For years, Philadelphia Phillies officials used territorial rights to keep minor league Baseball out of the Lehigh Valley. Recognizing the opportunity to grow the market, Phillies ownership backed off its claims in 2004 and allowed the future Lehigh Valley IronPigs management to build a franchise.

The result? The IronPigs, despite a dismal season on the field, drew more than 600,000 fans in their inaugural season. Meanwhile, the established Reading Phillies, only 35 miles away, broke their own Eastern League-leading attendance record for the fifth year in a row.

Could cycling, which is struggling to attract new fans in the area, duplicate that success by growing its market? If it can, the cycling center in Trexlertown might begin to find firmer footing after years of budget deficits and management upheaval.

The 33-year-old center is trying to regain its reputation amid declining ticket sales and a revolving door of managers that brought four leaders in the past four years. The most recent blow came last month when President and Chief Executive Officer Erin Hartwell resigned. Some former riders, officials, board members and others say the center has lost prestige.

One of the earliest managers of the former Lehigh County Velodrome, now the cycling center, believes the way to recapture it is to expand the cycling market.

Dave Chauner, a former Olympian who managed the velodrome in its early years, has been working for years to build an indoor velodrome near Philadelphia. A plan to build one in Lower Providence Township, Montgomery County, fell through -- even with a $5-million grant -- but Chauner says he's eyeing nearby sites.

The idea of growing support for track cycling may be the best opportunity to help plug the cycling center's leaking finances. The center, whose spending was at $750,000 in fiscal year 2007, has lost more than $560,000 since 2000, tax records show.

Sufficient demand for another velodrome exists, Chauner said, especially since an indoor venue would serve cyclists during the winter season. "Our hope would be to work closely with the Lehigh Valley velodrome to coordinate programs," he said. "The sport of Baseball doesn't exist because there's one Baseball park."

Even without another velodrome, other partnership opportunities exist. Allentown this summer hosted the inaugural Lehigh Valley Classic, the first leg of the Commerce Bank Triple Crown road race. But Chauner, president of the Pro Cycling Tour, said the tour formed partnerships with the city and county governments, not the center.

Another opportunity could materialize if the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame decides to relocate to county-owned land adjacent to the center. Several other cities across the country are bidding for the hall of fame, which is moving from Somerville, N.J.

"This could make us a mini-Cooperstown," said Bruce Donaghy, another cycling legend who is working to move the hall to Trexlertown. "The synergies are there to be shared."

County commissioner and Velodrome Fund board director Percy Dougherty had yet another suggestion: Tap the new America On Wheels Museum in Allentown to put on an exhibit of Marty Nothstein memorabilia, honoring the homegrown Olympic gold medal winner.

Within the center, current and former riders and officials want to see elite racing continue to thrive on Friday nights in the summer. But building on the development programs, they say, is a must.

Valley Preferred, the partnership of doctors and health care facilities that bought naming rights at the track, agrees. Highlighting the track as a community resource fits in with the company's mission of promoting health and getting youth physically active, said Greg Kile, executive director and CEO.

Bobby Lea, a 25-year-old professional rider who started at the track as a boy, said the center should intensify its developmental efforts. Because the center is still a destination for top riders, Lea said it can still have exciting Friday night races while putting more emphasis on community and development programs.

"I don't think it would be a bad thing to let Friday nights sort of take care of themselves," he said, admitting that putting less focus on the elite cyclists probably wouldn't go over well with his colleagues.

Long established former stars such as Paul Pearson, Jack Simes and Gil Hatton say the center has to recapture the excitement of the past to reverse years of drift and poor communications, while promoting and developing young cyclists.

"We have some phenomenal young athletes," said Hatton, now a coach to some emerging stars such as Lanell Rockmore of Bethlehem, Epes Harris of Macungie and Colleen Hayduk of Kutztown. "The velodrome catered to a corps of international riders. It's time to switch gears and put a big focus on these kids."

When fans go to sporting events, they look for stars but they ROOT for local heroes, Simes added. "They want to see their guys beating the other guys," he said. "That's not happening" at the center.

USA Cycling may help make that happen. According to McDonough, the organization intends to send some money to its track training centers with an eye toward the 2016 Olympics and the hope that Chicago is selected for those summer games.

"Some of the things we have talked about, I believe, will reconnect the facility with probably its strongest times," McDonough said. "In other words, I'm not looking for the cycling center there?to train my Olympic team. What I am looking for is for them to coordinate development programs to create junior programming, to focus on collegiate programming."

As important as the programs are at the center, cyclists say the center's board needs reform as well. They applauded the creation of an informal advisory committee as a step toward greater transparency.

"I know there's a lot of?drama," said board member Heidi Rodale, a daughter of the founder of the velodrome, the late Robert Rodale. "We're trying to address all the issues and concerns."

Riders and officials also agree the center needs to redouble efforts to promote its greatest success story -- Nothstein. That could mean tapping him as the center's newest director, but that call is up to the board. If so, Nothstein says he is ready to lead.

"I know how much I care about this place," he said. "I've been at the warm-up circle long enough."

After having lost the Bicycle Racing League season this spring to a resurfacing project, and then running a Friday night racing season that was reduced to seven weeks, the center's new leader will have to play catch-up.

"Whoever is leading in 2009," Nothstein said, "you're going in on crutches already."