Another dirt track bought out for housing

[ddracing]

https://www.heraldchronicle.com/news/local/twin-creeks-purchases-winchester-raceway-park-to-curb-noise-problem/article_2bfbfaa2-09f6-11e9-9539-ef7b7973c4ad.html?fbclid=IwAR3v2zgW1rohkBSbmlpFa57 rkduCNF87Hd-fy8-F7JYWzAiwFnj9627NSJ4#utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

[Kromulous]

Yuppies are taking over !

[MRM]

This has been in the works for some time.

[Wells Racing Photos]

Hate this happened, this was a cool little place.

[GEAR_HEAD]

But they are willing to donate everything to somebody who wants to relocate the track. It wouldn't be that difficult to move everything to a more isolated area.

[Highwayman]

https://www.heraldchronicle.com/news/local/twin-creeks-purchases-winchester-raceway-park-to-curb-noise-problem/article_2bfbfaa2-09f6-11e9-9539-ef7b7973c4ad.html?fbclid=IwAR3v2zgW1rohkBSbmlpFa57 rkduCNF87Hd-fy8-F7JYWzAiwFnj9627NSJ4#utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

61 years and then a "new"(3 years) neighbor decides maybe the racetrack is an issue for them... This is an old song, West Atlanta(7 Flags) Speedway went the same way. What was even dumber about West Atlanta was the guy leading the complaint was the same guy who built the track to begin with but had sold it. $375K seems low for a functioning profitable race track, but I'm not sure how much property was involved. Racetracks seem to be like Indian reservations, no matter where they move to somebody decides they want their property more than they do. Dixie Speedway makes out because its backed up to a land fill, I guess more tracks should try that. 61 Years and poof. Personally, even though the buyer sounds sympathetic in his PR news piece, I think most likely they knew 3 years ago when they started their project that they would do away with the track. Could it be the track was being leased and the lease was finally up and the track owner had to wait to sell it until now?

[brsteg]

To echo... track there for 61 years; company builds houses and marina next to track; that track needs to be moved to a more suitable area. Yea, that sounds right.

[t3r3e3]

To echo... track there for 61 years; company builds houses and marina next to track; that track needs to be moved to a more suitable area. Yea, that sounds right.

KLMS got the same complaint, and it’s gone How long until Florence starts to get complaints? They keep slapping down McMansions all around the Union area. Rich, entitled @ssholes generally have the courts on their side, no matter how foolish their complaints seem. Who was there first is generally ignored in cases of development. Politicians see tax base increases from subdivisions, potential new voters, and nothing else.

[AllenK]

It always makes me sad and a little mad when a track that has been open forever suffers this fate. I never went to Winchester,but I've been by it twice. Crazy that it was right in town. Money talks. It always does,always has,and always will.

I-30 Speedway in near Little Rock just keeps hanging on. It's right at one of the last truly undeveloped exits on the interstate. A huge outlet mall and Bass Pro opened just a few years ago right down the road. The whole Benton/Bryant area has exploded with white flight from Little Rock. They're building McMansions and Big Box stores where cow pastures and modest older houses used to be. I haven't been there in a long time,but the track was there a LONG time before any of this was built.

I will say this. My wife and I had friends who lived a stone's throw from the track,and didn't care much for the track and the noise. I was like what-ever,you knew it was there. We were only up there once while the races were going on. I used their bathroom,and it sounded like the cars were going to come through the wall. You could hear them coming down the front stretch,and then then the noise would get quieter as they went down the backstretch.

[latemodelman]

My family grew up 5 miles from Shadybowl and you can hear them go down the frontstretch and backstretch when you sit outside. We used to go every Saturday night and when they test days on Wednesday you could hear them. I knew a family that lives right down the road and the track has been there since like 1946. They like it cause they can drive there in 4 minutes and sometimes if it rains they go home and wait til they hear engines refire lol.

[Bloomerdirtking]

t3r we were talking about expansion and wondering how soon Florence would be gone. Almost seems inevitable with the crazy growth headed toward the track. Every year driving in for the N/S it seems worse.

[MRM]

Money talks. The people that own the development and marina had the cash to buy the track and close it down.

[Clayton_Wetter]

t3r we were talking about expansion and wondering how soon Florence would be gone. Almost seems inevitable with the crazy growth headed toward the track. Every year driving in for the N/S it seems worse.

Forty years ago Union and Richwood were just little drive throughs. Now there are many acres of solid housing complexes that are within three and a half miles of Florence Speedway and one little complex has sprung up within a mile and a half of the track. I hate to see this, but Florence just grew to the south and someday it might come to an end. I've made many a long trip to this track and often considered it my home track.

