Back in May we told you that Kanawha Valley Motorsports Park was closing and the owners were getting aggressive in their efforts to sell the property. Well the property sold and sadly it was not to a group that wants to operate a drag strip. The place is going to be razed and the folks that bought it are going to put up a private residence and a horse farm on the property. We like horses and all but this is crummy news for racers who used the track regularly.
As you will see in the release below, this isn’t a “might be” or a “should be” this is a definitive announcement that that paperwork has been signed sealed and delivered and the property is no longer in the possession of the previous owners. No, Kanawha Motorsports Park wasn’t some sort of super track that was brimming with amenities and whiz-bang stuff but the reality is that the tracks like Kanawha Valley are what the sport of drag racing lives on. We’re sorry to be the bearers of bad news today but it’s our sworn job to keep you informed on what’s happening out there. Good, bad, or otherwise.
Here’s the press release from the track announcing the place’s demise –
We would like to take this opportunity to let everyone know the status of the racetrack. As of Monday July 31, 2017 the track has been sold to a local family. Their plan for the property is to develop the facility into a private residence and horse farm. We feel it necessary to inform the racing community of the status to alleviate any rumors and innuendos. As many of you know, we have advertised the property for several years as a racing venue but have been unsuccessful in selling to anyone in the racing industry.
Ray & I would like to thank each and everyone who have come through the gates, whether as a racer or spectator. As we come to the end of this era, we can’t help but reminisce about all the “life lessons” and good times at Kanawha Valley Dragway. The LIFETIME friendships made over the past 20 years will never be forgotten.
We also want to thank those who came out every weekend and worked the tower, staging lanes, concessions and even the emergency personnel. Not a single race could have been run without each and everyone of you behind the scenes.
combined and the economy of WV in the past 5 years, we find it impossible to keep the gates open.
We are sure to cross paths in the days ahead and would love to hear from you all. Please don’t be strangers and we wish you all success in your continued racing endeavors.
Sucks…
I drove past it every time I hauled to The Ohio Mile – it was on the way. I always wondered if it would be able to survive in this day and age. Guess we know the answer now.
To those who haven’t seen the track, it was in a pretty setting and everything looked neat and clean. The Kanawha River runs right past the end of the track (look at the tree line at the top of the pic). If I’d had the money……
Dan
Just for the halibut, how much did the property sell for?
Find out what county it’s located in and they should have a website that lists property sales.
Mason County
I expressed an interest in getting some racers together to purchase the facility, and was told by the owner the cost was 950K. With the needed maintenance and upgrades that would have put the price around 1.25 Million. Couldn\’t see it worth that when other tracks are available for much less, just not where we wanted them. I hate to see it go, but support for motorsports racing of all forms has dwindled in recent years. I hope that someplace opens that we can get to within a hundred miles, it is expensive to travel much every week.
Just another greedy bastard who was tired of it and didn’t want any racers owning it
What a STUPID comment.. Hey Stroker, what did YOU do to promote the facility? How many hours did you spend getting people into the stands..You sound like ever other liberal on planet earth.. No one has the right to sell their own property if YOU don\’t want them to? They how come you didn\’t get together with your buddies and put up the money to buy the owners out? `
There’s no more drag strips left in West Virginia now it’s really sad my some use to race on the go-kart oval next to the drag strip now it’s all gone
There is a drag strip in development in Mingo County, WV between Logan & Williamson.
When nobody was looking, I once brought a C172 about 20 feet above the strip. If not for the median, I could have easily landed and taken back off.
I looked into the cost of a dual purpose property–If I had 950k, plus another million for the asphalt extension, FAA certification, and whatever price for easement rights to clear the trees in what would be the flight path, it might have served as a dual purpose airstrip and dragway park. But nobody would loan 2 million for such an endeavor, and I\’d probably need 3mil anyway by the time I added hangars and AVgas (which works in drag cars BTW).
Street race, FTW…
This is bad, when we started racing in the 80s there where four to five tracks in the state of West Virginia, now they are one,and one that needs to be finished, track it self is done, but it’s tied up in county politics between Logan and mingo county’s it’s called twin branch and no one will give you a answer about it, maybe bangshift could!
Can those of us who purchased assigned weekly parking spaces get our name signs to have as memorabilia. We paid $100 per year per spot & that would be a nice gesture for the new owner to let us have the signs.
Well sad news but not unexpected. Changing times and changing attitudes. Spent 11 years of Saturdays there back in the day. Met a lot of great people and made many memories…can\’t take those away. Kind of ironic isn\’t it that it will go from showcasing horsepower to showcasing horses!
In Response to what Manchin state about Wv is only a tourist State , No Loud Engines Allowed !
Manchin just goes to show you how our small minded people ruin things . Racing brings in people , people buy gas , get lodging , camping ect .
We would rather have a horse farm that in sure was sold much cheaper than if it were sold to be a racetrack .
Let\’s hold on to the property and let it be nothing or sell it less for a horse farm than want to sell reasonable to people that may not make a bunch of money but we\’re dedicated to racing .
Lots of states have tracks , large and small and might not be making lots of money but places support it because it generated income for the county it was in .
Wv wants to pull up the mats .
We hear the buracratic bullcrap about how bad the state is in .. but yet won\’t support anything that can bring in some LOUD ( as Manchin calls it ) cars .
You would support a casinos , dog racing , gambling and so on .
Racers buy parts ( stores making money )
Racers buy fuel ( stores making money )
Camping supplies as most times is a weekend event ( stores making money )
Would be nice if just once some of these people that help hold it all back and do what ever to make sure racing isn\’t happening would see the bigger picture and support some good clean fun .
Many of these are families teaching younger ones a trade on cars and being responsible instead of sit on a phone .
Tourist state … well what do you think drag racing folks do .
People come from all over to do it and to watch .
Manchin your a disgrace to WV !
Small minded !
That track is in the middle of farm country. None of the residents wanted the noise or traffic that goes with it. There are no stores, gas, etc. within 15 miles of the place. There is a church within a half mile, and the noise on Sundays disrupted things many times. A horse farm fits into the area very nicely. As soon as the connector road for 35 is finished, and all the traffic through this area goes away, the area will become, once again, what the people and the generations of their families want….a nice, quiet community to farm and raise kids in. Sorry to burst your bubbles, but the track was never wanted to start with.
Members of the group Supercharged Warriors raced there years ago ,great track and fan appreciation for sure .! I hate it for you fellow racers losing your home track .Good luck in your future racing endeavors ! Sad to see another track go by the wayside.
Overhead view of the layout reminds me of my old track in Orange County, Ca.
We called it OCIR,(Orange County International Raceway) long gone but not forgotten. Sad to see tracks go away. Makes for more street racing problems around closing tracks.
Never even knew it existed but looks like was a pretty nice little track.I think the price was too high for where it was located but at least old owners did try to sell it as a race track for a few years before they ended up selling it off.What beautiful country around there !!