Mansfield Speedway racing again

MANSFIELD – Racing in Mansfield will be resurrected this summer.

Mansfield Speedway will host six events starting June 21 after a lease agreement was struck between track owner Grant Milliron and Sandusky-based K&B Promotions.

“These deals usually do come together pretty quickly,” said Kevin Jaycox, a principal in the deal for K&B. “I was happy when we were able to get it done as quick as it was.”

Milliron did not want to comment, but Jaycox said it started with phone conversations a few weeks ago.

The half-mile paved oval on the north side last hosted a race in 2010. It’s last full season of racing came in 2008. The facility that used to welcome the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA as well as other national touring series fell out of use when previous owner Michael Dzurilla ran into financial and tax problems.

Milliron, who has no background in racing but is a Richland County businessman with Milliron Industries, bought the track for $800,000 at a sheriff’s sale in January 2013. Last fall, it was announced that northern Ohio racing promoter Kevin Ruic would bring events to the track for this year, but the deal was nixed by Milliron after racist Facebook postings allegedly made by Ruic were revealed this spring.

K&B, which owns regional touring series and operates Sandusky Speedway, was scheduled to bring the Midwest Supermodified Association, Buckeye Super Sprints Series and Main Event Racing Series for late models to Mansfield this summer.

“I own the race series that were part of the other deal, and we were going to lose those races,” Jaycox said. “I was just interested to see if we could get something to work for the betterment of racing in Ohio.”

The lease with K&B is just for this year, but Jaycox indicated that could change if all goes well.

“We’re going to do just what we do at our other race tracks,” Jaycox said. “Honestly, I have no idea what to anticipate with this being the first event I’ve ever had there. I don’t want to sit here and say it’s going to be a packed house. Everything takes time to build, and hopefully people will support it. The track’s been through a lot, so hopefully we can make it work.”

To bring racing back to the once state-of-the-art racing facility is exciting for Jaycox and his team.

“It’s probably the nicest race track I’ve ever seen,” he said.

And for the first time in five years, it will be active.

rmccurdy@gannett.com

419-521-7241

Twitter: @McMotorsport

Mansfield Speedway 2015 schedule

• June 21: Midwest Supermodified Association, modifieds, front-wheel drives.

• July 5: Modifieds, FWD, other divisions to be announced.

• Aug. 1: Main Event Racing Series, modifieds, FWD.

• Aug. 23: Main Event Racing Series, modifieds, FWD.

• Sept. 5: Auto Value Sprints, modifieds, FWD.

• Sept. 12 and 13: Cavalcade with Main Event Racing Series, modifieds, FWD, street stocks, Ohio stocks, vintage cars, plus other divisions to be announced.