d06.01.07_EWS_SIG_EWS_0206M

Photo ID #	d06.01.07_EWS_SIG_EWS_0206M_1
Car #:	#NA
Driver (s) :	NA
Location:	East Windsor, NJ
Date:	Feb, 2006
Photographer:	J17
Photo provided by:	J17
Comments:	"Closing Comments...." I had a chance to talk to Brian Jones and then a little later, to Butch Jones while waiting out the rain delay at the World of Outlaw Sprint Car race at New Egypt Speedway on 5/20/07. Brian stopped by "The Vault" and it took a while for me to recognize him. The last time I spoke with him was about 3 years ago, at Jones' Disposal Service in Jamesburg, wearing a cowboy hat and doing some work on one of his trucks. He was checking out some of the stuff on display in The Vault and like a dummy I asked him if he used to go to Flemington and East Windsor. As he began answering that his family ran EWS, I realized who he was and we reminded each other of the last time we had spoken. He mentioned that he was there with his father (Butch) and that Butch was over under the picnic tent waiting out the rain and about how he'd probably be stopping by to check things out. We talked about how things had changed with the sport. When we got around to talking about the end of East Windsor, he said that in the late spring of 2003 they had decide to open.... Not for a traditional full April to September schedule, but instead, for a 10 race series that was to run between July 4th and Labor Day for 2003. They felt that was when crowds were at their best, and that was also the time that the weather was most likely to cooperate. Plans were put in place and things began moving forward and for a while, racing was going to return to EWS. As they began making progress to make the place race ready, Brian reminded me that it was at exactly that time that the speedway was struck by vandals who had started up a piece of track equipment and drove it through the restroom building, the snackbar and other structures causing over $100k in damages. This was a major set back. Here the family had just decided that they could get everything together that was needed to go racing and to make a go of it, and suddenly they were looking at major $'s needing to be spent just to have restroom and snackbar conveniences. Not knowing what the future held beyond the scheduled 10 race series, it turned out to be the straw that broke the camel's back. It just didn't make sense to invest that kind of money without being sure that there would be a 2004, or 2005 season. Although relieved from the never ending burden of running a short track, I couldn't help but feel like Brian was disappointed that the end came about the way that it did... as if there was unfinished business... maybe a last hurrah that just didn't get to happen. A little later on I saw Butch standing outside the little booth where the driver's sign autographs and I went over to say hello. I reminded him that we had met a few times when I had stopped by their business on Rt. 535 a few years back (2003) and had offered support should they decide to reopen the speedway. He remembered taking down my info, but not much more than that. We talked about how the business of running a dirt track is very unpredictable and in some ways quite thankless. I told him about the day that I had stopped by the fairgrounds when he was working the grader and I had a chance to speak with his father back in June of 2003. I told him that I had left the track that day, with visions of the place opening up in just a few weeks! I mean, seeing him working the equipment on the parking lot that day, and after speaking with Don, I was under the impression that they were going to open the place back up (June 2003). Much to my surprise he said, "We were!" Just like Brian had explained to me 30 minutes earlier, Butch proceeded to tell me about the damage that the vandals had done and that the extent of the damage indicated that it wasn't just been kids playing around. I got the feeling that he was thinking that word had gotten out that they were going to open for a short season and that may have been the motivation for someone to cause the damage that they did. Without accusing anyone specifically, I think they believe that the damage was done by someone whose interests (whether financial or otherwise) were best served by seeing to it that races would never be run at the speedway again. Butch said that because of the damage, and how much it would cost to make the restrooms and the snackbar/kitchen functional, it just wasn't worth it, especially since it was not clear how far into the future they would be racing. Spend $100k+ just to run a 10 race series without being certain about a 2004 season? It just didn't make sense to keep it going... So according to first Brian, and then Butch, that is why East Windsor never reopened. Butch and Brian are a proud pair. While I sensed disappointment from both of them over the way things ended at EWS, I also sensed pride in the program that they ran. They reminded me that its not an easy sport to be involved in, and short track racing and NJ don't exactly go hand in hand anymore. They mentioned that while many regimes come and go, it was the Jones Family who for the most part were the steady, driving force behind the almost 40 years of racing at the Airport Road facility, and how most couldn't deal with the sport for more than a few years. Both Butch and Brian seemed relieved to no longer be faced with the burden of preparing the surface each week, and with all those weeks of crossing their fingers hoping that the weather would cooperate so the show could go on. Butch reminded me that it cost $1500 to turn the lights on whether they got the whole show in or not. Yup... while somewhat subdued, I would say that both Butch and Brian were "unburdened." After decades of working with the demands of the speedway, father and son now spend time going to tractor shows and other events throughout the northeast. Butch mentioned that he did save a lot of the EWS signage and hopes to set it up in a building as a way for all to remember East Windsor as it should be.

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Date:	Visitor's Name:	Comment:
11,27,20	Russ Currie	Another expense for the track was the approximate 100 dollar per day ($36,000) per year tax bill ( thinking it was 44 acres of property total?). So you needed approx 300 adults thru the gate just to meet those 2 weekly expenses. Not to mention the cost of the clay, the fuel for the water truck and grader, and upkeep of the property. I pity all of today's race track operators. I admire the Jones family for their dedication to the sport and keeping the track open as long as they did.