Kern County automobile raceway has new life
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — After years of delays, a new Kern County automobile raceway could be on the brink of becoming operational.
Crews began digging for the oval track at Enos Lane and Interstate 5 west of Bakersfield in 2005, but construction stopped in 2008 when the economy went south.
Now, an ownership group of racers and businessmen say they are prepared to finish the track and begin racing in the fall, with a full slate of races by 2013.
The crown jewel of Kern County Raceway Park would be a half-mile paved oval with a quarter-mile oval within it, the ownership group says.
"It just broke my heart to drive past the speedway everyday unfinished," said ownership front man James Vernon in a news release. "This was an opportunity to both bring racing back to the area but also complete the project with the original vision in mind. We can't wait to go racing!"
In addition to short-track racing events, organizers plan to use KCRP as an entertainment destination in the Central Valley with concerts and other events.
Crews began digging for the oval track at Enos Lane and Interstate 5 west of Bakersfield in 2005, but construction stopped in 2008 when the economy went south.
Now, an ownership group of racers and businessmen say they are prepared to finish the track and begin racing in the fall, with a full slate of races by 2013.
The crown jewel of Kern County Raceway Park would be a half-mile paved oval with a quarter-mile oval within it, the ownership group says.
"It just broke my heart to drive past the speedway everyday unfinished," said ownership front man James Vernon in a news release. "This was an opportunity to both bring racing back to the area but also complete the project with the original vision in mind. We can't wait to go racing!"
In addition to short-track racing events, organizers plan to use KCRP as an entertainment destination in the Central Valley with concerts and other events.
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