Lets not turn this place into a rumor mill if you did not attend the meeting. 

Just asking. Seems a zoning change was brought up for the property. That's not a rumor.

I don't like being part of rumors, but thank you Mark B for providing the screen shot of what is identified as a Washington Township Board of Supervisors Meeting held on 8/25/22, as it is certainly something that short track race fans will find of concerning, although I think for us all to taking a deep breath right about now is probably the best advice.

I don't have any information on Grandview, and I have no contacts with ownership/management, but by visiting the Washington Township - Berks County PA website, I was able to find that there was a Board of Supervisors Meeting scheduled for 8/25/22, which is the date on the top of the snapshot of the agenda that was provided in the above post, so that much I can confirm, but what was discussed/and to what extent, I, like most of you have no idea.

https://washtwpberks.org/event/board-of-supervisors-meeting-45

I don't know how accurate the agenda provided is, or if all items were discussed at the meeting, but I'm pretty sure the company "CoPart" that is mentioned in the agenda in the section "Township Engineer Report", "Grandview Speedway Copart Zoning", is the same company that bought Englishtown Raceway Park a few years ago and turned into a big parking lot.

I've seen stuff like this head in a lot of different directions, so if I'd prefer to see if AARN picks up on it.  If there is something worth reporting at this stage, it'll be in AARN either this week or next.

For you AARN subscribers, the digital version is available via the AARN website beginning Tuesday at 6am of the new week.

The search of "Copart" indicated that the company is a large scale used auto dealer, or auto auction center.   According to their site, they have numerous locations.  Going by the aerial photos posted, each location appears to be huge.  I know this doesn't answer any questions but I thought I'd bring it to 3Wide's attention.  Scott Ely 

Scott - I should have been more clear.... CoPart is some kind of car salvage (?) other company.

When I say they turned Englishtown into a parking lot, I meant that if you do an aerial view of the place you'll see cars parked all over the grounds where racecars once roamed.  I don't know if they are auction cars or junk cars, or both, but that's what the former grounds of E-Town is now being used for.

I heard a lot of cars that were damaged in Super Storm Sandy ended up on the Englishtown property.

Englishtown was taken over by Insurance Auto Auctions Inc. Copart is a different company both are traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Sad the track is basically gone but the property is still used for drifting. The traffic in the area is horible with all the trucks carrying 3-4 cars on the trailers.  

https://www.iaai.com/locations/611?utm_source=reputation

Thanks for the correction Don.  I had heard CoParts name as having been in the discussion with ETown at some point.  The correction should be that "large auto auction/salvage companies" have been involved with the purchase of Englishtown Raceway which led to the end of drag racing at the facility, and "large auto auction/salvage companies" have also had discussions in the past about the Atco Dragway.  

IAA didn't buy Englishtown, they are just leasing part of the property.

i said the same thing about etown they also want atco, the money behind them is something thats hard to belive. 

