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Board hears track plans firsthand
by Jule Hubbard
Wilkes County commissioners learned firsthand about the latest efforts to reopen the North Wilkesboro Speedway in a portion of their regularly-scheduled meeting Tuesday night that was closed to the press and public.
Alton L. McBride Jr. of Lake Norman, president of Speedway Associates Inc., and Terri Parsons of Purlear, also a Speedway Associates principal, met with commissioners and other county officials. The N.C. Open Meetings Law allows closed sessions for discussion of locations or expansion of a business.
Although McBride and county officials wouldn't share details of the discussion, they indicated it involved providing county officials an understanding of what Speedway Associates planned to do at the North Wilkesboro Speedway. They said it didn't include requests for county funding.
"At this time SAI (Speedway Associates Inc.) has not requested anything from the town (or county) other than its support and unity. Obviously, as time marches on, SAI will need assistance," said McBride later.
McBride, with Terri Parsons of Purlear at the meeting, said he was impressed with everyone who participated. "It is rare that I can come out of a meeting where I feel we each connected," he said.
Zach Henderson, chairman of the county commissioners, said it was the first meeting between McBride and the full board. Henderson said he and McBride have had earlier conversations about reopening the speedway.
County officials said McBride and his associates seem to be the most legitimate suitor yet for reopening the speedway, which has seen a series of unsuccessful efforts since the last race—NASCAR's Tyson-Holly Farms 400—was held on the 0.625-mile track on Sept. 26, 1996.
Speedway Associates, incorporated Oct. 9 with Alton L. McBride listed as registered agent, has a three-year lease and exclusive option to purchase the speedway from billionaire race track owner Bruton Smith.
Smith has said in the past that he wouldn't sell the speedway property for less than $12 million, but it's valued at about $5 million on the Wilkes tax rolls.
McBride said he, Mrs. Parsons and others have worked together for about three years to return racing to the North Wilkesboro Speedway. Mrs. Parsons is the widow of Wilkes native and racing legend Benny Parsons.
McBride said other Speedway Associates principals are Alton L. McBride Sr., John Burwell, Bosco Lowe and David Ehret. McBride said all of them except Mrs. Parsons are former race car drivers with backgrounds in the professional motor sports industry.
"Not only are we legitimate and qualified, but we are doing this for the right reasons," said McBride on Monday afternoon, referring to their respect for the North Wilkesboro Speedway's prominence in the heritage of stock car racing.
We're all old school and looking at bringing back every aspect of short track racing that people miss," said McBride on Monday afternoon. "We need all of Wilkes County to realize what we are trying to do. We need everyone's support."
McBride said Speedway Associates principals have a good relationship with officials at USARacing, the Concord-based sanctioning body that has scheduled a 250-lap race in its USARacing Pro Cup Championship Series on Oct. 3, 2010.
"We are extremely pleased to be the first national touring racing series to return to the true roots of stock car racing. We know the people of Wilkes County and the surrounding area of North Carolina have missed stock car racing on this storied track," stated Larry Camp, USARacing manager partner, in the press release.
McBride and his associates, like others who have tried to reopen the speedway, are counting on drawing a lot of people with a strong sentimental attachment to the North Wilkesboro Speedway. "There seems to be a lot of people who want to travel to North Wilkesboro and would love to see it have racing again."
The difficulty of making accurate attendance projections is a big part of the risk, he added.
McBride said discussions are under way concerning other uses of the North Wilkesboro Speedway, but that the first year "would be more part time than anything."
He said other possible uses range from radio-controlled car events to renting the track to NASCAR teams for testing cars. "We are evaluating every potential income stream."
Concerning renovations and other improvements at the speedway, he said, "We know our operational costs and we're not looking to go in and spend $1 million on day one. That is not reality in this day's economy."
McBride said a structured plan of improvements in phases has been developed, with different work planned for the first, second and third years of the lease. "We have included local government in every department and we need them to be on board," he added.
He said the asphalt surface of the track is still in good enough shape for racing. "Safety is job one, but I don't think Junior Johnson's son would be out there testing" if the track surface wasn't safe. Robert Johnson, teenage son of Wilkes native and racing legend Junior Johnson, has driven on the track this year.
Steve Nixon, environmental health supervisor with the Wilkes Health Department, on Thursday said he is aware of people saying the speedway septic system didn't function properly.
Nixon said that due to a lack of complaints or documentation of problems with the septic system, the health department's response to earlier plans for an event at the speedway was to allow use of the existing septic system and have port-a-johns on site and then see how the system functions.
"But we don't know what they (Speedway Associates) are planning, so we would have to see their plans first" before allowing this for another event at the speedway, he said.
Another option is extending a Town of North Wilkesboro sewer line a little over a mile from where it now stops on Speedway Road. County officials have talked in the past about helping with the expense of this, partly because it would bring municipal sewer service closer to U.S. 421 in eastern Wilkes.
There had been talk locally of a new plan to reopen the speedway after Mrs. Parsons hosted a private event called "Moonshiners and Revenuers Reunion" at her home on Oct. 14, with guests who included people with strong ties to the motorsports industries.
News of plans for the North Wilkesboro Speedway became public Saturday when USARacing Pro Cup Series drivers learned that the historic track would host a race in their Championship Series on Oct. 3, 2010. This was shared just before their season finale race at South Boston Speedway in South Boston, Va.
Principals in Speedway Associates hadn't planned to announce anything, but McBride and Mrs. Parsons shared limited details in interviews with reporters after Saturday's announcement in South Boston, Va.
On Thursday, Mrs. Parsons announced in an e-mail that a press conference on plans for the North Wilkesboro Speedway would start at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the track.
She said the elected bodies of Wilkesboro, North Wilkesboro and the county would be present "to set the record straight as to what is going on. This will be the first time we have all stood in unison to say we are united in going forward in support as a community."
Wilkes Economic Development Director Don Alexander introduced McBride to Mrs. Parsons nearly three years ago. Before then, said McBride, "I knew Terri only from being in the same industry…. Don took me to Terri for the introduction."
McBride said he had no intentions of involving her in efforts to acquire the North Wilkesboro Speedway at that time. "I just wanted to get her opinion and to pay my family's respects regarding Benny's passing." |
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