,
pre buy stuff if you will.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
And with this, we started from you know, you know, zero,
if you will.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
I mean we can count our own racetrack and say,
oh yeah, we plugged in a couple of days out
of the box, but you know, we basically started from nothing.
And unfortunately throughout my you know, promoting career and and
times that we've had race cars, we've we've been to
a lot of racetracks we go to you know, we've
been very active in promoters workshops for many years and
(04:16):
and different things like that. So we've we've gotten to
know a lot of people, you know, who are promoters
and who are you know, track owners and operators and
that kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
So it makes the conversation easier in most cases. So
so that that's very very.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Helpful and trying to accomplish you know, our goal was
to be ready for p R I, and and we'll
be ready.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
So the speed Week schedule release yesterday as we record,
so that would have been Monday. It's our normal nine nights,
nine races at nine different tracks. So what was it like,
you know, putting that together and getting everyone kind of
on board with that, and it looks like it's going
to be one of the richest uh payouts or you know,
(05:00):
one of the riches paying speed Weeks in history.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Well, it's it's second right now, and I think it
I think it has potential to become number one.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
We'll see what happens. We're a little short of that
at the moment.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
But you know, the good thing is that it's early December,
right were still you know, speed Weeks not for six.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Months, so we got some time to work on that
and we will.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
But currently, uh, you know, we got a we got
a very nice program, we got nice race tracks. Uh,
you know, the travel is uh, you know, I've seen
some posts where people are like, oh, you're zig zag
and you're doing this, you're doing that. You know, Ultimately,
if we don't provide a program where the racetracks can
be successful, where they can sell enough tickets, they can
(05:42):
get enough people there that they can afford to pay
these increases in purses and so on and so forth,
you know that, then it's.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Going to be you know, very difficult.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
I seen a podcast on the internet I watched a
little bit ago that said that, you know, we had
all this money behind us from from Flow to pay
these purses. And I can assure you Flow hasn't contributed
one dollar to.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Our purse structure.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
They are helping with some points, fun stuff and that
kind of thing, but these pursoness are on the back
of the racetrack.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
You know, at the end of the day, they're solely
on the.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Back of the racetrack, So that that's that's what it takes,
and and being able to put it together and get
it to where fans can afford.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
To go to these races. If we if we put the.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
Travel like ideal perfect for miles per galon, it's going
to be tough for markets to be able to withstand
selling tickets that many days in a road to the
same demograph. It just doesn't work. So you know, you've
got to give some to get some. And that's just
kind of where we landed, right.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
I feel like it's always difficult to you know, create
a perfect schedule. You know, there's no such thing as
a perfect schedule, I guess, but there's there's always going
to be somes exacting and going across the state.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
Well, and I think that's part of the fun too.
You know, it's a you know, it's part of the
going up and down the road. It's part of you know,
if you're a team, it's part of finding that parking lot,
Walmart or hotel or whatever the case may be, where
you can you know, where you can service your car
and that kind of stuff. I mean that part of
part of what makes it what it is. And you know,
it's not like, you know, for these guys that typically
(07:21):
run Ohio speed Week, you know, they're they're not guys
that are going out and running up and down.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
The road and living that life.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
So they get to they get to live that life
for a week, you know, and then outside of that,
you know what eighty percent of them or weekend racers.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
So you mentioned some of the you know, that's necessary
so that you can ensure you're selling tickets to uh
in different localities.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
I do a little bit of.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Concert promotion, so I'm a little I'm kind of fascinated
by that tic. The proximity of events, right, is that
something that racetracks look at data on, like who's buying
tickets from where, who's coming from? Where is that something
that goes into that kind of planning stuff at that level.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
Well, if they're working hard, they are. I mean, you know,
I can't speak for everyone on that. I mean I
can tell you, like at our facility, we we have
a generally good idea of where our ticket sales.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Come from and the earth.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
You know, in the early days, we would do that
by you know, parking lot study. We can go out
in the parking lot. Every car's got a county license
plate number on it. Now they say the name of
the county, but years ago they had the one through
eighty eight and that's you know, out of the counties,
and we would like I would have people go out
and golf cart and hand right down the county numbers
off of every car in the parking lot to try
(08:39):
to get an idea where we needed to spend our
money or you know, on advertising.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
So so it depends.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
On on your you know, who the promoter is and
how in depth they are and trying to guide that.
But you know, we're we're all conscious of ticket sales.
And you know, this is no different than when we
have our you know, team meetings at the end of
the year at the to swap me. You know, everything
that we do is guided around ticket sales, because if
(09:07):
we don't have ticket sales, whether that's at Freemont, whether
that's at an All Star event at another facility, you know,
we're not going to be able to continue to grow
sprint car racing in the light that we would like to.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
So ticket sales is number one.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
So looking at what you're all involved with, Rich, you know,
you're obviously now promoting the All Stars and Fremont. Obviously
the schedules are out aren't out yet, but how are
you going to balance like the nights where you know,
Fremont's racing and potentially the All Stars are racing.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
Well, we have you know, we have a very good
team of people at Fremont, and you know, my wife
has been at Fremont.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
And she's been in the racing businesses longer longer than
I have.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
So, you know, and Brian who's been with me there
at Freemont, my track guy, you know, he's been there
for you know, twenty years. I've been there for you know,
twenty years. Shelley's been around for twenty years, you know.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
So it's not like we're it's.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Not like we're going to have a bunch of inexperienced
people there. You know, Brian List guy's been there since well,
you know, I think he's I think this will be.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
His fortieth year, right, So we.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
Have a depth of talent that's at the that's at
both ends of this thing, and.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
I think that we're going to be in very good shape.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
And and I'll be at Fremont quite a bit, so
we'll be okay, We're going to be just fine.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
This is kind of going a little off topic, but
I saw the Valveleen Late Model series I was going
to make a stop at Fremont, and I'm pretty excited
about that one. I've been to the last couple late
model races there at Fremont, and I think it's a pretty.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Good late model track. Well, it used to be a
late model track.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
I mean they used to run late models weekly there
back in the eighties and stuff, late eighties, early nineties.
