Story By: BRETT DEYO / SHORT TRACK SUPER SERIES – ACCORD, NY – An early influx of winter in the New York State Catskill Mountain foothills has forced the postponement of the ‘Gobbler’ at Accord Speedway until the scheduled ‘weather date’ of Saturday, Dec. 1.
The announcement came on Nov. 21, in the advance of the Thanksgiving Holiday, to allow race teams, fans and their families plenty of notice.
The speedway grounds, hit by an early season snow and an abundance of precipitation, are in no shape to host an event this weekend.
“It’s just too wet,” Accord Speedway promoter Gary Palmer stated. “I’m still pumping water off the track. The access roads, pit area and parking lot are saturated. There’s no way we could pull off this show on Saturday.”
Event co-promoter Brett Deyo added that the interest for the event is high once again this season, so the weather will be monitored with a hope of running the event on Dec. 1.
“We obviously need the weather to cooperate with us to allow for drying,” he said. “We will keep an eye on the conditions and update the racing community next week. There has been tremendous feedback from all divisions and race fans. We’re hopeful for sunshine to help us close out the 2018 season.”
Twice in the previous five editions of the ‘Gobbler’ the event has gone off successfully – with large crowds and healthy car counts – on the first Saturday of December (2015 & 2016).
On the docket: Modifieds racing 50 laps for $5,000 to win, Crate 602 Sportsman (25 laps, $1,000 to win), Street Stocks in the Ron Wright Memorial, Four Cylinders and an Enduro nightcap.
The entire program now moves back to Dec. 1. Pit gates open at 9 a.m. Grandstand gates are unlocked at 10 a.m. Hot laps hit the track at noon. Racing begins at 1 p.m.
Adult grandstand admission is $24. Seniors (ages 65 and up) pay $22. Kids 11 and under are $5. Reserved outdoor seating can be obtained for $26. Limited indoor seating is available for $35 by calling the speedway office at 845.626.1142.
Pit admission is $40, with no license required.