Work continues at drag strip site.
Work continues at drag strip site
Firm has permission to do some grading but not for strip itself
SHARIF DURHAMS
[email protected]
CONCORD --
Who cares if Bruton Smith doesn't have the green light from officials to build a drag strip in Concord? One team is already making plans to race there.
At least one racing team has reserved hotel rooms in Concord for Sept. 11-14, 2008, betting that Lowe's Motor Speedway's new drag strip will be hosting a national drag racing event on those dates.
But Concord officials are still trying to decide whether Smith, the speedway's owner, should be allowed to build the $60 million facility.
City workers took pictures Friday of grading work being done on the planned site. Concord officials said they learned about the grading work when an Observer reporter told them about it Thursday.
The City Council called a special meeting for Monday after some residents charged that the drag strip would bring noise and polluting fumes to hundreds of nearby homes.
But Smith has already moved forward.
The National Hot Rod Association, the organization that sanctions the nation's top drag racing series, has an "inaugural" race event scheduled for Sept 11-14. The location is listed as to be announced.
Several sources have told the Observer, however, that the date is definitely being held for a Concord event. NHRA officials have visited to look at the grounds, and crews have marked off the site with stakes.
As of Friday, Speedway Motorsports still had not applied for city and county permits to start grading work on the drag strip, though it has permission to do grading for other purposes on the property, officials said.
But Smith said this week the construction work is for the drag strip. He said the facility could start hosting events in April.
For Monday's meeting, city staffers have drafted changes to an ordinance that would shut down work on the drag strip.
The ordinance allows Speedway Motorsports to build auto racing facilities on the property.
The proposed amendment would add the words "except dragstrips."
Smith blasted City Council members this week after learning about the proposal, saying he wished he had never had his speedway property annexed into Concord. The council ought to get on board with his project, Smith said.
City workers and council members said they've supported motorsports, but they want details about how engineers could design the drag strip to deaden noise.
Speedway Motorsports spokesman Jerry Gappens said the facility would work to reduce noise, but he did not provide details, saying he wanted city officials to hear them first.
Doug Stafford, managing partner of hotel management firm Griffin Stafford, said a drag racing team called this week to reserve a block of rooms.
"What they're doing is, they're hedging their bets so they're not left out on the street," said Stafford, whose Wingate Inn and Suburban Extended Stay hotels have a total of 194 rooms about a mile from the speedway.
Stafford, who used to work for Speedway Motorsports, said a drag strip would be good for business.
NHRA spokesman Jerry Archambeault said any guess that the organization is holding the open date for Concord would be speculation. But he said the organization has a strong relationship with Smith and his company.
The NHRA sanctions events at Speedway Motorsports-owned facilities at Bristol Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.
"There's no doubt Bruton does a great job. He builds beautiful facilities for us," Archambeault said.
Staff writer David poole contributed.
