Oahe Speed Way, The Dam Fast Track

[Curt Rees]

Oahe Speed Way at Pierre, SD is done, the new owner started knocking down the retaining walls yesterday. It is going to become a camp ground.

Sad deal! How many more strips are we going to lose.....to developers.

#5458

Curt Rees

[btrc]

Sad, Saw the pictures on facebook. It had some pretty good features, nice covered stands, slight down hill slope, that weird curved shut down area. Just the wrong location I guess.

[my69396]

I am sorry to say that this is what happens when support from the racers doesn't meet the owners expectations. If this is what you like to do it is a lot better to race at a track that may not be National Event caliber and race locally than to not race at all. Most owners don't keep the track open to make a lot of money it is more a passion. But when the reality hits home that it's not working it's time to move on, be it sell it to some else with the same passion or make it into a campground. To bad this is in the latter.

[Curt Rees]

Originally Posted by my69396

I am sorry to say that this is what happens when support from the racers doesn't meet the owners expectations. If this is what you like to do it is a lot better to race at a track that may not be National Event caliber and race locally than to not race at all. Most owners don't keep the track open to make a lot of money it is more a passion. But when the reality hits home that it's not working it's time to move on, be it sell it to some else with the same passion or make it into a campground. To bad this is in the latter.

One of the issues here is population, or lack of. We did not have the support of the young crowd. I sponsored Street Trophy for years, I think the most points chasers we ever had was maybe 7. The high school classes were about the same.

Our JR classes were pretty decent, several moved up to the other bracket classes as they grew older. Our motorcycle, sportsman, pro and super pro did OK. Midwest Class Racer S/SS series always had a good turnout.

The association that leased the track the last 2 years did a good job. The intent was not to make money, but to keep it open. The lease was paid in accordance with the contract, no issues there.

Time to move on. I am not sure how far I will travel next year with fuel prices as they are.

#5458

Curt Rees

[Demon340]

Originally Posted by my69396

I am sorry to say that this is what happens when support from the racers doesn't meet the owners expectations. If this is what you like to do it is a lot better to race at a track that may not be National Event caliber and race locally than to not race at all. Most owners don't keep the track open to make a lot of money it is more a passion. But when the reality hits home that it's not working it's time to move on, be it sell it to some else with the same passion or make it into a campground. To bad this is in the latter.

We were standing in the lanes at Great Bend talking to Bob Swan. I mentioned our local track in Colorado about the poor conditions and that we were done with it. Bob left me standing there with a message "once you quit supporting the local tracks, the local tracks go away." We took that message to heart and looked at our track with a different attitude. Larry

[Floyd Staggs]

You guys are losing tracks and we can't get one re-opened out here in So Cal. Fontana Raceways. We got shut down because of the pandemic.

[Frank Castros]

When our local track Dover Drag Strip in Wingdale, New York closed way back in 1976 I was heart broken and here it is forty five years later and I feel your pain.
It sucks, carry on and race until whenever!