The Impact of Grassroots Racing and the Importance of Protecting Motorsports in Arizona

PHOENIX – Local racing is fundamental to the motorsports ecosystem, developing young drivers and allowing veteran racers to shine, but it’s slowly been choked out of Arizona.

 

Over the past decade, nearly half a dozen short tracks closed their doors due to financial burdens. This issue permeates the racing industry, turning fans and drivers away from the state of Arizona.

 

“It's kind of been a dying thing for you know a handful of years now out here,” High Limit Series driver, Justin Peck said. “It takes a special type of person to like racing in general.”

 

Lately, those people are left with nothing to support and no outlet for their passion. Cronkite News showcased the impact left by the loss of Manzanita Speedway and Arizona Speedway.

 

“People have forgotten how hungry we are here in Arizona for really great racing,” Tucson’s Lorri Cutter said. She’s a chaplain with Racer for Christ and has attended races since age three.

 

“We had to leave Arizona years ago to really follow the support of racing because all the tracks here in Arizona kept closing up,” she said. Hagerty highlighted the passion of this community.

 

In addition to a tight-knit circle of fans and drivers who love their hometown tracks, the facilities offer financial opportunities. Many sit on fairgrounds, holding the capacity for non-racing events.

 

Cutter believes that the opportunity to take advantage of this is huge, but flying under the radar. She said the tracks bring, “A strong economic influence to the Phoenix area and to Arizona.”

 

Despite the financial positives, doors for the sport’s youth movement close. CANVAS REBEL shared the story of Ashley Afdahl, an Arizona driver who left the state because tracks dried up.

 

“We got young kids starting racing at four or five years old,” Cutter said about the next generation of racers losing out as of late. “They need to know that there's a future for them.”

 

“It's really important that we have these opportunities for our racers,” Cutter said regarding the sports successors. “If we don't have those opportunities, where are these young kids gonna go?”

 

In addition to this, young racers get to test their metal against grizzled veterans of the sport. Cutter said “It also brings discipline to younger kids,” giving them something to shoot for.

 

Steven Blakesley owns Blakesley Sports Media and is an announcer for numerous tracks on the West Coast. He and a Frontstretch story understand why fans need to actively support the sport.

 

“If you were a basketball player at ASU, you can expect an NIL deal and some money coming your way and some help with different resources,” Blakesley said. 

 

However, that is not a luxury enjoyed by these local tracks. In fact, most facilities face financial hurdles and navigate local opposition as outlined by the Horizon Sun.

 

“Most of these drivers have a regular 9 to 5 job or, or 8 to 8 for some of these guys,” he said. Most observers wouldn’t realize the time and effort spent preparing a competitive car.

 

“It's basically a full-time job to put a race car on the track,” Blakesley said. “It takes a full-time job and then some to be able to afford to do it.”

 

There’s no real incentive for these men and women to race other than pure love for what they get to do. It all boils down to the devotion to drive, battling with their fellow competitors.

 

“They're sleep deprived, they've worked every ounce of energy they have out of their bodies to be there, and it's hard work,” he said. Yet, it won’t stop them from putting on a spectacular show.

 

Blakesley encouraged others to experience it in person, at least once, to get an understanding of what it's truly about. “There's a reason that millions of us around America love it,” he said.

 

“Everything's buzzing and humming and, and rumbling all throughout the pits,” he said. The Charlotte Magazine captured the energy and intensity these Saturday night bullrings create.

 

Blakesley compared the pre-race atmosphere to other recognizable sports. “It's a lot like for people that go early to a baseball game and hear the crack of the bat at the batting practice.”

 

Short track racing is a sight to behold. “Race after race after race with different cars, different heroes, different villains, different colors and speeds and styles of making speed,” he said.

 

“More than likely, there's a track in your backyard, no matter where you are,” Steven said. As a narrator of events, he believes these stories should be supported and allowed to continue. 

 

“I just want to encourage people to go see a race,” he said. “Don't worry about it getting strung out or boring or anything like that, you're gonna see a lot of different races and a lot of different kinds of cars.”