Ted Pollock, who has owned Yakima Speedway for 42 years, puts a different spin on why the half-mile paved oval had such a spectacular year last season.
“I would say that our location, being centrally located, had a lot to do with that, ” Pollock explained. “Yakima Speedway is equidistant between Portland (Oregon), Spokane (Wash. ) and Seattle. The other thing is that we are the only half-mile track in the area and we have no crash wall. It is a lot safer for the drivers because they don’t bounce off a concrete wall and have to repair a bunch of costly damage. Instead they can go off and come right back around and get back on the racetrack and continue on. ”
“Of course, we also make sure that we have a clean facility for the fans, plant flowers to help make it a little more attractive, and offer good food. We also make sure to start our program early and end it early for the families, ” added Pollock.
The general admission adult ticket price has been lowered 17 percent and is now just $10, with a children’s ticket priced at $5. Military and senior discounts are also available. Both Bennett and Pollock take great pride in the fact that Yakima Speedway is the largest spectator sport in their area, and continually draws larger crowds that the local semi-pro baseball and professional basketball teams.
Yakima Speedway will play a key role in establishing the new ASA Northwest Tour as they host three dates this year, and this will be the track’s headline touring series. The first date is a 125-lap event on May 26, followed by a pair of 200-lap races on July 7 and September 2. Both of those races will feature live pit stop action.
“We are proud to be the cornerstone of the ASA Northwest Tour and will be the only track to host the series three times. We are also the only track on the schedule where live pit stops will be done so that is pretty exciting for our fans and those teams as well, ” Bennett said.
The 2007 season opens with the April 14-15 running of the 41st Annual Apple Cup with a $5,000-to-win purse for the Super Late Models. The closing event is the 20th Annual Fall Classic which will be held on September 28, 29 and October 1. The total purse for this event has grown over the years and now stands in excess of $80,000, with the Super Late Models gunning for the $16,000 prize.
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