Post by dennisrichardson on Feb 6, 2011 21:49:50 GMT -6
PBIR GROUP LOOKING AT GATEWAY?
Written by Susan Wade Sunday, 06 February 2011 09:00
Although the PRO Winter Warm-up featured most of the top NHRA teams, Palm Beach International Raceway is an IHRA-sanctioned facility. Chris McMahan, the venue's director of race operations said Saturday that its owners are eyeing former NHRA-sanctioned property in the Midwest to complement its recent acquisition of Memphis Motorsports Park.
"The ownership is interested in purchasing Gateway right now," he said, referring to Gateway International Raceway at Madison, Ill., just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. "The ownership is interested in buying multiple tracks but just one thing at a time. Memphis is the first piece to the puzzle."
He wasn't divulging what the entire puzzle will look like but offered a "No comment on that topic whatsoever" when asked if the PBIR ownership group is exploring making an offer to Feld Entertainment for the IHRA. Pressed whether a "no comment" might mean a possible "yes," McMahan replied, "Probably a no. Just the way we're wanting to go. There's a lot of things we're looking to do, looking at a different [business] picture, and taking the sport to a whole different level. There is a plan."
The short-term plan is to improve the Memphis facility that used to host the NHRA's Mid-South Nationals.
"The group just did a new design for the logo for Memphis," McMahan said. "Right now, the short-term focus is to get that up and running; just get some drag racing going on there again."
The Memphis racetrack will be an IHRA-sanctioned facility, and McMahan said that the ownership group would love to add a 2011 Nitro Jam event to the IHRA's schedule.
"That is in discussion," he said. "We would love to see that happen yet this year. We just don't know when it's going to fit in the schedule."
Written by Susan Wade Sunday, 06 February 2011 09:00
Although the PRO Winter Warm-up featured most of the top NHRA teams, Palm Beach International Raceway is an IHRA-sanctioned facility. Chris McMahan, the venue's director of race operations said Saturday that its owners are eyeing former NHRA-sanctioned property in the Midwest to complement its recent acquisition of Memphis Motorsports Park.
"The ownership is interested in purchasing Gateway right now," he said, referring to Gateway International Raceway at Madison, Ill., just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. "The ownership is interested in buying multiple tracks but just one thing at a time. Memphis is the first piece to the puzzle."
He wasn't divulging what the entire puzzle will look like but offered a "No comment on that topic whatsoever" when asked if the PBIR ownership group is exploring making an offer to Feld Entertainment for the IHRA. Pressed whether a "no comment" might mean a possible "yes," McMahan replied, "Probably a no. Just the way we're wanting to go. There's a lot of things we're looking to do, looking at a different [business] picture, and taking the sport to a whole different level. There is a plan."
The short-term plan is to improve the Memphis facility that used to host the NHRA's Mid-South Nationals.
"The group just did a new design for the logo for Memphis," McMahan said. "Right now, the short-term focus is to get that up and running; just get some drag racing going on there again."
The Memphis racetrack will be an IHRA-sanctioned facility, and McMahan said that the ownership group would love to add a 2011 Nitro Jam event to the IHRA's schedule.
"That is in discussion," he said. "We would love to see that happen yet this year. We just don't know when it's going to fit in the schedule."
