acres for a strip?

rod · 03-04-2017, 10:42 PM

I am sure this is not the correct forum, but.......
how many acres would it take to put in a nice [not huge] 1/8 mile strip, with about 1/4 mile shut down. 80 x 40 acres maybe.
we really need a strip here. to much street racin.
Rod in AZ

HandOverFist · 03-05-2017, 01:18 AM

The track not much...it's the pits/parking that eat space.

Woodfin · 03-05-2017, 02:42 AM

Rod, There is a chart with suggested requirements available from IHRA [maybe NHRA also but I have seen the IHRA chart]

What you are considering is a worthy project

jmcarter · 03-05-2017, 06:14 AM

What happened to the Lake Havasu track they've been talking about for years? Agree there's a lot of car lovers in the area and Phoenix is a long haul.

David Lee · 03-05-2017, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmcarter

What happened to the Lake Havasu track they've been talking about for years? Agree there's a lot of car lovers in the area and Phoenix is a long haul.

it was to be open in 2016, but i think the whole thing fell apart

Woodfin · 03-05-2017, 02:24 PM

The idea of building and operation a mid-size local track has long been a dream of mine.

For East Texas, our last local track, Hallsville Drag Strip, closed in 2005. Within two years of Hallsville closing the local hot rod, drag car scene began a downward spiral that continues to this day.

Our options now require driving 100 - 120 miles and getting home in the wee hours. While us hardcore old codgers continue to participate the locals who would drive 40 - 50 miles are out of the running [so to speak]

Yet, my dreams are generally much larger than my resources. Several times in the last few years crunching the numbers and being realistic about cost and needs shows that building a track, even a modest build, is expensive.

Having to service a large debt load would be a quick way to fail.

To my thinking, the ideal plan is money from an investor, city, county, or other entity that would be able to defer the return on investment for some years.

Once the track had time to build a racer base and begin special draw programs the investor could gradually recover his investment by profit taking.

In addition, I am full of ideas in ref to other uses of the property that would keep folks coming in to create continuing interest.

The basic requirements for success are low and deferred debt plus lots of work with promotions

Greg Reimer 7376 · 03-05-2017, 04:38 PM

The successful Irwindale track here in So Cal is eighth mile, and it's about 65 acres.It's pits are paved and runs a very successful Thursday night fun and grudge race which has come in handy for test and tunes. The only drawback is that we need to run mufflers. The good news is that those little Dyno Max straight through muffs are OK with them, and don't slow the car down at all. The other drawback is the the property nearly got sold out from under us,but the good news is that property used to be a landfill. Good news is the prospective owner had to get a core sample and a few things before he could get a construction loan. The sample showed that the place would have to be dug up and the old wastes would have to be disposed of at his expense. The property can't be developed unless that is done. No residential,commercial,retail or industrial use can be put there unless the place is dug up and the soil replaced. What else could you do with that?Race on it,of course. We'll be racing there for some time. I wish you well with your ideas, hope they succeed and have a long future there.

Paul Precht · 03-05-2017, 07:07 PM

This is sad of course but even more sad is the situation on Long Island where I grew up and raced for 17 years. On Long island, politics not money are the stonewall preventing a new dragstrip. I feel so blessed and lucky to my new home and shop just 10 miles from Numidia and 35 miles from Beaver Springs, both have aging owners but I hope they can be around for another 10 years or so. I could never live on Long island again without a strip and yet I miss the ocean every day.

Bunkster · 03-06-2017, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg Reimer 7376

The successful Irwindale track here in So Cal is eighth mile, and it's about 65 acres.It's pits are paved and runs a very successful Thursday night fun and grudge race which has come in handy for test and tunes. The only drawback is that we need to run mufflers. The good news is that those little Dyno Max straight through muffs are OK with them, and don't slow the car down at all. The other drawback is the the property nearly got sold out from under us,but the good news is that property used to be a landfill. Good news is the prospective owner had to get a core sample and a few things before he could get a construction loan. The sample showed that the place would have to be dug up and the old wastes would have to be disposed of at his expense. The property can't be developed unless that is done. No residential,commercial,retail or industrial use can be put there unless the place is dug up and the soil replaced. What else could you do with that?Race on it,of course. We'll be racing there for some time. I wish you well with your ideas, hope they succeed and have a long future there.

This situation conjures up memories of the infamous Love Canal/Hooker Chemical story.

tpoh815 · 03-06-2017, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunkster

This situation conjures up memories of the infamous Love Canal/Hooker Chemical story.

