One on one with the Sportsdrome's promoter:
Mike Gibson
By: Harold Adams
I recently sat down and interviewed Mike Gibson, the promoter of
the Sportsdrome Speedway in Jeffersonville, Indiana . The start of
the 2010 racing season is upon us, and I wanted to take a few minutes
and discuss the past, present, and the future of the track with Mike.
The following is the one on one conversation that we had. I will
be Harold in the interview, and Mike will be Mike:
Harold: How long have you been the promoter of the Sportsdrome?
Mike: I’ve been doing the promoting here since about 2000.
My dad, Jake Gibson, was doing it, but turned it over to me around
then. He was the General Manager/ Promoter, but then let me take
over the promoting part while he continued to be General Manager.
Harold: When did you start helping out at the track and what were
some of the things that you did?
Mike: I started helping out when I was probably 12 around 1980.
I would help out in the concession stand and such. I use to help
my dad a lot during the week at the track with repairs and projects.
He did a lot of the work at the track himself and he would make
me help out and learn things too. When I turned 16, I was able
to go back in the pits finally. I would help out back there a little.
I would drive the tractor out on the track and run the sweeper
during intermissions. I really enjoyed being around the track and
all that went with it. I went to college but still helped out at
the track as much as possible and learned all I could about running
it.
Harold: How important has Figure 8 racing been to the Sportsdrome?
Mike: Figure 8 has always been a big thing here. This area has
always loved and supported it and it has been the main thing here
since the early 60s. It’s what we do. At the same time, we
don’t forget about the oval racing, but figure 8 is our main
draw. We are proud to have the longest running figure 8 race with
the Midwestern Figure 8 Championship. This season will be the 44th
straight year for this event.
Harold: How is the state of the Xtreme Figure 8 division right
now at the Sportsdrome?
Mike: Our top division, the Xtreme Winged Figure
8, is very popular and have 9 special events throughout the year.
They all usually
have good car counts and draw good crowds. The payoff for this
division makes it worth it for the money. Especially if you compare
it to
the Outlaw Figure 8 payoffs. It’s
a very similar payoff with cars that cost less to run. There is
also a new sponsor for the Xtreme 8 this season. Jim Butner’s
Auto Sales has taken over and will be heading up this division
and sponsoring the point fund.
Harold: What about the FWD Figure 8 division? It looks like you
are ramping things up with them this season.
Mike: Yes, this is just the second year for this division. Last
year, we had only a few nights on the schedule for them. This season,
we have them on the schedule 16 times with a $75 to win first place
prize in the feature. We have also picked up Kentucky Clutch as
a division sponsor for them. A point fund has been created with
the top 10 receiving money and a trophy. The division champion
will get $250. Unlike the FWD Oval division, which is limited to
beginners and novices, the FWD Figure 8 is open to all drivers.
I expect a lot of cars to enter this class this year.
Harold: Let’s not forget about the Dromer Figure 8 division.
How are things looking for this class this year?
Mike: It should be another good season for them. The car counts
have gone up the last couple of years since we started doing the
coin flip in the Dromer Oval division. Before each Dromer Oval
feature, we flip a coin to determine which direction the cars will
run in the race. Heads is the normal way, counter-clockwise, while
tails is the other way, clockwise. With this flip not taking place
until the cars are on the track, the drivers basically are forced
to run an even setup. This, of course, has encouraged many of the
drivers to go ahead and run on the figure 8 as well. In the past,
you might of had a few cars run in both. But last season we had
probably 10 to 15 or so that would run both divisions on a night.
I look for more of the same this season with plenty of cars each
night.
Harold: The car counts in all of the divisions seem to be very
good. What do you do to maintain that?
Mike: One of the things that we have done here for years is the
owners fund. If you participate in all of the required events throughout
the season, then you get in free to nearly all of the events the
following season with the exception of just a few. I don’t
believe that any other track in the nation has such a program.
It is a nice jester that we have to our loyal drivers that come
out each and every week. There are some drivers that take advantage
of this each and every year. Also, in the Xtreme 8 division, instead
of the owners fund, we now simply offer a $200 bonus if you participate
in every Xtreme 8 event scheduled.
