Richard
Could the people involved get the track proclaimed as an historical site?
Do as Bill Huff at Willow Springs did, then the encroachers and greenies
will have to live with the idea that there is always going to be a
multi-purpose race track there. SCCA and the NHRA have to be bigger than the
city of Kent. They all should have a vested interest in that property; at
least from the historical aspect. You might be able to get Winston West
involved as well. There's a lot of race history there. It could be
interesting.
Ron Yates, Editor
Dipstick Digest
(Newsletter of the World's Smallest Austin-Healey Club)
----- Original Message -----
From: Richard E. Buckingham, Jr. <rebjrmd@ix.netcom.com>
To: lwdent <lwdent@fwi.com>
Cc: Don Queen <donqueen@Inreach.com>; Vintage Race
<vintage-race@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2001 11:23 AM
Subject: Re: Seattle Track
> As Race Chairman of SOVREN, you would think that I might be in a position
> to know what is going on at SIR. Well, I don't and neither do any others
> for sure (except for the owners of the facility). The owners of the track
> will take back possession and management once Jim Rockstad's 25 year
> concessionaire agreement expires at the end of 2001. All indications are
> that they want the track to continue and are planning on making necessary
> improvements. Obviously SIR is subject to the usual problems plaguing
> tracks in urban environments i.e. housing encroachment, noise complaints,
> traffic problems, and zoning commissions. The fact that the track has
been
> there since 1961 and predates most of these problems should be in its
> favor. It is true that SIR is not SCCA approved and could certainly use
> some updates. I believe that the track will continue and hopefully be
> improved. I also hope that the management will be more supportive of the
> road racing program although drag racing historically has been the money
> maker and has therefore gotten the most emphasis. It is said that the
name
> of the track will revert back to Pacific Raceway. I look forward to many
> more years of racing at this historic and beautiful facility and have seen
> no reasons to be pessimistic about those expectations.
>
> Dick Buckingham, Jr.
> Race Chairman - SOVREN
>
> lwdent wrote:
>
> > I work as Chief Steward at SIR 3 times a year and while this does not
> > give me any real inside information I do hear a lot of comments, so, to
> > answer your question as best I can,
> >
> > There has been a BIG fight (big lawsuit among other things) between the
> > current lease holder, and the owner of the land, about use,
> > improvements, etc.
> >
> > The current owner tried to take the track back several years ago but the
> > courts supported management's claim for a lease option. All that comes
> > to an end this year.
> >
> > Rumor has it that plans have been drawn for vast improvements to the
> > track and that new managers will do so.
> >
> > NHRA has been critical of present management and want improvements to
> > continue to hold the nationals there so there is pressure to improve,
> > since the national drags are one of the major money makers there.
> >
> > The road circuit has not been approved by SCCA for some years now due to
> > considerations that mostly can be easily fixed, so we expect the road
> > circuit to receive some attention.
> >
> > Everyone that knows the track is waiting to see just what happens, but
> > it seems sure that no what the changes, they will be for the better.
> >
> > Larry Dent
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