DIALED IN
“ WHERE I STARTED OFF WRONG WAS TRYING TO PLEASE EVERYBODY, WHICH YOU SIMPLY CANNOT DO. THE BEST THING TO DO IS RUN THE TRACK THE WAY YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE RUN.”
everybody, which you simply cannot do. The best thing to do is run the track the way you think it should be run.”
What surprised Richardson most about operating a track was the sheer amount of unforeseen issues that go along with the program.“ We had issues with the bathrooms, issues with the wrong dial-in being put on the boards, racer complaints, etc. I have a new appreciation for anyone who runs a track!” he proclaims.
As with any new track manager, Richardson wanted to immediately improve the facility, so he did so by adding additional concrete to the racing surface and installing showers in the pits.“ There’ s lots we want to do, and we’ ll complete those tasks as we can do them. Soon, I want to construct another return road so we’ ll have one on each side of the track, and also improve the pits with better parking.”
As for the health of bracket racing on the local level, Richardson believes it can be returned to robust levels of decades past.“ I feel like at my age( 47) I’ m in that group of the last hardcore generation of racers. Nowadays, it’ s a different breed. Back when we raced we didn’ t look at the weather. We didn’ t check the internet because we didn’ t have internet!” Richardson laughs.
He also takes issue with race promoters who put on big-money races but don’ t own or lease the tracks.“ On Sunday night or Monday morning when they leave, they take with them the profit out of the racing community.”
Not surprisingly, Richardson envisions drastic change within the sport if he has anything to do about it.“ Honestly, what I’ d like to have is my own sanctioning body,” says Richardson.“ I think I could run a similar deal to what IHRA or NHRA does with about three or four people.” Richardson
June 2018 ponders a thriving sportsman program at the center of his racing endeavors.“ My sanctioning body would be about hardcore, grassroots racers. Top Fuel and Funny Car is not what I’ m interested in. I’ m interested in the guy who works five days a week and races on weekends. I’ d like to give the sportsman guys a national event put on by sportsman racers who will give back more than anybody else.”
Richardson’ s personal accomplishments as a sportsman racer are vast, including winning his first NHRA national event at age 17. He went on to win the prestigious NHRA U. S. Nationals four times in three different classes and is a multi-time NHRA world champion. He’ s also a many-time big-money bracket race winner.
Although he still considers himself to be“ green” when it comes to being a track operator, Richardson experienced solid success his first year at Mountain Park Dragway, with the vital help of his wife and entire track staff. Together, they have an exciting year planned, which, in addition to lots of bracket racing, will also include various no-prep gatherings, Street Outlaws match races and an appearance from the Southeast Gassers.
Richardson even returned to the driver’ s seat
for a few weekends in early 2018 in an effort to go out and recruit racers to visit Mountain Park, and also to see if he could still win a round or two. The result? Richardson toured around to some high-dollar bracket races and collected $ 81,000 in winnings in five weekends!“ I’ ve just got a really good vehicle,” he humbly declares.
“ Sure, I’ ve had some success in racing,” he concludes,“ but that doesn’ t compare to the success of making racers happy and giving them a good place to race. I’ ve had a lot of fun seeing it firsthand here at Mountain Park, and I’ m excited about the future.” DI
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