You know, there's there's a lot of history and in
late model racing at Fremont, it's just.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Uh, you know, in the in the later years, you know, mid.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Nineties and on, that's just hasn't hasn't made a huge
impact in the late model industry.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
But you know, we uh, we still appreciate a good
late model show.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
And with everything those guys are doing with the Iron
Man thing, it's.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
It's a positive for the it's positive.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
For Ohio, it's a positive for the region when it
comes to late model racing. And you know, we need
everybody to make ourselves successful.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
So we're glad to be part of that program.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Thursday, which this is when this podcast will come out.
Your schedule will come out at seven The All Star
schedule will come out at seven pm that evening. What
is what's the reach of the schedule, how many tracks,
what kind of state reaches? Looking like, what kind of
information can you give us before that?
Speaker 3 (11:44):
I think you can.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
I think you can go back and look at an
All Star schedule from the you know, early two thousands,
late nineties, early two thousands to where you can see
that you know, there's a there's a nice variety of facilities.
We're not we're not at the same places over and over.
You know, we still we still have our main stays,
which you know, the All Stars have always had the
mainstays and and those are pretty much unchanged. You know,
(12:08):
Freemont Attica, Wayne County or you know pretty much our
main stays if you will, but uh, you know, it's
it's as you can.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
You know, it's nice. We got we got back to
a race at Eldora, which is very good. It's good
for the series. It's great for the teams.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
They'll be able to get down there and get some
laps at a non big national event where they can
get some good laps. That way, when it comes time
to go to those national events, they're more prepared, which
is uh, you know, that's that's great that we was
able to get that put together with Levi and them
guys over at Eldora.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
But you're also you're also going to see uh.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
You know, we're in Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio.
So we got we got five states, which is which
is great, and we're at sixteen different facilities. So I
think at the end of the day, that's going to
be uh, you know, what what our goal was is,
you know, to be able to reach around and not
be overly saturated and again of an area, but you know,
(13:01):
provide enough to where where we're marketable, where we can
you know, obtain sponsorship and and the things that we're
going to need for long term success and to where
the teams can actually you know, if you're traveling as
an All Star circuit of champions, you don't want to
be that very close regional deal. We already have that right,
(13:22):
we have that within ourselves, you know, with our other programs.
So this gives those guys that are that are looking
to make a career out of sprint car racing the
opportunity to get to the next level on their way
to the top level and in the on the way back.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
The other way too.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
If you get guys that are, you know, running one
of the national tours that would want to come back
and become an All Star instead of being a local racer,
they have that opportunity as well. So I think that
should and will prove itself here in the in the
weeks to come.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
What are what are some of your goals both you know,
season one and you know season five per se of you.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Know, the All Stars.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
I don't know that our season one in season five
have a huge variety of differences. You know, we we
we only want to be so big, which you know,
we don't have any aspirations to be much bigger than
twenty five thirty draces, and I think thirty probably a push.
I'm pretty content and happy to be around that twenty
(14:23):
five number, because when you look at all the the
other national events that happen within the same region that
we're going to be in, those twenty five events very
quickly become fifty.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
I mean there's you'll be able to you be able
to run the.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
Entire All Star schedule plus another twenty five national events
and not leave that same region, so that in itself,
you know, you're kind of limited.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
You don't want to you don't want to get.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
To where ever, have to make our guys make a
choice between running this event or that event, you know,
try to make it where they could run as many
events as possible and and still be able to support
local racing, still be able to support the national deal,
still be able to support the regional deal. So the
goal for growth isn't necessarily in dates. It's more in
(15:10):
being able to provide the atmosphere that is a true
regional series that helps people get to that next level,
that bridge the gap between local racing and national racing,
and be able to do that in a manner that
is obtainable for teams affordable for racetracks and something that
(15:32):
gives the fan their value at the ticket window.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Do you have a target number of teams when you're
making these plans that you're I guess not a goal,
but an ideal number of teams that you would like
to be on the tour full time?
Speaker 3 (15:48):
I mean, you know everybody, you know, everybody's.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
Prepared for a certain number of teams and certain lights
and this and that. I mean, in my mind, the
dirty dozen sounds beautiful. Where do we Where do we
find that dirty dozen?
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (16:03):
I mean, I got I got eight teams that have
sent me letters of intent currently, which I'm which I'm
very happy that they were willing to do that as
we were trying to book dates and schedule things and
that sort of stuff.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
So so that's been helpful.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
I do have some some meetings with some teams at
the p r I here and this coming weekend. Uh
so I think some of that will, you know, mature
into some other things. We got some teams that have
that have discussed things and they're like, oh, well, if
you'd show us the schedule, you know, I'll show you
a schedule on Thursday, right, you know, you get the
schedule the same time everybody else does, just because we
(16:40):
know the process, we know how things tend to leak
and and that kind of stuff, so just to prevent
any of that type of thing from happening.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
So so we do got some some teams that and
it's looking good.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
I mean, we got a Michigan based team, we got
Indiana based team, we got Pennsylvania based teams, We've got
Ohio based teams. I mean, we're not We've got a
nice variety and a nice depth, and you know, we
are the All Star Circuit of champions right and and
a lot of these guys have championships in their resume.
