Due to a glitch in the paperwork, the sale of Spud Speedway to Newburgh’s Greg Veinote by Ralph and Nancy Nason wasn’t completed last Friday. However, it should be finished up sometime this week according to Ralph Nason.

This will be a nice addition to Aroostook County.

There hasn’t been any racing at the Caribou-based 48-acre facility since 2000.

Veinote has the right approach and hopes to have races beginning sometime in June.

First, he is going to make it a multi-purpose facility. He plans on having motocross [motorcycle races on dirt] and ATV racing on the weekends when there isn’t auto racing. He hopes to have snowmobile racing in the winter.

He needs to fully utilize a facility like that to make ends meet.

There is a need for year-round entertainment in the County and this should also attract Canadians.

As for the auto racing, Veinote is going to focus on the entry level classes.

Smart decision.

The midweek racing for entry level divisions at the state’s tracks has been flourishing.

The lower admission prices and the fact the shows usually last two hours or less, which is significantly shorter than the Saturday night race cards, have been very attractive to fans.

Pro Stock racing is simply way too expensive for a startup venture.

Entry level racing has an entertaining unpredictability.

There are a lot of first-time auto racers learning as they go.

It’s one thing to watch Jimmie Johnson or Tony Stewart maneuver around a Nextel Cup track every weekend, it’s another to actually be in a race car competing against a dozen or so others.

One of the beauties of auto racing is it involves families and neighbors. It is friends and relatives who work on the car during the week. They have a stake in it on race day.

Then the drivers secure sponsors and provide the sponsors with advertising on their race cars. The sponsors range from large companies to a Mom and Pop store to the next door neighbor.

And if your name or business is printed on the side of a car, you’ll want to come to the track and check it out.

Veinote and his wife, Becky, will certainly have some obstacles to overcome.

They will need to be hands-on owners.

They will have to establish a trustworthy group of people who can be counted on to help run the shows and work on the facility.

The facility needs to be repaired. Seven years of inactivity takes its toll, especially with the severe winters in the County.

Veinote wants to establish a family atmosphere at the track and that will be essential.

People aren’t going to bring their kids to an activity where there are drunks hollering obscenities at the drivers.

They should also have promotions at the track like 50-50 raffles, giveaways and special activities like, perhaps, a bike race.

Make it an event people look forward to.

As for the racing, they will need to have a set of rules, in writing, and consistently administer them.

You can’t play favorites.

If a racer has been warned about reckless driving but continues to drive recklessly, park him or her.

They may not like you, but they’ll respect you for sticking to your guns.

Larry Mahoney can be reached at 990-8231, 1-800-310-8600 or by email at lmahoney@bangordailynews.net.