PUTNAMVILLE — A new era was ushered in at Lincoln Park on Saturday night as the Spiker family of Greencastle took over promotional rights at the popular Putnam County dirt track oval.
Joe and Jill Spiker reached an agreement with track owner Dave Allison last month on a five-year lease-purchase contract to take over the day-to-day operations at the Putnamville facility.
Their debut featured one of the track’s premier events, the Putnamville Clash, one of the season’s biggest paying sprint car events. The annual affair paid $2,000-to-win with Billy Puterbaugh taking home the top prize.
The Spikers follow a long standing tradition of family ran operations at the 5/16-mile dirt oval.
Built in 1969 by Kenny Ferrand, the track has been under the ownership of the Buck Arnold family of Coatsville, the Mike Farrar family of Indianapolis, the late Bill Hopton and his wife Marlene and the Allison family of Martinsville.
Relatively new to the area racing scene, the Spikers have made their presence felt in a big way, having taken over promotional chores at two area tracks in 2009. They are also in charge at the Vermilion County Speedway near Danville, Ill., since the start of this season.
Their debut Saturday was eagerly anticipated by those who support the weekly Saturday night shows at LPS.
Even an ominous weather forecast and intermittent rain showers that made for a longer than expected night of racing failed to dampen the spirits of those gathered.
And while the night could have been bigger and brighter, few went away disappointed with the efforts of LPS’ new management team.
Facing the daunting task of restoring the facility to its once proud status will not come easy or quickly — something those involved know quite well.
With the help of countless numbers of volunteers in recent days, the track is already taking on a new and improved look. While the changes thus far are primarily just cosmetic, many see it as a promising start.
Spiker looks forward to putting LPS back on the map.
“We’re excited. It’s like having two new kids, only worse,” Spiker said with a grin. “This is an awesome race track. One of the nicest in the country. We’ll get it back where it belongs.
“We’ve got a long way to go. It’s made for some short nights and long days. I have been here after work every day till two to three o’clock in the morning,” added Spiker.
News of the Spiker takeover was released prematurely giving some fans the impression that the Spiker family had purchased the track.
“Dave Allison actually owns the property. We’re going to lease it for five [years], we can lease it for 10 or we can buy it. There is a purchase price already agreed upon. I don’t think the place will support the payments right now. So it will be better for us lease it right now.”
After several earlier failed attempts to get possession of the track, Spiker held out hope, thus taking over the operations at VCS. The offer to take over LPS caught him by surprise.
“When the deal came to the table it was now or never, so it was now,” confided Spiker.
An excavator by trade, Spiker says his love for the sport will not take precedence over making the operation at the track a profitable one.
“The bottom line it’s still a business. I’m not as experienced as most people in this field. I thought it was going to be a part-time job making a lot of money, but it’s turned out to be a full-time job not making any money.”
He’s learned quickly that winning over and keeping the paying public happy involves more than just offering quality entertainment on the track.
Something as simple as reasonable ticket and concession stand prices to a timely-run program or having clean restrooms can make a difference from turning a profit or closing your doors.
Surprisingly, the restroom might take top priority. “If momma can’t go to the bathroom, dads not going to the races. That’s just the way it is,” Spiker said from experience.
The changes have already won over several drivers that compete at the track.
“Everything I’ve seen thus far is nothing but a positive,” offered sprint car competitor Kent Christian. “People want to come back to Putnamville. They want to feel like they are involved, they are welcomed. I don’t think its always been like that the past couple years.”
Defending bomber class champion C.J. Bryan also likes what he sees.
“It’s [turnaround] not going to happen overnight, but the guy [Spiker] has put more effort into it the past two weeks than what was done the last six years.”
Modified racer Paul Wright echoes similar praise for changes being made.
“Any way you look at the changes they have been positive,” offered the Terre Haute driver. “They finally got a weed eater, mowed some grass and put up new signs at the entrance. It makes the place presentable so the people know there’s a race track here.”
Spiker’s efforts at VCS has earned him praise from racers and fans alike. What transpires the final two months of this season at LPS will go a long way in setting the tone for 2010.
“Hopefully the fans will see the efforts we’ve made to improve the facility,” voiced Spiker. “We’ve still got a long way to go. Looking up there at the stands tonight I think we have passed our first test of turning this thing around,” he said with guarded optimism.
Joe Buckles can be reached at jbuckles4@verizon.net.
