Drag Illustrated Issue 149, October 2019 | Page 56

DIALED IN
the transition should go.
Going from racer to track owner is an eye-
opening experience full of new twists and turns,
not the least of which is the operating expenses.
“What surprised me most is that this place is a
money-eating machine!” laughs McCracken.
“You’ll get a wad of cash through the gate, but
there’s a bigger wad going out!”
McCracken is more than willing to make huge
investments in an effort to propel the track in a
more modern direction. Updates thus far include
remodeling of several buildings, rerouting and
adding staging lanes, electrical upgrades, paving
repairs, new lighting, as well as extensive clean-
ing and painting. Additional indoor concession
seating was installed to complement the existing
picnic tables outside. A more spacious souvenir
stand was developed and relocated to the end of
the concessions building. McCracken even sold
his beloved race truck to buy a new timing system
for the track. “The expenses are incredible – it’s
like having an ex-wife!” he laughs.
McCracken’s ambitious near-term plans in-
clude replacing the existing steel light poles with
more modern aluminum poles, which he’s already
acquired. McCracken also has plans of widening
the track and installing poured concrete barriers,
as well as extensive paving upgrades in the pits.
“When this place was built, everybody either drove
to the track or had small trailers, but today you’ve
got these huge toterhomes coming in, so we’ve
got to change some things around and keep up
with the times.”
The one thing McCracken is intent on preserv-
ing, though, is the friendly atmosphere of Beaver
Springs Dragway. “When me and all my buddies
first started coming here some 35 years ago, Bea-
ver Bob made us feel so welcome...this is a very
welcoming track,” McCracken says. “We felt like
this was home and so we all drove the extra miles
to come here because of the acknowledgment we
got, and I always keep that in my mind.”
Even in his retirement, Beaver Bob remains lo-
cal to the central Pennsylvania area and frequents
the track often, especially during the Ford FE
Race and Reunion, of which he plays an integral
role in organizing. “Beaver Bob is still around
and we want him around,” McCracken says. “We
desire his knowledge.”
It doesn’t come without the occasional dis-
agreement, though. “Bob has been here since day
one and he has strong opinions of how things
should go, so as a result I’ve had to fire Bob sev-
eral times since buying the track,” McCracken
laughs. Their mutual respect for each other, not
to mention their combined passion for this drag
strip, always prevails and in the end they always
laugh about their disagreements and continue
enjoying this unique drag strip together.
For McCracken, he heaps high praise on those
who labor alongside him with this new endeavor,
many of whom are childhood friends who’ve re-
mained close for four decades. “We have such
great workers and racers here, and my longtime
friends are such a huge help,” McCracken says.
“We had 175 cars here yesterday for our Labor Day
race, and everything went so smoothly.”
The entire facility is comprised of 66 acres, and
Mike looks no further than 80-year-old Graham
Taylor for help with the mowing. “I’d be lost with-
out Graham, and his wife, Betty, who runs the
gate,” McCracken adds. “I don’t think I could get
10 kids to work as hard as Graham does!”
McCracken’s 2019 race schedule is robust from
April through November, with everything from
bracket point events to no-prep. Also, there’s spe-
cial events that cater to bikes, ATVs and snowmo-
biles, as well as special appearances from the Pro
Stick and MANDRA series, as well as Al Hanna’s
Jet Funny Cars. The York Nationals continues to
be a huge gathering and is now in its 15th year.
The season finishes out with a great lineup of
events including the Jalopy Showdown with the
East Coast Gassers, Swap Meet and the Turkey
Bowl Gamblers Race.
In just his second year at the helm, McCrack-
en’s leadership is well-respected and the support
he receives is humbling. “I’m driven by passion
and we’re proud to have this place! I have high
hopes of taking the track to the next level, and
when I’m done I hope my son and daughter will
continue carrying the torch,” he concludes.
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BEAVER SPRINGS