From Mike Adaskaveg
Showers on Friday and Saturday combined with a weather forecast calling for heavy rain on Sunday has forced promoter Merced Speedway promoter John Soares to call off racing for the second week in a row.
“The winter rain pattern has started early,” Soares lamented. “We had planned to race right up to rainy season, which usually doesn’t arrive until the end of October.”
California’s Central Valley is usually rain-free until the winter months. The rainy season usually starts by November and lasts through February. But, this year has been different.
“We had a great first season going,” Soares added. “There is nothing you can do when the rains come.”
With weather forecasters calling for a continued rain pattern at this time, Soares said there would be tough decisions to make in the next few days.
The track had planned to have the final points race of the season last weekend, and the Larry Alves Memorial race for Hobby Stockers this weekend. Alves, a Merced businessman, was actively involved in sponsoring racers up until his passing, just weeks ago. With both events a washout, fans may have to wait until spring for action to continue.
“It’s been a great season,” Soares said. “We brought Merced Speedway back. We proved we could run on Sundays by offering fans a non-stop show that ended early enough for families to be ready for school or work. Our drivers are closely matched and have had fantastic races. We had the best show in the Valley this year, and we will be even bigger and better next season.”
Soares will announce several big national events soon. Included in next year’s planning are major events at Merced Speedway featuring the premier UMPDirtcar Modified Stock Cars, the first visit of the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, and the return of Late Model Stock Cars