NEWS FROM GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY – BECHTELSVILLE, PA TRACK OWNER – THERESA ROGERS MEDIA CONTACT – Jeff Ahlum – jeffreyahlum@gmail.com TRACK PHONE – 610.754.7688 or www.grandviewspeedway.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/August 30, 2022 STATEMENT FROM TRACK OWNER THERESA ROGERS REGARDING THE FUTURE OF GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY BECHTELSVILLE, PA. – As the 60th anniversary season of auto racing action heads toward the homestretch at Grandview Speedway, Track Owner Theresa Rogers wishes to make a public statement regarding recent information that was made public regarding the future operations of the one-third-of-a-mile high-banked Speedway. Over the past weekend news became public when the COPART company went to Washington Township, where Grandview Speedway is located, and submitted a proposal to township officials that will place them on the township agenda for a future meeting. Nothing has been discussed with Township officials to this point in time. The proposal COPART has submitted to Washington Township is the result of an offer they have made to Grandview Speedway track owner Theresa Rogers to purchase the Speedway grounds, an offer that she has accepted from them to sell the 60-year-old Speedway. Mrs. Rogers would like to let all the loyal fans and race teams of Grandview Speedway know some facts about the situation rather than hearing rumors on the street or from social media. “We did not yet release any information about the possible sale of the Speedway” stated Mrs. Rogers. “We felt first of all we owed it to our employees, an in-person face to face meeting to tell them what was happening, and we did so this past Saturday night prior to the race program.” The racetrack was never listed for sale, and the whole possibility of a sale started when COPART sent an email to the Speedway looking for property, and discussions have gone back and forth since that time, with Mrs. Rogers eventually accepting their offer to sell the property. With that being said, to our knowledge that can take time and we may not have answers until closer to the end of the year, with CoPart moving forward with trying to make their plans happen and getting approvals from Township officials before anything will become official. After the initial contact, Mrs. Rogers had many discussions with her family, many of whom are involved with the operation of the Speedway. They told her that she should do what is best for her and left the decision solely up to her. Now at 80-years of age, she has to think about taking care of herself in her senior years of life. “I want everyone to know that this decision was solely and entirely mine” stated Mrs. Rogers. “My late husband Bruce and I had discussions prior to his passing about this situation, and I thought long and hard about what Bruce had told me. "He said you can do what you want after I go, it is totally up to you.” “For the time being there is no further information that we know. When there is more information, we will issue another release” stated Mrs. Rogers. “We as a family certainly do appreciate all of the love and passion that everyone has been showing since this news broke, and we hope everyone will respect the decisions that I have to make for myself, and my family.” Racing action will continue this weekend with two nights of racing scheduled for both Friday and Saturday nights and continue through into the fall until the schedule for the season is completed. This Saturday, September 3, will feature the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds and the T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman in another NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series program along with the Wingless Super Sportsman joining the show for a three-division event starting at 7:30 pm. Pit gates will open at 4 pm. with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm. warm-ups will be starting at 6:15 pm. Adult grandstand admission is $20, while children ages 11 and under are admitted free of charge. Friday, September 2 will feature Round 8 with the Outlaw Racing Series Enduro and Outlaw Racing Series Vintage Cars in action starting at 7 pm. Pit gates open at 2 pm., Grandstand gates open at 6 pm. Grandstand admission will be $10, with children ages 12 and under admitted for free. Pit admission is $30 for the Friday event. The big event for the season is the Freedom weekend of racing, with the 9th annual Freedom 38 Sportsman Championship on Friday, September 16, and the 52nd annual Freedom 76 358 Modified Championship on Saturday, September 17. Since the 1960’s, Grandview Speedway has been presenting exciting wheel to wheel NASCAR stock car racing every Saturday Night starting in April and running through September, plus special events. Grandview Speedway is located at 43 Passmore Road, Bechtelsville, Pa. 19505, just off Route 100, ten miles north of Pottstown, Pa. Information is always available at www.grandviewspeedway.com or on Facebook, or by telephone at 610.754.7688. UPCOMING EVENTS – Friday, September 2 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro and Outlaw Racing Series Vintage – 7 pm Saturday, September 3 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman plus Wingless Super Sportsman – 7:30 pm. Saturday, September 10 – CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT - T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman – 7:30 pm. Friday, September 16 – 9th annual FREEDOM 38 CHAMPIONSHIP for T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman $2000 to win, plus Modified practice – 7:30 pm. Saturday, September 17 – 52nd annual FREEDOM 76 MODIFIED CHAMPIONSHIP for T.P. Trailer Modifieds – 7 pm. Saturday, September 24 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro and Outlaw Racing Series Vintage – 7 pm (Rain date for Freedom 76)

Said news for all short track fans, as this probably won't be the last speedway/racing facility that CoPart buys based on their past and current actions.

I didn't see anything about the sale of the speedway in this week's AARN which doesn't really matter at this point having now seen the release provided from Grandview Speedway regarding the sale.  (Don't know if AARN was blindsided, or if perhaps as a courtesy to Grandview Speedway, they sat on the story for a few days to allow the owners of the speedway to handle the rollout of the news.)

And there you have it! Like I said in one of my previous posts. Keep bashing, demoninzing, and complaining, and the next thing you know it will all be gone. 

Paint man...you don't really believe that the "bashing, complaining and demonizing" had anything to do with an eighty year old ladies decision to sell Grandview Speedway.......do you ??

I'm so sad to see/hear another local GREAT dirt track era end....there are toooooo many I've attended that are no longer around....Reading..Penn National..Silver Springs...Nazareth's many tracks...Windsor...Flemington...Dorney Park...the list will KEEP growing sorry to say...

Saying Grandview was sold because of ""bashing, complaining and demonizing" is like saying that the reason there are no more Drive In's in NJ (heard there might be one still in Vineland?) is because people complained about the sound quality of the window speaker, and the damn mosquitos.

