Mansfield Motorsports Park - Gone
 

In case any of you IHRA racers had any hope of a drag strip at Mansfield Motorsports Park - not gonna happen. Todays headlines in our local paper - MMS closes. They lost the NASCAR truck race for next year to a track in Iowa. "Just two years ago the track was considered a prime spot to host drag racing, and there was talk of expanding the facility to accommodate an IHRA event. But a sinking economy changed the landscape". If you are interested in the full story go to MansfieldNewsJournal.com

Re: Mansfield Motorsports Park - Gone
 

I believe this is called the trickle down economy.
I'd say 98% of us probably felt the strip wouldn't happen there anyway.
If Charlotte can build one in 9 months and Mansfield couldn't finish one in 2 1/2 years, its probably not a big suprise to anyone.

I think we all about to see how important the auto industry is to the country, and increasingly the world as other countries get more mobile.

Re: Mansfield Motorsports Park - Gone
 

The Real story has it that he would not meet the Nascar requirements of fixing the oval track, thats why he lost that event, bad deal we was really looking forward to racing there sooner or later.

Really hope someone goes in there and buys it and finishes up the work.
try to get Buckinghams to buy it and I'll run it, lol.

From Jasky site:
Iowa Speedway replaces Mansfield for Truck Series race: NASCAR announced that Iowa Speedway will host a Camping World Truck Series race on September 5 in place of the event that was originally scheduled May 23 at Mansfield Motorsports Park. The realignment of the race was a result of Mansfield’s request that the event be moved from its track because of its inability to meet the requirements necessary to remain a NASCAR sanctioned facility. In addition to the Camping World Truck Series race, Iowa will host theNationwide Series, as well as the NASCAR Camping World East and West Series in 2009.(NASCAR PR)(12-18-2008)


Mansfield cancels Truck race UPDATE closes: from the Mansfield Motorsports Park site: Due to the economic times that we are all facing, Mansfield Motorsports Park will not be hosting the 2009 NASCAR Truck Race. We will begin processing refunds immediately. Please accept our apologies and please be patient while we are going through the refund process. We apologize for any inconvenience.(12-17-2008)
UPDATE: Mansfield Motorsports Park is closing its doors. The northside half-mile oval was thrown into limbo Wednesday when the NASCAR Camping World (formerly Craftsman) Truck Series race scheduled for May 23 was canceled. “As of right now, we will not be staying open. We have no events planned,” track owner Mike Dzurilla said. “I dealt with the unfortunate task of telling my remaining employees that, by Christmas, they would be unemployed. Unfortunately, this has been in the works for quite some time. I tried to pull a rabbit out of the hat, but my last option ran out (Tuesday) night.” When asked if he would sell the track, Dzurilla was noncommittal. Dzurilla, who brought the truck series to Mansfield in 2004, said the flagging economy forced his hand. “This is a purely economic decision. We were unable to locate a title sponsor (for the truck race),” he said. “With the economy the way it is, anybody with money right now is hanging onto it. It’s business.”(Mansfield Journal)(12-18-2008)


Wow 5 pages of comments under the articial too on the web site.

http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/...WS01/312180011

Re: Mansfield Motorsports Park - Gone
 

It pretty much the same story here in NC West Virginia. We had an 1/8mile drag strip and a dirt track that both closed about 10 years ago. A county development authority basically stole the dragstrip property. After millions in Fed and State money to repair the mine subsidence so it would support a building, there is a candy distribution facility on it now.

I believe the sirt track closed because of a dust problem and the fact the track operator didn't need it anymore. His chassis business was well off.

We are supposed to be getting "water park" resort type place as well. But if you drive by it now, it is essentially a strip coal mine. It is on an abandoned industrial area that is ironically about 1/2 mile from a barge loading facility and they claim to have 3-4 years more work to do.

so goes the economy in the rust belt!

see ya at Thompson next May Nitro Joe.

Re: Mansfield Motorsports Park - Gone
 

Saw on another website that Dzurilla has basically run out of money and burned too many contractors.