Tourism board works to bring hot rodders to downtown Salem
By LARRY SHIELDS / Salem News staff writer
SALEM - Better stand back, there's no telling how big this one's gonna get.
The Steel Valley Nationals will hit Quaker City Raceway June 23-25 and Dan Nye and Mike Grimstad of the Salem Tourism Advisory Board want to direct as much of the asphalt-pounding, chrome-plated thunder into downtown Salem as they can.
"This is potentially huge," said Grimstad, who is also president of RAG Tooling Co.
"As long as it gets bigger and bigger they'll be back."
The show was previously held at the Canfield Fairgrounds with the hot rodders heading to Boardman at the end of each day.
That will change this year.
A change in ownership to Core Promotions of Austintown has moved the show, billed as the "biggest and best motor sports event in the tri-state area," to Quaker City Raceway where it has a five-year commitment.
There will be thousands (past events drew as many 1,300 entrants from as far away as Florida) of high-powered, tricked out, heavily customized cars and motorcycles converging on the famed drag strip. The Salem Tourism Board and Salem Renaissance have taken the lead to make sure they come to Salem at the end of each day.
Nye and Grimstad are coordinating every possible angle and are responsible for "after party" events in which promotional advertising welcomes everyone to Salem after each days events the raceway.
The Salem Tourism Advisory Board is sponsoring the after party in town.
Raceway events include all-day test and tune for bikes and cars without eliminations, a car show, bike show, dyno for bikes and cars, burnouts, swap meet and vendors.
The cost to spectators is five dollars and kids under 12 are free.
Gates open at 8 a.m., racing is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Nye said, "At five they're booting them out and telling them to come Salem. It's our responsibility to handle the after party."
The three-day event officially runs from Friday to Sunday at 5 p.m., but Nye said they are inviting the hot rodders into town on Thursday evening as two local sponsors, Andrews Cycles and Stadium Chevrolet-Cadillac, have events planned.
Ground zero will be the municipal parking lots along East Pershing Street and Penn Avenue.
"The event parking for the show cars will be in the municipal lot south of Pershing," Nye said. "It will be for event cars only."
Grimstad said the southeast corner of that lot will be the setting for the bands.
The lot to the east of Timberlanes will probably be motorcycle headquarters.
"We're trying to figure out a place for the motorcycles because we were informed by Harley-Davidson they want to be separated," Grimstad said.
"They're part of the event."
Grimstad outlined the cruise route. At the end of each day at the track the show cars will be directed to make right turns ... onto state Route 165 to U.S. 62 and a right into Salem.
In Salem, the cruise route will move south along Lincoln Avenue, turn right on Pershing Street and right on Ellsworth Avenue and right on East Second Street and back around on Lincoln and then cruisers can turn left on State Street and drive to the eastern end of town to Busy Beaver or Cunningham Road and return.
Signs provided by R.L. Lipton will mark the cruise route, Grimstad said.
"At 5 p.m. they're out of Quaker City Raceway and we're expecting a large turnout in Salem for entertainment, dining activities and cruising.
"We absolutely want people to come out and set up shop."
He said people are invited to set up lawn chairs along East State Street as they have during past parades for each of the three cruises.
The Friday and Saturday cruises are expected to draw the biggest crowds, but Nye was unsure what Sunday would attract.
"We expect the crowd to be much less, but we could be shocked," he said.
"We're recommending that stores that want to participate contact us to get into the event flyer - store locations will be noted in it," he said, adding the deadline is April 30.
People can contact Nye at 330-257-3940, Barb Weikart at 330-831-8628 or Grimstad at 330-853-8062.
Regional radio advertising will begin soon, he said, and the event has already received national magazine attention.
Nye said R.L. Lipton will have beer trucks at Timberlanes, Wallaby's and Stooge's Sports Bar and Grille and anyone else wanting a truck should contact them.
Local sponsors include the Salem Tourism Advisory Board, Salem Renaissance, Stadium Chevrolet-Cadillac, Patterson Chrysler-Plymouth-Jeep, Phantom Fireworks of North Lima, RAG Tools, Stone Ridge Terrace, Infinity Travel and Amos Communications, Lewis Refuse, Sky Bank, R.L. Lipton.
Event sponsors include Budweiser, Bud Light, Pace Performance, The Cycle Source, 99.3 NCD Rocks, Warren Harley-Davidson, and the Fred Perry Benefit Run.
Nye said they are also planning to welcome participants to the 5th Annual Super Bowl of Sound at Quaker City Raceway July 16 and the All Harley Drags on Aug. 6.
The city will provide a street sweeping cleanup afterwards.
Larry Shields can be reached at lshields@salemnews.net