CoPart is not some neighborhood salvage yard.  They are a huge international company with a net worth reported at over $30 billion (yup... that's with a "b"), and I'm thinking that their unsolicited offer was probably much more than the owners were expecting.

No inside info here, but just the way it sounds to me.

Doesn't make it any less sad, but I don't think it really holds up to roll out the, "If only people didn't complain about things" the track wouldn't have sold...."

I guess with that logic (if only people didn't complain) I'd be going to East Windsor this Friday night, Flemington on Saturday and maybe even Nazareth on Sunday...

Well stated Sir , and probably right on point - She probably got an offer ...that she wasn't expecting .. and an offer (so good) that couldn't be refused ... and family always comes 1st 

( i just hope she takes some care of the extremely hard working and loyal workers at the track ...and when all see the numbers , there will be plenty of $$,$$$,$$$ to do just that ) 

  Thank you Grandview for many , many terrific Saturday night race programs 

Bashing and complaining had nothing to do with it. $$$$$$$

PS - Somewhat good news for NES and Bridgeport - racers have to go somewhere ??

Maybe now is the time for Big Diamond to switch to Saturdays.

i think it's been in the family for 2 generations , why not make it 3 ?

Brad Missimer is Forrest Rogers great grandson.

It's a real situation for this family. We sold our 60 year family business in 2019. No way we wanted to sell, but when you have a viable offer, you have to really crunch the numbers and put yourself 15 years out and where you would be. It's very difficult, but you need to take care of the people close to you and especially yourself. I bet this decision is being made, because the money they are being offered, is money you would'nt be offered in another 30 years.

Sure she has to worry about the workers, the fans, and everyone involved, but at the end of the day, take care of what is best for you and you only. It sounds selfish, but true.

i understand what you're saying. it's just a sad thing to me after living there on saturday nights for so many years.

https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/berks/future-of-grandview-speedway-uncertain-as-owner-plans-to-sell-property/article_bf6185d2-28ec-11ed-b6fa-df3307fdc3ad.html

I'm not saying it was the main reason. I'm sure the property is worth a small fortune. But I am pretty sure the Rodgers family is also just tired of dealing with the town and all the negativity on social media. Not to mention the accusations of favortism towards certain drivers all the time.

For Christ sake you got one guy posting on here accusing NASCAR of downrite malice and trying to cover it up. Hell I don't why anybody would want to be a track promoter or run a sanctioning body.

My guess is you have at least 2, probably 3 more tracks in this area, that will be shutting down soon. Not just because of financial gains/loses, but because of the pure B.S. they have to deal with from the so called fans on social media.. 

P.S. You can flame me all you want, but take time to look in the mirror as well.

Grandview had put in new lights and from what I read a new score board over the Winter. I can not blame her selling the property to Copart. They have set her up for the rest of her life. At the age of 80 she could end up possibly living another 10-20 years depending on her health. Every year the number of 100 plus years are growing, so that is even a possiblity. Not only taking care of her self she has all set up her family in a good position. 

 On another note we won't know what sort of hassle the township will give Copart. It could take several months before anything is set in stone. It still gives people time to attend the track this Season. Who knows it could last into next Season like Reading did.  

Sad to see after 60 years the track will eventually close. I enjoyed the multiple times attending the races there. To bad the track is 2hours away from home. Curious where the current teams head to in the future. Sure some of the local tracks could benefit on a Saturday night. Would say some like Ray Swinehart who won last Saturday night. Could decied to retire from racing. In the end it is a no win situation for the local fans and race teams.

Like Flemington, East Windsor, Reading, Nazerth, Pine Brook, Trenton and several others in the area. Grandview will be a memory in a few years. 

I give you credit Paintman....  you're not shy about grinding away, and maybe eventually you'll find somebody to agree with you - There's got to be a few other folks that think that speedways that have sold, or tracks that will sell in the future have made/will make the decision because of what a few people say on social media, other.... 

