It's not just about selling food, said Beals - who went to the track armed with a stack of business cards to go with his racks of ribs - but networking. He's got plans for his business, ideas about marketing his one-of-a-kind grill, franchising and looking for investors.

Some of this, he hopes, can be accomplished just by being a vendor.

"It's got to be a positive thing," Beals said of the raceway. "We're already looking forward to next year and I'm trying to work on a couple things, I'm always working on something."

NJMP General Manager Don Fauerbach said a goal of the raceway has been to grow along with local businesses, to create a synergistic relationship where each helps the other and each prospers.

The track has its own concessions, but what the clientele wants, what the track can deliver by hosting various vendors, is diversity, Fauerbach said. It's not exactly competition that the track is bringing in, but more options.

"We are very appreciative of the vendors that have been working with us," he said. "We have some that are here with us for every event, some pick the events where they want to be. We think it's one more way we can work with the community; community relations are important to the park."

At the most recent spectator event there were vendors selling simple fair like fries and ice cream, and those selling barbecue, roasted meats and even seafood.

Vendors selling apparel and jewelry have also made use of the park's spectator weekends, Fauerbach said.

As hosts, the park receives a percentage of the vendor's take, but sharing in the profits hasn't been a problem for those who are looking to set up their own booth, Fauerbach said.

"They come to us and we're pleased, we're always looking for new clients," he said. "All of our vendors, we've developed great personal relationships with them, we get positive and we get some negative feedback, but we can't get better if we don't analyze everything that goes on in the park."

Brian Tomlin is a downtown Millville merchant who's done his best to make raceway business Glasstown Arts District business. The owner of the Old Oar House Brewery was on hand from the track's first day open offering discounts to clubs and stocking the track's clubhouse with his restaurant's brochures.

As a vendor, he said, the goal is not necessarily to clean up on those specific spectator events, but to promote the restaurant.

"It's wasn't bad for the first year, actually, I thought it was pretty good," Tomlin said. "We didn't set the world on fire but we sowed a lot of seeds. I'm out there to promote my restaurant more than anything."

Tomlin said he and a small crew made their way to the track as a vendor for between six and eight weekends. It was an opportunity to cook and have fun as well as to promote, something that he said did work.

Tomlin, who also owns The Next Oar restaurant, said he estimated about 85 percent of his Saturday business during the racing season came from people wo were visiting the track earlier in the day.

For those who are looking to cash in on the raceway's success, he said, it won't come simply because of expectations.

"You have to work that racetrack to get business because every day a new club is in, new spectators are in and they don't know you," he said.

E-mail Edward Van Embden:

evanembden@pressofac.com