Opening Drag Strip

[Nicklz]

I've been thinking of a business to start. And while I was thinking there isn't a drag strip for at least an hour away.

Although I'm not sure what would be needed legally, like will I need to be NHRA certified or anything??

I know I'd need insurance, but what are the track requirments or are there?

I tried to search but didn't find much.
I'm sure the profitability of a small track probably isn't much but I'd like to have enough land I could put a speed shop/audio shop right beside it, and later on a service shop.

[AlienInv8r]

I can't remember if I read it here or another forum a few months ago someone asked the same question. The response was that a track cost a few million. You gotta get really levelled ground and all that jazz for construction. Then all the permits, enormous insurance costs, liability waivers, and a bunch of other stuff add up really quick. I think I remember the figure being quite a few million to successfully open a track.

[BLLDOGG]

Originally posted by Nicklz:
like will I need to be NHRA certified or anything??

yes, you will have to have your track and and everything basically inspected by NHRA to have anyone serious race there

[RallyRed 98]

not only that, but you have to battle everybody adjacent to your property, who will categorically resist you even THINKING about building a track.

you may not be old enough to remember this, but someone once tried to build a track in WVa near the ohio border... we saw signs for miles all around that said "NO TO RACING IN OUR TOWN."

[RancidCamaro]

Originally posted by RallyRed 98:
not only that, but you have to battle everybody adjacent to your property, who will categorically resist you even THINKING about building a track.

you may not be old enough to remember this, but someone once tried to build a track in WVa near the ohio border... we saw signs for miles all around that said "NO TO RACING IN OUR TOWN."

That's dumb. Having a drag track will DECREASE the racing in the street.

At least that's how Las Vegas thinks about it.

[silvachris1]

Originally posted by RallyRed 98:
not only that, but you have to battle everybody adjacent to your property, who will categorically resist you even THINKING about building a track.

you may not be old enough to remember this, but someone once tried to build a track in WVa near the ohio border... we saw signs for miles all around that said "NO TO RACING IN OUR TOWN."

Hah, well, I dunno when those signs were in your area, but Kanawha Valley Dragway isn't very far from Ohio. Either way, there's a track close to the border now.

[BLLDOGG]

Originally posted by RancidCamaro:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by RallyRed 98:
not only that, but you have to battle everybody adjacent to your property, who will categorically resist you even THINKING about building a track.

you may not be old enough to remember this, but someone once tried to build a track in WVa near the ohio border... we saw signs for miles all around that said "NO TO RACING IN OUR TOWN."

That's dumb. Having a drag track will DECREASE the racing in the street.

At least that's how Las Vegas thinks about it. </font>[/QUOTE]its not really about just street racing. its the flood of people coming through usually a small town late at night. the loud usually high flow or just no exhaust vehicles and the kids still racing around afterwards

[Nicklz]

I wasn't wanting top fuel drag cars or anything like that. Just a place for locals to come, plus I figured it'd be nice to have beside a performance shop. They could kinda work off each other.

I actually found a piece of land that as far as I can tell is completely flat beside the river, might need slight leveling off, no residental places for at least a mile. But it does flood maybe once or twice a year. I measured the property with my trip meter and got .8miles. So I'd figure that would be far enough for 1/4 mile, then braking zone.

So there is enough room, just don't know if the track would be affected by high water, it's kinda a field like area and the water never gets over a couple inches high there. The water isn't moving very fast, so I wouldn't be worried aabout the track washing away. The real reason I'm interested in this piece of land is it's so cheap, it has a hillside at one corner where I would be able to put the different shops, which is out of the way of water. The only thing that would get wet would be the track, like I said maybe once or twice a year.

I could even build a small hill around the river bank to keep water from flowing in.

My main area of concern, is other than the obvious construction cost, what other hidden cost could there be. Insurance, build permit,...?

If I'm a small track does anyone know if I have to be NHRA certified? I tried to find their requirments but can't find anything.

[BirdOfPrey01]

It doesn't cost millions, it costs hundred of thousands of dollars.

If you already own the land, your looking at maybe 100,000.

But then you need to get permission from your city.

Which is the hardest part.

[Nicklz]

I was hoping it was 40 - 60 range, I don't need to make money just break even. At least I'd have free access to a strip, lol.

Then later the speed shop, audio shop, general mechanic. It would be like it's own little car world. I've always wanted to own my own buisness, be my own boss thing. I'd love to own a buisness that is what I love, to begin with.

[RallyRed 98]

it's probably still in the 100 year floodplain if it's by the river, which means you can barely even put a road through it, much less any kind of structure.

the land is probably zoned agriculturally, so you will have to get it rezoned to some sort of industrial use, which would be a long, expensive battle on its own.

you then have to deal with the WV historic resources board, as well as the dnr and wvdot.

wvdot will make you improve whatever road is leading to this piece of land to accomodate the additional trips generated.

that's BEFORE people come to your public hearings and tell you that you're evil and that they don't want "that type" of people coming through their town.

some construction costs to consider:

grading: ~25,000
concrete: ~130,000
tower: ~30,000
restrooms: ~45,000
fencing: ~60,000
asphalt parking/pits: ~75,000
lights/timing/etc: ~25,000

those are typical numbers off the top of my head (for the most rudimentary track you can think of) and you still have road improvements, insurance/bonding, development fees (architect, engineer, surveyor, general contractor)/proffers, and extension of any necessary utilities such as electricity, sanitary sewer, and stormwater management.

it's a really awesome idea but just not feasible. i think we've got just about all the race tracks we're going to get.

['94firebirdv6]

i didnt know anyone on here went up to Kanawha? Nick good luck with your project. I'm about 20 minutes from kanawha and an hour from huntington and myself and everyother person i know thats into cars have been talking about how awesome it would be to have a 1/4 mile strip around here instead of just an 1/8th
hope everything works out!

[silvachris1]

Originally posted by '94firebirdv6:
i didnt know anyone on here went up to Kanawha? Nick good luck with your project. I'm about 20 minutes from kanawha and an hour from huntington and myself and everyother person i know thats into cars have been talking about how awesome it would be to have a 1/4 mile strip around here instead of just an 1/8th
hope everything works out!

Yeah man, me and a few of my buddys run down there like once a month when they're open. You oughtta head out some Thurday night this year.

What kind of time are you running down there?

Oh and, I heard some talk last season that they were considering a 1/4 mile track down at Ona.

[Nicklz]

Originally posted by RallyRed 98:


some construction costs to consider:

grading: ~25,000
concrete: ~130,000
tower: ~30,000
restrooms: ~45,000
fencing: ~60,000
asphalt parking/pits: ~75,000
lights/timing/etc: ~25,000

those are typical numbers off the top of my head

Can I ask where you got your numbers from?


Also it's not in city limits, for one I didn't want killed with city tax, if you know anything about huntington. So I don't know if zoning limits would apply since it's out of city limits.

[ February 25, 2005, 12:49 PM: Message edited by: Nicklz ]

[RallyRed 98]

i'm a land planner; i just thought of some typical numbers and areas that would be associated with a big tarmac like that.

your county will still have zoning. you can get all of the maps and regs for free or close to it at the county court complex.