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A new Braxton County project at Flatwoods could bring NASCAR racing to
West Virginia.
From the Charleston
Daily-Mail
Racetrack In The Works
For Flatwoods
Project Has Support Of Some
Racing Sanctioning Groups
Sam Tranum
Daily Mail Capitol reporter
Monday July 1
A team of developers
today announced their
plans to build a $27
million "integrated
motor sports complex"
on 300 acres in
Flatwoods.
"This appears to be a
very professional and
comprehensive
program for bringing a
major league
motorsports entertainment destination to West Virginia,"
said Eric
Denemark, director of the West Virginia Motorsports
Council.
The complex would include a half-mile asphalt oval, a one
and one-half mile
asphalt road course, an eighth of a mile drag strip, a fifth of
a mile go-kart
track, 10,000 grandstand seats, sky boxes and on-site
camping.
It was unclear this morning what the proposed schedule for
construction is.
Developers also did not reveal specific information about
how they would
pay for the track.
Developer Joe Mattioli said in a statement released today
that the program
at the Flatwoods track -- to be known as Thunder Ridge --
would be similar
to the program at Virginia's South Boston Speedway.
Mattioli said in his statement that he has received letters
of interest from the
sanctioning bodies of several national touring events,
including the
Automobile Racing Club of America, the American Speed
Association,
United Speed Alliance Racing and United States Auto
Club.
The statement said other groups including NASCAR, were
"aware" of the
proposed track at Flatwoods.
The developers expect the track, just off Interstate 79, to
draw fans from
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Maryland and Virginia. It
would be within
100 miles of 2.2 million people and within 250 miles of 37.3
million people,
they said.
The Braxton County Commission supports the track,
according to the
developers.
"The potential economic impact of this project, both to the
country and the
state is tremendous," Commission President John Gibson
was quoted as
saying. "We understand the implications of motorsports on
local economies
and are solidly behind the initiative."
The Braxton County Development Authority plans to create
an industrial
park near Thunder Ridge that could house motor
sports-related businesses,
according to the developers' statement.
The track also has support of Winston Cup driver Bobby
Allison, the
developers said.
Thunder Ridge is the second of two half-mile tracks in
development in West
Virginia.
The Kanawha County Commission has endorsed plans for a
$20.5 million
asphalt oval near Riverside High School in Quincy. The
track would seat
15,000 people and provide space for NASCAR series events,
outdoor
concerts and a family area.
The Quincy track would largely be privately funded. The
developers have
asked the West Virginia Economic Development Grant
Committee for $7.7
million. A full season of about 35 events is planned for
2004.
Another proposal has been floated by Sen. Herb Snyder,
D-Jefferson. He
said in April he'd like to build a "Dale Earnhardt Speedway"
in Inwood.
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