Me personally, I think it really has more to do with things like:

• The amount of work it takes for owners/management & staff to make a speedway operational for what amounts to a handful of nights of actually being open for business.
• Difficulty in finding consistent, quality, dependable help that a track owner can count on that will be there for each event and then some.  (Having to have redundancy in personnel so that if some don't show, the show can still go on.)
• Whether there is a burning desire for upcoming generations within current ownership to want to continue in the business of running a racetrack.
• Whether racing is something that current ownership/family is involved with in terms of competing at their speedway, or is expected that someone from current ownership/management will compete at some time in the future.
• The fixed expenses of running a racetrack that continue to need to be paid regardless of whether it rains, or it was expected to rain and didn't,... or it snows... or its too hot... or too cold, or there's Co vid or some new reason for folks not to be able to attend.
• The variable expenses that come with food service, event staff, other facility neccessities and ammenities that need to be in place prior to showtime for each event.
• The unknown variable week to week of not really knowing the number of fans and the amount of competitors (participants) that will be there so that you can at least figure a break even point.
• The general hassles of being a business owner - bills, taxes, visits from township folks that always find something that is out of compliance and has to be addressed, etc.,.
• The risk that comes with owning any business of being sued for whatever reason somebody comes up with, which with race cars involved/ spectators/people in the pits, is much higher than lets say, running a deli... or a laundomat.
• The short term, medium term, long term vision of the current business - Will it be stronger in 2 years?, 5 years? How about 20 years?  (Will there still be people in 20 years that want to compete, and folks willing to pay to watch them in 20 years?  What will they be watching? - Will gas powered cars still be acceptable, or will they eventually become the pariah that many in government are already begun positioning them as?  What might that whole discussion look like 15 - 20 years from now?)  When you're in business, you need to be looking pretty far down the road, and for a business, 15 years isn't all that far down the road...)
  
• The need to constantly reinvest in facilities & equipment over time due to age/wear other.
• ...and... the very unpopular observation that most of us have made...  which is unfortunatley, that most parcels/blocks of land that currently have or had a speedway/raceway are often worth much, much more to a developer or other business entity than what others might consider "market value," especially if the zoning is in line with what they are looking to do, or where it is reasonable to think the zoning could be changed to meet their needs.  Add to it that most speedway sites are clear tracts, meaning there are not a lot of trees and buildings that need to be removed/demolished (which if there were a lot of structures/other), would have added to the purchaser's costs.) Not having to demolish/remove a lot of trees/buildings, other makes the property even more desirable/cost attractive to the would be purchaser.

If only it was as easy as just telling folks to not say or post negative things on message boards and Fecebook.....  

I agree with Paintman.  Even if in this situation the offer came out of nowhere and is too good to turn down, he's not wrong.  In general, running a racetrack has always been a difficult job at best, and now people with nothing invested complain about every move a track makes in the comfort of their own keyboard.  When was the last time any of us told a promoter or worker "thank you".? 

When I read the comments about the tracks, it's of little surprise there are no casual fans.  No different than when I go on TripAdvisor for a restaurant review.  Too heavy, too slick, food sucks, food too expensive, canceled too early, canceled too late, show runs off too quick, show needs to be faster, too many divisions, need more divisions, poor payout, no beer, fans drink too much beer, etc..  And just think how the track owner, promoters, and workers feel.

You can laugh and say this has no influence, but if I were the main bankroll behind a track, it would be one factor influencing me.

Let's be 100% clear on this....people complaing on FB or SJDR or 3 Wide had absolutely NOTHING to do with the family's decision to sell the track. That's a ludicrous thing to say ! 
  With that being said, are we not allowed to voice our opinions of the experiences we have at the track ? Joe's format of "Where'd ya go and how was the show"is the perfect venue to do such. As a paying customer, I have every right to have an opinion and be truthful in sharing that experience with others. 
  You asked when was the last time someone thanked a promoter ? I've thanked Brett Deyo many times when I've seen him. He has done an amazing job of procuring and keeping the top drivers happy and coming back, which in turn, keeps the fans happy. He doesn't water down a show with too many classes and he's very aware of what it takes to keep the front gate, paying customer happy. That can't be said of all promoters today.

  I guess you're welcome to believe that social media bullying was the culprit in this case, but I've heard that the Sasquatch living behind the pit scale house was just getting too cantankerous🤷🏻‍♂️ 

I always enjoyed GV as a spectator.

It is one of my favorite tracks.

The question was asked, "when was the last time any of us told a promoter or worker "thank you"?

I'll take "the over" that more folks on this board do say thank you to promoters/workers when the opportunity presents itself.  Others can take the under, but I don't see it that way.  Like a lot of folks here on the board, I've been known to say thanks, great show, etc., to management and ownership on many ocassions.  No need for me or anyone else to grandstand about that, it's what we/they do.

