Southwick announces end of operation

willie838
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willie838 1/9/2014 11:52pm
1/9/2014 11:52pm
shit- a lot about racing i don't understand financially

motodads loading up 6 figures deep on a pipe dream.

local tracks and the MASSIVE liability package they'd have to carry

how exactly privateers are making ends meet....

i'd really be suprised if even the national track owners are making a substantial amount of money. i know there is profits but there is way more overhead than most people would suspect.
pete24
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pete24 1/10/2014 6:21am
1/10/2014 6:21am
pete24 wrote:
i raced the last moto ever at the wick, Steve Burdette won it
Chris O'Neal wrote:
What class did Steve win? He is quite the character and its very impressive that he held a 2 digit national number for something like a...
What class did Steve win? He is quite the character and its very impressive that he held a 2 digit national number for something like a decade, with his lowest number being #32!

I hate to say it but Southwick was no where near what it used to be these last couple years (track wise). Go on youtube and watch any race in the mid 90s like 1996 and it was wayyyyyyyyy rougher. Seems like since 2007 when they dozed the track after the motos, it was never the same. Southwick was known for being rough and sandy but turned into, kind of sandy / hard base with somewhat rough at the national. The locals no longer had that big advantage and the second moto lap times weren't far off from the first moto. I also think the direction of the track and removal of the woods section including the frog pond, really made a big impact in the decline of Southwick.

The sand was literally removed from the bikes after 4+ decades of racing. If you think about it, every bike that left the track was covered in sand, now times that by say 400+ riders, times 2 motos each a weekend for 30+ weekends a year and that's a lot of dirt and that's a low average!

I don't think this will be the end of it, just waiting for new promoters to take over.
Steve won the 50+ and ill bet you a dollar his lowest national number was 26
jmx411
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jmx411 1/10/2014 6:27am
1/10/2014 6:27am
Joko wrote:
Maybe KTM has the forward thinking to try it, they seem more progressive than others. Imagine having that year's model line up (125/150/250sx, 250/450 sxf) available...
Maybe KTM has the forward thinking
to try it, they seem more progressive than others. Imagine having that year's model line up (125/150/250sx, 250/450 sxf) available at their track all year round for riders and new potential riders to the sport having the ability to try out the bikes and or sport. Or if FOX had gear rentals available as well to go along with the bike tryouts. Heck, a person can go to a ski lodge, rent
everything and get their feet we .... MX should follow the plan?
Thats a great idea. Theres a track in Georgia that I cant think of the name that kinds of does that. You can rent a cabin for the weekend and stay as well.
motogrady
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motogrady 1/10/2014 6:43am
1/10/2014 6:43am
That track, Death by Committee.

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Travis707
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Travis707 1/10/2014 6:45am
1/10/2014 6:45am
I spoke with Mike Grondahl at about 8 this morning. There will be a press release later today with an update on the status of Southwick to clear things up.
huck
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huck 1/10/2014 7:05am
1/10/2014 7:05am
Cygnus wrote:
Sign of the times. Can't blame them when most of the customer base are bitches like the guy who started the robbed thread.
Especially the ones that have been open for a long time...they can sell the land and make more than they do having races. I don't blame them.
motogrady
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motogrady 1/10/2014 7:20am
1/10/2014 7:20am
Cygnus wrote:
Sign of the times. Can't blame them when most of the customer base are bitches like the guy who started the robbed thread.
huck wrote:
Especially the ones that have been open for a long time...they can sell the land and make more than they do having races. I don't blame...
Especially the ones that have been open for a long time...they can sell the land and make more than they do having races. I don't blame them.
Yeah, it was guys wanting their gate fee refunded that was the death of SouthwickLaughing
dedi684
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dedi684 1/10/2014 7:21am
1/10/2014 7:21am
Seems to me like they are taking the motocross 338 name with them. I noticed at the last race many if not all motocross 338 signs were gone
dedi684
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dedi684 1/10/2014 7:24am
1/10/2014 7:24am
Cygnus wrote:
Sign of the times. Can't blame them when most of the customer base are bitches like the guy who started the robbed thread.
huck wrote:
Especially the ones that have been open for a long time...they can sell the land and make more than they do having races. I don't blame...
Especially the ones that have been open for a long time...they can sell the land and make more than they do having races. I don't blame them.
motogrady wrote:
Yeah, it was guys wanting their gate fee refunded that was the death of SouthwickLaughing
Somewhat true, there was a huge fiasco there when way too many people showed up for an ooen practice day. Lots of people vowed to never return.
motogrady
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motogrady 1/10/2014 7:30am
1/10/2014 7:30am
huck wrote:
Especially the ones that have been open for a long time...they can sell the land and make more than they do having races. I don't blame...
Especially the ones that have been open for a long time...they can sell the land and make more than they do having races. I don't blame them.
motogrady wrote:
Yeah, it was guys wanting their gate fee refunded that was the death of SouthwickLaughing
dedi684 wrote:
Somewhat true, there was a huge fiasco there when way too many people showed up for an ooen practice day. Lots of people vowed to never...
Somewhat true, there was a huge fiasco there when way too many people showed up for an ooen practice day. Lots of people vowed to never return.
That would not surprise me, it's a tough business.

