A long running West Virginia drag racing institution has hit the skids and we are sad to report that Kanawha Valley Dragway is closing until further notice. Since last fall the operators of the track have been trying to find someone to lease the facility from them and operate it as they do not want to be in the business anymore. According to the news story that we linked to below, there are people interested in picking up the property but until such time as they do, the drag plant will be closed.
Kanawha Valley is a small eighth mile facility, the kind which serve as the great backbone of the sport across the country. It made the largest headlines a few years ago when Bob Motz’s truck bust into flames on the starting line and he was dragged out of the burning mess in dramatic fashion but the starter at the track…who then sued the facility for the injuries sustained in the rescue effort. We do not believe that incident has any bearing on this decision by Tim Bell a co-owner of the facility.
We hope that new owners can be found quickly and that the track can be running shortly thereafter. Tis the season to go drag racing and having an active facility sit is not good for anyone.
Link: Kanawha Valley Dragway Closing Until Further Notice
Bummer. I drove past this track on the way to and from The Ohio Mile and never happened by when it was running a meet. Looked like a neat little track. It runs beside the Kanawha River maybe 20 or so miles from Charleston, WV and about the same distance from the Ohio border, making it not TOO far from Chillicothe (maybe 50 miles or so). Seems like a decent area from which to draw enough competitors to be viable.
Best of luck to them.
Dan
WOULDN’T A NICE CONDO DEVELOPMENT LOOK GREAT HERE?
The ground lies within the flood plain, so condo\’s are out. Any development requiring utilities beyond necessities would be hard pressed to meet their needs. This property is good for a motorsports facility, some industrial uses such as temp storage or staging, farming, perhaps a golf course. There is only 100 acres available as part has been previously sold off.
My son and I were there the night Motz’s truck caught fire, pretty nasty. Nice facility.