Mark,
So.... who do I need to talk to get some help pushing through the track at the
NJ Meadowlands Complex that they've talked about on and off for the past few
years?
Jack Brooks
>Subject: Getting closer
>
>
>Too bad it won't be ready for, say, the weekend before VTR in Colorado.
>But maybe as a stop on the way to Mid Ohio in June of '02?
>
>mjb.
>----
>
>December 6, 2000
>
>The Tooele County Commission yesterday approved a long-term land lease
>to a private group planning to build a major new motorsports facility
>near Tooele. The land, which is part of the $18 million Deseret Peak
>Recreation Complex, will be the home to the new Bonneville International
>Raceway. Developers of the project, the Utah Motorsports Group, plan to
>build an internationally accredited race facility that will host world
>class events such as open-wheel Indy and Cart cars, AMA Superbike races,
>IMSA, NASA and SCCA Pro Series sports cars, NASCAR, plus vintage
>motorcycle and sports car events.
>
>"This will be the first time such major motorsports events will be
>available in Utah" according to Paul Sincock, one of the project
>developers. "Motorsports events are the largest spectator sport in the
>world, but up to now there have been no accredited facilities available
>in Utah for such events." Developers plan to start construction next
>spring with completion by the fall of 2001, however the facility will
>not begin hosting race events until the spring of 2002. The facility,
>located on 160 acres of land adjacent to the County's new recreation
>complex, will consist of a 2.3 mile road race course and 1 mile oval
>track. "We have retained a world-class racetrack design firm, Wilson
>Motorsports, to ensure the facility meets all racing association design
>and safety requirements and is built to the highest standards possible,"
>according to Sincock.
>
>The new facility will host only five major racing events per year,
>according to Jim Colburn, co-developer of the project. "Most major race
>facilities, like Laguna Seca, Road Atlanta or Sears Point, only host a
>few big events per year", says Colburn. "The rest of the year the
>facility is rented to driving and riding schools, local and regional
>sports car and motorcycle groups, and motorsports R&D companies for
>tuning and testing their vehicles," says Colburn. Out of a typical
>six-month season, only 20 days will be used for major race events, with
>the remaining 160+ days available to local groups and organizations.
>"One of the unique attractions of the new Bonneville International
>Raceway is it's proximity to the Deseret Peak recreation complex which
>has baseball and soccer fields, RV facilities, indoor and outdoor
>arenas, horse racing facilities, the largest outdoor swimming pool in
>the state as well as a BMX and motocross course," according to Colburn.
>"This is the only motorsports facility in the country where families can
>attend race events while also using all the other recreation amenities
>right next door."
>
>The facility is expected to attract 120,000 spectators per year and
>generate $20 million in economic value to the Tooele and Salt Lake
>County areas. Many events will be televised by Speedvision or ESPN to
>millions of viewers across the country and also covered by local
>television and radio stations. In addition to the local Utah market,
>the facility hopes to attract race fans from within a one-day's drive.
>It turns out there are 57 million people within that distance, since the
>facility is in the geographic center of the western United States.
|