Re: Gateway done!
 

Whalen, PM sent to you; I wasn't counting White Hall since it was sixty miles out.

Adger, it's still a work in progress but it's closer to being done than ever.

As for Gateway, anybody who can come up with a way to make money with $4.3M in taxes in place each year before the gates ever open is more than welcome to buy the place and give it a shot.

Re: Gateway done!
 

The way to make money is to buy the place at auction and get the taxes reduced based on what you paid for it. The best run racetracks that I see are owner operated tracks with little or no debt. When large corporations get in the race track business their expectations of return are generally not met. How many drag strips in the country could service 20 or 30 million in debt and make a profit?

Re: Gateway done!
 

To be honest with you guys and gals. The place went to hell as soon as they built the new facility. The old track always had better personality, and it always hooked harder!! I could go down the old track with my eyes closed, many times we did. (no lights from 800 ft. on down on many Sat. nights).

Bret, Someone needs to call the SCCA to bale out the Swamp again!!!

Re: Gateway done!
 

Bret - what are you thoughts on the new MAR? Do you think it's really going to happen?

Re: Gateway done!
 

[QUOTE=k.pascoe;220219]To be honest with you guys and gals. The place went to hell as soon as they built the new facility. The old track always had better personality, and it always hooked harder!! I could go down the old track with my eyes closed, many times we did. (no lights from 800 ft. on down on many Sat. nights).

I always felt that way too.

Re: Gateway done!
 

That didn't work very well the last time they tried it.

69camz28, I have no idea.

Re: Gateway done!
 

Not necessarily related but I remember when they decided to destroy a perfectly good well run multi-purpose facility here in Southern California.

Ontario Motor Speedway- Opened in 1970 and was regarded as one of the finest motorsports facilities of the period. It was torn down only a decade later, however, because the property was needed for commercial developement.

So - just like that gone in 60 seconds.

The ironic part is - twenty years later they built a new multi-purpose racing facility virtually within ear shot called California Speedway (Fontana)

Go figure

Re: Gateway done!
 

There was a track at Pacific ,Mo. and one at Nashville, Il back in the mid 60's. I think Pacific was AHRA and Nashville NHRA. I know Wayne 'tiny' Minert(spelling?) owned the track at Nashville.

Re: Gateway done!
 

I live just a few miles east of where the nashville track was and go by it often
When you drive by where the track was and look into the field you can see exactly where it was as the crops still dont grow too well even after all the years that have past.

Re: Gateway done!
 

Rob, My folks were from Fayette County and Dad always talked about Alton and Lawrenceville. He has a lot of good memories from then.

Steve Jackson