MEMBERSHIP LOGIN
JOIN PRI
Utica Rome Owners To Operate Rolling Wheels
Image
Utica Rome owners Bill and Kim Shea have entered into an agreement to promote and operate Rolling Wheels Raceway for the 2016 racing season. The husband and wife team announced that they would run a nine-race schedule on the 5/8-mile track in Elbridge beginning on June 23.
"We were flattered when Mr. Mendick and Mr. Butler contacted us," Bill Shea said. "They said they like the direction we were going in at Utica-Rome and reached out to us, and after some discussions, we decided to do it. We feel very fortunate to be operating two of the most historic tracks in the Northeast."
Glenn Donnelly and his staff from Central New York Raceway Park operated the speedway in 2015 and brought record crowds and a world-record speed at the place known as The Fast Track. Donnelly and his team bowed out in early March to focus on the new track in Central Square. And just like Donnelly, the Sheas will use many of their Utica Rome employees at Rolling Wheels.
"We realize the work that will go into making this work," Kim Shea said. "But we expect much of the staff that works with us on Sundays to be with us at Rolling Wheels and that will help make it easier. We also feel that both tracks will feed off of each other, benefiting both speedways."
The track will start the season with a show on June 23 featuring crate sportsman, crate late models and vintage cars with an open practice for modifieds and sprints also on the card. Among the events for 2016 are the Super DIRTcar Series, the Race of Champions Modified Series, the Empire Super Sprints and the return of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series during Super DIRT Week on Oct. 8. A new website is under construction for the speedway and there are two dates on the schedule that will be announced at a later time. Rolling Wheels was constructed in 1969 and was an original member of DIRT, which was founded by Glenn Donnelly.
"We were flattered when Mr. Mendick and Mr. Butler contacted us," Bill Shea said. "They said they like the direction we were going in at Utica-Rome and reached out to us, and after some discussions, we decided to do it. We feel very fortunate to be operating two of the most historic tracks in the Northeast."
Glenn Donnelly and his staff from Central New York Raceway Park operated the speedway in 2015 and brought record crowds and a world-record speed at the place known as The Fast Track. Donnelly and his team bowed out in early March to focus on the new track in Central Square. And just like Donnelly, the Sheas will use many of their Utica Rome employees at Rolling Wheels.
"We realize the work that will go into making this work," Kim Shea said. "But we expect much of the staff that works with us on Sundays to be with us at Rolling Wheels and that will help make it easier. We also feel that both tracks will feed off of each other, benefiting both speedways."
The track will start the season with a show on June 23 featuring crate sportsman, crate late models and vintage cars with an open practice for modifieds and sprints also on the card. Among the events for 2016 are the Super DIRTcar Series, the Race of Champions Modified Series, the Empire Super Sprints and the return of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series during Super DIRT Week on Oct. 8. A new website is under construction for the speedway and there are two dates on the schedule that will be announced at a later time. Rolling Wheels was constructed in 1969 and was an original member of DIRT, which was founded by Glenn Donnelly.
