BLOOMSBURG, Pa. — SPEED SPORT has learned that Steve O’Neal will promote the special events planned for the revived Bloomsburg Fairgrounds Raceway this year while continuing to serve as promoter of Port Royal Speedway.
“Port Royal and Bloomsburg want to work together; we’re not wanting to compete,” said Brian Wawroski, a member of the Bloomsburg Fair board of directors. “Having Steve on board won’t allow that to happen. We’re also not planning on having weekly races like Port Royal does. We’re going to do mainly special events. We plan to run 12-14 races a year.”
Races were held at the Bloomsburg Fair from the 1920s up until the mid-1980s. Its first race in more than 30 years is slated to be held on May 29 when the USAC East Coast Sprint Car Series and ARDC midgets share the card in a doubleheader on Bloomsburg’s new three-eighths-mile dirt track.
Having O’Neal’s expertise as promoter will be a great advantage for the racing at Bloomsburg, which is about 60 miles from Port Royal. Port Royal Speedway runs weekly on Saturday nights.
O’Neal has won the Sprint Car Promoter of the Year Award from the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame for his work at Port Royal for five-straight years. The voters include media members and industry leaders.
Last week O’Neal and Port Royal Speedway also received the Auto Racing Promoter of the Year Award for Region 1 at the RPM At Daytona Workshop.
The awards were given in recognition for the many improvements made Port Royal the last few years, for O’Neal’s fair treatment of teams and drivers and for the added promotions he’s spearheaded to add value to Port Royal’s weekly program for the fans.
The new track being finalized in Bloomsburg is a three-eighths-mile clay oval inside an existing half-mile cinder track, which will still be used for horse racing. The current grandstand that seats 5,500 will be utilized and additional bleacher seats will be added.
Wawroski said the project will cost approximately $1 million, and is being funded by the fair and its sponsors. Two cars driven by USAC’s Levi Jones and local driver Randy Mausteller made exhibition laps on the new track during a media day on Jan. 15.