As for the comment, "if I were the main bankroll behind a track, it would be one factor influencing me", while I can respect the person making that statement, my thoughts are that a person making a statement like that has no "business" (pun unavoidable) bankrolling a track.

Sure it'd be great if everybody loves you... and pats you on the back each step of the way, but I know lots of business owners, and it never works out that way, and I don't care what kind of business you are in.  Let's stop pretending what we'd do if we bankrolled a track and at least acknowledge that the same rules of business apply to track owners as they do other businesses.  When people (customers both past and present) provide feedback positive or negative, you can either ignore it (which I wouldn't recommend), or you find the value in it to make your business better. 

You don't weep up.

You don't close your track over it.  

I see two more tracks within my 3 state reach that could eventually close at the end of this year.... and if they do, it won't be because somebody rightly or wrongly said the show wasn't good.  It will be because they were not able to provide a product that captured the necessary $'s from both competitors and fans on a consistent basis to maintain the business plan they had in place....  OR... they will close because somebody offers them mega price that meets or exceeds what they think their business & property are currently worth or will be worth.... Or it will be because of one (or more) of the other reasons that I mentioned in a post somewhere above this one.

If a owner/promoter/or "bankroller" factors in that people said hurtful things about their business as even a whiff of why they closed or sold their business/track, I'm calling bullshit.

I have no dog in the fight and I honestly don't care one way or the other, but I'm told there's about 35 acres of property there. 4 million is a lot of money but isn't that about right for 35 acres? Wasn't there a builder interested in the property for that kind of money? Do you want to live across the street from a pseudo junkyard with trucks in and out 6 days a week on those narrow back roads? Wouldn't a new housing development be more palatable to the people that live there? I'd be at that meeting bitching like a mf'er if I lived in one of those houses across the street.

John is right. I have dealt with Copart for a long time. The activity of the business and the  tractor trailers and flatbeds hauling these wrecks in and out is almost overwhelming. When you see loads of wrecked cars on a tractor trailer travelling the highway, good chance it came from a Copart (or IAA, competitor to Copart) location.

The town and neighbors are gonna miss the race track compared to having Copart there.

To be honest, Grandview was the last PA-NJ track I thought would no longer operate.  But, I guess its tough to turn down the $$$ and continue to run, even with the problems that all promotors face on a nightly basis.  The other option is take the $$$ and live out a comfortable life.  I grew up in Jobstown,NJ in what was predominantly farm country (about 2miles from joint military base Dix, McGuire, Lakehurst).   In early 70s, farms were starting to be sold for housing developments.  Can't blame the farmers I guess.  Easy $$$ vs. hard work for not much $$$.  Not sure if it was a state, county or local initative, but a program was started to pay farmers $$$ not to sell but to continue to operate as a farm.  I knew a couple of older farmers who leased out their land to other farmers.  I don't know if the arrangement called for a cap on what a farmer could make but it wouldn't surprise me if there were income limits.  Anyway, it would be nice if Grandview would qualify for a deal like NJs, which I belieive is referred to as Open Space.  Guess I'm dreaming, or reaching for straws, as they say.  I've noticed more houses popping up near Grandview on, and near rt. 100.  Maybe its only a matter of time when the track's "new neighbors" would force the track to close.  Scott Ely              

Having been a racing fan for over 50 years now I am used to tracks shutting down. It happens. And very few people would turn down the ridiculous sums of money being offered for land that isnt very profitable these days.

That being said learning about the forthcoming demise of Grandview was a gut punch for me. Totally unexpected and I found myself mildly depressed on Monday evening after I read the news. I assumed it would be around for a long time and while I haven't been there in years it still sucks knowing it is going away.

I hold no animosity to the family. Running a short track is volunteering to be a punching bag these days.

My parents are gone now but I wish they had that kind of money available for their Golden Years.

Kevin Mc, I too felt down about Grandview's apparent demise.  I try to get there once or twice a year.  I wonder if this will give Big Diamond a reason to switch to Saturdays.  I've never been to Kutztown but its about 30 minutes away from Grandview.  Is it feasible to run modifieds on a weekly or periodic basis there?  Just wondering.    Scott Ely  

No to Kutztown. Track is way too small, plus can only operate while college is out session, with no rain dates. Plus, they're doing great with the shows they currently promote, I doubt they'd take a chance on something that uncertain.