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Paul Hawes
might be considered a savior. He might be a nostalgia
buff. He might be an auto racing fan. Or, he could be all
three.
Hawes takes over as promoter of Marysville Raceway Park,
formerly known as Twin Cities Speedway. The first races of
the 2007 season get under way Saturday.
“It was going to be
closed,” Hawes said, before he stepped in and rescued
the venerable dirt quarter-mile oval, which is located on
Simpson Lane in Linda.
“It was having financial difficulties,” Hawes
continued. “There was low car turnout, low spectator
turnout.”
Hawes said owner Richard Sinnott had approached Hawes
about operating the track two years ago, but it wasn't
until this year that he relented and signed a 20-year
lease to be the promoter.
“I'm very passionate about this sport,” said Hawes,
who used to race 35 years and at the local track as far
back as 1968.
He remembers what the track
used to be like, and hopes he can turn it into its former
self.
“When I was a kid in the '60s, this track used to be an
integral, important part of the community,” Hawes said.
“Everyone was related to a driver, knew a driver, was a
sponsor or knew a sponsor. I want to bring that atmosphere
back to the track.”
Taking over the track now is occurring just at the right
time, Hawes said, noting his son Adam, an offensive
lineman at the University of Arizona last fall, has
finished his collegiate career.
“We're no longer flying
someplace to watch him,” Hawes said.
Another son, Jeremy, is taking an active role in the
track, as he will coordinate the Friday night go-kart
races.
The go-kart track, which is set inside the main track, is
one of the many additions Hawes has undertaken, for
drivers and spectators alike.
For starters, the track has been widened 20 feet.
“We want to see cars running two and three abreast,”
Hawes said.
The track's banking also has been changed. Previously the
track was flat for about 12 feet before a 33- to 34-degree
bank sloped up to the outside wall.
“It was
pretty drastic,” Hawes said.
Now, the track's banking is set at a consistent 19
degrees.
Besides changes to the track configuration, Hawes has made
the raceway park more spectator-friendly.
The biggest improvements were to general cleanliness,
Hawes said. The snackbar and restrooms were completely
re-done. A women's bathroom was added to the pit area.
Hawes has tried to make spectators enjoy the races more by
using two announcers. One will periodically roam the
stands with a wireless mic and chat with fans.
In the past, races had gone on until after midnight. Hawes
noted his 3-year-old grandson, Jacob, would nod off around
10 p.m., so Hawes has made a concerted effort to get all
of the races over by 10.
That way, fans who want to visit the pits and talk to
drivers have time, Hawes added, while families who want to
go home can do so at a decent hour.
Another change is the introduction of a Extreme Bomber's
class, with two people in each vehicle. One controls the
steering wheel and gas pedal and the other controls the
brake. Drivers will be required to perform different
tasks, such as breaking glass figurines on each of the
car's four corners.
One of the biggest differences is Saturday's race program.
It's been 15 years since late-model cars have raced in
Marysville, Hawes said. They are between races in Las
Vegas and Bakersfield this week. Among former late-model
champions expected in Saturday's field are Marysville's
Leroy Perry and Chico's Richard Papenhousen.
Saturday's racing also will include street stocks and
mini-stocks, as well as midgets.
“I think we have about 100 cars coming to the track,”
Hawes said.
Because so many cars are entered, there will be two track
openings: Saturday is for the stock classes, and on March
24, the open wheel cars, including winged and wingless
sprinters, and the sprint 100s, will take the track.
“If people have not been here in a while, I urge them to
come out and give us a chance,” Hawes said. “I think
they will be pleasantly surprised by the changes we've
made.”
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