Barnyard Raceway

First Rhode Island track visit – 2001.

My very first track to see in Rhode Island was back on October 7, 2001.  This visit was part of a five tracks in four days Eastern adventure.  Other than trackchasing in Rhode Island, the trip included appearances at Allegany County Speedway (Cumberland, MD) with racing buddy Jim Sabo, Bridgeport Speedway (Bridgeport, NJ), Kauneonga Speedway (White Lake, NY) and Seekonk Speedway (Seekonk, MA).  In four days I was able to see racing in five states.  However, the visit to Rhode Island was the most noteworthy.  Seeing a race in Rhode Island wrapped up all 50 states.  It was a special feeling then and to this day to have seen racing in every American state.

According to the “History of the Great American Speedway” written by Allan Brown the Barnyard Raceway was offering the first stock car racing in Rhode Island since 1956.  I would have to say seeing a race in Rhode Island was probably the most difficult state to get on the road to seeing racing in all of them.

Of course I have seen racing in all 50 states many times over.  However, going into the 2014 season, I have only seen racing at 3 venues in the Ocean state.  That’s not very many when you consider my numbers in other states.  I currently (2014) average 33 tracks for each and every one of the 50 United States.

 

You might have remembrances about the Barnyard Speedway.  If so, please feel free to share in the comments section below.  If you have any photos from back in the day, send them to me at Ranlay@yahoo.com.  I’ll try to include them here.  


Don’t miss my Trackchaser Report detailing the adventure that would add the Barnyard Raceway to my lifetime totals.  You’ll find the complete story behind the “2001 Visit” tab.

Greetings from Chepachet, Rhode Island,

TRAVEL/PEOPLE NEWS

Most of you know I saw my 500^th racetrack last month.  That was a big accomplishment for me.  But, it was not nearly as big of a feat as being able to say I’ve seen races in all 50 states.  Only a handful of trackchasers can lay claim to this achievement.  Most people haven’t even been to all 50 states.  I would like to say getting to the Barnyard Raceway was an easy endeavor but unfortunately, it was not.

I like to travel without hotel reservations.  Most of the time this strategy serves the need quite well and provides maximum flexibility.  Occasionally it does not.  This night would prove to be a difficult one for those traveling without hotel reservations.  There are lots of tourists sightseeing in New England during the fall season.  The “Fall Colors” are a major attraction that brings busloads of visitors.

I had planned on leaving White Lake, NY around 7 p.m. and driving three or four hours up toward Rhode Island before looking for a hotel.  My first stop was Sturbridge, Massachusetts.  There were no rooms to be had in the entire town and they had several chain hotels in the area.  One hotel manager snottily told me the only room I might find would be at a “fleabag”.  As the night wore on a fleabag hotel would begin to look good.

I decided to get off the interstate and drive over toward my ultimate destination, Chepachet, (pronounced Che-PATCH-it.   When you go through these small New England towns sometimes there are just no services whatsoever.  Forget chain restaurants.  When we first moved to Ridgefield, CT in the lates 70s the NEAREST McDonalds was 45 minutes away.

At about 11:30 p.m. I stopped at a bed and breakfast hotel.  I had to use a special house phone they had stationed outside the building.  I was told they were sold out as was everyone in the area and that was at rates of $150-200.  The hotel clerk did recommend calling the Holiday Inn about 30 miles away.  I called their 800 number and was given the last Holiday Inn room in all of New England.

After having some difficulty finding the place I entered the Holiday Inn Express in North Attleboro, Massachusetts at 1:10 a.m. armed with my confirmation number.  Henry, a somewhat disinterested hotel clerk looked up my reservation in “the system”.  Yes, I had a reservation but they did not have any rooms left.  How could this be?  Henry didn’t know for sure.  I was being, in hotel industry lingo, “walked”.  I had learned all about this technique from brother, Mark, who had spent many years in the hotel business.

