JACKSON SPEEDWAY TAKES TO THE HIGHWAYS WITH TOURING SERIES AND ASA MEMBER TRACK AFFILIATION

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 2, 2008) – Jon McCorkell, promoter of Jackson (Minn.) Speedway, has his eye on the future, and it is looking at both the new Jackson Speedway Touring Series and an ASA Member Track affiliation as two ways for his racetrack to stand out and bring in new race fans.

McCorkell emphatically states that the 360 Sprint Cars are the premier division for his half-mile racetrack, and he is looking at ways to help increase the car count and keep teams coming back. One way was to develop the Jackson Speedway Touring Series this season.

He stated that the idea for the Touring Series, “Was just one of those deals where quite a few of our local teams were looking for more races and we wanted to continue to build our brand for Jackson Speedway to be known as the place for Sprint Car action. We wanted to get our teams out on the road to different racetracks, but don’t stress them by taking the Series too far away where it will cost a lot for gas and travel expenses.”

In addition to a scheduled six races for the Jackson Speedway Touring Series at his racetrack, McCorkell has scheduled two more at Nobles County Speedway in Worthington, Minn. This track is just a short 30 miles away and there are some teams based in the area so it made sense to include them on the schedule. He indicated that more dates could be added at other nearby racetracks.

“We worked closely with Nobles County Speedway last season doing some cross-promotions and it went very well. I have a little different outlook when it comes to other racetracks. I prefer to try and work together when it comes to promotions and scheduling so we all can benefit rather than trying to take away fans and cars which really does nothing but hurt everybody involved,” McCorkell explained.

At Jackson Speedway, the emphasis is on the Sprint Cars even though the regular Saturday night program also features Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks. The season starts on May 9 and runs through October 4. Scheduling details, news, and plenty of information can be found online at www.JacksonSpeedway.com.

“We’ve been working for several seasons now on enhancing our Sprint Car divisions so that we are known for that type of racing,” McCorkell said. “Beginning with The Double Barrel Sprints, our beginer Sprint Car division which uses a two-barrel carburetor, we try and make this type of racing more affordable. We want to offer our fans the best Sprint Car racing in the area, and offer competitive payouts so we can keep the car counts high. And of course, we need to make sure that there are enough races on the schedule to justify the teams building cars and competing on a regular basis. I think that our plans are starting to take hold and we are making good progress which can be measured by several new teams jumping in from other classes and the races are becoming much bigger events at our track and those that surround Jackson Speedway.”

Jackson Speedway has been in continual operation since becoming a weekly operation in 1954. Incredibly, the racing surface was first laid out sometime in the 1800s making it one of the oldest facilities in the United States. A complete renovation was made in 2001 which included new bleachers, VIP boxes, catch fencing, bathrooms and concessions stands.

A unique idea for 2008 is an innovative new infield spectator seating area.  “We wanted to try and figure out a way for our fans to really see just how fast those Sprint Cars are as they circle around our half-mile racetrack. We made an area in the infield just for the spectators, and so far there has been a good buzz in the area about this spot,” McCorkell said.

“There is some pretty stiff competition for the entertainment dollars today. We wanted to add some excitement and value for the price that we charge for a ticket. We want to have the fans feel that they received a very positive return on their ticket price and get more fans out to experience dirt track racing. We are simply looking at ways to make our product more appealing to the casual fan,” McCorkell added.

Ticket prices at Jackson Speedway start at a very reasonable $10 for Adults, and a Family Pack is offered for $25 which includes two adult tickets and four student tickets (ages 6-12). Kids aged five or less are admitted for free.  Admission into the Infield Spectator Area is $15.

The move to the American Speed Association was also made in an effort to secure a solid future for Jackson Speedway.  Most of the sanctioning bodies offer $50,000 of Excess Medical Benefit as a selling point to buying a license.  Now we are going to have this amount of insurance without charging a license. 

“The more that I talked to Dennis (Huth), the more I thought that it would be good to get involved now with an eye to the future.  I really liked the whole package that the ASA Member Track program offered as well as their way of doing business,” said McCorkell, adding that the ASA insurance program was better than he was able to obtain from the same company.

Though Jackson Speedway is currently a Level II participant in the ASA Member Track program, McCorkell is already looking at the possibility of moving up to a Level I status in the near future.

“We are very excited to have Jackson Speedway join the ASA Member Track program and I really like the direction that Jon is taking that racetrack. He has a clear vision about how to differentiate his racetrack from those in the area by putting an emphasis on the Sprint Cars. I admire his thinking about the new infield spectator area.  I think it is a little like sitting up high in an arena at an NHL hockey game. It looks fast, but when you get a chance to sit at ice level by the glass you really see how quick those guys are. It’s the same with being inside a bullring racetrack. You will be amazed at how fast those 360 Sprint Cars will fly by and I guarantee that you will go and tell all your friends – once your head stops spinning,” said Dennis Huth, president of Racing Speed Associates which own the American Speed Association.

To learn more of the Daytona Beach, Fla.-based ASA Racing Member Track program, call (386) 258-2221 or send an e-mail to info@asa-racing.com. For news and information from all the racetracks and regional tours involved in the ASA, visit www.ASA-Racing.com.

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For more information, contact:

American Speed Association

(386) 258-2221

info@asa-racing.com