Trackside
JOE BUCKLES: New era starts at Lincoln Park
- Trackside
-
-
TRACKSIDE: Chase Stockon hopes momentum stays with him in Terre Haute
Momentum, an element that can be as elusive to a race driver as that perfect setup, can spell the difference in winning or running at the rear of the pack.
It’s a force difficult to achieve and maybe even harder to maintain. One learns quickly to make the most of the opportunity when it comes his way.
It’s something Chase Stockon will carry with him coming into today’s Jim Hurtubise Classic at the Terre Haute Action Track.
Only days following the biggest victory of his young and promising career, the $10,000-to-win USAC feature at Lawrenceburg, Stockon followed that up with another rich payday this past weekend at Tri-State Speedway. -
TRACKSIDE: Stanbrough continues points chase after recent skirmish with rival
Veteran sprint car driver Jon Stanbrough has never been one to hide his distaste for chasing point championships. It simply doesn’t bode well with his style of racing.
-
TRACKSIDE: Brett Andrew plays role in developing NASCAR's new body styles
The recent announcement from NASCAR regarding the approved body styles for the 2013 Sprint Cup Series follows extensive wind-tunnel testing that was a year in the making.
-
TRACKSIDE: Stockon takes giant step forward in USAC
One of the more impressive and welcomed storylines of the recently completed Indiana Sprint Week was the emergence of area driver Chase Stockon on the national sprint car scene.
-
TRACKSIDE: Indiana Sprint Week rises above heat, rain, poor economy
The 25th annual version of Indiana Sprint Week is now officially in the record books and the latest chapter will go down as one of the most successful in recent years.
-
TRACKSIDE: Late models may have no long-term future in Indiana
Reflecting on what was billed as the biggest week of the summer for dirt-track stock-car racing … while preparing to shift gears for the busiest week of the year for non-wing sprint-car racing in the Wabash Valley.
-
TRACKSIDE: Summer heat has made this ‘The Hell Tour’
It is fittingly billed as “The Hell Tour” for many of the Midwest’s leading late model stock car drivers and their crews.
-
TRACKSIDE: Retired driver LaJoie spreads the word of safety
In his roles as past driving champion and television analyst, Randy LaJoie has rightfully earned the reputation as a major contributor to the sport of auto racing.
-
Trackside: Stanbrough on track at midseason
When veteran driver Jon Stanbrough ushered in a new season in Florida back in February, he found himself facing a pair of unfamiliar challenges.
-
TRACKSIDE: Clauson bucks the IndyCar trend
On the surface, the distance from the dirt oval at Lincoln Park Speedway to the massive, paved Indianapolis Motor Speedway may appear only a few miles apart.
-
TRACKSIDE: USAC Midget Classic not nearly as revered as it once was
It might be three years removed from its birthplace but the Hut Hundred USAC Midget Classic still holds a special place in the hearts of Wabash Valley racing buffs.
-
TRACKSIDE: What could have been: Indy’s folklore got richer this week
It’s a question that will linger for years and only add to the folklore of the Indianapolis 500.
-
TRACKSIDE: Sprint car event could generate close racing
One of the hottest and most competitive weekends of the 2012 motorsports season gets under way tonight at the Terre Haute Action Track with the scheduled running of the Tony Hulman Sprint Car Classic.
-
TRACKSIDE: Mulling over the biggest weekend in motorsports
We’re approaching what has traditionally become one of the busiest and most prestigious weekends in all of motorsports.
-
TRACKSIDE: Helfrich: Short-track racing has good future
When questions arise regarding the current state of sprint car racing, whether they be at the local or national level, one doesn’t have to search much further for the answer than veteran promoter Tom Helfrich.
-
TRACKSIDE: Near-capacity crowd turns out for opening night of racing
Opening night at one of the midwest’s premier short track operations can be like no other time of the year.
-
TRACKSIDE: Racing season has promise
With several “test and tunes” sessions and season openers having already taken the green flag, it’s a sure sign the Wabash Valley racing campaign is shifting into high gear.
-
TRACKSIDE: Valley racing showed best, worst of times in 2011
A look back on the 2011 Wabash Valley auto racing season reveals the best and worst of times the sport has to offer.
-
TRACKSIDE: Menard's victory at Brickyard momentous for family, race fans
Who says one of those familiar bright fluorescent-colored Menards race cars can’t find its way to victory lane at Indianapolis?
