Our sport has welcomed a lot of great, positive news over the last year, from the construction of new tracks, the revitalization of existing facilities, the reopening of such jewels as Illinois’ Route 66 Raceway, a billion-dollar entity investing in NHRA drag racing, and much more. But in a down economy, there’s bound to be some less-than-ideal news — and it came in one big wave last week.
First, Kentucky’s I-64 Motorplex, operated by Tim Baldridge, announced that it would not be opening its gates in 2024. The facility, as noted in a July story here on DRAGZINE, is a split partnership between the property owner and Baldridge, the latter of whom owns much of the equipment to make the track operational but not the land.
As Baldridge shared last week, “It is with a sad heart as I inform you that I-64 Motorplex will not be reopening this season. As most of you know, the land was put up for sale by the owner last summer. The first potential buyer came to us and said everything would remain as is, but unfortunately, that sale fell through. The second buyer was unsure of what he was going to do with the property, but in mid-fall, he said to carry-on. He has since decided that he has other plans for the property and after much contemplation and discussion we have decided not to reopen.”
“We will always cherish the friends and memories made at I-64 Motorplex. We have loved watching our juniors grow and become confident racers. We have applauded your successes and sympathized at your losses, prayed at your accidents and grieved at the passing of our beloved racers and fans. We want to thank each and every one of you for racing with us over the years.
“We have loved the way that many of you have stepped up and helped when we were shorthanded, fed us on long weekends when all we’ve had was concession stand food, provided things when you saw a need, advertised and promoted us and helped watch out for our grandson. The race track had become an integral part of our everyday lives. The constant hustle and bustle, planning, buying, repairing, making schedules and getting ready for the race each week will definitely be missed. We always strove to provide the best racing experience possible: to give you an affordable, safe, family-oriented atmosphere. This is not exactly the way we wanted to end things, but sometimes circumstances are out of your control. Keep your ears open, maybe something will happen in the future.”
I-64 is set to host a…
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