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Pacific Raceways up for Sale
- Thread starter nwspeedshots
- Start date
There is very little "pre-zoned" commercial land in King County left. This property is a hot commodity around here and the Fioritos know fully well what they have. Can't really blame them one bit if they sell to someone who has no interest in keeping it a race facility. It used to be a gravel mine in the west end of the facility. Now it's a gold mine from one end to the other.
Racers may need to find another area like Kitsap county. Someone needs to step up and build a new facility in the south part of the county. It was almost a NASCAR track but they wanted the tax payers to pay for most of it.
Racers may need to find another area like Kitsap county. Someone needs to step up and build a new facility in the south part of the county. It was almost a NASCAR track but they wanted the tax payers to pay for most of it.
nwspeedshots
Nitro Member
Much as I’d had loved to see a world-class circle track the Pacific Northwest, I thought that the Kitsap Peninsula location was ludicrous. Accessible by only Highway 16 and the Narrows Bridge (yeah I know, ferries from Seattle, and, I suppose, through the woods from Olympia… good luck with those options), the ingress/egress was bound to be next to impossible. A far more workable location would be somewhere between Olympia and Vancouver just off I-5. Lots of available land, no urban noise-complaint sources, and easy access from two major airports. Probably could have even gotten one of the tribes to help out…
That said, I see no way of making a purpose-built track profitable. Sadly, if/when Pacific Raceways sells, I’m fairly sure I’ll need to head somewhere else for a National Event.
That said, I see no way of making a purpose-built track profitable. Sadly, if/when Pacific Raceways sells, I’m fairly sure I’ll need to head somewhere else for a National Event.
vegasnitro
Nitro Member
The way I read that press release, that track is going bye-bye and soon. The value of the land is in commercial development, not in operating a barely profitable race facility. They carefully worded that press release to include highlights about the drag strip and road course, but to me, it was all legal cover so when the track inevitably closes, the developers and politicians can throw up their hands and say "we tried to save the track", even though (to me) there is no intention of saving the track.
John Smillie
Nitro Member
http://www.nhra.com/story/2015/5/29/fiorito-family-reaffirms-commitment-to-pacific-raceways/
So now what? Another 10+ years of 3-year and 5-year "plans"? I really hope something comes to fruition but this seems to be the same thing we've been hearing for quite some time. It's obvious they were unable to get the return they wanted on the market.
I remember hearing the possibility of them changing the direction of the track but when I see brand new residential homes from the parking lot it seems impossible.
So now what? Another 10+ years of 3-year and 5-year "plans"? I really hope something comes to fruition but this seems to be the same thing we've been hearing for quite some time. It's obvious they were unable to get the return they wanted on the market.
I remember hearing the possibility of them changing the direction of the track but when I see brand new residential homes from the parking lot it seems impossible.
It just smells to me like, we couldn't separate someone from their $$ for the property at or near the asking price. Furthermore, property values are continuing to go up from all the bad years after 2008. Especially, in that area.
Smart move to back out. It will be even more valuable in a couple years and they'll likely get their price.
Improvements? Seeing is believing. Other than aluminum grandstands and a re-pave/ concrete launch improvement, time stands still there. Hasn't changed significantly (other than that) in 40 years
Smart move to back out. It will be even more valuable in a couple years and they'll likely get their price.
Improvements? Seeing is believing. Other than aluminum grandstands and a re-pave/ concrete launch improvement, time stands still there. Hasn't changed significantly (other than that) in 40 years
mick
Nitro Member
if there are 2 or 3 venues besides brainerd i would like to see a nat. event at, one would be seattle; the place is very scenic.
seattle and topeka; they can be successful as mutli-use facilities.
take a look at BIR's 6 month season schedule; a track located rite in the middle of the wealthy brainerd
lakes area; the place would never be built in the same spot again.
yet year after year this multi-use facility opens and provides a very diverse schedule for upper midwest drag and road racers.
and the place is 90 miles north of the twin cities. 7th oldest facility on nhra schedule, 8th oldest event.
notice on schedule in mid-may an RV/camper sale and in late june a multi-day music fest.....diversity.
just sayin', it works, and it's only a 6 month season (with potential to add sno-cross event which they have in past).
http://brainerdraceway.com/events/
seattle and topeka; they can be successful as mutli-use facilities.
take a look at BIR's 6 month season schedule; a track located rite in the middle of the wealthy brainerd
lakes area; the place would never be built in the same spot again.
yet year after year this multi-use facility opens and provides a very diverse schedule for upper midwest drag and road racers.
and the place is 90 miles north of the twin cities. 7th oldest facility on nhra schedule, 8th oldest event.
notice on schedule in mid-may an RV/camper sale and in late june a multi-day music fest.....diversity.
just sayin', it works, and it's only a 6 month season (with potential to add sno-cross event which they have in past).
http://brainerdraceway.com/events/
vegasnitro
Nitro Member
I agree ... Put a little into it now and get more later (hopefully). If nothing else, the commercial property developers in Seattle know he is willing to sell and now they play the waiting game. And make no mistake, that was what it was all about, developing the land on site for commercial use ... to me, keeping the track operational for an extended period of time after the potential sale was a pipe dream being told to the racing community/media so they didn't complain too much when the property changed hands and to cover their rear ends when the track eventually closes. They can always say "we weren't the bad guys for selling ... the new guys told us they wanted the track too, blame them". Outside of a very few companies (SMI, ISC, IRG) no commercial developers are interested in racing facilities. That is a lot of land that doesn't get used very much when they could put it under roof and derive continuous/more income. I hope I am wrong.
