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While Auto City Speedway fans have been battling cabin fever and anxiously waiting for the Saturday Night Lights to shine in 2009, Owner/Promoter Joe Dewitte has been working hard to make sure those fans get a quality show, at a good value, every night of the season.

No stranger to hard work, Joe ran his own construction business for 30 years before buying Auto City.  He says that he has to work harder as the track promoter than he ever did before he retired.

Joe is all about cars, Auto City Speedway and his favorite NASCAR driver Dale Jarrett, but this year he's pulling for Brad Keslowski.

"He (Keslowski) used to run weekly at Auto City," Joe said. "I would very much like to see this young man succeed."

Despite the economy, Joe is very optimistic about the 2009 season for Auto City.

"Like all businesses, we are going to have to work hard to overcome the obstacles of the times," Joe said. "We worked extremely hard this year and got sponsors for each division, which will help to put a little more money in the purse.  2008 brought about renovations to the track: new lighting and the Figure 8 track.  They put on some really great shows (last year).  2009 will be more of the same. We are optimistic, have a positive attitude and are being creative to be successful."

Auto City drivers should know that there are no major rule changes for 2009, and the track's No. 1 Driver priority this year is to ensure that all drivers are treated fairly.

Another thing which sets Auto City apart from other facilities is the staff.  "We have the best team.  I'd put my team up against any other team in the state" said Sharon Fischer, Joe's partner at Auto City.  "We won the Michigan Racing Scene's People Choice Award for best pavement concession stand.  We won the Michigan Racing Scene's People Choice Award for Best Track Bargin with our Turn Two Lounge.  Ken (Pfaff) and Joanne (Varner) do just a wonderful job.  Skip (Konkle) is the best track photographer and with Maurice Randall joining us this year, the best pit boss.  We already had one Carnegie Award winning track announcer in Larry (Loynes), now he's joined by "Big" Ed Inloes, another Carnegie Award winner"

The 2009 track schedule is packed with fun and excitement for everybody.  "We have some great shows on the schedule" says Joe.   Right away in May we have the Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Legends, followed by the Springslinger and the first appearance of the Super Late Models on Auto City Speedway's schedule.   Inloes pointed out "Auto City, Owosso Speedway, and Flat Rock Speedway worked real well together to create a schedule where Late Models could run 17 times this season and not one time have to choose between one track or the other.  That level of cooperation is remarkable".

 Joe suggests that fans forego taking an entire week at once for summer vacation and, instead, take vacation "...one Saturday at a time in 2009.  "We have a lot of fun planned this year," Joe said. "School bus races, Maximum Destruction shows, several novelty shows and fireworks.  Most importantly, we have the best drivers and the best racing. Week in and week out we will put on a good show.  Come out and let me prove it to you."

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