Henry led it slip that the Holiday Inn was responsible for the glitch and they would pay for my room at a hotel elsewhere.  I may be absent-minded but I can smell a financial opening like a shark smells blood.  One small problem, there didn’t seem to be any rooms available anywhere in the area.  I asked Henry if he would mind giving me a roll away bed to put in a meeting room.  Henry was surprised I would want to do this but agreed to check the “rollaway bed” storage room.   No rollaway!  The next plan was for Henry to call his manager, Hector, at home.  Since it was now 1:30 a.m. I didn’t think Hector would be on my side.  He wasn’t.  He insisted that Henry not pay for my room elsewhere since Hector knew they were fully booked that morning and I hadn’t made my reservation until almost midnight.  He said he would not be liable for my reservation that had been made through the toll-free number.

I told Henry we needed to call the central reservations area.  We did and I got in contact with a friendly and helpful young woman named Aston.  Aston told Henry he had to pay for my room.  Henry told Aston that Hector said not to pay for it.  Now Henry started to show some backbone and INSISTED to Aston he would not pay for my room.  I asked for the phone and Aston said if I faxed her my hotel receipt she would reimburse me for my room.

  
I then made a terrible negotiating mistake.  I asked Aston if there was any price limit on the amount of reimbursement.  That was stupid.  It’s always better to ask for forgiveness than permission.  Aston saved me from my own stupidity.  She said she didn’t want to put a limit on my spending because that wouldn’t be fair to me.  All right Aston!  Aston will make someone a nice wife one of these days.

After several calls around the area the Sheraton in Norwood, Massachusetts stepped up with a standard room for the measly amount of $188!  I took it.  It was a 20-minute drive from where I was.  I arrived to find a hotel under renovation without baseboards, etc.  Since it was now 2:30 a.m. I checked in quickly and went to my room.

Trackchasing is not easy.  If it were then I guess everyone would be doing it.  Despite this experience, I still believe in traveling without reservations except in the rarest of circumstances. 

RACING NEWS  

If you go to the Barnyard Raceway you’d better have directions.  I recommend using the National Speedway Directory.  That’s what I did so I knew the street to take from Route 44.  Don’t let the huge “No trespassing” sign deter you.  As I entered the grounds I soon noticed there would be no admission fee, no public address system, no food or drink and no bathrooms!  Ed Marceau has built this racetrack literally in his backyard.

I think lots of race fans would love to have a track in their backyard.  Ed has made this a reality.  He does have a very small 5-row grandstand just outside the pit area fence and quite a ways from the track itself. 

I entered the pit area just as Ed was having the drivers draw for their starting positions.  Today’s event was a 100 lapper for 19 cars of all denominations.  The track itself is nearly circular.  It is dirt and sand with a good share of huge rocks thrown in.  Ed even drives in the race himself in the black #M1, which looks somewhat like an IMCA, modified.  They also had a few street stock looking cars, some mini stocks and a demo derby looking Lincoln Town Car.  Some of the racecars even had SIDE glass windows. The track scorer sat in a passenger car near the start/finish line and kept the race scoring totals.  The flagman and his assistant are atop a stand supported by four poles.  The flagstand is sort of like a big treehouse.

After the driver’s meeting broke up I was waiting to introduce myself to Ed.  Instead, he came up to me with a big smile and handshake and asked, “You’re Randy, right?”  I had called in advance to confirm that they were racing.   I had also talked to Ed and his wife a couple of times over the years trying to confirm when they were racing.  Ed said they try to race about once a month and even run during the winter.

Ed had heard of my trackchasing exploits through the Guy Smith column in the Area Auto Racing News.  Seems like more than one announcer has heard about trackchasing from Guy.  Ed said I could go wherever I needed too to get photos or whatever.  He even suggested they run a figure 8 race so I could get an extra track to count!  I should have followed up on this suggestion with him.

The 100-lap feature was a wild one.  The track broke up and the dips and doodles were bigger than some of the off-road racing I’ve seen.  The 19 starters probably had 50-60 flat tires.  Ed broke three different shocks during the race.  They had numerous yellow flags and the entire race took nearly two hours.

Following the race, I caught up with Ed and gave him some more info about trackchasing and the web site.  I’ve wanted to get my 50^th state for a long time and I’m glad to finally make it.  Thanks to Ed for the hardy welcome and good luck to the Barnyard Raceway, my 525th-lifetime track. 

Rental Car update:  The National Rental Car racing Chevy Impala continues to meet my expectations.