So that's I'm very very proud and very humbled by
(17:16):
the amount of support that we're getting.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
M Are you bringing back like some of the old
All Star crew, like some of the officials and you know,
people that have worked with the All Stars in years past.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
Ken Osborne's coming with us, you know, he's he's coming
back and he's gonna be uh, you know, be one
of our.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Officials and stuff.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
But outside of that, not not not currently, No, Okay.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
I was just curious, just I was wondering if you know,
maybe some of those some of those old officials were
maybe you know, getting the itch again with the with
the reboot.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
Yeah, we we're probably gonna run our ship a lot smaller,
a lot more condensed than than what there has been
in the in.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
The last few years. Especially.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
It's uh, you know, we're we're not We're not built
to be the career choice for for this type of racing.
We're we're definitely the you know, like many of our
racers were the blue collar series. We want to be
the working man's program where you know, we can come
and go to work, have our jobs and you know,
show up and race on the weekends and you know
(18:21):
an occasional uh midweek run here or there.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
So so what you're saying is, you know, uh, this year,
the twenty twenty five version of the All Stars is
not going to look a lot like the twenty twenty
three version of the All Stars where they race, you know,
from New York to Iowa. It's just going to be
more local and a lot more friendlier for like you said,
the working the working racer.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Yeah, I mean, we could have easily had forty dates.
Undoubtedly could have easily had forty dates, but by being
able to if we was able to take those forty
dates that that were available.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
That puts us outside of a region that.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
I don't feel you become regional at that point. You're
semi national, if you will, or you know, a little
too a little too far. And that's we have zero
intentions to that, want nothing to do with it. You know,
we're pretty happy being in our little piece here and
that that's all we need to be. I mean, like
I said, the All Star Circuit Champions was formed in
(19:23):
nineteen seventy and it's made that it's made its home
in this region for many, many, many of those years,
and then it got branched out a little bit for
whatever reasons. But you know, we need to just get
back to get back to the basics. Do it the way,
do it the way that it's proven to be successful
for everyone, and focus on that.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
I have to be honest with you.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Hearing it described that way, I am more excited about
it now than I was probably five years ago.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
I mean, I've always followed the All Star Circuit Champions.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
But you're always excited about a comeback, right, But to
hear the grit of that, I guess and that being
the focus and the interest. I'm I'm very excited to
get back out there and uh and see what this
looks like in twenty five with a little bit different character.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
Yeah, and you know, everything changes, right, I always said
the only thing that stays the same is changed. I
had I had a guy telling me and I've seen
some posts on the internet, you know, the keyboard cowboys
that that probably have zero vested interest in the sport.
You know, not to say that buying a ticket's not
a vested interest, but those people that get on there
(20:36):
and they just beat the horse and beat the horse
and beat the horse, they're they're not They're they're just
not on the right team, right, They're not they're not
trying to be positive for the sport, and they're probably
very miserable people.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
As a whole. So, you know, those those people, it
is what it is.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
And they're like, well, you know, you don't have Tyler Courtney,
you don't have zeb Wise, you don't have you know,
the the Roudine car.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
We don't have this.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
And I remind him, I'm like, hey, you know, we
don't have Chad kemenall anymore either. We don't have you know,
a lot of those guys we don't have Danny Smith,
we don't have Frankie Kerr, we don't have Joey Saldana,
we don't have you know, you can go back and
back and back all the way to nineteen seventy.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
We don't have Rick Kirkle right, we don't have.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
Fred Linder that we had in the eighties winning championships.
You know, but it always generates itself, and ultimately new
champions come. They continue to be the All Stars circuit
of champions and in twenty twenty five, You're not going
to see any difference. I'm going to see a great
group of cars, a great group of champions, and it's
going to be very interesting in a very diversified group
(21:39):
of people.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
I think that's what makes everyone pretty excited about it.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
You know.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
I've always met a fan of the All Stars, and
I'm excited to see them them come back because it's
just always a joy going to an All Star race.
I think my very first sprint car race was an
All Star race.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
I gotta I got a text the other day.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
From Joey Saldana and I've known Joey for a while
and and uh, and.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
He tells me he's like rich. He goes. I think
what you guys are doing is great. I'm happy that it's.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
You and and if it wasn't for the All Star
Circuit of Champions, I don't believe.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
That I would have ever been at the World About Loss.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
So, you know, when and if you can make that
kind of an impact on somebody who's had such a
legendary career, I think that says a lot that we're
in the right direction on this program and on where
we're going in our vision. So I just hope everybody, uh,
you know, will play it out here and and it
should be great.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
One of the one of the things that's most exciting
to me about going to, you know, an All Star
event or an event at a different track that I
haven't been too many times, is not necessarily going to
see who I know, but see who I don't know.
And Jacob and I talked a little bit about this.
Jacob talked to me about this this past weekend at Gateway,
Uh he spotted a light model driver that he wasn't
(22:58):
familiar with but immediately became a fan of, right, And
that's that's part of the excitement for me, And I
think the All Stars have always offered some of that,
and it sounds like it's going to offer a lot
more of it this year.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Yeah, I think it's going to be on the right track,
you know. And Cody's got that deal out there at Gateway.
I mean I've worked with Cody in the past at
at Mills or at Mansfield, and he's a very forward
thinking dude, and and and he's good at the you know,
the the show part of things, and and you know,
I just want to give him some props because you
(23:30):
look at that.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Look at the Gateway deal, Look at what he put
out for price money for going forward.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
It would have been very easy for him to He's
got thirty thousand people there.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
He could take that money home, right, he could take it.
