Spokane Raceway Park,..CLOSED ????

Saw this on another site thought I would share what
looks to be the end of Spokane Raceway park.


SRPMedia


10/26/07 03:08 PM
It’s unfortunate that I have to make the following announcement, Spokane Raceway Park will not be scheduling any race dates for the 2008 season. This includes oval, drag strip, and road course events. The word was made official today by the court appointed controller.

It looks like at this time the concentration of selling the facility is the reason for the closure.

On behalf of Jim Tice, Rick Rice, and all the staff of SRP, would like to thank everyone for there support in 2007 and we are deeply sorry that the motor sports facility will be closed for 08.

 

Let's hope not. I think it all depends on who buys the land, some would prefer to extend the gravel pit, others may decide to keep running the track. I go there once or twice a year, I hope it stays.

I wrote an article for dragracecanada, I'll post it here as well.

Spokane Raceway Park – At a Cross Roads

I remember walking the freshly paved asphalt at the newly constructed Spokane Raceway Park over 30 years ago, I was just a kid, and at the time, it impressed me as the coolest racetrack ever. The stadium style concrete seating surrounded the racing surface on both sides, creating a kind of tunnel that was bound to capture the sights and sounds of drag races yet to come. The track immediately lived up to expectations, as sellout crowds witnessed the likes of Don Garlits, Chris Karamesines, Frank Bradley, John Force, Dale Pulde, and on, and on, and on. My first race as a driver was in 1977 in my dad’s A-Gas dragster, then on to numerous events there with a series of top alcohol dragsters. I’ve been lucky enough to win a few of the “World Finals” events there, and always had a great time racing other Northwest drivers, Paula Gage, Red Gobel, Randy Jenson, Bill Edwards, Craig Smith and Leon Aines to name a few.

Spokane was, and is, a really fun place to race. The festive atmosphere hasn’t changed since day one, the fans are still excited to be there, and the racers all feel they have a chance to win. The track itself has been allowed to deteriorate and fall behind the technological advances (concrete starting line, timing equipment) that all the newer tracks have long ago implemented, but it is also part of its charm, as dollars and computers don’t benefit the racer as much as common sense and “seat of the pants” tuning does.

Recently, the turmoil at Spokane Raceway Park, precipitated by the accusations and subsequent lawsuit between the shareholders and the city of Spokane against the track owner, Orville Moe, has put the future of the track in peril. Being a very valuable piece of real estate, it seems reasonable that the shareholders could get paid back by selling off the property; the question is, will it remain a race track, become a gravel pit, a new housing development, or an extension of the penitentiary that resides next door? Jim Tice and Larry Taylor have done an admirable job of keeping the racetrack going for the last couple of years, and it just seems wrong that this place would not get a second chance, as it is truly a “home away from home” for many Canadian racers.

This is the cross road that any spectator, racer, or interested bystander should take notice. There is a grass roots effort within the Spokane community to save the race track by asking the Spokane County Commissioners Office to purchase the land and allow racing operations to continue. The land is large enough that the race track could remain intact, even if there was a desire to place other structures or activities there. If you are interested in saving the track, knowing that once it is gone it will likely never come back, there is a form attached for that purpose.

Our good friend Leon told me that as he was in the water box, getting ready to race us in the final round of their last major event in 2007, he was thinking it might be the last time we go down this track together. Let’s hope not.