The drag strip at Chandler Motorsports Park in Indiana has been open for more than 50 years but as recent news tell us, the hometown drag strip will no longer be opening its gates for drag racers to hammer down the old school eighth mile track. Harold Baker was the owner of the facility, which also has a circle track on the property and he sub-leased the track out to operators, one of which was Don Meese who operated the track through the 1970s and 80s. Baker’s wife urged him to step aside and enjoy his life as he’s getting up in years with his latest birthday being his 87th!
We can understand his needing to retire but since the circle track will continue to operate we’re not sure why the drag strip cannot be sub-leased and operated as it has been for years. There’s no mention of the guys who are running the circle track being against the drag strip and there’s no mention of the place being beyond repair or anything, so we’re a bit confused. Is this an example of a facility that no one is stepping up to run? The story has some massive holes in it regarding the actual reasons that the straight line racers in the area are losing a place to compete at.
We certainly do no blame an 87-year old man for wanting to step aside and have some quiet time at home with his wife. That makes perfectly logical sense. Are there any local racers out there who know more about this story? The newspaper article linked below fails to explain the underlying cause for the strip to the closed and the oval to stay open. Fill us in and maybe we can get the word out for an interested party to keep the place open!
It’s a rough track. He wants a ton for it and it needs TONS in repairs. It’s in a wetland that floods, the wiring is a mess, bathrooms are crap and he ran it into the ground by not putting anything back into it. I wish it would open again because I live 10 miles from it and my tow pig ain’t got the guts to go hrs to race.
Wiring is sub par for score boards. Bathrooms .weeds no one mow s half the time bleachers was and I think still is a death trap. Someone fell through them this summer.it would be a great place to race again if someone would put 30g in it. If you build it they will come…..
There are couple of the people that have tried to buy it in the last couple years but Harlod wants way more money then it’s worth. He has ran the place into the ground. There is not one thing there that does not need to be repaired or replaced. It is in a wet land and does flood in the spring and with all the problems there are still 2 people that I know of that would buy tomorrow at fair market value but Harlod wants 4-5 times that amout. There was a guy that fell thru the bleachers this year so there could be a law suit and there are rumors of tax trouble.
Tax trouble is a fact it’s all over the net just look it up doxpop .com and bottom line Phyllis likes circle track
All of the comments listed are true..
Here is a list of problems with the track..
The track is near Pigeon creek and is in a flood zone.
*The track has been under water multiple times in recent years
*The track surface has been compromised from this
Bathrooms need to be torn down and rebuilt
*all the plumbing is no where near code
The electrical issues go on for days
The bleachers need to be rebuilt as most of the wood is rotted.
He will never find a buyer for this property as no one in their right mind would pay what he’s asking (2.2 million). It needs 150k worth of renovations just to operate in my opinion.
Why don’t you put a picture of chandler and not lyons!
Do u realize u have a picture of Lyons Raceway Park up instead of Chandler !! We loved going to Chandler. The racer made us want to come back!! The track needs alot of work!! And he needs to realize no one is going to buy it at that amount when u have to fix everything !!!
*racer’s *
This article and these comments (as well as many others listed on the web) are full of misinformation. Everyone wants to speculate about reasons it closed, like it is some great mystery, when the owner got on the news and said it was time to retire. This came after enduring comments and years of people complaining and saying he needed to sell!!! And as for the price, it is public knowledge that the price has been drastically reduced (definitely not listed in the millions) in an effort to sell so that the owner can live out his remaining years with his wife in peace without having to run a business (isn’t 87 years old old enough to retire anymore?). Anyone that calls the Bakers is quoted the same price, and for the record the entire racetrack is for sale, not just the drag strip, however the oval track is remaining open because it is currently being leased and operated by an outside party. And as for it being in dire tax troubles, I wouldn’t bet on seeing it in the sheriffs sale listings anytime soon, but again this is also a matter of public record. And I would also like to agree with everyone, that’s a great pic of Lyons Dragstrip!
Somebody open up a KickStarter campaign and call it “The People’s Dragstrip.” I know I’d throw in some coin to see it come back to life.
I grew up right down the road from this track in Newburgh. It has long needed repair, the last time I raced there was 2001. Having just moved back to the Evansville area, I looked forward to taking my kids there this summer. It was a rough track, but it was still a good time. I remember being there all day in my teens many times, during test and tune days and nights. Would be wonderful for someone to make an investment into this property. It is very close to neighborhoods, however, and I do not know if those residents are very keen on it anyways.