He could take it home. But he's reinvesting it and
he's putting it back into the program. And and that's cool,
you know, that's Uh.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
We need more people that are willing to do that,
and that's what we're doing with this program. And that's
just what it takes to keep the sport healthy.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Kind of stole my thunder there, Rich I was going
to ask you about Gateway, just because you have such
a unique perspective as a track promoter, a race team owner,
and a racer yourself.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
I was going to ask.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
You, you know what you thought of Gateway just from
those three perspectives.
Speaker 4 (24:14):
Yeah, like I say, I think it's a I think
it's a good deal.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
I think the event's good. You know.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
I would say, out of all the years he's done it,
the only time that I ever really thought it was like, wow,
what happened here was the time he tried to run
the midgets over there and he offered a midget money
that was considerably more than a chili bowl and didn't
get the support, which was kind of shocking to me,
because it is a.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Great event and they do a good job, and you.
Speaker 4 (24:42):
Know, so I think I think our sport needs those
kind of things. We need those big deals that keep
everything going and keep everything flowing and makes it where
you know, you can introduce more people that way, right,
You think about an area the size of Saint Louis
that you get to introduce all them people too, and
then you add in the you know, the streaming services
(25:03):
with flow dirt vision and all that kind of stuff,
and you think about how many new fans and new
people get the experience of an event and then hopefully
they come out they buy a ticket.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
You know, they.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
Support those programs, and you never know if somebody's watching
whatever and they got a friend over there that maybe they're.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
An avid fisherman or a hunter and they're not.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Really a race car guy, and they see it and
they see the hype and the excitement, you know, they
hope hopefully they find their way to the ticket booth.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
How do we find the All Star Circuit of Champions
for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
Yeah, so we have a new website. They're finishing it up,
getting things wrapped up on it. It'll be All Starsprintcars
dot Com.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
All Starsprint Cars dot Com.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
The Facebook is All Star Circuit of Champions and Twitter
is All Star Sprint Car.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
So you're headed, Like I said, this is going to
come out while you're at pri I, but you're headed
to Indianapolis. Heye that I'm going to miss it this year,
but I chose to make a race trip last weekend.
Not gonna be able to make one two weekends in
a row in December. So we hope you have a
blast at pr I hope it's incredibly productive and we
look forward to hearing about what's coming on the other side.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
I appreciate it. Thanks you guys, all right, Thank you Rich.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
Thanks to Rich Farmer for joining Freemont Speedway new All
Star Circuit Champions. Excited to see what that season is
going to look like when that schedule has come out
officially on Thursday night, and yeah, it's gonna be a
good It's gonna be a good twenty twenty five, I
think for race fans in the Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Area, I'm encouraged. You know, there's been a lot of
talk about kind of the oversaturation of the area with
all of our different sprint car series now, but it
goes back to the Y'all Stars and the Fast Series
and it co existed for years and there really wasn't
much overlap. So I think I think that'll be more
of the same for twenty twenty five. Hopefully there's not
(27:00):
going to be too many you know, stepping on, stepping
on toes and overlapping. There's gonna be some, inevitably, but
hopefully everything kind of works out for the best and
no one tries to take a bigger slice of the
pie than what they need.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
And other than that, I think, you know.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Things will work out I think that was the right
way to say. I think those are the right words.
So all right, it's gonna be fun. Glad you made
it back, say from Gateway. We got back. It was
very late Sunday night, but we did get back early
Sunday morning actually, so we we might do some more
Gateway wrap up later. I've got some more things to
think about with that great stuff on the website. By
(27:38):
the way, if you haven't checked out Jacob Hordes Jacob
Board like, we don't know who we're talking to. If
you haven't checked out Jacob's quick hits and the articles
that he's posted from the three nights at Gateway, please
go check those out at Ohio dirt dot com and
follow us on Facebook and Twitter at Ohio Dirt and
tell your friends you gotta Benjierus. Tell everybody thank you
(28:03):
guys for tuning in. Until next time, get out, get
thirty and support your local tracks.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
H
Welcome back to the Ohio Dirt Track Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
My name is Clint Knight, I'm Jacob Fordy and.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
We pretty much just got back to town from three
days in Saint Louis craziness in the Dome at the
Gateway Dirt Nationals.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
We had a blast.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
But we are back in Ohio now and we're ready
to talk about some Ohio stuff and we've got Rich
Farmer on the phone and we're excited to talk to
you about all kinds of stuff that you've got going
on this coming summer. How are things going for you
this winter so far?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
It's busy as normal for us.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
So that's you know, that's a good thing I think
in most cases.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
So yeah, it's great to be on the show. I
appreciate you having me so rich.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Like you said, you're very busy. You're very busy last
off season too, once you took over Fremont once again.
But now you're even busier because now you are heading
up the.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
New All Stars.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
You know, So, what what has that process been like?
You know, getting that name up, that name and that
series up and going again.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Well, you know, the nice thing is we have the
you know, the oldest name and wing sprint car history.
It's the oldest series.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Started in nineteen seventy, so you know, you get you
get a lot of traction automatically because you got name recognition,
you got.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
You know the stuff.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
And fortunately for us, as you know, we've been in
the sprint car business for a very long time, so
we have a lot of our own reputation and so forth.
It kind of helps carry it as well. So all
in all, I'm not going to say it's been easy.