[JCSullivan00]

Forty years ago Union and Richwood were just little drive throughs. Now there are many acres of solid housing complexes that are within three and a half miles of Florence Speedway and one little complex has sprung up within a mile and a half of the track. I hate to see this, but Florence just grew to the south and someday it might come to an end. I've made many a long trip to this track and often considered it my home track.

As someone that lives in Union, I will say that for whatever reason, the noise doesn't seem to travel all that well to the neighborhoods. Maybe it's the lay of the land and the foliage, but it just seems to drown out. I can hear the cannon at Ryle high school way more clearly than the race track. There's a lot of noise surrounding the area too, with the interstate, 42 traffic and the airplanes having a pretty direct path over top of those houses.

[dirtcrazy4u]

When a area around a racetrack gets developed residents understand what is there. The promotor, if he plays nice with his new neighbors, can usually hold out until the price is just to good to pass on. If there so willing to GIVE everything away. Why doesn't the promotor go find another pc of property ?

[3 wide]

I new this deal was going down it was actually made about 4 months ago did anybody hear what they gave for it they ran the first race there in about 51or 52.

[Illtsate32]

Belle Clair, Highland, and Godfey, which Godfrey got turned into a concrete plant in 2006, have all suffered the same complaints. A kid named Chip Thomas who used to race at Belle Clair his father tried to build an asphalt track with Nascar sanctioning around my area off interstate 64 around Ofallon Il and people were fighting him tooth and nail because they said it would be too noisy, we even went out and got petitions signed to no avail he finally gave up. Funny thing was it was gna be only about a half a mile from Scott Air Force Base is Shiloh il lol, they went to places like Lebanon and Lakeside and took decible readings and they were equivalent to an air conditioner running, I guess that was too loud for them, but airplanes arent smh...

[Clayton_Wetter]

As someone that lives in Union, I will say that for whatever reason, the noise doesn't seem to travel all that well to the neighborhoods. Maybe it's the lay of the land and the foliage, but it just seems to drown out. I can hear the cannon at Ryle high school way more clearly than the race track. There's a lot of noise surrounding the area too, with the interstate, 42 traffic and the airplanes having a pretty direct path over top of those houses.

Sounds like a good thing, that it's not loud for sure.

[golddirt]

So no more winter fest

[castone]

Winterfest moves to Duck river Raceway Park - Wheel Tn. on February 16th 2019

[3 wide]

This may be too old for some of you but I remember when Hooker Hood an Marty Robbins raced at Winchester I don't live far from the race track I could write a book on that place.

[jr29]

Money talks. The people that own the development and marina had the cash to buy the track and close it down.

I hate to see the track close but you are 100% right. Anyone who had the money could have purchased the place.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

https://www.heraldchronicle.com/news/local/twin-creeks-purchases-winchester-raceway-park-to-curb-noise-problem/article_2bfbfaa2-09f6-11e9-9539-ef7b7973c4ad.html?fbclid=IwAR3v2zgW1rohkBSbmlpFa57 rkduCNF87Hd-fy8-F7JYWzAiwFnj9627NSJ4#utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialI think this is the one that has been up in the air the last couple years. Bob Harris owned it I believe. I guess it was probably just easier to sell than to deal with the BS.

Florence and any track in their situation should really try to buy the land around them if possible.

While I agree, if the track was there first, deal with it. But I’m sure a lot of people who move near a track have no idea it’s there. And can you imagine, having to work Saturday and all you get till 1am or so is car engines? Any of us would be pissed. It’s not like the seller is going to be like, aaannnnddd, you to live right next to such n such race track.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Get.........

[kazual]

Good point. Maybe if tracks worked to run more efficient programs they wouldn’t be running till the wee hours and infuriating the local residents. In total it’s somewhat of a predictable progression. Tracks tend to be built on land that is not prime real estate, i.e. cheaper acreage in outlying areas. Eventually urban sprawl and commercial development bring home and businesses closer to the race track. And many times the promoter / land owner is happy to see it, for some it’s the only chance to see their racing operation sold for a profit.

[LMNED10]

They did not waste any time at Winchester drivers meeting at 6 hot laps right after, 11 curfew, been there many times seen over 100 cars races and done with before 10 pm so they were running an efficient show

[castone]

LMNED10 you are correct except the curfew was a strict 11.30, and some of the Best Racers ever to race dirt raced at Winchester Speedway one time or other. The Speedway brought in a lot of money for the city every Saturday Night, but the City seemed to never realize it, or be for the Speedway. This was a great family race track that opened in 1957 as a car race track, and I have a head full of great memories!