News came out this week about the impending closing of an OKC landmark, State Fair Speedway.
I am a fan of racing, especially the local variety. I am the only person in my family to not race a car in some fashion in my lifetime, but from the dragstrip to the dirt tracks, racing is in my blood. I spent MANY a night trackside, sweating my butt off, and loving every minute of it. But now with word that State Fair Speedway will be closing, somehow, I seem to be OK with it.
The facility had everything you could want, a great location, accommodating facility, loyal attendance, GREAT driving… but no vision.
SO MANY NIGHTS, I would walk past the same turnstiles, past the same rickety snack bar, and climb the stands that would vibrate with every passing car, and think of what could be. The 1/4 mile track could feature the World of Outlaws or the late model class, the inner 1/8 mile circuit could run midgets and everything else. It was THE place to be on Friday nights (for me at least), but the continued neglect to upgrade facilities proved fatal.
Did MAPS 3 kill this institution of my youth? Perhaps. If the newly approved Convention Center were to rise from its ashes, we will know… if it becomes a parking lot like All-Sports Stadium, maybe not. Did State Fair Park management neglect this relic? Absolutely. With the MILLIONS of dollars spent in upgrades to the Park, it appeared that the writing was on the wall for some time.
The economic impact of the closing of State Fair Speedway is unknown, but there are now a lot of people who raced there that don’t have a close place to play. I-44 Speedway (I-44 and SW 149th) appears best suited to gain from SFS’s closing, but it’s 1/8 mile track isn’t big enough to hold the top classes. Perhaps 44’s new ownership could expand to add a 1/4 mile track, or Noble’s Thunder Valley could build one, but it cant be done in 3 months, as the new season was set to start in March.
But I keep going back to the fact that the writing was on the wall for a while. The product had grown stale, the facility hadn’t been maintained, and there wasn’t a huge push by ownership to promote the track, or make it available for concerts (as it was during the 80s-90s). SOMEONE should have seen what was going on, and offered to pick up the slack. MAYBE that did happen behind closed doors, MAYBE the city has tried to steer this thing into the grave for some time.
Either way, a staple of OKC has been cast aside, and I don’t know if I like where this is headed. Is OKC now exchanging stock cars for regattas? Or are we just ridding ourself of a cash blackhole and an eyesore?
I would love to hear your thoughts on this at our message boards.
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