It's not easy by any means, but to be where
we are today, we're not quite four weeks into this
(02:03):
and and we've got a you know, a healthy Ohio
Speed Week.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
We have a healthy schedule on the horizon, you know.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
For for all of that being said, and you know,
we have the Fremont schedule pretty well wrapped up. A
little bit of some tweaking here and there that we
need to do, but it's minor, so all in all,
for where we're at this time of year, I think
I think next month I'll still be able to get
away for a few days and enjoy us some sunshine
somewhere south.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I know that schedule is getting ready to drop here
on this week Thursday to be specifically. And you just
mentioned that it's been four weeks into this planning, and
I was thinking about that today, the logistics of starting
this engine backup right after it's been sitting. But I imagine that,
(02:52):
you know, with your experience for Fremont, that's kind of
a kind of old hat at this point. I mean,
you've got standard agreements and probably that I guess what's
the boiler plate agreements that you're able to utilize the tracks? Uh,
you know, get all that stuff going really quickly. Is
four weeks fast for something like that or is four
weeks kind of the normal for ability to schedule that's
(03:13):
gonna span, you know, potentially a couple months.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
I think four weeks is insanely fast.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
I thought you were gonna say that.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Yeah, when you.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
When you look at what you're trying to accomplish, I
think four weeks is is.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Uh, you know, you got to think of it.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
You're you're four weeks without visiting a racetrack and being like, hey,
we're gonna be able to put you back on board
for next year before you leave.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
You know. That's how that's how.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
This would normally work, right Like when we have a
race sponsor they're down there getting the pictures in victory
Lane or whatever, like hey, count you in for next year, yeah,
you know, and and you get some of that you know,
pre buy stuff if you will.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
And with this, we started from you know, you know, zero,
if you will.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
I mean we can count our own racetrack and say,
oh yeah, we plugged in a couple of days out
of the box, but you know, we basically started from nothing.
And unfortunately throughout my you know, promoting career and and
times that we've had race cars, we've we've been to
a lot of racetracks we go to you know, we've
been very active in promoters workshops for many years and
(04:16):
and different things like that. So we've we've gotten to
know a lot of people, you know, who are promoters
and who are you know, track owners and operators and
that kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
So it makes the conversation easier in most cases. So
so that that's very very.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Helpful and trying to accomplish you know, our goal was
to be ready for p R I, and and we'll
be ready.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
So the speed Week schedule release yesterday as we record,
so that would have been Monday. It's our normal nine nights,
nine races at nine different tracks. So what was it like,
you know, putting that together and getting everyone kind of
on board with that, and it looks like it's going
to be one of the richest uh payouts or you know,
(05:00):
one of the riches paying speed Weeks in history.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Well, it's it's second right now, and I think it
I think it has potential to become number one.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
We'll see what happens. We're a little short of that
at the moment.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
But you know, the good thing is that it's early December,
right were still you know, speed Weeks not for six.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Months, so we got some time to work on that
and we will.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
But currently, uh, you know, we got a we got
a very nice program, we got nice race tracks. Uh,
you know, the travel is uh, you know, I've seen
some posts where people are like, oh, you're zig zag
and you're doing this, you're doing that. You know, Ultimately,
if we don't provide a program where the racetracks can
be successful, where they can sell enough tickets, they can
(05:42):
get enough people there that they can afford to pay
these increases in purses and so on and so forth,
you know that, then it's.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Going to be you know, very difficult.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
I seen a podcast on the internet I watched a
little bit ago that said that, you know, we had
all this money behind us from from Flow to pay
these purses. And I can assure you Flow hasn't contributed
one dollar to.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Our purse structure.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
They are helping with some points, fun stuff and that
kind of thing, but these pursoness are on the back
of the racetrack.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
You know, at the end of the day, they're solely
on the.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Back of the racetrack, So that that's that's what it takes,
and and being able to put it together and get
it to where fans can afford.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
To go to these races. If we if we put the.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
Travel like ideal perfect for miles per galon, it's going
to be tough for markets to be able to withstand
selling tickets that many days in a road to the
same demograph. It just doesn't work. So you know, you've
got to give some to get some. And that's just
kind of where we landed, right.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
I feel like it's always difficult to you know, create
a perfect schedule. You know, there's no such thing as
a perfect schedule, I guess, but there's there's always going
to be somes exacting and going across the state.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
Well, and I think that's part of the fun too.
You know, it's a you know, it's part of the
going up and down the road. It's part of you know,
if you're a team, it's part of finding that parking lot,
Walmart or hotel or whatever the case may be, where
you can you know, where you can service your car
and that kind of stuff. I mean that part of
part of what makes it what it is. And you know,
it's not like, you know, for these guys that typically
(07:21):
run Ohio speed Week, you know, they're they're not guys
that are going out and running up and down.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
The road and living that life.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
So they get to they get to live that life
for a week, you know, and then outside of that,
you know what eighty percent of them or weekend racers.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
So you mentioned some of the you know, that's necessary
so that you can ensure you're selling tickets to uh
in different localities.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
I do a little bit of.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Concert promotion, so I'm a little I'm kind of fascinated
by that tic. The proximity of events, right, is that
something that racetracks look at data on, like who's buying
tickets from where, who's coming from? Where is that something
that goes into that kind of planning stuff at that level.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
Well, if they're working hard, they are. I mean, you know,
I can't speak for everyone on that. I mean I
can tell you, like at our facility, we we have
a generally good idea of where our ticket sales.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Come from and the earth.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
You know, in the early days, we would do that
by you know, parking lot study. We can go out
in the parking lot. Every car's got a county license
plate number on it. Now they say the name of
the county, but years ago they had the one through
eighty eight and that's you know, out of the counties,
and we would like I would have people go out
and golf cart and hand right down the county numbers
off of every car in the parking lot to try
(08:39):
to get an idea where we needed to spend our
money or you know, on advertising.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
So so it depends.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
On on your you know, who the promoter is and
how in depth they are and trying to guide that.
