Youngstown Drag Track?

[Pitbull2o08]

I've been hearing a lot of crap about Quacker and about how bad it is to race on. Hoever i've never driven on it, but it is a good drive from the city and was contemplating buying a piece of land (not disclosing where) and, along with my business partner and long time friend, would take a business loan out and build our own track for the city of Youngstown and surrounding CASTLO area. What do you guys think about it? would you come if it meant not traveling out to salem to race. What should we offer? and how much do you think would be reasonable? WE were also thinking about bringing the Super Nat's down as well and lettin people cut 'em lose while still being safe. We were also thinking about the size of our parking lot, and in certain seasons, creating a raod and track testing course on it. I dunno, just some ideas. feel free to put in your input. thank you

[LX2NV]

dude, quaker is 20 minutes from y'town. quaker is a excellent facility, probablly the nicest around except for norwalk of course (just poorly run imho). good luck with your track building venture........




and ps, if you haven't noticed there isn't alot of fast cars running around youngstown. no money, all violence. :confused:

[TripleNickel]

Years ago (when the sport of drag racing was much stronger) there were Quaker, Sunset, and Drag City in that area.

Now days one of them no longer exists (Drag City), one has closed for financial reasons, had an auction to pay off its back property taxes, and now has the city next door with an option to buy the property for an industrial park (Quaker), and Sunset is what it is.

In the last decade (or two) there have only been two brand new drag strips built in the United States. Both were placed in locations where weather permits a mostly year-round schedule (Charlotte and Dallas) and both places had IHRA or NHRA National Event commitments prior to construction.

Mansfield was going to add a drag strip to its existing (at the time) Nascar sanctioned circle track and had a promise from IHRA to host the sanctioning body's biggest National Event of the year. Now, they can't find anyone to finance the deal.

I can not imagine any bank wanting to make a business loan to a group wanting to open a single use or multi-use facility like you have described. So (unless one of you hit a major MegaMillions jackpot or is first named Shiek) this is an idea that was best discussed over a couple of cold ones, along deciding if some Hollywood starlet could someday be yours.

[LX2NV]

Years ago (when the sport of drag racing was much stronger) there were Quaker, Sunset, and Drag City in that area.

Now days one of them no longer exists (Drag City), one has closed for financial reasons, had an auction to pay off its back property taxes, and now has the city next door with an option to buy the property for an industrial park (Quaker), and Sunset is what it is.

In the last decade (or two) there have only been two brand new drag strips built in the United States. Both were placed in locations where weather permits a mostly year-round schedule (Charlotte and Dallas) and both places had IHRA or NHRA National Event commitments prior to construction.

Mansfield was going to add a drag strip to its existing (at the time) Nascar sanctioned circle track and had a promise from IHRA to host the sanctioning body's biggest National Event of the year. Now, they can't find anyone to finance the deal.

I can not imagine any bank wanting to make a business loan to a group wanting to open a single use or multi-use facility like you have described. So (unless one of you hit a major MegaMillions jackpot or is first named Shiek) this is an idea that was best discussed over a couple of cold ones, along deciding if some Hollywood starlet could someday be yours.


:thumb_beer_cheers:

[LX2NV]

there use to be a 1/4 mile track right by my house (by meander resivor / canfield area) ? lookes cool, everything is still there, just burried in 3 ft tall grass/weeds now....

[Pitbull2o08]

thanks for killing my dream guys.. lol. it's probably not ever going to happen anyway, it was just something fun to talk about. you can say we're young and naive .

[GTkyle]

thanks for killing my dream guys.. lol. it's probably not ever going to happen anyway, it was just something fun to talk about. you can say we're young and naive .
Triplenickel runs dragway 42 and knows the expenses, so take his word on the matter 100%.

[TripleNickel]

Runs... No!

Close enough to the sport to know... Yes!

http://images1.cafepress.com/product/140671511v7_350x350_Front.jpg

[VistaBlueStang]

[QUOTE=TripleNickel;260284]Years ago (when the sport of drag racing was much stronger) there were Quaker, Sunset, and Drag City in that area.

Now days one of them no longer exists (Drag City), one has closed for financial reasons, had an auction to pay off its back property taxes, and now has the city next door with an option to buy the property for an industrial park (Quaker), and Sunset is what it is.

[\QUOTE]

Quaker isn't going anywhere. The owner has agreed to sell some his land to the city if the city comes up with the money. He has a lot of land that isn't being used. The agreement will be the track stays open and operational. I don't see this happening since Salem already has a 1/2 empty (maybe more) industrial park.

And yes, Quaker has very nice facilities, just VERY poorly run.

[TripleNickel]

Quaker isn't going anywhere.

The owner has agreed to sell some his land to the city if the city comes up with the money.

He has a lot of land that isn't being used.

According to the Youngstown Vindicator (and Salem's own newspaper) the city's option is for the purchase of the ENTIRE 170 acre property.


The agreement will be the track stays open and operational.

The Vindy article says:

"Dan Swindell, the owner who has been seeking a buyer for the property, will be running the track THIS YEAR, city officials said.


I don't see this happening since Salem already has a 1/2 empty (maybe more) industrial park.

Not according to the Vindy's article and Salem Mayor's statement.

"It is the only area in which the city can grow, he said, noting that THE CITY's earlier INDUSTRIAL PARKS ARE FULL."

---------------

Don't forget, it was the Vindicator that broke the stories about Dan's property tax problems, the foreclosure, the Sheriff's auction, the closing, the reopening, and Dan's screwing over of Mark Mazzant.

I have no reason to believe they don't have this story right too.

The complete Youngstown Vindicator article concerning Salem's option on the property can be found at http://www.vindy.com/news/2009/apr/08/salem-council-oks-option-to-buy-quaker-city/

[PEDD01GT]

...

[LX2NV]

...


what ? spit it out.....

[PEDD01GT]

what ? spit it out.....

Oh nothin'......lol

[Pitbull2o08]

...the dream is still alive

[VistaBlueStang]

According to the Youngstown Vindicator (and Salem's own newspaper) the city's option is for the purchase of the ENTIRE 170 acre property.



The Vindy article says:

"Dan Swindell, the owner who has been seeking a buyer for the property, will be running the track THIS YEAR, city officials said.



Not according to the Vindy's article and Salem Mayor's statement.

"It is the only area in which the city can grow, he said, noting that THE CITY's earlier INDUSTRIAL PARKS ARE FULL."

---------------

Don't forget, it was the Vindicator that broke the stories about Dan's property tax problems, the foreclosure, the Sheriff's auction, the closing, the reopening, and Dan's screwing over of Mark Mazzant.

I have no reason to believe they don't have this story right too.

The complete Youngstown Vindicator article concerning Salem's option on the property can be found at http://www.vindy.com/news/2009/apr/08/salem-council-oks-option-to-buy-quaker-city/

That's a different article than I read. It's a little vague though. It says the city wants to buy the whole thing but later it says that only 75 acres will be developed if the track continues to operate. Does that mean the city will operate the track? Will the city let Dan operate the track or worse, will Ann run the track (shivers). It would be a shame if it shuts down. That would only leave Magnolia close to me and who knows how long it's going to be around? Norwalk and Thompson are too far for weekly racing.