Clarksville Speedway
Maintaining a strong and vibrant dirt track, and keeping it a financial success, is an expensive proposition for any owner.
Dirt tracks are challenged with drawing quality drivers to the track who will help fill the grandstands. And persuading those drivers to stick around for the duration of a season can be tricky, especially if another regional dirt track is offering a larger pay day.
William and Tammy Scogin prevented Clarksville StormPay.com Speedway, one of the state's oldest dirt tracks, from becoming a subdivision when they purchased the track six years ago. Now, a new points championship format, borrowed from the NASCAR Nextel Cup Chase, is giving fans a reason to continue returning to the track as the season winds down.
The clay, oval track is one of the biggest spectator draws in the area, with race fans flocking to watch the eight divisions run each Saturday.
But with points championship titles sometimes decided by July — a whole three months before the season ends — Speedway ownership decided to enlist a points championship series to create excitement and interest, and give fans a reason to keep coming back.
"I think the problem with short track racing is, and I think the Cup deal illustrates this, is at the end of the year we have problems keeping cars," William Scogin said. "When someone has run out there (leading a racing series), and there's no one that can catch him, there's no fun in the sport anymore."
The NASCAR Nextel Cup Chase uses a points system where the top 12 drivers are involved in a 10-race playoff for the points championship.
Clarksville StormPay.com Speedway separated its top 10 drivers in each of the eight racing series by five points for a nine-race playoff.
The racing schedule includes late models, open wheel modified, pro street, street stock, Outlaw mini sprints and pure mini. The track draws drivers from Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Alabama and Indiana.
"This is a family atmosphere," Scogin said. "I thought bringing that back together, and giving that 10th-place guy a chance; a guy that's 50 points behind to win a championship that never had a chance to do it before."
Scogin also believes the points championship gives drivers an incentive to keep racing.
"It's a superb deal for the families. These people work just like we do at a job, but they do this at night on a weekend," Scogin said. "When you talk about this at the beginning of the year, it's fair to everybody."
Track Upgrades
The points championship series is the latest addition to the dirt track, which has seen significant improvement and changes since the Scogins became owners. In the past two years alone, the track has added media and corporate suites around Turn 1 and along the frontstretch, and there are plans for
additional suites.
Nearly two years ago, StormPay.com became a business partner, allowing the speedway to upgrade the facilities and improve the payoffs for drivers who have invested their own money to race on the track. John McConnell, who is affiliated with StormPay.com, also became a part owner of the Speedway.
In the past, the Scogins have used their own money to upgrade and build new facilities, including concessions, restrooms, beer buildings, bleachers and general ground work.
The Speedway is one of only a few dirt tracks in the country with a red-clay surface, and it helped launch the racing career of Clarksville native Jeff Purvis, who was considered one of the nation's best dirt track drivers before a successful career on the ARCA and NASCAR Busch Series circuits.
The Speedway also hosts two races on the O'Reilly USCS Sprint Car Series and the UMP late model series.
NASCAR drivers Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader have raced the past four years at the Speedway, and Nextel Cup driver Tony Stewart competed at the track in the late '90s.
The drag strip, which is adjacent to the track, is a favorite hangout for teenagers, who are allowed to race their cars on the strip between midnight and 3 a.m. every Friday.
Clarksville StormPay.com Speedway is at 1600 Needmore Road. Call 645-2523 or go to www.clarksvillespeedway.com.