For the first time, the Indoor Auto Racing Series is making a pit stop in Syracuse. The action starts Friday night at the Expo Center at the New York State Fairgrounds and continues on Saturday. Davey Sammons, the Operations Coordinator for the Series, says the new building played a big role in the decision to come to Syracuse.
“This is the first building in the area that could do it for us. We’re always looking to improve. We try to get events that are consistent with the series.”
Construction on the racetrack started Wednesday morning. Sammons said that it has been a challenge.
“We faced the same thing last year in Albany, and that’s snow. We probably were four or five hours behind in the morning, getting concrete block in, just trying to get them loaded onto the trailers. There were blocks on the property that were actually frozen to the ground, but that is something that we were prepared for.”
Davey’s dad, Len Sammons, is the lead promoter for the Indoor Auto Racing Series. He’s had his eye on Syracuse for a long time.
“We’ve been looking to be in this market for a while. We were in Albany last year in the Times-Union Center, but racing was held at the Niagara Falls Convention Center for 20 years. When that was transformed into a casino, we started racing in Atlantic City… we’ve been doing that for the last 17 years. We’ve built quite a series, with local and national drivers.”
Syracuse will be the fourth and final city to host an event this season. Other host cities included Allentown, PA, Trenton, NJ, and Atlantic City, NJ.
Len Sammons says that indoor auto racing is much different than what you would see at a Nascar or IndyCar race.
“What makes it different than both of those is that Daytona and Indianapolis is a two and a half mile racetrack, this is about a tenth or a twelfth of a mile. Everything happens in front of you, not a mile away…this brand new building here in Syracuse is a perfect venue for this type of show.”
Gates open at 6:00 Friday evening, with the races starting at 7:30. On Saturday, races begin at 7:00 p.m.
Len Sammons offered up a very good selling point to locals who might be tired of the cold weather.
“Here in Syracuse, it snowed the other day. Come inside and see some good auto racing!”
