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New Track in MN (1 Viewer)

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blueracer999

Nitro Member
My first post.

A new track is proposed in MN, just north of the twin cities - from my local paper. I really have little interest in NASCAR, but the drag track would be great.

The company, International Motorsports Entertainment and Development Corporation (IMEDC), has already secured 400 acres on the Lino Lakes/Columbus border for a proposed 7/8 of a mile long racing oval and adjoining quarter-mile drag strip. The swath of land sits just east of I-35E and north of 170th Street.

Full Story:
Press Publications > Archives > Quad Community Press > News > BREAKING NEWS: Lino Lakes latest viable spot for Twin Cities-based speedway

Don't know what this will do to BIR...

JOB
 
I work for the Anoka County Highway Department designing the County's roads (Anoka County is the county Lino Lakes / Columbus are in). This is the first time I heard anything like this. I would have thought something this big would have come across my radar. I will ask around about it tomorrow, I would think our planners would know something about this.

Hope its true for a number of reasons. Maybe an IHRA and NHRA track in MN. 20 mins is alot closer to drive then 2 hours to Brainerd. All the money coming into the county means more money for our department. More money to develop the roads in this area. All good news (if its true).
 
interesting.
IMO nascar peaked a few years ago - they seem to have problems
filling the seats on their current schedule, much less committing to new venues.
 
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I was thinking last night what it would be like with another track right in my neighborhood... I don't think it would happen but say they build this state of the art drag strip and the NHRA moves the event there. We would then lose the zoo! For me that two hour drive up to BIR is like a 2 hour buffer between the drags, beer, music, fireworks, and fun - and the reality of family life.

I guess the best scenerio would be to have the new track be an IHRA or ADRL track and still keep the "week long campout" at BIR.

For some reason though, I just don't see this new development happening... just too good to be true.
 
I read about this track a couple of months ago. I don't think it would take away the Northstar Nats from Brainerd, but it might put the hurt on Rock Falls over in Wi.

It's hardly a done deal, as the NIMBYs haven't had their day yet.

It sounds to me like the oval track is the main centerpiece of the project, with the drag strip more as an afterthought. Perhaps, like Brainerd, the strip would be a main straightaway for the IRL type road course the developer talked about.

Also, it looks like the project hinges on the track drawing a NASCAR race, and I just don't see that happening very soon, without another track losing a race. You can bet an existing track with be loath to give up it's date.

Still, all and all, after the failed attempt at opening a new Minnesota Dragway, this looks to be the most promising thing I've seen in quite some time.
 
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Registered member said:
The company, International Motorsports Entertainment and Development Corporation (IMEDC), has already secured 400acres on the Lino Lakes/Columbus border for a proposed 7/8 of a mile long racing oval and adjoining quarter-mile drag strip. The swath of land sits just east of I-35E and north of 170th Street.
Click to expand...

Seems like a pretty short oval track. 7/8 of a mile? Is NASCAR or IRL following Drag Racing's lead and shortening their tracks too? Most NASCAR tracks are at least a mile or more long. Main exception is Bristol.
 
Registered member said:
Seems like a pretty short oval track. 7/8 of a mile? Is NASCAR or IRL following Drag Racing's lead and shortening their tracks too? Most NASCAR tracks are at least a mile or more long. Main exception is Bristol.
Click to expand...

There are currently 5 tracks in use by NASCAR that are less than a mile. You might want to not think about cup races, 7/8 of a mile is large for a local track. If count you all of the NASCAR Sanctioned tracks, the majority of them are under a mile.

Hope they get the Dragstrip done, you can't have too many good Dragstrips.
 
This will be about the 10th racetrack that people have talked about being built in the last 10 years. There is always someone Guaranteeing that it WILL HAPPEN. It just never does.

The Indians were going to build in Shokopee - For sure
Medford - (The rumor was jay leno was contacted)
One up north that involved the current owners of BIR.

Jed and Christy bought BIR after trying to build and said that it was easier to buy Brainerd then fight all the battles and build new. they predicted because of the enviromental impact study that is required, no new track would be built in MN.

Our hope to get a new track is to leagilize bar gambling and take the exclusivity away from the tribes. When they need to look for other revenue streams, auto racing may fit for them as they do not have to do enviromental impact studys to build on the reservation.

Build it and we will come.
 
Registered member said:
........Our hope to get a new track is to leagilize bar gambling and take the exclusivity away from the tribes.
Click to expand...

native lobbyists > MLBA lobbyists (mn liquor & bar owners assoc.)
bars have tried for years for penny and nickel slots to no avail.
never say never i guess.

Registered member said:
When they need to look for other revenue streams, auto racing may fit for them as they do not have to do enviromental impact studys to build on the reservation...........
Click to expand...

tax free fun!!!!
 
I hate being a pessimist, but I just don't see it happening. I'll believe it when I walk thru the gates for the first time.
 
Registered member said:
Seems like a pretty short oval track. 7/8 of a mile? Is NASCAR or IRL following Drag Racing's lead and shortening their tracks too? Most NASCAR tracks are at least a mile or more long. Main exception is Bristol.
Click to expand...
Rusty Wallace designed and built a 7/8 in Newton, IA. Been successful with Nationwide and IRL. Not up my alley, but it is a very nice facility.

Iowa Speedway: Newton, Iowa, Entertainment, Events, Racing, Concerts

I would rather go half an hour south to Knoxville for the sprints.
 
“There are a number of modern methods we can use to deal with noise,” said Scott Quick, the project’s director of development.
Scott Quick is vice president and General manager of BIR...and he's director of development of this new track...Hmmmm...
 
too many g*d d*#n gov't. workers in this country........gotta' be the answer
anyone with a business sense about them would and should be in favor
of expansion, especially when it's not their tax dollars paying for it
(nfl & mlb stadiums)......jobs, the name of the game.

noise: don't like it?, one word.........move
or in the case of BIR that was built in 1968 - the idiots (not you JR) still
move within miles of the EXISTING RACE TRACK and STILL B#TCH!!!

would be interesting to know if the some of same people who are against
the racetrack are the same folks that are for a new vikings nfl stadium
that has been proposed in basically the same area.
racetrack = no mn taxpayer dollars (could be wrong?)
nfl stadium = at least 1/3 mn taxpayer dollars
 
Registered member said:
“There are a number of modern methods we can use to deal with noise,” said Scott Quick, the project’s director of development.
Scott Quick is vice president and General manager of BIR...and he's director of development of this new track...Hmmmm...
Click to expand...

David, Scott Quick has not been with BIR for over 2 years.
 
Registered member said:
I was thinking last night what it would be like with another track right in my neighborhood... I don't think it would happen but say they build this state of the art drag strip and the NHRA moves the event there. We would then lose the zoo! For me that two hour drive up to BIR is like a 2 hour buffer between the drags, beer, music, fireworks, and fun - and the reality of family life.

I guess the best scenerio would be to have the new track be an IHRA or ADRL track and still keep the "week long campout" at BIR.

For some reason though, I just don't see this new development happening... just too good to be true.
Click to expand...

If this track were to be built, and that is a BIG IF, I find it hard to believe that NHRA would pull the nationals from BIR. I would think that there is more money to be made at BIR with the camping out and everything. The ONLY advantage to this new track that will probably never be in Anoka County would be that it is slightly closer to MSP airport. a year or two ago they were looking up by Sherburn County as well.
 
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