Blue Valor Speedway continues to experience delays. It forced the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) National Tour to cancel its events scheduled on July 3–4, 2021, at the Emmett, Idaho, oval. The series cited local and state permitting issues as delaying the track’s opening. (See “Blue Valor Speedway: Developer Says It’s Still a Go”.)
“We had no choice but to remove Blue Valor Speedway off the schedule because of the uncertainty of the situation,” said Bryan Hulbert, of the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS). “We were looking forward to racing at that new facility. It’s a tough time of year to try to replace that show.”
The series’ Blue Valor Speedway stop helped bridge the gap from their event at Skagit Speedway in Washington on June 24–26 and their races on July 9–10 at Gallatin Speedway in Montana. (See “Blue Valor Speedway: New Dirt Track in Idaho”.)
“Terry [Mattox], our scheduling director, has been busy talking to tracks in the north, with hopes of putting something together to fill that gap,” Hulbert said. “If we head south, the summer heat would be a factor at that time of year. After the Gallatin Speedway shows, we’re full tilt to the end of the tour.”
The ASCS Elite Great Plains Non-Wing Sprints series races at Sweetwater Speedway in Wyoming on July 3–4. While that track could have served as an alternative to Blue Valor Speedway for the national circuit, the ASCS said it chose not to mix the two series. Nevertheless, a layover of nearly two weeks is far from desirable for a national touring series.
“We will work hard to fill the void,” said Hulbert. “We will get the word out as soon as possible if we find a replacement [track] for that date.”
The Outside Groove Director of Photography has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
