Some view the 1990s as one of the boom eras for short-track racing, so Grandview Speedway decided to go back in time on June 24. Back to the ’90s Night included $10 admission and one of the raddest nights to remember in recent history at the Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania, dirt track.
“So many racetracks do a fan appreciation night,” track announcer Jeff Ahlum, of Quakertown, Pennsylvania, said. “We decided to combine it with our trivia night and go back to the ’90s all in one show. We wanted to be different and give the fans a night of fun because they are the ones who rose up and showed support, saving the track from possibly being sold last year.”
Part of rolling back the clock to the 1990s included rolling back to prices back then.
“In the ’90s, admission was $10,” said Ahlum. “[Daughter of track owner Theresa Rogers] Tina [Rogers] and [her Tina’s son] Brad Missimer agreed to make admission $10 for the Back to the ’90s program, half the price of today’s admission.”
The track encouraged folks to look like they came from the 1990s, too. Fans and drivers stepped up, wearing vintage T-shirts from the era.
Throughout the night, on the PA Ahlum shared trivia questions from the track’s history, which dates back to 1962. Those who answered the questions correctly received rewards. The track offered gift cards for food and drink. They also gave away two pairs of tickets to the NASCAR Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway. The tickets came courtesy of modified driver Bobby Gunther Walsh, who also works as a radio personality at 790 WAEB.
The Back to the ’90s theme certainly energized fans and teams at Grandview Speedway, and it brought a crowd.
“The event was a huge success,” Ahlum said. “We had a full house, just like we had every week in the ’90s.
“I don’t see why this wouldn’t work for racetracks elsewhere. A little different kind of promotion can go a long way.”
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.
