Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Anyone know what the verdict is for the State Fair Speedway in OKC? I have noticed that ASCS has removed the race from the schedule so I hope that's not a bad sign.

The court ruled in favor of the fairboard and the city, and the injunction was denied. At 6:30 P.M. on the day that the decision was rendered, the tenant on the south end of the grandstand shorted out the wires supplying the grandstands with power, and the track is in the dark now. All of the signage of State Fair Speedway has been removed from the speedway, and there are plastic highway barriers blocking every one of the entrances surrounding the Speedway. It is pretty much over except for the crying.

deleted my response. nothing to see here.

http://www.news9.com/global/story.asp?s=11867368 video

http://www.kfor.com/news/local/kfor-news-judge-rules-against-speedway-story,0,1610242.story video

http://www.newsok.com/judge-presses-brakes-on-2010-oklahoma-city-racing-season/article/3434211?custom_click=headlines_widget article

 Randy       

       DIRT TRACKIN
"When it's wet slide it in"

thats ashame! but after reading, saying the electrical hazards above the grandstands and how old the wiring was, causes some concern!! but either way sucks for fans and supporters of that track! sorry to hear of this!

I agree about the electrical hazard. I can't believe it was ever built that way or allowed to go on that way for so long. I sure wish another solution could be worked out though. I think that the fair board wants the track to go away and that's their ticket. They've probably had that card up their sleeve for a long time and now it's a good time to play it. I think that a solution could be worked out if they wanted that. Unfortunately if they want the track gone, it'll be gone.

The issue was discovered in July, and since that time, the issue had not become more hazardous for the fans than it was in July. I think that this was just an out for the city.

First I'm sorry the track May be closing....has anyone offered to put up the $400000 dollars to make the electrical safe...race organization or individual....if the promoter is unwilling and the representitives of the taxpayers don't feel they'll get the money back in the few years the track has left well.....also with the power gone could you run day races with a large portible generator...I hope theres a safe compromise avalible.I wish you luck

There was an invitation for bids that surfaced at the beginning of January, and a wining bid from the invitation for bids. The bid in question was for the removal and burying of the wires over the grandstands, scheduled to be begun at the beginning of February. There was also an alternative bid for the testing and/or replacing of electrical transformers and electrical vaults in the grandstands, this one has not been accepted by the city council. From what I have heard, the winner of the bid put the removal of the electrical lines above the grandstand and the burial at slightly below $400k. The cost of the alternate bid, which was to reconnect the grandstand and stage to the electrical grid, would cost anywhere from 600k to $1.1 m.

I don't think that the promotor can be blamed for this. He had been told that the grandstands are going to be closed down in 2 years, and he could have sought damages for the breach of contract on the part of the city (and won), but instead he sought to get an injunction against the city in a selfless (and unfortunately in vain) attempt to save racing at State Fair Speedway.

Bottom line is the city government that is in place now love anything but dirt track racing and it is what it is.

It has been said the cost to tear down the grandstands and to level the track will cost more than it would take to fix all of the electric problems and bring it up to ADA code. But the final decision on the fate of SFS came two days after Maps3 passed. With 60 million plus going to fix or repair buildings at the State Fair Park and guess what building was not on the plans to be repaired. So there you go politics hard at work to stick it to the racing community.

They want to have another hockey team in OKC and they know right where they want to build the new convention center for their new team..

Thanks Maps 3

 Randy       

       DIRT TRACKIN
"When it's wet slide it in"

Part of the problem with the fight is that you're fighting against something that doesn't exist. Your misinformation just shows that you don't understand the issues.

The new CONVENTION center is being built south of the Ford Center in DOWNTOWN.

Hockey is going to be played at the COX Center in DOWNTOWN, they've already earmarked $4MM to fix that venue up. They approved those expenditures with a guarantee of $500,000 / year in revenue.

What they want to build at the Fairgrounds is NOT a convention center but a free span building that would compare to the QuickTrip Center in Tulsa.

The votes for MAPS3 was 40,956. If you can get 45,000 signatures (or some version of) of registered voters in Oklahoma City to STOP the tear down it would happen.

Anyone in political office works for the MAJORITY. If you can show that the MAJORITY of voters wants to keep the place, it'll be around.

I hate to see it go, I started a team there and ..... but we have to be realistic and practical. The effort should now be to find a place that the City would offer up to build a new track.

Short of that you're pi$$ing in the wind.