Harold: This off-season you have went forward with a major resurfacing
of the track. Could you tell us a little bit about that?
Mike: This is probably the biggest project we have done in many
years. This is something that we have thought about for around
5 years but the time seemed right for going ahead and getting it
done now. A lot of thought was put into this project and I am very
interested in seeing how it performs this season. The old track
was deteriorating badly with several holes popping up all the time.
The side by side racing was good but it was getting a little worse
each year with the track conditions. Also, whenever we would get
a hard rain, we would have water seeping up onto the track causing
problems as well. The new track was built with a whole new drainage
system in place which should eliminate that problem. The entire
track, including the figure 8 course, was resurfaced. New speed
bumps have been put back in on the turns only. The length of the
speed bumps will be shorter than the old ones which will actually
make the track a little wider. The guardrails will be new and will
have a fresh coat of white paint on them. We also have a bunch
of lights that need replacing. Those should all be replaced and
adjusted properly by opening night.
Harold: With the new surface in place, some people are surprised
that the School Bus Races are still on the schedule. What are your
thoughts on that?
Mike: The bus races are the most popular thing we have here at
the Sportsdrome. It is a great chance to get folks in here that
haven’t been to the track before. It is our hope that they
will enjoy it enough to where they will come back again. Yes, the
track is new, but you have to do what you need to do. The crowds
continue to pack the stands during these events, so you can’t
get away from that.
Harold: What is the worst wreck you have ever seen at the Sportsdrome?
Mike: I would say it would be the John Perkins-Wade Sheely wreck
in 1986. That was a real scary wreck. A lot of people still talk
about that one.
Harold: What’s the craziest thing that you have seen at
the track?
Mike: Probably the time when Ron Hargesheimer hit my dad back
in 1978. It was the 50 twin 50s that night and there was a dispute
about the lineup for the second 50 lapper. He was protesting out
on the track, and during the dispute he just when on and hit him.
I remember I was in the stands as a kid and I wanted to get out
there and get to that guy for hitting my dad.
Harold: What’s the most special moment for you at the track?
Mike: I enjoy when we do these fundraisers for charities. Last
year when we did the bus race in September, it was a huge fundraiser
for the Susan G Komen fund. My mother passed away earlier in the
year do to breast cancer, so it was nice to be able to do this
in her honor. It was the biggest donation we have been a part of.
Over $48,000 was raised during this event through t-shirts, raffles,
admissions, and bus sponsors. Each bus was sponsored by a business
and painted pink. It was really nice to see this event become such
a success after all the planning that was involved.
Harold: What does the future look like for the Sportsdrome?
Mike: We are always looking to the future as far as what we are
going to do in the way of the divisions. Our old street stock divisions
have now evolved into the very popular xtreme divisions. We’ve
added the FWD divisions recently and we have an eye on the road
ahead of us. I don’t want to give out any clues just yet,
but we are excited about the possibilities. We are even working
on some things for this year that are going to be different and
exciting for everybody.
Harold: What sponsors would you like to thank?
Mike: The division sponsors are very appreciated so I would like
to mention and thank them for all they do for us. Jim Butner’s
Auto Sales has jumped on board as the class sponsor of the Xtreme
Winged Figure 8 division. ICA Dumpsters is back with the Oval Xtremes.
Kentuckiana Tank Wash is once again backing the Dromer 8 division.
Then, of course as mentioned before, Kentucky Clutch is with us
for the FWD Figure 8 division. There are several other sponsors
that help us at the track with Bob Hook Chevrolet being one of
the biggest. They have provided us with a brand new track truck
this season.
Harold: Any other comments you would like to say?
Mike: I just want to thank all the fans and drivers for their
support through the years. We always try to take pride in our track
and we enjoy what we do here. There is a phrase that I like to
say from time to time about what I’d like for people to get
from their experience here at the track. Have fun, make a friend,
and go home happy.
Opening night at the Sportsdrome is Saturday, April 3. Qualifying
is at 4, with the races starting at 7. Only $7 admission for adults
with kids 12 and under free will be part of Fan Appreciation night
on this first race of the season.
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