Bryan-College Station Eagle from Bryan, Texas • 45

isgiiisiiaaMw I rT I I I 1 'fejfliir I I 1 jr jj' I Eagle photo by David Eiiucl An elaborate press box and aluminum grand stand seats with backs were major expenses in the building of the $8 million racing facility in 1969 During many races held at the speedway the grandstands were not filled tied their differences after all and his race was the victim Some people in the racing community say that might have been part of the reason but not all of it think it was a combination of Bay Darnell a USAC racer said recently seem to remember that part of the reason no one entered was because the track was bumpy and people want to take their cars on it since it was only a month before the Indianapolis 500 1 involv ed I run Indy cars but what I track is is a statement Conole has heard often in the last couple years about TWS According to rance of NASCAR the bumps and cracks in the track are the reason there been a NASCAR race at TWS since the 1981 race probably race there if the track was repav he added Though Conole admits that the high banks of the world record oval are bumpy and need to be repav ed he said it was his decision not to run any more big races and if he wanted to give a race bumpy track or no bumpy track the racers would come His claim is supported by the last race he gave at the speedway in November which was not sanc tioned by any of the big race organizations but still drew several big name racers such as Bobby Allison erry Labonte and Darnell no question but that the surface on the high bank what now? 13 years old is not in good Conole says anything over a period of time going to deteriorate spent a small fortune to keep it from totally falling apart With those 22 degree banks with asphalt 6 inches thick there is a tremen dous amount of weight and pull of gravity on it and it has a tendency to come down And it does on occasion so we have to go in and patch it up as far as the track being the reason there are no big races here most of that is just talk It sounds bad (for a race organization) when a track doesn want to have your races anymore sb got to Bryan College Station Eagle say something in defense But most of the racetracks in the country are in the same condition And it costs so much money to repave a track that unless you knew for sure that you were going to have certain races for the next 10 years to be able to justify the cost of them and what the purses for (those races would be and how many cars you were Wag to have out there you want to the money rather spend the money on truck stops and mobile home parks and drill oil wells and things like that that is exactly what we have Whatever the reason Conole has for not wanting to put on the the big sanctioned races at TWS anymore there are some people who will miss them one time it was really a good Terry Labonte a NASCAR racer who has raced often at the speedway said recently think it will be a loss because there are some big race fans in Texas that have any opportunity to see some of the big races such as the NASCAR Some of them go out of state to see really like that Darnell said go back and race on it if they had another race still think the track has a lot of potential have to go in and spend some money repave the track then bring in a NASCAR race or something And 1 think room for even another track in Since races of about any kind the big car races or the truck and motorcycle races some of which have been held at the speedway in the past bring people thus money into the local community some Bryan College residents say they hope to see more races at TWS an event happens out there (at the speed Pat Mann staff member of the Chamber of Commerce said recently good for the com munity When people visit they bring in there are no more races at the speedway it will be a loss to the Betty Young general manager of the Ramada Hotel in College Station said when people come in just for the afternoon for a race and buy gas at gas stations and eat at restaurants a boon to our are good for the local economy Conole agreed why like to see more of them at the speedway racing is a strange thing all consuming When putting on a race you have time for anything else There was a time when 1 played 36 holes of golf every Saturday and Sunday And I picked up a golf club since I came to Texas seven years ago I want time to do some other Even though Conole has decided he is not going to spend all his time arranging races anymore his new enterprises are keeping him just about as busy His mobile home sales are moving be selling a lot more if the people could get and his mobile home park is growing (customers who buy mobile homes from him get three months free rent in the park) He just bought some new equipment for the shooting range and has plans to expand the range and build a clubhouse His truck stop the one he decided to build after he was awakened (he was staying in a trailer at TWS) enough times in the middle of the night by motorists needing help opened this year and has business And his wells are even pumping Who has time to devote all his energy to racing? Not RC Conole going to leave that to so meone else Rhonda Hoeckley is a staff writer for The Eagle 5 Saturday December 11 1982 WM'.