"Girls of Summer" keep racing in Chesterfield
By Jerry Reid CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Southside Speedway owners Sue Clements (right) and her older sister Patsy Stargardt are continuing their father's legacy.

Southside Speedway has been open for 50 years, a feat not many small businesses in the sports and entertainment arena can claim. NASCAR stars including Bobby Allison, Ray and Roy Hendrick and Cal Johnson among others, have reached for racing glory throughout the history of the 1/3-mile track.

Although no longer sanctioned by NASCAR, Southside has always been known as a track that grudgingly gives success to even the best drivers. And many of those drivers have Southside grandstands named after them.

Chesterfield's Denny Hamlin learned some short-track lessons at Southside, and they evidently paid off with his recent victory on Martinsville Speedway's cozy confines.

But there have been some close calls over the years, as things sometimes got sideways due to poor management by leaseholders. 2003 was the worst, and that's when Sue Clements and older sister Patsy Stargardt stepped back into the operation of their parents' legacy.

The progress back to pits full of cars and stands filled with fans has been slow but steady. 2008 could be a watershed year for the venerable bullring in attendance and car count.

Held last Friday night, the first race of the year honored the memory of J.M. Wilkinson, the man responsible for the Genito Road facility. Wilkinson and wife Anna involved Patsy and Sue in the family business from day one.

Inheriting ownership of Southside after their mother's death, the sisters attempted to find responsible promoters to run the track. Throughout the history of Southside, there were a variety of individual leaseholders.

The late 1990s through 2003 proved to be especially trying times as one promoter left the track due to alleged mismanagement.

WW Motorsports, a promotion group consisting of Virginia Beach area businessmen headed by Wayne Wyatt and Dwight Schaubach, took over on the heels of that departure. They improved the track facilities, but never really clicked in relations with drivers, fans and sponsors during the changeover and ensuing seasons.

"We came back out here in 2003 after having leased the place since 1976… that's a lot of tenants that went through here," Clements recollected.

"I'm 60 going on 32," Clements continued wryly. Her sister is 66, and neither look their age. They are both energetic and obviously dedicated to Southside Speedway.

"I can't say that we were ever unhappy with the tenants that were here. Of course, other people don't take as good care of your property as you do… maybe sometimes the personal interest is not there as it is with ownership."

"We found that the last lease [with WW Motorsports] was up in December of 2003," she said. There was a renewal option for five more years. Wyatt and his group chose not to renew, and no one else stepped forward to take over or buy the facility. "As I told Patsy, we can't just let the place close. That just would not be the thing to do," Clements stated.

Stargardt echoed that sentiment. "We would just have to do it ourselves," she said. She took over concessions, and has increased that ingredient in satisfying drivers, crews and fans to a level not seen for many years.

Another goal the sisters agreed wholeheartedly on was to be more family-friendly, with children's events and special touches for kids. They also put together revamped restrooms, better lighting and a good parking arrangement in spite of the Genito Road widening.

Alternating the top-notch Modified and Late Model Sportsman classes allowed drivers, crews and families to spend more time together away from the track. And the drivers enjoyed a better purse structure because of that move. All of these changes added to a new look and a more fan-friendly feeling for the historic facility.

Good help being sometimes hard to find, Clements and Stargardt consider themselves blessed to have their church family. "Maybe a good 75 percent of our employees are from our church family [at Bethia United Baptist Church]. One of our former ministers is on the back gate, and the deacon is in the middle of them out there," Stargardt said.

If the truth were known, neither Clements nor Stargardt was really ready to do this. Clements was enjoying taking care of a granddaughter, and Stargardt was retired. The decision to move forward was made easier when Southside old-timers, newcomers, contractors and help of all kinds exploded on the scene.

And help was definitely needed, as the track facilities were filthy, and much of the infrastructure was in bad shape.

"I saw that the place was, to use a word, sabotaged. It was in very bad shape. The Tech building [where racecars are weighed, etc.] was floor to the ceiling with trash, and I couldn't even get in there… it was just in terrible, terrible condition," Clements said.

"I really did not know what to do…I had a feeling…that the people [from WW Motorsports] were not going to come back," she reckoned. "But I felt like I was guided. I don't think any of this was my plan whatsoever. I really feel that I was put where I was supposed to be. I was very happy being at home and not have a demanding job hanging over me every day," Clements recalled.

However, the pieces fell into place, faith played a part, and hard work is ongoing at Southside Speedway. Clements said her love of the place, her departed Dad and God have guided her.

Running an outdoor sporting arena is no picnic to begin with. Weather can play havoc with the best-laid plans. And economic issues are more of a concern now that ever before.

Clements and Stargardt listen to the drivers, seek advice from all corners and by all accounts have put the track back on top of its game.

According to Clements, though no figures were divulged, 2006 was a good year attendance wise, and last year was down on some nights but was acceptable overall. Both years were better in the stands than the previous three, so the trend is upwards. The track is reportedly on sound financial grounds, not always the case before the sisters took over the track.

Riding to the rescue of their father's dream has earned them the title, "Girls of Summer." If they hadn't, stock car racing in Chesterfield would have disappeared, just like Richmond's Braves.