It doesn’t matter what form of motorsports it is, there are always investors, businessmen, and promoters with lofty goals. There’s often a huge buzz around a new project, but either financial or legal hurdles stop things before they even begin. Formula One in Texas, NASCAR on Long Island, and a long list of other highly visible proposed racing facilities have fallen through in recent years. But, with the right backing and a welcoming location, great things can happen.
Currently, there’s a group in Minneapolis, Minn. trying to become the next success story and bring big time auto sports to their state. The IMEDC, or International Motorsports Entertainment and Development Corporation, is seeking backing and support to give Minnesota a second stop on the NHRA tour. IMEDC is a collaboration of professionals with a wide range of experience including motorsports facility design, development, and construction in the racing industry. The vision is a world-class racing park in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. The NHRA and NASCAR sanctioning bodies have not promised any future dates to the IMEDC, but they’re banking on the build and “we will race” plan. The project includes a state-of-the-art 1/4-mile dragstrip and a 7/8-mile paved oval for the roundy-round NASCAR crowd at a budget price of $500 million dollars.
The IMEDC is not only interested in the heavy hitters of NHRA and NASCAR; they want everybody. From Indy Car, monster trucks, to car shows, driving schools, and anything in between, they want it all. IMEDC plans to fund the auto sports park with private money and they’re targeting 2014 as a completion date. Racers in the Minneapolis area and anyone else looking for more information can go to www.minnesotaspeedwaypark.com/tracks.html. The site includes a petition for those wishing to show their support. We’re all for more places to drag race, but like any other non-traditional entertainment venue proposed these days, we’ll take this one with a grain of salt until we see cars in the lanes.