IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

August 30, 2008 New Smyrna Speedway Prepares For New Era By Jane Smith - KARNAC Media Merritt Island, FL (August 28, 2008)- Joe Lewandoski is no stranger to racing or Florida. Joe recently accepted the job at New Smyrna Speedway as the new Marketing Director and is already hard at work making plans for the speedway. Joe is no stranger to racing as he moved here from Tri-County Speedway in North Carolina and was previously at Lake Erie Speedway in Pennsylvania. Joe also has done his time with NASCAR and lived in the Sunshine/Hurricane State before. Joe is 53 years old and knows his way around racing. He is energetic and eager to fill some very big footsteps that the previous Marketing Director Terry Roberts had at New Smyrna Speedway. I was lucky enough to catch Joe with some free time during his day and spent about a half hour on the phone with him. My biggest question for Joe was "what are your goals for New Smyrna Speedway." "I have three goals to meet right now," he commented. "First is to go out in the community and sell sponsorships for the track. Second is to work on racing and community relationships, and third get butts in the stands." "I am very lucky in that I have walked into a job with a great foundation", he explained. "Kim Brown knows the racers and what to do and Robert Hart has given me a great facility to work with. Butch Pierce has been around for a long time and a great Competition Director and I have known Don Nerone for 20 years and respect him greatly." --Advertisement-- Acknowledging the upgrades to the speedway in recent years, Lewandoski said "Robert is constantly improving the track and has all new catch fencing, new lighting, the grandstands and new bathrooms and just a great facility to work with and for. I am just very excited to be here and to work for such a great place." In the new Marketing Director's own words: "When I accepted the job, I told Robert Hart that I have two people to answer to, him and my ten year old son who wants to be a baseball star and there is no better state than Florida for him to reach that goal. I am just getting my feet wet right now since I had to get my son in school and find him a team to play on and I am in the process of moving into a place but I know what needs to be done, and I will do it." "I know I need to get more bucks in the stands and more drivers back at the track and I do have my plans for that accomplishment. I intend to meet with the drivers from all classes and hear what they have to say on how to accomplish this feat and listen to them. Local short racing is a challenging business and I am definitely up for the challenge." "Years ago when I was in the insurance business my boss said something to me that I have never forgotten and it still holds true today, you do not get paid to sit behind a desk, you have to go out and earn your money and this is what I plan to do. Terry left me a great foundation for that and I plan on continuing to meet with the community leaders, getting to know them, and selling them on New Smyrna Speedway." "I know it takes time to do all this but I have the time and I have my goals for New Smyrna Speedway. I am very lucky to have found a track that is family owned and never been owned by anyone else except that one family. There are very few tracks left in the country that can say that and I feel very lucky to be at one." "I know times are hard and racers have a lot on their plates and the economy is really bad but racing has changed alot in the last 30 years and you can't just sit back, open the gates at 10 and expect to fill the pits and grandstands. You have to work at it now by listening to the racers, the fans, and the surrounding communities." As you can see, Joe is a very determined man with goals that he plans on meeting. He knows it takes hard work, a lot of leg work, to make a track work and to put butts in the stands. He has no plans on leaving anytime soon and the determination to turn things around for New Smyrna Speedway. JOE LEWANDOSKI IS SLATED TO BE A SPECIAL GUEST ON INSIDE FLORIDA RACING MONDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 7-9PM Drivers will meet Joe next Saturday, September 6, when racing returns to New Smyrna Speedway. But if you need to reach him, you can find him hard at work at New Smyrna Speedway at 386.427.4129 ext.306 or cell phone 386.547.6030. Welcome to Florida Joe, we all look forward to meeting you and getting to know you. - Jane Smith KARNAC MEDIA Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on The Real Racin USA Florida Fan Message Board! or Email KARNACto send a letter to the editor!