After living here in Minnesota for 73 years next to Interstate Dragways ( 3 miles away ) and Brainerd right down the road I am so impressed and excited for this track I feel like I should move there. Thanks Joe and Kurt for the best tour.
Glad to see a new track coming. All we've heard the past decade is tracks are closing. It's amazing to see a new track being built to make new memories!
might want to fix this part joe. "At a time when race tracks around the country, this is a great story. Enjoy a first look inside Flying H Motorsports Park. "
Wow ! That is some well thought out racetrack. Kurt seems very , very knowledgeable. This is going to be something to see next year. Thanks Joe, very much appreciated.
yea we do we lost so many, that is if you can find room for one and not have bitchy neighbors, or greedy developers that want to squeeze you out and buy up land where you are hurting no one and all of a sudden decide there needs to be upscale houses on all sides and suger a deal for city councils to close you down so they can get the land on the cheap and turn it for more then 200 times to price in profit, we have space here but too little wide open away from everything, and the development is going to make the one state road one giant industrial park or parks for 4 miles to the next city, and we are know for historical cars if you heard of auburn, in, too many nimbys or not in my back yard folks, I dont mind new stuff but its all at once, and there is less and less growing land and woods to have flora and fauna in it let alone hunt if anyone is willing to let someone. we could use another raceway we lost all in this courner of indiana ohio aside angola, baer field is gone, avila is gone, bryan is gone, plymeth went back to pavement, I would love a place just an hour away that has a decent size dirt track, hoping they rebuild one of them one day that have sat silent, like warsaw, or open one of the old horse tracks back up for racing and harness, one or two auto races arent going to hurt for one or two nights a year, they got concerts that are loud
but furthermore we dont have many drag strips in indiana either, even if we have some great events at irp, and the war of the woods at prob the most scetchy of sketchy dragstrips in the beautiful woods of brown county.
They have rt 66 raceway Joliet Illinois sitting vacant for the last 5 years but last year they opened for 1 div 3 race this year they opened it for 1 national event by there own rules(nhra) you cant have a national or div race unless you have test and tune and a weekly points program but i guess its okay if nhra owns the track !
There is a ton of great features in this new facility. What I like is the cars going in front of the grand stands. Maple grove did in the past and it was great to see the races up close especially WJ
When your consultant is not only a pro racer but also an expert at the required engineering and construction of the racetrack, you must have hired Kurt Johnson. I can't tell you how happy this makes me. In my life, it seems like everywhere I have moved to has lost one or several drag strips. New construction with this level of engineering is critical to the survival of the sport we love. Thank you!
Just curious When was the last time a new track was added to the national event schedule ?? Good to see a new track opening hoping to visit it one day!
I’m in need for a track build that can Accommodate 300 competitors minimum parking and my track will be just like this one but for 1000. Pit spots max, lol thanks BigAl California
I would love to see a finish gantry with a win light that can move from 1320ft to 1000ft and 1/8 mile depending on whats running . So the spectators, tv viewers, heck even competitors can visualise the finnish line.
The idea of a new track is great, love it. Please Kurt, don't forget your common man fan. You must put a portion of the grandstand under some kind of roof, canopy or tent top. A large percentage of your fans are older and all of your fans regardless of age is getting older. The sun is our enemy, for many reasons. It's not healthy to sit in the sun for hours on end. Many heart medications say not to be exposed to the sun for long periods of time. Sunburns are painful and can turn into melanoma. The sun is draining and sends your fans under the grandstands for relief thus missing exciting racing. Your high end attendees demand cover from the sun along with air conditioning and luxury amenities. Your diehard everyday fans do deserve shaded seating and dignified restroom facilities. Now, I'm not saying cover all the seating, there are people who enjoy being in the sun but if a third of the seating was covered it would be appreciated and would probably be the most popular places to sit. My first National event was Indy 1972 and I've been attending almost every year since, plus attending local tracks. Look, if the creators of the famed Colosseum in Rome knew to cover it almost two thousand years ago then a good owner and his contractors would do the same in the year 2023. It can and should be done. Tracks all over the country would copy or I mean emulate you. Thank you for the consideration.
I don't think space for 55 pro teams is enough! Say for example we get to 20 Top Fuel, 20 Funny Car and 20 Pro Stock... that's 60 right there. I'd build for 65.
Good luck with NHRA. They didn't back the local racers when NASCAR closed Chicagoland Raceway. But let NASCAR operate the track for the nationals but not open for local racers since begining of 2020.
Looks like it will be a really nice facility. I just hope Pacific Raceways in Kent never has to hold its last Northwest Nationals. For me it's been the highlight of the summer for quite a while now.
