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As someone who lives about 5 miles down the road from the fairgrounds, I'm excited about this. Project schedule is to be complete in time for PA Speedweek in 2021. If they get a race or not is yet to be known. Either way, it'll be good to see another track in central PA. A 410 + USAC Midget race during Fair week would bring an insane amount of people. 

https://www.pressenterpriseonline.com/daily/103120/page/1/story/racing-set-to-return

PRESS ENTERPRISE SNEAK PEEK

New track to bring sprint car racing back to Bloomsburg Fairgrounds after 40 years

By Julye Wemple - Press Enterprise Staff Writer

Last updated: October 30, 2020 - 5:51pm

The proposed dirt track at Bloomsburg Fairgrounds

By the time the biggest sprint car event hits Pennsylvania next year, the Bloomsburg Fair hopes to have a home for one of its premier national races.

After a nearly 40-year absence, the fair is bringing back midget and sprint car racing, with work on a new 3/8-mile dirt track set to begin next week, officials say.

If all goes well, the track will be ready for PA Speedweek, a nine-day event that’s drawn some of the biggest names in racing, including NASCAR stars Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell.

“We have an incredible opportunity with the team from the Bloomsburg Fair to pay homage to the great sport of dirt oval racing, but to modernize it for the next 50 years to come,” said BJ Birtwell, whose Birtwell’s Armory Agency is overseeing the project.

The agency is getting help from the United States Auto Club and its vice president, seven-time national sprint car champion Levi Jones.

To accommodate the track, which will have its start and finish line centered in front of the fairgrounds’ grandstand, the fair probably will have to remove its main grandstand stage, fair Grandstand Director Brian Wawroski said.

That doesn’t mean the fair won’t bring in the same caliber of performers during fair week, though. Those shows will continue, most likely with a rented stage brought in for the week.

The fair also hopes to hold a sprint or midget car race during fair week.

“If you say you’re going to have a midget race here on a Saturday during the fair, you’ll have so many people, you won’t know what to do with them,” Mausteller said.

Could be good but, to think that the tracks thatt keep 410 racing alive in Central Pa. are going to give up their cash cows in July and September out of the goodness of their heart is wishful thinking. As for att

endance, one issue with the Selingrove Speedway is that they lost a lot of their fan base many years ago and have no been able to get it back. They could not make money on a 410 race without the fans of other tracks (especially Port fans) and this track would be drawing from the same fan base. My guess would be maybe USAC and Midgets at fair time but there is no way Selinsgrove or Lincoln are giving up their races on the Bloomsburg Fair weeekends.

Sounds like good news to me even though i'd prefer a track just a bit smaller than 3/8. but glad its not bigger. Should be a good track for the USAC east coast sprinters. Hopefully Mausteller can bring the ARDC midgets back to life. Its going to be hard for them to get a speedweek date right away if ever. Would be a great addition to the Eastern Storm and Midget week.

BAPS Speedway deserves a PA Speedweek date before Bloomsburg.....just sayin'

Changing the track to 3/8 and scheduling as many USAC East Coast 360 races as they can get is what Selisngrove should be doing. Bloomsburg will have a difficult time scheduling any races without competeing against all the tracks we already have. It's nearly impossible to add another 410 race in this area unless it's mid-week. Most other top divisions and series are booked solid too. 

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I agree. I don't see it being a frequent 410 track in PA. It seems like they're going after more of a wingless/midget route, hence USACs involvment.

But being right around Posse country, 410s naturally come up if you're building that size of a dirt track with the backing they have. If it turns out well, I really see it being in a prime spot to bring in a few big shows. The grounds have a ton of room for whatever you need. I bring up fair week because that brings in over 400,000 people each year, in the middle of a college town, right off of I-80. They close the university, schools, and people take their vacations from work that week. Its kind of uncanny, really. A late September 410 date on anyday Thurs-Sunday when the rest of the tracks are pretty much wrapped or are wrapping up their seasons wouldn't be a bad idea. 

When it comes to speedweek...its basically 3 tracks. I think most would agree there is room for improvement there. Thats if the powers that be will allow it. 

Its all well and good and I'm excited about the posibilities, but lets see how the track turns out first.

The thing with the fair dates. 

1- Yes the season is wrapping up but with their big end of season shows on the weekends of the fair.

2- As a vendor at the fair I sell some sprint car related items and have never sold any of them at that fair so that tells a lot about the interest in racing of the people who attend that fair. I track items sold everywhere I go so I know what to take the most of the next year.

3- Also as a vendor I know that although well attended that attendance number is inflated by counting all the vendors, (about 1400 of them) their help and the fair help every day as they go through the gate.

Some races at the fair might be successful but a 410 show would have to be a big purse race and not any of the Fridays or Saturdays of the fair. It would be tough to get many teams to travel that far on a week night in September. They might pull off some special shows but unfotunately their fair is at a bad time for it. Another thing with the non regular 410 tracks is they try to pull one of those things where they pay as much to win as other 410 tracks and a hot dog & a coke for second and wonder why they don't get many cars. They seem to be working with some people who may help them avoid some of those mistakes, I guess we will see.

Is everyone forgetting that the track is literally in the middle of the fair and the public is literally feet from the perimeter of the track. How would it be humanly possible to have a race on that track unless they have 4 legs and a carriage like they do now. 