MAPS, MAPS for KIDS, MAPS for THUNDER and MAPS3 are great for the City of Oklahoma City. What you should be fighting for is some of that money, not against the people that made it happen.

I think that the lesson has been learned quite well by potential investors. I think that any speedways will be built outside of the Oklahoma City limits. I know that if I were an investor, I would NOT take mayor Mick Cornett up on his offer.

I am not fighting for anything, I am just passing some information along that was asked in this thread. And you or anyone else can come to your own conclusion on the links that I posted. And there was more too how Maps3 got pushed through by not telling the whole truth. Especially what was going to be done at State Fair Park if maps3 was too pass. But I am not going to get into any pissing contest about what happened or what should have been done it is what it is. It is like trying to move a mountain with a match box bulldozer.

 Randy       

       DIRT TRACKIN
"When it's wet slide it in"

You don't get it. Passing misinformation about MAPS3 won't win any battle. Are you a registered voter in OKLAHOMA CITY and did you vote?

BTW, I'm not in Oklahoma City, I'm in Edmond but I would have certainly voted for MAPS3. It has nothing to do with anything. If the Fairboard and the City want it closed they are doing it because they don't have the VOTERS to tell them to keep it open.

All of your efforts, which I applaud, should have been to play the game they play. You've brought a butter knife to a gun fight.

I live in Edmond myself but I have OKC utility's so I can vote in either election. Witch gave me the option to vote yes or no and I did vote and I voted NO. If you don't really know everything but think you do good for you. Like I said on other forums if they reopen, I will buy my ticket's if they don't reopen I will go to another track and spend my money elsewhere. You just need to quit kicking that ole' horse and move on...

 Randy       

       DIRT TRACKIN
"When it's wet slide it in"

The misinformation problem has been coming in from everywhere. Including from idiots like ME, since things have been kept in the dark so much. It is apparent there is an effort to obscure the truth, and we are working to find it. It includes people from all walks of life that refuse to be herded like little sheep.

What I have known since April is "building up, speedway down". It is obvious the fans and racers and promoter, have been lied to or at least 'misinformed' by those that are paid to report the findings.

And no intelligent investor , short of Bruton Smith level, ..........................and deal with the OkC officials? Can't see it.

It's messy, full of misinformation. And those "public servants" were in diapers when the track was built.

butter knife-gun fight.

Life has taught me to never count out the guy with the butter knife. That may be all he needs.

I run into people like you all the time, but I ALSO run into many people all the time. AND YOU SIR, DO NOT REFLECT THE MAJORITY OF VIEW THAT I AM SEEING OUT HERE. If the opposite were the case, things would be a lot quieter.

I am outside of OKC, down here by Ardmore, and they don't like it either.

I do like your idea of 45,000 signatures though.

you could probably count on one hand the number of times a yea a citizen group fights a city gov. and wins after a decision has been made, and those times the city meeting rooms were way over capacity, extra security was everywhere, and those city officers were overwhelmed with phone calls, threats, and very high number of signaturs on petetions, this however does not sound like anywhere near the community involement, yes the racers and fans are there but very small sample of population, Your time and efferts would have been much better used looking and trying to get support for new place

From what I understand from information gleaned from the Oklahoma Tidbits forum, eyewitness info and the track website (angelridgeracepark.com) there is a motocross facility N of El Reno near Concho that is working on an oval for the racers to have a place to race. Fan amenities would be sparse at first - but at least there would be an alternative to nothing ... well except Meeker ... and last time I saw Meeker ('bout '94) it was not much more than nothing and Angel Ridge is marginally closer than Meeker for a lot of the OKC Metro fans. The motocross tracks at Angel Ridge are very nice from what I've seen on their site thru the media link. Apparently the guy is doing it basically out of his pocket and his heart seems to be in the right place. He could probably use any support folks can offer ...

Phil Taylor

home-theater-systems-advice.com

You are right I sent an e-mail to the track web site and Troy sent a reply and said they broke ground sometime last December and it would be a 3/8 oval and would hope to be racing some time in 2010. He is not sure what classes they will run or what night, but it has been said lately it might be Friday nights. I will damn sure go and check it out, and I also hope that it does work out for Angle Ridge Race Park. The OKC metro area needs a new racing venue and this might be the best thing for all of us in the OKC Metro Racing Community. Hell it's only 50 miles from my front door that's not too bad.

 Randy       

       DIRT TRACKIN
"When it's wet slide it in"