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Topic: New track being proposed in Northwest Illinois--Your thoughts?
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June 03, 2016 at
09:24:50 PM
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I have read about a couple of tracks shutting down--kinda sucks. Wanted to follow bad news up with some potential good news. Thought I would post about a potential new track possibly coming to Northwest Illinois. I know two of the individuals involved with getting this off of the ground and have even spoken to one of them for a while about the project. It is in the feasability study phase right now. The location is to be in the Freeport area. We had a track for decades but it was closed--not due to lack of interest but because the city would not embrace the track. Ultimately, the track owners could not invest money in a track that the city would not give more than a 1 year lease at a time and it eventually cost our area a Saturday night tradition.
How many hoseheads out there live in close enough proximity to Freeport Illinois that they would support a track if it were to host some big events involving sprint cars? I know for sure they are interested in doing Late Model shows but I am hoping the interest can be generated to get an NSL, IRA, MOWA, or even WOO event down the road someday. I personally live about 10-12 miles from their proposed site so you can count me in!
Opinions? Thoughts? They would like to model the facility after Lucas Oil SPeedway in Wheatland, MO
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June 03, 2016 at
09:57:24 PM
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It would be within 300 miles of Knoxville so they wouldn't be able to run Sprints Saturday nights.
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June 04, 2016 at
08:10:10 AM
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I like the idea , unfortunately I don't live that close to the proposed site . but I will say that modeling after Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland , Mo is a great idea and hopefully they would consider USAC sprints , along with POWERI -USAC midgets as well for there special shows .
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June 04, 2016 at
09:41:07 AM
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Reply to:
Posted By: sprintfast on June 03 2016 at 09:57:24 PM
It would be within 300 miles of Knoxville so they wouldn't be able to run Sprints Saturday nights.
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Phew.......Wilmot made it by 29 miles.............
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June 04, 2016 at
10:13:24 AM
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Reply to:
Posted By: sprintfast on June 03 2016 at 09:57:24 PM
It would be within 300 miles of Knoxville so they wouldn't be able to run Sprints Saturday nights.
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Now that's funny right there......
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June 04, 2016 at
10:22:35 AM
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Reply to:
Posted By: egras on June 03 2016 at 09:24:50 PM
I have read about a couple of tracks shutting down--kinda sucks. Wanted to follow bad news up with some potential good news. Thought I would post about a potential new track possibly coming to Northwest Illinois. I know two of the individuals involved with getting this off of the ground and have even spoken to one of them for a while about the project. It is in the feasability study phase right now. The location is to be in the Freeport area. We had a track for decades but it was closed--not due to lack of interest but because the city would not embrace the track. Ultimately, the track owners could not invest money in a track that the city would not give more than a 1 year lease at a time and it eventually cost our area a Saturday night tradition.
How many hoseheads out there live in close enough proximity to Freeport Illinois that they would support a track if it were to host some big events involving sprint cars? I know for sure they are interested in doing Late Model shows but I am hoping the interest can be generated to get an NSL, IRA, MOWA, or even WOO event down the road someday. I personally live about 10-12 miles from their proposed site so you can count me in!
Opinions? Thoughts? They would like to model the facility after Lucas Oil SPeedway in Wheatland, MO
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You and I have talked about this. I would absolutely support this track. Illinois is the hotbed for NOTHING, especially Governors. Wilmot is my home track and it is 30 minutes away. Freeport would be next at and hour and a half. LaSalle, Angell park, Beaver Dam, and Dodge County are 2 hrs and some minutes away. Oshkosh and Plymouth are 2 1/2 and 141 is 2 3/4. Plymouth Indiana is the closest track down there from me at 3 hours and Kokomo is near 4 hours. So, Hell yeah. I could see them running a standard 4, 5 class show, and host specials such as UMP Hell Tour, All Stars, MOWA, IRA, WoO, maybe some Midget action. Keep me posted on this Sarge....
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June 04, 2016 at
10:32:27 AM
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I grew up in Freeport and spent many Sunday, and then Saturday nights at the track. Even though I moved away before the track closed I would always take a drive by every time I came back home and was very sad that not only was it closed but that it was literally erased from the landscape. I'd probably never get back for a race (I live in Lincoln, NE and get to spend every Saturday night at Eagle Raceway), but I think it would be a great thing to bring back to the area. There's still lot's of racers around there, and a couple racing related business (Hooker Harness and Outpace) are based in Freeport. I hope this comes true, is supported by the communiity and becomes a huge success. Ergas, can you give me a clue to where they're thinking of building the track?