But you know, we're we're all conscious of ticket sales.
And you know, this is no different than when we
have our you know, team meetings at the end of
the year at the to swap me. You know, everything
that we do is guided around ticket sales, because if
(09:07):
we don't have ticket sales, whether that's at Freemont, whether
that's at an All Star event at another facility, you know,
we're not going to be able to continue to grow
sprint car racing in the light that we would like to.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
So ticket sales is number one.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
So looking at what you're all involved with, Rich, you know,
you're obviously now promoting the All Stars and Fremont. Obviously
the schedules are out aren't out yet, but how are
you going to balance like the nights where you know,
Fremont's racing and potentially the All Stars are racing.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
Well, we have you know, we have a very good
team of people at Fremont, and you know, my wife
has been at Fremont.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
And she's been in the racing businesses longer longer than
I have.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
So, you know, and Brian who's been with me there
at Freemont, my track guy, you know, he's been there
for you know, twenty years. I've been there for you know,
twenty years. Shelley's been around for twenty years, you know.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
So it's not like we're it's.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Not like we're going to have a bunch of inexperienced
people there. You know, Brian List guy's been there since well,
you know, I think he's I think this will be.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
His fortieth year, right, So we.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
Have a depth of talent that's at the that's at
both ends of this thing, and.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
I think that we're going to be in very good shape.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
And and I'll be at Fremont quite a bit, so
we'll be okay, We're going to be just fine.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
This is kind of going a little off topic, but
I saw the Valveleen Late Model series I was going
to make a stop at Fremont, and I'm pretty excited
about that one. I've been to the last couple late
model races there at Fremont, and I think it's a pretty.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Good late model track. Well, it used to be a
late model track.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
I mean they used to run late models weekly there
back in the eighties and stuff, late eighties, early nineties.
You know, there's there's a lot of history and in
late model racing at Fremont, it's just.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Uh, you know, in the in the later years, you know, mid.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Nineties and on, that's just hasn't hasn't made a huge
impact in the late model industry.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
But you know, we uh, we still appreciate a good
late model show.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
And with everything those guys are doing with the Iron
Man thing, it's.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
It's a positive for the it's positive.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
For Ohio, it's a positive for the region when it
comes to late model racing. And you know, we need
everybody to make ourselves successful.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
So we're glad to be part of that program.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Thursday, which this is when this podcast will come out.
Your schedule will come out at seven The All Star
schedule will come out at seven pm that evening. What
is what's the reach of the schedule, how many tracks,
what kind of state reaches? Looking like, what kind of
information can you give us before that?
Speaker 3 (11:44):
I think you can.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
I think you can go back and look at an
All Star schedule from the you know, early two thousands,
late nineties, early two thousands to where you can see
that you know, there's a there's a nice variety of facilities.
We're not we're not at the same places over and over.
You know, we still we still have our main stays,
which you know, the All Stars have always had the
mainstays and and those are pretty much unchanged. You know,
(12:08):
Freemont Attica, Wayne County or you know pretty much our
main stays if you will, but uh, you know, it's
it's as you can.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
You know, it's nice. We got we got back to
a race at Eldora, which is very good. It's good
for the series. It's great for the teams.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
They'll be able to get down there and get some
laps at a non big national event where they can
get some good laps. That way, when it comes time
to go to those national events, they're more prepared, which
is uh, you know, that's that's great that we was
able to get that put together with Levi and them
guys over at Eldora.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
But you're also you're also going to see uh.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
You know, we're in Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio.
So we got we got five states, which is which
is great, and we're at sixteen different facilities. So I
think at the end of the day, that's going to
be uh, you know, what what our goal was is,
you know, to be able to reach around and not
be overly saturated and again of an area, but you know,
(13:01):
provide enough to where where we're marketable, where we can
you know, obtain sponsorship and and the things that we're
going to need for long term success and to where
the teams can actually you know, if you're traveling as
an All Star circuit of champions, you don't want to
be that very close regional deal. We already have that right,
(13:22):
we have that within ourselves, you know, with our other programs.
So this gives those guys that are that are looking
to make a career out of sprint car racing the
opportunity to get to the next level on their way
to the top level and in the on the way back.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
The other way too.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
If you get guys that are, you know, running one
of the national tours that would want to come back
and become an All Star instead of being a local racer,
they have that opportunity as well. So I think that
should and will prove itself here in the in the
weeks to come.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
What are what are some of your goals both you know,
season one and you know season five per se of you.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Know, the All Stars.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
I don't know that our season one in season five
have a huge variety of differences. You know, we we
we only want to be so big, which you know,
we don't have any aspirations to be much bigger than
twenty five thirty draces, and I think thirty probably a push.
I'm pretty content and happy to be around that twenty
(14:23):
five number, because when you look at all the the
other national events that happen within the same region that
we're going to be in, those twenty five events very
quickly become fifty.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
I mean there's you'll be able to you be able
to run the.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
Entire All Star schedule plus another twenty five national events
and not leave that same region, so that in itself,
you know, you're kind of limited.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
You don't want to you don't want to get.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
To where ever, have to make our guys make a
choice between running this event or that event, you know,
try to make it where they could run as many
events as possible and and still be able to support
local racing, still be able to support the national deal,
still be able to support the regional deal. So the
goal for growth isn't necessarily in dates. It's more in
(15:10):
being able to provide the atmosphere that is a true
regional series that helps people get to that next level,
that bridge the gap between local racing and national racing,
and be able to do that in a manner that
is obtainable for teams affordable for racetracks and something that
(15:32):
gives the fan their value at the ticket window.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Do you have a target number of teams when you're
making these plans that you're I guess not a goal,
but an ideal number of teams that you would like
to be on the tour full time?
