Orange Show Speedway promoter Robert Snyder looks forward to putting on his first full season, with a complete off-season to prepare. He hastily made a schedule last year as soon as Covid restrictions were lifted.
“I’m enthusiastic for the new season — I learned a whole lot last season by making a million mistakes,” Snyder said. “I had no time to put last year’s season together. Restrictions were lifted, there were no dates but what the fairgrounds offered, and we had 14 days to announce a program and get the track ready to go.”
Despite the short time to get ready for the 2021 season, Snyder said the ¼-mile paved oval in San Bernardino, California, did well.
“I had more cars and fans last season than I had counted on,” said Snyder. “We averaged 1,147 fans and about 70 cars per show. We’ll have more interesting events for fans [this season].”
The weekly show consists of pro late models, street stocks, pro 4s, and stock ponies, with American race trucks, Legend cars, Bandoleros, and sport compacts making regular appearances.
“We will have eight complete oval shows and three huge Hot Pit AutoFest drifting events,” Snyder said.
Every oval-track racing night features a special. The season opens on March 12. The April 23 show is in conjunction with the National Orange Show Fair.
On May 21, a game truck comes in for the kids. June 4, the track puts on the Jerry Burhop Memorial, a pro late model 150-lapper.
Orange Show Speedway celebrates July 4th on July 9. August 27 features a “Back to the 80s Throwback Night.”
On October 8, a trunk-or-treat event occurs. And, the season concludes on November 12, with an “Xtreme Night of Racing,” which includes a destruction derby, lawnmower races, and freestyle motocross.
“We have a schedule that should bring in new fans this year,” Snyder said. “We want to show the community that we are here, we are open, and we have fun family entertainment.”
Mike Adaskaveg 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.
