DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- There are plenty of changes in store for Dells Raceway Park this season, starting with a new ownership group taking control and the facility becoming a Level I ASA Member Track.
Formerly known as Dells Motor Speedway, a longtime fixture in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., the racetrack was sold in early February to a group of locals. With the support of the Bank of Wisconsin Dells, Joe Graziano, Lance Fielitz and Frank Kreyer became the new owners and promoters of the racetrack with strong ties to the Midwest racing scene dating back to the 1950s.
Located in a region rife with popular tourist destinations, Graziano said that the group has set a goal of transforming Dells Raceway Park (DRP) into a facility on par with other world famous attractions found in the Wisconsin Dells area, ”instead of being just a local racer’s paradise”.
Graziano explained that all three owners are very involved with the daily operations of DRP. He takes on the role as director of business operations. Fielitz will handle the concession and human resources areas, and Kreyer is head of the track’s marketing programs as well as the race and competition operations. The trio has plans to consistently improve the track for both the competitors and fans, but intends to implement them in small steps over the course of the season.
“We are still evaluating a variety of ideas, but one thing is for sure – we don’t have a magic wand that we can wave and have everything changed and updated all at once,” said Graziano. “Throughout the season we will make several improvements, expecting that teams and fans will notice and say ‘hey, did you see what they did since we were here last?’
One of the first courses of action was to have a meeting to reassure the drivers that they will be treated as professionals. “These racers had a rough time over the past three or four years and car counts dropped dramatically. But this group has been waiting very patiently for a change, and they must like what they have heard so far as 460 people showed up for an informational meeting we held,” added Graziano.
“We were really leery about the turnout (at this meeting), especially as we worked behind the closed doors of an empty banquet hall that was set up to seat 400,” Fielitz recalled. “When the doors opened it was just like a concert as the venue quickly filled up to a standing room only crowd. It was wonderful to know that so many racers and fans are as excited as we were to kick off a new era at DRP.”
The regular Saturday night program will feature Super Late Models, Super Stocks, Pure Stocks, Limited Late Models and Bandits. The season opens on April 21, and the complete schedule and other information such as news and point standings can be found online at www.DellsRacewayPark.com. Special events on the one-third mile oval will include a pair of Wisconsin Challenge Series races (on May 12 and June 30) and the June 12 visit by the ASA Midwest Tour.
“Joe, Lance and Frank certainly have their work cut out for them, but I know that they have the vision and are very motivated to turn Dells Raceway Park into one of the finest short tracks in the country,” said Dennis Huth, president of the ASA Member Track and Regional and National Racing programs. “Short track racing is so strong in Wisconsin and that track has such a great history that once the fans and teams see that changes are being made they will quickly come and support the track as they did only a few years ago. I congratulate Joe, Lance and Frank on their purchase and look forward to working with them and seeing their vision for DRP become reality.”
Graziano explained that joining the ASA Member Track program was the first step in proving that they are serious about turning things around.
“It was really just a good gesture on our part,” he said. “We believe that the ASA Member Track program is a way to show we are serious about becoming a strong member in the short track community. Being part of ASA shows our fans and our racers that we are serious about turning this into a world class track.”
As a Level I participant in the ASA Member Track program, DRP is entitled to contributions to their year-end point fund, marketing assistance, and enhanced participant accident insurance. The ASA insurance program is noted for its excellence,.
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.
