Vermont Motorsports Expo Changes Weekends to March 29-30
Solar eclipse tourism influx forces date change for racing season preview
BARRE, Vermont (December 16, 2023) – The inaugural Vermont Motorsports Expo has a new date. The reason for the change? The Moon.
In what may be one of the oddest schedule shifts in racing history, the Expo has been pushed ahead one weekend earlier to Friday, March 29, and Saturday, March 30. The Expo will still be held at the B.O.R. Arena in Barre, Vermont and has been adjusted a two-day format to accommodate the Easter holiday on Sunday, March 31.
The original date of April 5-7 has been scrapped due to incoming tourism and skyrocketing hotel prices tied to a once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse, which will take place on Monday, April 8. The eclipse’s predicted path of totality puts Vermont in the prime viewing zone, and the influx of an estimated quarter-million astronomical onlookers has most hotels in the region already booked for that weekend and remaining vacancies currently going for as much as $800 per night.
“I never imagined that a racing event would be mooned-out, but here we are,” Vermont Motorsports Expo promoter Justin St. Louis said. “I didn’t consider the eclipse when the Expo was put together, but when we realized what was happening with hotel prices, we immediately hit the pause button. There was no way I could ask racing fans, teams, and vendors to spend thousands of dollars on hotels for this show.”
Suddenly, a perfect storm of scheduling developed, as organizers looked for another open date between hockey season at the B.O.R. Arena, Easter Sunday, the eclipse, and the beginning of racing season including the American-Canadian Tour/Pro All Stars Series event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, April 13.
“There has been such great enthusiasm for the Vermont Motorsports Expo since we announced it, and Jeff Bergeron and his staff at the B.O.R. Arena and the City of Barre worked hard to adjust their ice-out and cleanup schedule to make sure the Expo happens,” St. Louis said. “That’s one of the reasons we’re holding the event in a racing town like Barre – the people in the area truly care about this show.”
The B.O.R. Arena has more than 17,000 square feet of indoor display space available for the Vermont Motorsports Expo. Commitments have already been received from speedways, vendors, and racing teams from several disciplines representing Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Maine, and Quebec.
Details including show times, daily schedules and attractions, ticket pricing, display booth rentals, food concessions, and much more will be announced in the coming weeks and months.
Advertising and sponsorship opportunities for the Vermont Motorsports Expo are available. To learn more, call (802) 355-3282, email vermontmotorsports@gmail.com, or find “Vermont Motorsports Expo 2024” on Facebook and Instagram at @VTMotorsportsExpo.
Sources: Justin St. Louis