Catanias are the new owners of Stateline Speedway in Busti | News, Sports, Vacancies

Stateline Speedway opened on July 21, 1956, in front of 1,700 spectators to see 22 drivers compete for a $1,500 prize, $300 of which went to the winner, Emory Mahan of Warren, Pennsylvania. Photo by Kyle Windsor

A Westfield native and his wife are now the new owners of Stateline Speedway in Busti.

Bill and Lisa Catania confirmed Thursday that their purchase of the 1/3-mile dirt oval from Jim and Jean Scott and Rhonda and Chip Turner is complete and “Right now it’s all about making Stateline very successful.”

“This is the business I want to do for the rest of my life.” said Bill Catania, a 1994 graduate of Westfield Academy and Central High School. “I want my kids to be in this business in 20 or 30 years. I have no interest in building it to sell it.”

For Bill Catania, founder and CEO of OneRail in Orlando, Florida, “We manage the complete delivery of goods from the store to the home, from the warehouse to the construction site or to the repair shop,” This will be his second attempt to oversee Stateline’s operations, he said.

In 2014, Bill Catania reportedly reached an agreement with Seamens Speedway Inc. about leasing property in hopes of purchasing the track. Having reached this agreement, he announced an 18-month repair plan that continued through the 2015 racing season, but in the summer of that year Catania released a statement confirming that the cessation of insurance coverage had led to the cancellation of the races.

Eventually, the Scotts and Turners purchased Stateline Speedway from Jennifer Siemens. The Scotts and Turners were the owners until the Katanias announced the official purchase this week.

“It was probably one of the most disappointing and devastating things that has ever happened to me personally and in my professional career—a business failure.” Bill Catania recounted his experience nine years ago. “I have never failed in business.”

Citation “personal matters” The Cornell graduate also admitted that one of the reasons for the closure was “Overexpansion was another important factor.”

“I had agreements to buy four more lines and had spread my resources too thin, which, combined with personal issues, was simply impossible to overcome.”

This time it will be different, Catania says.

“We are 100% focused on making Stateline successful.” Bill Catania said. “Once we feel we have accomplished that mission, we may consider expanding.

“Ten years older and wiser.”

The track has a long history. Stateline opened on July 21, 1956, in front of 1,700 spectators to see 22 drivers compete for a $1,500 prize, with $300 going to the winner. Emory Mahan of Warren won the first race driving a 1955 Chevy. In 1984, the track was purchased by Fritz Siemens. During his tenure, the weekly races featured high attendance, low prices and high payouts.

Bill Catania joked that his love for racing and Stateline may be “accused” about his family, especially his grandfather in the early 1960s, and then his father, starting in the mid-1970s. So by the late 1990s, Bill Catania found himself behind the wheel on dirt and asphalt tracks in three states before moving to compete in the southern United States.

“I grew up around this” – he said. “That’s where a lot of friendships were made and I think for me, I always wanted to be a competitor and I still do. That was the longest time I’ve been out of the seat. Three years passed because we were so busy with our company. “I plan to come and compete at Stateline, unlike the first time I ran the track, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Lisa Catania, who has experience in event planning and real estate, will also bring a unique perspective to the event.

“She’s not a lifelong horse racing fan and that’s who we need to attract to this facility.” Bill Catania said. “To me, this is one of the hidden gems of the partnership between her and me. I feel like this is an ideal situation. From a capital standpoint, we’re in a position to do that, and I just feel like there’s a lot we can do to improve the sport, improve the track and build on the legacy that the Scotts and Turners have built.”

Lisa Catania said her first and last trip to Stateline was three years ago.

“It was amazing to see all the improvements they made… and the thought they put into everything.” she said. “They just continue to put their heart and soul into it. I think we’ve now promised and committed to continue doing the same and putting our heart and soul into the next phase of Stateline.

“We have a foundation and we are going to expand it.”

One way to expand is to host more events beyond racing.

“If I put on my track owner and promoter hat” Bill Catania said: “To be honest, I think racing is not going very well at the moment. I think the sport has lost young fans. I don’t think they ever had it. … I think there needs to be some sort of version 2.0 in how race tracks are run, how they generate revenue and how they get fans into the stands.”

Lisa Catania said she can’t wait to return to Stateline later this month. However, for one day she admitted that her husband would like their purchase.

“Today is ’18 year old Billy’ who wants to work on his car in the garage,” she said with a laugh. “I think by next weekend, when we return to start planning and rolling up our sleeves to prepare for next season, ‘Grown Business Bill’ will put his hat back on and take the reins of the next phase of Stateline. “