1. They do have the National Open to compete with. Its not ideal. But the Fair next year is September 25th-October 2nd. They could do something that first night, which would probably be the weekend before the Natty. Or a midweek show with USAC the week of the Natty could be interesting. You may not bring out a ton of 410s, but it paired with a midget show that could bring out some of the (save your judgement, thinking strictly from a marketing stand point) NASCAR guys like C Bell and Larson who race mid-week when they get the chance to. They would bring in a ton of people that could justify a large purse.

2. As a sprint car fan who goes to the fair, I'm not going there to buy something sprint car related. If I see something, then maybe. But usually I get that when I goto a race. Or, nowadays with the 'Rona, online. What I do see at the fair usually are a few people wearing driver shirts and sweatshirts. 

3. Even if you count 1400 of them across each of the 10 or so days....you're still at 380,000? Still one of the largest fairs on all of the East Coast.

Think about how successful the Juniata Fair is with the track. As nice as it is, I'm not driving an hour out of the way to only go to the fair. They get my business when I goto the track. If they do it right, this could be the same situation.

This also has the potential to be the same but in reverse. In a nutshelll, it could bring in new fans who normally wouldn't go to a race but may choose to now because they will also go to the fair. I have many friends and family members from  NEPA (Hazleton/Wilkes Barre/Scranton area) who would love to come to races at the Grove or Port but its a 2+hour trek for them. Those same people will drive 30-45 minutes to spend a day at the Bloomsburg Fair.

As for the safety concerns, its addressed better in this wnep article/video. 

https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/columbia-county/bloomsburg-fair-fairgrounds-midget-dirt-track-racing/523-bae64e31-6db1-4d77-9f83-7a8899cd4b86

They also have concerts/monster trucks/tractor pulls there during the fair. They're able to block it off from sight and make it safe. This would be a bit different since they would use the entire space but its not like they didn't have this before. It's just been a long time.

At the end of that article, it says they are putting in $1 million towards the renovation to change everything but the grandstand, basically. Fencing/Track/etc.

The financial support is there, and the promotor support with USAC is arguably there as well. They just need to execute. 

yes they sure do, along with Big Diamond. no track should have 2 shows.  

Pa speedweek needs a over haul. Your right, no track should have 2 shows. Fast Freddie doesn't see it that way. 

Sorry no matter what is right or wrong Lincoln. Grove, & Port not happy = no Speedweek. This year we were in the middle of a drought so all races got in but a lot of years they don't. Take the chance of those tracks not getting a Speedweek show in and it will fall apart. Those tracks also pay the highest purses of the week to attract outside teams. It is what it is Speedweek is not run by those tracks. Those tracks will survive without Speedweek but Speedweek (nor 410 sprint car racing in central Pa) will not survive without them. What taking their extra race from them does is asking them to give up a week of racing and maybe get nothing in return. That is not going to happen without them there would no 410 racing in cetral Pa. Other tracks that do get a race benefit from their efforts to keep 410 racing going. Without them no track would have a Speedweek show. 

I think you are right.   Port, Lincoln, and the Grove all cooperate with each other when it comes to scheduling 410 races.    They each go dark when one of the other two tracks has a big 410 race so the cost of that cooperation is that they forfeit a night of 410 racing and associated revenues.     The reward they get for that cooperation is that they each get two lucrative speedweek shows.     I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Someday I would like to see the ASCoC do a "proper" PA Speedweek with about 7 – 9 unique tracks in about 9 – 12 nights.    Might as well schedule a night at the new Bloomsburg track.    

No idea how its gonna work out with the other tracks & scheduling, but its good for me cause it saves 2 hrs. from the drive to Lincoln, the Grove, or PR

I like the idea of midgets & wingless.....

Why do we need the allstars to present a"proper" speedweek. Why don't the promoters get together and maybe try to work with each other. Pa speedweek is pretty boring and flavorless anymore I think Krietzer has a lot to do with tracks getting shows and if he don't want you to have a show you won't, ie susky and probably Path Valley or even Trailways  Bring on the new Bloomsburg track!!!

I don't think it's Krietzer not wanting any track to get a show but speedweek is already a week and half because the Grove, Port and Lincoln getr 2 shows. That's 6 nights right there and doesn't leave too much opportunity for adding any more tracks. Those are the regular 410 tracks who pay the most, draw the biggest crowds and biggest car counts so they hold all the aces. They aren't going to give up a big money maker so a new track can be added. Id love to see Baps, Big Diamond and Path Valley back on the schedule for more diversity.

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I agree about racing interest in that area. It used to be a stronghold with lots of race teams back in the day, but there's hardly any in the Bloomsburg area any more. Most fair go-ers would be shocked by the noise and dust from a race. I think a race track would draw more interest at the Grange Fair. They might be able to pull off a handful of wingless sprint and midget races throughout the year. Who knows? It is centrally located and easy to get to from the interstates.

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USAC Eastern Storm going there in 2021.

Starting to wonder if the "speedweek" they were referencing was Eastern Storm and not PA Speedweek. 

Good question. USAC announced Eastern Storm date

The press release said "ready for Pa. Speedweek".... maybe that means they're hoping for a date?