-
TRACKSIDE: After a delayed start, the Terre Haute Action Track gets season cranked up
Its arrival may have been delayed by several months — for a host of reasons — but the 2011 Terre Haute Action Track season is finally out of the blocks.
-
TRACKSIDE: Changes come up on Indiana racing scene
With the highly anticipated USAC Indiana Sprint Week sprint card on tap at the Terre Haute Action Track tonight and the Tony Hulman/Don Smith Classic and a host of events leading up to the Brickyard 400 looming on the horizon, it would appear that it’s the best of times for Wabash Valley racing buffs.
-
TRACKSIDE: Fortunes of dirt track racing at Action Track can be written in the dust
In the 40 plus years of covering motorsports, it would appear the process of writing this weekly race column would come together rather routinely.
-
TRACKSIDE: Auto racing in May in Indiana runs on history and tradition
Possibly nowhere in the sports world does history and tradition play such a key role in an event’s success and future as that found in auto racing.
-
TRACKSIDE: Wabash Valley racing ready to take green flag — even Action Track
Despite having already lost several bouts to the elements, the 2011 Wabash Valley motorsports season has taken the green flag and will soon be shifting into high gear on several fronts.
-
TRACKSIDE: Fitzpatrick on track to continue impressive start to racing career
One of the top stories on the Wabash Valley motorsports stage last season was the emergence of Blake Fitzpatrick as a legitimate front-runner on the national sprint-car scene.
-
Frightening finish to season at Terre Haute Action Track
The 2010 Terre Haute Action Track season came to a climactic close over the weekend. Unfortunately, the campaign closed on a near-tragic note for the second consecutive year.
-
Trackside: Attractive USAC sprint car card this weekend
With the area circle track season rapidly drawing to a close, fans will have a pair of attractive USAC sprint car cards to attend this weekend. Back-to-back shows at Lincoln Park Speedway and Terre Haute Action Track not only offer fans a final opportunity to see the sprints in action one final time, but they also serve as pivotal stops in the chase for the USAC sprint car drivers championship.
-
Trackside: Sadler’s wreck brings up memories for Terre Haute racer Sizemore
One of the many fans that viewed Elliott Sadler’s wild crash at Pocono over the weekend with more than casual interest was former Terre Haute racer Paul Sizemore.
-
Trackside: Talented young racer Blake Fitzpatrick savoring USAC success
The dust has long settled. The congratulatory phone calls and handshakes are becoming less frequent but that first taste of victory remains as fresh and sweet as ever for the U.S. Auto Club’s newest first-time sprint car feature winner.
-
Trackside: Positive story lines in USAC
Reflections on events surrounding a highly successful USAC Indiana Sprint Weeks while looking forward to a crowded schedule of events leading up to this weekend’s Brickyard 400.
- More Trackside Headlines
-
TRACKSIDE: Chase Stockon hopes momentum stays with him in Terre Haute
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Gun Scare Mars Cannes Film Festival
Raw: Suicide Bomber Kills 2 Americans, 13 Others
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
Raw: Texas Gov. Flies Over Tornado Damage
Music Therapy Bonds Parents and Preemies
China, Others Want What's Under the Arctic Ice
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
One Million Evacuated As Cyclone Hits Bangladesh
Raw: 6 Die in Russian Ship Fire
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Germany Protestors Picket Barbie House
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
Raw: Tornadoes Spotted in Kansas
Twiggy, the Water Skiing Squirrel
Sailor Surprises His Mom At Her CU Denver Graduation Ceremony
Official: ‘Amazing’ No One Was Killed In CT Train Crash
Coffee Stop Leads To Arrest Of YouTube Sensation Wanted For Murder
Bearded Dragon Reunited With Owner
Marine Reunited with Warzone Companion
Beyonce Is Pregnant!
SF baseball player overpaid $500,000 RETURNS money -- and team says KEEP IT
Dad returns from Afghanistan, surprises family during Rays' first pitch
See Jennifer Lopez's New $10m Hamptons Mansion
Woman tricked into taking abortion pill
Emma Watson Goes Pantless
IRS scandal: Republicans seek to tie Obama to agency's woes
Play of the Day: Flipping to Safety
Pregnant Kim Kardashian Squeezes Her Swollen Feet Into Stilettos
Top Videos of the Week: Angry Taco Bell Guy, Glacier Moves on House, Dog Hates Baths
