We’ve been reporting all along that we believed Firebird Raceway in Arizona would not be closing up shop for good after the lease ran out for Charlie Allen this month. Bob Bondurant and his driving school have assumed a bigger role in running the road course, which was one big sign in the right direction, and now word is coming from a local source that the native American tribe that controls the land that the track is on and the future of the facility, has hired a new president to run the facility. A local promoter who had scheduled a nostalgia race on April 13, was talking to Gila River tribal leaders and had been given the impression that his race would be run, despite the fact that it was slated to happen a week after the lease ran out on Charlie Allen and the facility would “close”.

The bad news is that the race will not be happening on the 13th but the good news is that the promoter was contacted by the person who has been hired to take over running the track (and that persona apparently has lots of experience in running a motorsports facility) and that person (who asked to remain unnamed) told him that the strip would be back up and running as soon as the equipment, staff, and safety personnel were in place to do so.

We bet that Allen walks off after his lease runs out at the end of the first week in April and the place is rolling by the end of the month…or sooner. This is awesome for Arizona drag racers and hot rodders as they have recently lost Speedworld Drag Strip and losing this one would have been very bad. We’re excited to see the future of the place, now that we know there is going to be one!

Click here for the Arizona Auto Scene story that broke this news