Speaker 3 (15:48):
I mean, you know everybody, you know, everybody's.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
Prepared for a certain number of teams and certain lights
and this and that. I mean, in my mind, the
dirty dozen sounds beautiful. Where do we Where do we
find that dirty dozen?
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (16:03):
I mean, I got I got eight teams that have
sent me letters of intent currently, which I'm which I'm
very happy that they were willing to do that as
we were trying to book dates and schedule things and
that sort of stuff.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
So so that's been helpful.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
I do have some some meetings with some teams at
the p r I here and this coming weekend. Uh
so I think some of that will, you know, mature
into some other things. We got some teams that have
that have discussed things and they're like, oh, well, if
you'd show us the schedule, you know, I'll show you
a schedule on Thursday, right, you know, you get the
schedule the same time everybody else does, just because we
(16:40):
know the process, we know how things tend to leak
and and that kind of stuff, so just to prevent
any of that type of thing from happening.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
So so we do got some some teams that and
it's looking good.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
I mean, we got a Michigan based team, we got
Indiana based team, we got Pennsylvania based teams, We've got
Ohio based teams. I mean, we're not We've got a
nice variety and a nice depth, and you know, we
are the All Star Circuit of champions right and and
a lot of these guys have championships in their resume.
So that's I'm very very proud and very humbled by
(17:16):
the amount of support that we're getting.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
M Are you bringing back like some of the old
All Star crew, like some of the officials and you know,
people that have worked with the All Stars in years past.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
Ken Osborne's coming with us, you know, he's he's coming
back and he's gonna be uh, you know, be one
of our.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Officials and stuff.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
But outside of that, not not not currently, No, Okay.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
I was just curious, just I was wondering if you know,
maybe some of those some of those old officials were
maybe you know, getting the itch again with the with
the reboot.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
Yeah, we we're probably gonna run our ship a lot smaller,
a lot more condensed than than what there has been
in the in.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
The last few years. Especially.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
It's uh, you know, we're we're not We're not built
to be the career choice for for this type of racing.
We're we're definitely the you know, like many of our
racers were the blue collar series. We want to be
the working man's program where you know, we can come
and go to work, have our jobs and you know,
show up and race on the weekends and you know
(18:21):
an occasional uh midweek run here or there.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
So so what you're saying is, you know, uh, this year,
the twenty twenty five version of the All Stars is
not going to look a lot like the twenty twenty
three version of the All Stars where they race, you know,
from New York to Iowa. It's just going to be
more local and a lot more friendlier for like you said,
the working the working racer.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Yeah, I mean, we could have easily had forty dates.
Undoubtedly could have easily had forty dates, but by being
able to if we was able to take those forty
dates that that were available.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
That puts us outside of a region that.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
I don't feel you become regional at that point. You're
semi national, if you will, or you know, a little
too a little too far. And that's we have zero
intentions to that, want nothing to do with it. You know,
we're pretty happy being in our little piece here and
that that's all we need to be. I mean, like
I said, the All Star Circuit Champions was formed in
(19:23):
nineteen seventy and it's made that it's made its home
in this region for many, many, many of those years,
and then it got branched out a little bit for
whatever reasons. But you know, we need to just get
back to get back to the basics. Do it the way,
do it the way that it's proven to be successful
for everyone, and focus on that.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
I have to be honest with you.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Hearing it described that way, I am more excited about
it now than I was probably five years ago.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
I mean, I've always followed the All Star Circuit Champions.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
But you're always excited about a comeback, right, But to
hear the grit of that, I guess and that being
the focus and the interest. I'm I'm very excited to
get back out there and uh and see what this
looks like in twenty five with a little bit different character.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
Yeah, and you know, everything changes, right, I always said
the only thing that stays the same is changed. I
had I had a guy telling me and I've seen
some posts on the internet, you know, the keyboard cowboys
that that probably have zero vested interest in the sport.
You know, not to say that buying a ticket's not
a vested interest, but those people that get on there
(20:36):
and they just beat the horse and beat the horse
and beat the horse, they're they're not They're they're just
not on the right team, right, They're not they're not
trying to be positive for the sport, and they're probably
very miserable people.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
As a whole. So, you know, those those people, it
is what it is.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
And they're like, well, you know, you don't have Tyler Courtney,
you don't have zeb Wise, you don't have you know,
the the Roudine car.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
We don't have this.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
And I remind him, I'm like, hey, you know, we
don't have Chad kemenall anymore either. We don't have you know,
a lot of those guys we don't have Danny Smith,
we don't have Frankie Kerr, we don't have Joey Saldana,
we don't have you know, you can go back and
back and back all the way to nineteen seventy.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
We don't have Rick Kirkle right, we don't have.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
Fred Linder that we had in the eighties winning championships.
You know, but it always generates itself, and ultimately new
champions come. They continue to be the All Stars circuit
of champions and in twenty twenty five, You're not going
to see any difference. I'm going to see a great
group of cars, a great group of champions, and it's
going to be very interesting in a very diversified group
(21:39):
of people.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
I think that's what makes everyone pretty excited about it.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
You know.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
I've always met a fan of the All Stars, and
I'm excited to see them them come back because it's
just always a joy going to an All Star race.
