Wow!!! This certainly is exciting. I'm not sure where to start but I guess at the beginning would be a good point. In November of 2004 I got one of the best and worst birthday presents of all time. It was a Saturday night and I got to go to the races at Sunshine Speedway, the fastest 1/4 mile in the Southeast. It was the eve before my birthday and the races were pretty good as usual. At the end of the night, however, my heart sank a little as this was to be the last night of racing for the 44 year old racing facility. Stock Car racing in Pinellas County was to fade into the annals of history. The reason I said it was a good and bad birthday present is because watching the races was fun but leaving the track after midnight (then my actual birthday) was bittersweet, knowing that was it. I took some video of the track and of the last car on the track, the #11 Figure-8 car of Art Calkins. Then, with a heavy heart, I left the track.
I didn't stay away from racing for too long. I still watched Sprint cup racing during the season as well as try out other local tracks a number of times. I saw two races at Lakeland International Speedway, the 3/4 mile track that never really saw its full potential. I also visited Citrus County Speedway, Auburndale Speedway, DeSoto Speedway, and finally...East Bay Raceway Park. I found a second home at East Bay, attending races regularly there for about three seasons. Dirt racing was a different experience for me, one which I found very exciting.
While at work one day in December, the lady that works with the greeting cards in our store, informed me that negotiations were underway to revive Sunshine Speedway as a racing facility again. Luckily the actual track was still there, having been used by D.O.T. for testing new Sun Pass toll booth equipment for the past several years. I could hardly contain my excitement but tread with caution as a little over a year before there was a big campaign to "Bring back the track" that failed (or never even got started, I don't know which), so, I kept my cool until I could get home and watch the news. Well, it turned out to be true and by Early this year it was announced that Robert and Danielle Yoho had won the bid with a five year lease. They were to take possession of the track on May 1st!!!!!! I was ecstatic to say the least.
So here is my blog on racing at the newly named "SHOWTIME SPEEDWAY!!!!!" I hope you enjoy it as much as I'll enjoy writing it.
Have a Wonderful Day Everybody!!!
John (aka, The "Creature")
C-Ya!!!
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