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I-80 Enjoying Remarkable Season

I-80 Speedway at Nebraska Raceway Park is hosting a pair of major events on Sunday, July 12 and Monday, July 13 that will certainly be part of the season’s highlight reel.

The facility’s .400-mile clay oval will feature a visit from one of the region’s favorite sons, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Carl Edwards on Sunday evening, July 12. On Monday evening, July 13, the track hosts a taping of MTV’s “Nitro Circus,” which will star Travis Pastrana. Both events have drawn huge fan anticipation.

Ed Kosiski of Omaha, Neb., the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series 1998 national champion, promotes the track on behalf of a consortium that includes family and business partners.

Kosiski is being credited for an outside-the-box promotion he executed in June that has boosted weekly attendance to record levels.

I-80 Speedway hosted a fan appreciation night with a salute to fire and rescue, law enforcement and the military on June 28. Front gate admission was free. A compete show, including dirt Late Models, Pro-Ams, Sport Mods, Sport Compacts and Crate division was run. The free admission was intentionally not advertised. The Kosiski family promoted the event strictly by word of mouth. Fans came to the track by the thousands. 

“We decided on a Monday that the following Sunday’s races would have free admission to the grandstands,” Kosiski said. “My daughters got on the phone and we called every one of our drivers (nearly 150), and told them to invite their friends, neighbors, sponsors. Tell everyone this is their night,” Kosiski said. “We found out our racers are our best promoters. Everyone got excited.

“Race night came, and the crowd was huge. We had two DJs in the grandstands all night, talking with fans on the PA. Most importantly we had a great, efficient race night and everyone went home happy. We didn’t want to have a show that got dragged out. That would have hurt us.

“Our racers loved it. A lot of them said it was the funnest race night they’ve had. The fans were roaring. You could hear them over the sound of the cars,” Kosiski said.

“Here’s the biggest shocker: since that night, our attendance has been double what it was before. The free night wasn’t about that night. It was about getting the fans to come back the next night and the next night.”

Without revealing exact numbers, Kosiski said the free night was approximately break even at the bottom line.

Above, fans line up early to get into I-80 Speedway. Jason Christley/NASCAR 

With that momentum, a huge weekend of action is set for I-80 Speedway this weekend.

Roush-Fenway Racing driver Carl Edwards, who began his racing career on the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series dirt tracks of Missouri, will be at the track to meet fans and sign autographs, along with a full regular show on Sunday evening, July 12.

“I first met Carl when I won the national championship in 1998,” Kosiski said. “Even then, I remember him talking about how much he wanted to race in the Cup series. He was still a kid, but he had big goals.

“We have the Midwest Ford Dealers involved with his visit and to our fans, Carl is one of our own. It’ll be a fun night.

On Monday evening, MTV will be on hand to tape an edition of their popular “Nitro Circus” starring Travis Pastrana. Joining him will be other personalities of the over-the-top thrill show including Jolene Van Vugt, Andy Bell, Streetbike Tommy, and Kenny “The Cowboy” Bartram. The Sport Modifieds and Sport Compacts will also be in competition.

Kosiski admits hosting the show represents a big change in his thinking.

“I had it stuck in my mind that everything had to be racing, racing, racing. I’ve learned a lot from the seminars and workshops. I’ve learned we’re in the entertainment business, too. We want our fans to have a good time and want to come back.”

Above, a view of the dirt track racing surface from the stands. Jason Christley/NASCAR 

Nebraska Raceway Park includes three different tracks: the .400-mile clay oval, the Soaring Edge Motocross Park, and the .200-mile “Little Sunset Speedway” a clay oval for organized go-cart racing. The track is named for the former Omaha dirt track where eldest Kosiski brother, Joe, won 12 track championships.

“We might have 350 to 400 carts in the area, and we get about 100 every Friday night,” Kosiski said. “Nothing helps us more at the big track. A lot of the kids will say ‘one day I’m gonna race on the big track. Once they start in go carts, they know they can do it and when they’re old enough, they can take the next step.

“Everybody races in two heats and a feature. We start at 7 p.m. and we’re done by 9:30 p.m.