But it, the factors of it closing, were all over this place.

The couple that ran it for a long time had a good turnout, the track owners
raised the rent from I think 20 grand to 100 grand, so the couple said bye bye.

That's how I remember it anyway.
dedi684
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dedi684 1/10/2014 7:34am
1/10/2014 7:34am
motogrady wrote:
Yeah, it was guys wanting their gate fee refunded that was the death of SouthwickLaughing
dedi684 wrote:
Somewhat true, there was a huge fiasco there when way too many people showed up for an ooen practice day. Lots of people vowed to never...
Somewhat true, there was a huge fiasco there when way too many people showed up for an ooen practice day. Lots of people vowed to never return.
motogrady wrote:
That would not surprise me, it's a tough business. But it, the factors of it closing, were all over this place. The couple that ran it...
That would not surprise me, it's a tough business.

But it, the factors of it closing, were all over this place.

The couple that ran it for a long time had a good turnout, the track owners
raised the rent from I think 20 grand to 100 grand, so the couple said bye bye.

That's how I remember it anyway.
Depends who you believe I guess. I havent seen any good changes made there since well not in the last 10 years
Joko
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Joko 1/10/2014 7:48am
1/10/2014 7:48am
Maybe a good point in time for Mike G. to launch a replacement Southwick website to succeed motocross338.com for regular updates.
motogrady
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motogrady 1/10/2014 7:55am
1/10/2014 7:55am Edited Date/Time 1/10/2014 7:56am
Joko wrote:
Maybe a good point in time for Mike G. to launch a replacement Southwick website to succeed motocross338.com for regular updates.
Might work, but how do you keep the history, the goodwill, the memories that bring people back when you go that route?

I'd think if he bought the place, all that stuff would go with it.
Chris O'Neal
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Chris O'Neal 1/10/2014 9:57am
1/10/2014 9:57am
pete24 wrote:
i raced the last moto ever at the wick, Steve Burdette won it
Chris O'Neal wrote:
What class did Steve win? He is quite the character and its very impressive that he held a 2 digit national number for something like a...
What class did Steve win? He is quite the character and its very impressive that he held a 2 digit national number for something like a decade, with his lowest number being #32!

I hate to say it but Southwick was no where near what it used to be these last couple years (track wise). Go on youtube and watch any race in the mid 90s like 1996 and it was wayyyyyyyyy rougher. Seems like since 2007 when they dozed the track after the motos, it was never the same. Southwick was known for being rough and sandy but turned into, kind of sandy / hard base with somewhat rough at the national. The locals no longer had that big advantage and the second moto lap times weren't far off from the first moto. I also think the direction of the track and removal of the woods section including the frog pond, really made a big impact in the decline of Southwick.

The sand was literally removed from the bikes after 4+ decades of racing. If you think about it, every bike that left the track was covered in sand, now times that by say 400+ riders, times 2 motos each a weekend for 30+ weekends a year and that's a lot of dirt and that's a low average!

I don't think this will be the end of it, just waiting for new promoters to take over.
pete24 wrote:
Steve won the 50+ and ill bet you a dollar his lowest national number was 26
No I can't take that bet cause your right! I knew it was really low and that number sounds right. Just think what kind of ride he would have if he had numbers like that in this day and age. But then again Byrne doesn't have a ride anymore and he's 26! I can't remember what Steve's best finish was at a National, can you?

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