32,000 help Super Nats cruise to success

The events pumped big bucks into Salem’s economy.

By D.A. WILKINSON

VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU

SALEM — The Steel Valley Super Nationals brought a record number of people to the Quaker City Raceway.

The 32,173 people who attended the motorsports show Friday through Sunday made for the largest turnout for an event at the track, according to promoter Corey Ward.

And, Ward added, the event is going to get bigger every year.

He will be presenting the event through 2011. Ward said he will market the event in different areas, which will increase attendance.

Plans are already under way for next year’s event, and the super nationals’ Web site has been updated to show the date.

One new event for 2008 will be a “build-off” to create motorcycles.

The event brought in 1,012 racing cars. The previous high was 875. For viewing, there were 2,685 race cars and 3,284 motorcycles. “I couldn’t be happier,” Ward said.

Barbara Weikart-Kuder, one of the three organizers of the after party in the city, also was pleased.

“Overall, I think it was a fantastic event,” she said.

Weikart-Kuder estimated that 30,000 people came to the city over the three days.

Events got rolling Friday and by early evening, East State Street was a two-lane parade of cruising cars. Cruising continued Saturday and tapered off gradually Sunday, when events ended at 9 p.m.

Weikart-Kuder, along with Daniel Nye and Mike Grimstad, worked to promote the cruising events with a budget of $26,000. They have ties to various committees, such as the city’s tourism bureau, the merchants committee and the chamber of commerce. They took on the job of coordinating the local events tied to the super nationals after the trial run in 2006.

Weikart-Kuder estimated the cruise brought in $250,000 to city vendors, but she added, “That’s a way-low estimate.”

She said many retail stores downtown stores stayed open until about 9 p.m. Saturday.

Good for business

Street vendors ran out of food Friday and Saturday, and bars and restaurants were crowded.

She said Mike’s Penn Avenue Grille and BB Rooners, both on East State Street, and the Hickory Rib on Ellsworth Avenue reported good business.

Justin Palmer, the head of city council’s economic development committee, was present all three nights.

He said the downtown was so crowed Saturday night people could hardly move.

He said he didn’t know a way to gauge the economic gain to the city, but added, “It’s been good for the community.”

Mayor Larry DeJane declined to comment on the events, saying the city wasn’t really involved with them.

Police Chief Robert Floor said things went well.

Officers put in a total of 370 hours of overtime, and the police auxiliary put in 119 hours. The city issued just 12 traffic citations.

wilkinson@vindy.com

XFor more information, visit www.steelvalleysupernationals.com.