LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. — Havasu 95 Speedway had been idle for approximately six years.
The facility was not in good condition, so whoever tried to bring racing back to the quarter-mile faced numerous issues. One problem was the city leaders were not interested in the return of racing to the track.
Bill Rozhon had a steep hill to climb, but he and his supportive staff overcame the bumps and Havasu 95 Speedway recently finished its 19th year of his leadership.
Rozhon started racing at age six because a neighbor owned a jalopy and he was able to tag along to the track. He won his first race that year at the quarter midget track in San Bernardino, Calif., located adjacent to the quarter-mile paved track located inside what was once a football stadium.
Twenty more years of racing followed his time in the army, first karts, collecting a national championship in 1973, then racing NASCAR sportsman in a 1968 Chevelle, followed by a radical Camaro in open comp. In 1978, Rozhon was finished with his driving career.
A long list of mostly southern California paved tracks were sites where Rozhon raced. San Bernardino, Speedway 605, El Cajon, Phoenix Raceway, Riverside, Ontario, Mesa Marin, Shasta, Saugus, and even a night on the dirt at Ascot were some of his experiences.
Thirteen years following his racing career, Rozhon retired to bring Havasu 95 Speedway back to life. Two major issues had to be handled, getting the city leaders to approve his plan, and take a facility in poor condition and turn it into an proper race track.
Getting the approval was helped by taking some city officials to Blythe, Calif., to see that track in action. Seeing racing in Blythe showed how Lake Havasu City could also have that entertainment. Rozhon got approval and was now in charge of a facility that was in need of major changes.
“Luckily I had a home there for going to the lake,” Rozhon noted. “The pit was a scrap yard, the infield had been used for rodeos, and the fence and stands needed rebuilding.”
During his driving career, Rohzon learned something important about running a race track. It was at Craig Road Speedway in Las Vegas and it was the promoter, Bob Van Norman, that taught him by being a role model.
Rozhon recalled, “Bob Van Norman was a great person and his track was a pleasure to race at. Van Norman would visit with each racer to check on how they had done.”
He had to overcome some ill feelings from city businesses as a prior promoter had not treated them properly. But Rozhon had made a positive impression on the city and soon after the track had reopened he solved a problem for a local high school.
“By renovating the high school stadium, they had no place to have graduation ceremonies,” Rozhon said. “I offered the race track for the ceremonies, which made a big impression on the city.
“Every race is a roll of the dice to try and put on the best show you can. We look at every race like it was the first one and I treat people like they were guests. We built an infield kart track and it is showing some growth at getting kids involved in racing.”
Report cards are examined to see if the kids are qualified to race. A parents meeting is used to clarify the track’s approach to the kart racing.
Track officials are looking forward to the upcoming appearance of the CARS Tour West and is considering a street stock series.
