County buys Spokane drag strip (1 Viewer)

[.]

Just saw this over at DRO. Looks like they're planning on fixing it up.
::: Drag Racing Online ::: Columns - Agent 1320 - 4/11/2008

 

[Nitrohaulic]

Hey, if John Force can buy Norwalk!

 

[Wayne]

Thanks for the good news Brent!!!

I just fired off an e-mail to friends who race there hoping to confirm this.

I think that Nat Dragster had a half page ad for the auction for about 3-4 weeks prior to yesterdays' auction.

 

[Wayne]

Hey, if John Force can buy Norwalk!

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Too damn funny Ron!!!

 

[Wayne]

What I just heard is that they are just waiting for the judge to say OK and then it's all a "GO"!!!
The county would like to have it back up & running w/in 30 days but........

 

[rocketman]

This is the best drag racing news I have heard in a long time! We love Spokane. How about an IHRA National event?

 

[None]

Just saw this over at DRO. Looks like they're planning on fixing it up.
::: Drag Racing Online ::: Columns - Agent 1320 - 4/11/2008

Here's the article from the Spokane fish wrapper.
SR.com: County top bidder on 300 acres at raceway auction

Several days ago I received part of an article which preceeded the county purchasing the property but don't know the link as it was a cut and paste. Here's the interesting part of it.

"“Commissioner Bonnie Mager says she has yet to make up her mind on the issue.

I do think the Raceway Park should be saved” for future use as a racetrack, which might not happen if it goes to a buyer that has other plans for it, Mager says. She, too, says, “My preference would be that it stays in the private sector.”

Doug Greenfield, general manager of the Pacific Raceways track, in Kent, Wash., says the operator of that track, Racetrack LLC, of Seattle, has told Spo*kane County that it wants to manage Spo*kane Raceway Park—and if it became the park’s manager, Pacific Raceways would move its National Hod Rod Association-sanctioned Schuck’s Northwest Nationals drag-racing event to Spokane.

“The rain is a real problem. There’s years we have to extend” the event, Greenfield says. "

 

[Kris]

Here's the article from the Spokane fish wrapper.
SR.com: County top bidder on 300 acres at raceway auction

Several days ago I received part of an article which preceeded the county purchasing the property but don't know the link as it was a cut and paste. Here's the interesting part of it.

"“Commissioner Bonnie Mager says she has yet to make up her mind on the issue.

I do think the Raceway Park should be saved” for future use as a racetrack, which might not happen if it goes to a buyer that has other plans for it, Mager says. She, too, says, “My preference would be that it stays in the private sector.”

Doug Greenfield, general manager of the Pacific Raceways track, in Kent, Wash., says the operator of that track, Racetrack LLC, of Seattle, has told Spo*kane County that it wants to manage Spo*kane Raceway Park—and if it became the park’s manager, Pacific Raceways would move its National Hod Rod Association-sanctioned Schuck’s Northwest Nationals drag-racing event to Spokane.

“The rain is a real problem. There’s years we have to extend” the event, Greenfield says. "

Well, that's quite a 180 from the whole proposal by the Fioritos building a new drag strip at Pacific Raceways ...

No offense to Doug, I interviewed after he came on at PR last year, but I'm fairly certain that rain is not usually a problem in July during the event.

But, I will be careful how much I say right now about how Pacific Raceways ties into Raceway Park in Spokane, at least right now. Seems like I definitely need to re-schedule my meeting with the community relations person there.

Still, the more drag strips we have in the Northwest, the better. This purchase is happy news.

 

[.]

Here's another article tha somebody posted on a local motorcycle forum:

Bidders spend $8 million to acquire Spokane Raceway Park

http://www.khq.com/Global/story.asp?S=8146179

 

[Wayne]

Well, that's quite a 180 from the whole proposal by the Fioritos building a new drag strip at Pacific Raceways ...

No offense to Doug, I interviewed after he came on at PR last year, but I'm fairly certain that rain is not usually a problem in July during the event.

But, I will be careful how much I say right now about how Pacific Raceways ties into Raceway Park in Spokane, at least right now. Seems like I definitely need to re-schedule my meeting with the community relations person there.

Still, the more drag strips we have in the Northwest, the better. This purchase is happy news.

Right on the money Kris!!!

And I think that NHRA might have a slight issue with "thier" event being moved
4.5 hours east!

Anyone remember how many years are left on the current contract (SIR, er, PR & NHRA)?

 

[rocketman]

That would never happen. NHRA would not take the Spokane Market over the Seattle Market nor would the title sponsor. The Spokane market is a quarter of the size and to far away from the Seattle-Tacoma-Portland area. At best I see an IHRA National event there which I would prefer anyway for my own selfish reasons.

 

[sparky]

Its unbelievable that they spent 8 million bucks on that place. Its great that they did but thats a huge chunk of dough for a place that is in bad need of a ton of rebuilding and maintenance.

I find it unlikely (as well) that the NHRA race will be held anywhere near Spokane. On the other hand, there has been no progress at Pacific raceways on the grand plans they unveiled last year so you never know. Stranger things have happened but I find that one unlikely.

 

[sparky]

OK, I just saw on another site that they spent less than half of that 8 million on the tracks. My bad. There were a number of parcels auctioned and the track was just a portion of it. Oops!

 

[Wayne]

It's not over till it's over!!!

Apparently the county commissioners will be having a meeting tomorrow evening about the auction. Rumour has it that possibly the highest bidder did not win the bid. Roush Racing is said to be pretty ticked off. There was an article in Saturdays' Spokane Spokesman Review about it. However, I didn't want to pay $7 to look at the article on thier website.

*keeping fingers crossed*