Brian Dieterman
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June 04, 2016 at
11:54:21 AM
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Reply to:
Posted By: Deet on June 04 2016 at 10:32:27 AM
I grew up in Freeport and spent many Sunday, and then Saturday nights at the track. Even though I moved away before the track closed I would always take a drive by every time I came back home and was very sad that not only was it closed but that it was literally erased from the landscape. I'd probably never get back for a race (I live in Lincoln, NE and get to spend every Saturday night at Eagle Raceway), but I think it would be a great thing to bring back to the area. There's still lot's of racers around there, and a couple racing related business (Hooker Harness and Outpace) are based in Freeport. I hope this comes true, is supported by the communiity and becomes a huge success. Ergas, can you give me a clue to where they're thinking of building the track?
Brian Dieterman
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I can't remember if it was rumor or my conversation with one of the organizers, but I have been told one place they are looking is the intersection of hwy 20 and hwy 75.
You mention Outpace-Jon at Outpace is on the committee which gives it credibility in my book along with a couple of other good folks. I hope and pray it happens! No trailer park owner to contend with this time over noise!
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June 04, 2016 at
12:39:21 PM
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http://www.journalstandard.com/news/20160413/freeport-group-shifts-gears-in-effort-to-build-racetrack
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June 04, 2016 at
02:24:41 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: sprintfast on June 03 2016 at 09:57:24 PM
It would be within 300 miles of Knoxville so they wouldn't be able to run Sprints Saturday nights.
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Give it a rest ya smart ass!
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June 04, 2016 at
02:35:18 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: egras on June 03 2016 at 09:24:50 PM
I have read about a couple of tracks shutting down--kinda sucks. Wanted to follow bad news up with some potential good news. Thought I would post about a potential new track possibly coming to Northwest Illinois. I know two of the individuals involved with getting this off of the ground and have even spoken to one of them for a while about the project. It is in the feasability study phase right now. The location is to be in the Freeport area. We had a track for decades but it was closed--not due to lack of interest but because the city would not embrace the track. Ultimately, the track owners could not invest money in a track that the city would not give more than a 1 year lease at a time and it eventually cost our area a Saturday night tradition.
How many hoseheads out there live in close enough proximity to Freeport Illinois that they would support a track if it were to host some big events involving sprint cars? I know for sure they are interested in doing Late Model shows but I am hoping the interest can be generated to get an NSL, IRA, MOWA, or even WOO event down the road someday. I personally live about 10-12 miles from their proposed site so you can count me in!
Opinions? Thoughts? They would like to model the facility after Lucas Oil SPeedway in Wheatland, MO
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Only a 2 hour drive for me. Better than the 4 hour ride I am currently taking. I would go there.
Never hit stationary objects!
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June 04, 2016 at
02:49:12 PM
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Every year it seems, you hear if tracks closing but rarely over the last 20 or 30 years have we seen tracks being built. Most existing dirt tracks were built decades ago. Even if it's nowhere near where I live, I'm glad to hear that someone, somewhere is wanting to build a new dirt track. Hope it happens and if it does, hopefully it's huge success.
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June 05, 2016 at
08:19:14 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: sprintfast on June 03 2016 at 09:57:24 PM
It would be within 300 miles of Knoxville so they wouldn't be able to run Sprints Saturday nights.
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Freeport had a track for ages, and never ran Sprints.
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June 06, 2016 at
09:48:57 AM
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Reply to:
Posted By: butchknouse14 on June 05 2016 at 08:19:14 PM
Freeport had a track for ages, and never ran Sprints.
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This is true. From the conversations that I have had, it is their intentions to land some "big shows" if this goes. I don't know what the "big shows" means (could be late models, mods, sprint cars, or all of the above), but I will be putting my two cents in for sprint car shows for sure!
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June 06, 2016 at
12:38:08 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: butchknouse14 on June 05 2016 at 08:19:14 PM
Freeport had a track for ages, and never ran Sprints.
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That's not true we used to run our sprint at freeport in the 80s. Think it was one or two times a year. The place was huge like a 5/8s mile. I remember having to put the gears in up side down.
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June 06, 2016 at
12:43:27 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: rubber down on June 06 2016 at 12:38:08 PM
That's not true we used to run our sprint at freeport in the 80s. Think it was one or two times a year. The place was huge like a 5/8s mile. I remember having to put the gears in up side down.
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You are correct. When he said they never ran sprints I was agreeing as they never ran them as a weekly show. I do remember going to see the IRA there twice. Both shows were called very early. Once because the track was so under prepared they couldn't put enough water down to keep the visibility to a safe level. And the second time, a sprinter got hung in the fence during heat race number two and that was the end of the night. Got $10 refund on our $25 ticket. Those were two nights that I remember that make me not miss my local track.
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June 06, 2016 at
05:16:02 PM
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If they build it, I will come!
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