Moyer Sound Revs For Big Diamond Raceway

Like most small towns in this working-class area of eastern Pennsylvania, Minersville is a slice of Americana, picturesque streets surrounded by bucolic mountains. Outdoor events are a big part of family entertainment during the warm summer months, and the dirt track racing of Big Diamond Raceway has long been a big draw. And now a new sound system from Moyer Electronics is making the experience more fun than ever.

“Years ago, dirt track racing had a bit of a rowdy reputation, and the track tended to draw more single guys out for a day of drinking,” says Paul Moyer of Moyer Electronics in nearby Pottsville, PA. “Around three years ago, three partners bought the Raceway, and they put a lot of time and money into fixing things up and turning it into a much more family-oriented place.”

As with most raceways, the challenge of getting announcements across over the roar of dozens of unmuffled engines was an ever-present concern. “Dirt track racing is actually a fair bit louder than NASCAR, with the track noise averaging around 96 to 98 dB,” says Moyer. “Their old system was a bit under-powered, to put it kindly, and after two seasons of trying to make it work, they called on us to find a solution.” The solution involved a series of twenty Community PC294 mid/high frequency horns covering the grandstand and pit areas. Community VERIS 6 loudspeakers cover the indoor areas. “There’s really no other loudspeaker that can match Community for sheer power and intelligibility,” says Moyer. “One of the biggest complaints was that, when it’s really humid – which it is quite often – their old system just wouldn’t cut it. The Community horns sound phenomenal, no matter what the weather.”

Moyer says the system performs well over a wide range of program material. “People don’t just come to watch the race anymore. Nowadays they want entertainment. They play music, they’ve got a guy roving through the audience with a wireless mic, they’ve got games. They’ve been enormously successful in creating an atmosphere that draws people in. In fact, they’ve gone from a few hundred to an average attendance of around 1500-2000; even more for big events. Needless to say, getting the message out to the whole park is a big part of that success.”