And you sound like you are from Buffalo!

03-04-2017, 10:42 PM	#1
rod Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kingman, NW AZ. in the middle of the longest stretch of Route 66 Posts: 313 Likes: 0 Liked 20 Times in 15 Posts	acres for a strip? I am sure this is not the correct forum, but....... how many acres would it take to put in a nice [not huge] 1/8 mile strip, with about 1/4 mile shut down. 80 x 40 acres maybe. we really need a strip here. to much street racin. Rod in AZ

03-05-2017, 01:18 AM	#2
HandOverFist VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Gulf Breeze, FL Posts: 1,651 Likes: 8 Liked 33 Times in 16 Posts	Re: acres for a strip? The track not much...it's the pits/parking that eat space. __________________ Rich Taylor I/SA - 321

03-05-2017, 02:42 AM	#3
Woodfin Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kilgore TX Posts: 520 Likes: 8 Liked 230 Times in 91 Posts	Re: acres for a strip? Rod, There is a chart with suggested requirements available from IHRA [maybe NHRA also but I have seen the IHRA chart] What you are considering is a worthy project

03-05-2017, 06:14 AM	#4
jmcarter VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Richmond Hill GA (and Port Ludlow WA) Posts: 4,284 Likes: 2,336 Liked 3,120 Times in 962 Posts	Re: acres for a strip? What happened to the Lake Havasu track they've been talking about for years? Agree there's a lot of car lovers in the area and Phoenix is a long haul. __________________ Jim Carter 2340 Super Stock 2340 SST/2340 Stock Set another place at the table

03-05-2017, 02:24 PM	#6
Woodfin Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kilgore TX Posts: 520 Likes: 8 Liked 230 Times in 91 Posts	Re: acres for a strip? The idea of building and operation a mid-size local track has long been a dream of mine. For East Texas, our last local track, Hallsville Drag Strip, closed in 2005. Within two years of Hallsville closing the local hot rod, drag car scene began a downward spiral that continues to this day. Our options now require driving 100 - 120 miles and getting home in the wee hours. While us hardcore old codgers continue to participate the locals who would drive 40 - 50 miles are out of the running [so to speak] Yet, my dreams are generally much larger than my resources. Several times in the last few years crunching the numbers and being realistic about cost and needs shows that building a track, even a modest build, is expensive. Having to service a large debt load would be a quick way to fail. To my thinking, the ideal plan is money from an investor, city, county, or other entity that would be able to defer the return on investment for some years. Once the track had time to build a racer base and begin special draw programs the investor could gradually recover his investment by profit taking. In addition, I am full of ideas in ref to other uses of the property that would keep folks coming in to create continuing interest. The basic requirements for success are low and deferred debt plus lots of work with promotions

03-05-2017, 04:38 PM	#7
Greg Reimer 7376 VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Glendora,Calif. Posts: 1,132 Likes: 172 Liked 698 Times in 216 Posts	Re: acres for a strip? The successful Irwindale track here in So Cal is eighth mile, and it's about 65 acres.It's pits are paved and runs a very successful Thursday night fun and grudge race which has come in handy for test and tunes. The only drawback is that we need to run mufflers. The good news is that those little Dyno Max straight through muffs are OK with them, and don't slow the car down at all. The other drawback is the the property nearly got sold out from under us,but the good news is that property used to be a landfill. Good news is the prospective owner had to get a core sample and a few things before he could get a construction loan. The sample showed that the place would have to be dug up and the old wastes would have to be disposed of at his expense. The property can't be developed unless that is done. No residential,commercial,retail or industrial use can be put there unless the place is dug up and the soil replaced. What else could you do with that?Race on it,of course. We'll be racing there for some time. I wish you well with your ideas, hope they succeed and have a long future there.

03-05-2017, 07:07 PM	#8
Paul Precht Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Elysburg, Pa Posts: 726 Likes: 342 Liked 307 Times in 116 Posts	Re: acres for a strip? This is sad of course but even more sad is the situation on Long Island where I grew up and raced for 17 years. On Long island, politics not money are the stonewall preventing a new dragstrip. I feel so blessed and lucky to my new home and shop just 10 miles from Numidia and 35 miles from Beaver Springs, both have aging owners but I hope they can be around for another 10 years or so. I could never live on Long island again without a strip and yet I miss the ocean every day.