RACING FAMILY BANDS TOGETHER TO INSTALL ELECTRONIC SCOREBOARD AT ORANGE SHOW SPEEDWAY

Source: Orange Show Speedway Public Relations
Date: 10/09/2007

SAN BERNARDINO, California -- One of the most significant events in Orange Show Speedway history took place without fanfare Saturday night (Oct. 6) when spectators and competitors were able to follow the night’s racing activity on a new, electronic scoreboard.

The board, overlooking Turns 1 and 2 on the quarter-mile oval, is a first for the 60-year facility. The board displays the numbers of the first five cars on each lap of a race, the number of laps completed and the track condition, so that for the first time the fans in the stands and the racers on the track won’t have to rely on guesswork while following the progress of an event.

“This is a major step forward in our efforts to make Orange Show Speedway one of the best racing venues in the country,” said Director of Racing Joe Ganino Jr., “and there’s no way to adequately express our gratitude to Bob Patison and Lucas Oil for providing the scoreboard and to all the companies and individuals who worked so hard to get it installed and operating in time for Saturday’s races.

“The board was in a crate on Thursday so we didn’t want to make any announcements because we weren’t sure it would be ready. But there wasn’t even a glitch on Saturday night. It took a lot of effort by a lot of people to make it happen and none of them were concerned about personal recognition or anything like that.”

Lucas Oil, by far the biggest supporter of grassroots racing in the nation, paid for the board and had it shipped and delivered to the track at the National Orange Show Events Center.

Stockall Services owner Gary Stockman, whose son Travis races in the Hype Manufacturing Super Late Model class, donated all the steel for the mounting system that he designed and fabricated.

Clay Wooster, Gerald Lair and Steve Smith of Tri City Towing and Mike Scheidecker of Rollings Automotive, the official towing companies for the speedway, combined their efforts to move the board into position and Quiel Brothers Signs hung it.

Pro 4 driver Eddie Secord provided all the welding services for the project and Legends Cars driver Larry Meredith helped mount and paint the frame and donated the paint.

“There were a lot of others involved, too,” Ganino said, “guys like our own John Pope (OSS technical director) and Ryan Kelley and Frank Tovar from the (NOS) maintenance department. I want to thank everybody. It’s another example of the kinds of positive things that can happen when the racing family works together.

“It’s also a great way to help wrap up a good season.”

There are three weekends of racing remaining, highlighted by the rescheduled Toys for Tots 100 Late Model race Oct. 27, but planning is well under way for 2008, when Ganino and the OSS staff will continue to build on the groundwork that has been laid since Ganino became Director of Racing in June, 2006.

This year’s list of improvements includes the paving of the infield, the establishment of the track’s first Winner’s Circle, the return of quarter midget racing and the establishment of the Orange Show Quarter Midget Racing Association, and the introduction of what is believed to be the nation’s only orange crash wall – an appropriate choice for Orange Show Speedway.

The paving of the infield has been a major factor in making the weekly racing schedule more fan-friendly by significantly reducing the time necessary for cleanup after racing incidents. It also made possible the debut of the Lucas Oil Outlaw Figure 8 class.

The new scoreboard is not yet operating at full efficiency because the information is being entered by hand. But Ganino said work already has begun to install all the wiring and electronics necessary to outfit the race cars with transponders and make the scoreboard fully operational for the 2008 season.

Improvements to the pit area and continued upgrading of the spectator facilities are among the other projects under consideration for the future.

The next racing program at the speedway, on Oct. 20, will feature the Hype Manufacturing Super Late Models, ASA Pro 4s, Stock Cars USA, Street Stocks and Jr. Mini StocKars.

Spectator gates open at 5 p.m. and racing gets under way at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (62 and over), handicapped and juniors (13-16) and $2 for children (6-12). Active military personnel and veterans with valid military identification are admitted free of charge. Parking is $4 per car with entry through Gate 3 off Mill Street.

Those unable to make it to the speedway still can follow the action with “Orange Show Speedway Live,” the radio broadcast on KTTD (AM 1350) that begins at 8 p.m. and is simulcast on the Internet at www.nixacountry.com.

Racing at Orange Show Speedway is sponsored by Lucas Oil, Blackhawk Protection, Hype Manufacturing, Del Taco, Aflac Insurance, KTTD radio (AM 1350), Leno’s Rico Taco, Soboba Casino, Budweiser, Hoosier Racing Tires, Frank’s Radio Service, Torco Racing Fuels, Parker Pumper/BSR West, Eibach Springs, JP Striping, Star Auto Parts, Pepsi, Matich Coporation, L. Curti Truck and Equipment, One Stop Landscape Supply, Extreme Exhibits & Logistics, Little Green Onions and the San Bernardino County Sun.

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