I think my very first sprint car race was an
All Star race.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
I gotta I got a text the other day.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
From Joey Saldana and I've known Joey for a while
and and uh, and.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
He tells me he's like rich. He goes. I think
what you guys are doing is great. I'm happy that it's.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
You and and if it wasn't for the All Star
Circuit of Champions, I don't believe.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
That I would have ever been at the World About Loss.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
So, you know, when and if you can make that
kind of an impact on somebody who's had such a
legendary career, I think that says a lot that we're
in the right direction on this program and on where
we're going in our vision. So I just hope everybody, uh,
you know, will play it out here and and it
should be great.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
One of the one of the things that's most exciting
to me about going to, you know, an All Star
event or an event at a different track that I
haven't been too many times, is not necessarily going to
see who I know, but see who I don't know.
And Jacob and I talked a little bit about this.
Jacob talked to me about this this past weekend at Gateway,
Uh he spotted a light model driver that he wasn't
(22:58):
familiar with but immediately became a fan of, right, And
that's that's part of the excitement for me, And I
think the All Stars have always offered some of that,
and it sounds like it's going to offer a lot
more of it this year.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Yeah, I think it's going to be on the right track,
you know. And Cody's got that deal out there at Gateway.
I mean I've worked with Cody in the past at
at Mills or at Mansfield, and he's a very forward
thinking dude, and and and he's good at the you know,
the the show part of things, and and you know,
I just want to give him some props because you
(23:30):
look at that.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Look at the Gateway deal, Look at what he put
out for price money for going forward.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
It would have been very easy for him to He's
got thirty thousand people there.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
He could take that money home, right, he could take it.
He could take it home. But he's reinvesting it and
he's putting it back into the program. And and that's cool,
you know, that's Uh.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
We need more people that are willing to do that,
and that's what we're doing with this program. And that's
just what it takes to keep the sport healthy.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Kind of stole my thunder there, Rich I was going
to ask you about Gateway, just because you have such
a unique perspective as a track promoter, a race team owner,
and a racer yourself.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
I was going to ask.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
You, you know what you thought of Gateway just from
those three perspectives.
Speaker 4 (24:14):
Yeah, like I say, I think it's a I think
it's a good deal.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
I think the event's good. You know.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
I would say, out of all the years he's done it,
the only time that I ever really thought it was like, wow,
what happened here was the time he tried to run
the midgets over there and he offered a midget money
that was considerably more than a chili bowl and didn't
get the support, which was kind of shocking to me,
because it is a.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Great event and they do a good job, and you.
Speaker 4 (24:42):
Know, so I think I think our sport needs those
kind of things. We need those big deals that keep
everything going and keep everything flowing and makes it where
you know, you can introduce more people that way, right,
You think about an area the size of Saint Louis
that you get to introduce all them people too, and
then you add in the you know, the streaming services
(25:03):
with flow dirt vision and all that kind of stuff,
and you think about how many new fans and new
people get the experience of an event and then hopefully
they come out they buy a ticket.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
You know, they.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
Support those programs, and you never know if somebody's watching
whatever and they got a friend over there that maybe they're.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
An avid fisherman or a hunter and they're not.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Really a race car guy, and they see it and
they see the hype and the excitement, you know, they
hope hopefully they find their way to the ticket booth.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
How do we find the All Star Circuit of Champions
for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
Yeah, so we have a new website. They're finishing it up,
getting things wrapped up on it. It'll be All Starsprintcars
dot Com.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
All Starsprint Cars dot Com.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
The Facebook is All Star Circuit of Champions and Twitter
is All Star Sprint Car.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
So you're headed, Like I said, this is going to
come out while you're at pri I, but you're headed
to Indianapolis. Heye that I'm going to miss it this year,
but I chose to make a race trip last weekend.
Not gonna be able to make one two weekends in
a row in December. So we hope you have a
blast at pr I hope it's incredibly productive and we
look forward to hearing about what's coming on the other side.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
I appreciate it. Thanks you guys, all right, Thank you Rich.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
Thanks to Rich Farmer for joining Freemont Speedway new All
Star Circuit Champions. Excited to see what that season is
going to look like when that schedule has come out
officially on Thursday night, and yeah, it's gonna be a
good It's gonna be a good twenty twenty five, I
think for race fans in the Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Area, I'm encouraged. You know, there's been a lot of
talk about kind of the oversaturation of the area with
all of our different sprint car series now, but it
goes back to the Y'all Stars and the Fast Series
and it co existed for years and there really wasn't
much overlap. So I think I think that'll be more
of the same for twenty twenty five. Hopefully there's not
(27:00):
going to be too many you know, stepping on, stepping
on toes and overlapping. There's gonna be some, inevitably, but
hopefully everything kind of works out for the best and
no one tries to take a bigger slice of the
pie than what they need.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
And other than that, I think, you know.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Things will work out I think that was the right
way to say. I think those are the right words.
So all right, it's gonna be fun. Glad you made
it back, say from Gateway. We got back. It was
very late Sunday night, but we did get back early
Sunday morning actually, so we we might do some more
Gateway wrap up later. I've got some more things to
think about with that great stuff on the website. By
(27:38):
the way, if you haven't checked out Jacob Hordes Jacob
Board like, we don't know who we're talking to. If
you haven't checked out Jacob's quick hits and the articles
that he's posted from the three nights at Gateway, please
go check those out at Ohio dirt dot com and
follow us on Facebook and Twitter at Ohio Dirt and
tell your friends you gotta Benjierus. Tell everybody thank you
(28:03):
guys for tuning in. Until next time, get out, get
thirty and support your local tracks.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
H
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