Kansas City International Raceway, which has been in operation since the late 1960s and formerly served as the home of the American Hot Rod Association appears to be dead, taken in a series of dubious moves by city government. Local fans and racers are up in arms and appear to be working hard to save the track, but we are not sure if there is anything left to save.
Essentially what the city has done, with virtually no notice to the community in Kansas City is to take the drag strip by imminent domain to make a “city park” out of it. There is apparently a “park fund” that developers pay into when working on property in the city and now that the fund has enough money in it, a purchase of the property is being made.
It should be noted that over the years, the drag strip has gained a powerful cadre of enemies, not for their poor management, lack of adherernce to business regulations and rules, neglect of the property, or anything of that nature. Nope, they gained these enemies because powerful people moved into neighborhoods by the race track. They moved there long after the track began operation in 1967. There’s US Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO), and two other women who are large land owners in the area.
According to various reports we have read, the city was threatening condemnation of the land to essentially force the currernt ownership of KCIR to sell the property to the city or risk being forced off the land and getting nothing in return. Last we checked, that’s blackmail, but we guess when the city government does it, the process is just “business”.
This royally sucks and reeks of insider backroom local politics. Below you’ll find links to various news stories and at least one petition to keep the track open. Apparently a group is planning on bringing the fight to City Hall.
We sincerely hope that the track is allowed to operate in 2012. KEEP UP THE FIGHT IN KC!
Support KCIR event at KC City Hall
Fears of street racing rise on potential closure of KCIR
Thread with the latest news straight from one of the track’s lawyers
It would probably help them if their FB page had some information:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kansas-City-International-Raceway/123473057697488
Makes me love government even more. I work in the mining industry and have seen this kind of crap happen to quaries all over. First its the noise complaints, then its dust and finally light polution and then your out of a place to work. Funny thing is the roads and drivrways that the complainants use came from that rock pit, the track was forced to pay into the park fund by the unacountable government beauracrats. Same thing goes for airports.
Dad used to talk about extortion. The difference is that the government does it; it’s legal.
There is a rock quarry right across the street from KCIR!
There is information. There is a link to http://www.facebook.com/savekcir
There is tons of information on the wall and in the section under NOTES.
eminent domain
The city has been buying property in the area for years, for an industrial park, not a pleasure park. And doesn’t Claire McCaskill own the land the driving range is on? Didn’t her husband run the driving range when he died?
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Kansas-City-International-Raceway/145297565505490
Racers need a safe place to race, this will force a lot of people to street race which is not safe for anyone!
These people are morons. It’s like moving next to a hospital and complaining you hear ambulances all the time.
The drag strip should remain open. It was there first