Time for a SCCA owned CFR track

O

orlando_wrx

New member
I have heard of CFR looking into building a track in the past, but had run into community issues. Are we still interested in having our own track? It's no secret that Daytona isn't the most hospitable hosts to CFR and I think a track closer to Orlando would even stand a chance for political support, offering an option to get the street racers off the roads. It just so happens that there is 1130 acres going up for auction in east orange county across the street from Orlando Speedworld. This property has been posted for sale for a number of years now and hasn't sold. Just a thought...
 
My first reaction was "WHY?".....when I first joined the CFR SCCA in 1974, there was an effort to build our own track. The costs and logistics were not feasable then. Can you immagine the costs now? Another track was attempted in South Lake County near Clermont in the late eighties and the public went nuts fighting that one, even though a commercial airport has been approved in the same area. Yeah, the land in Bithlo is available, but have you priced the costs of those mobile homes out there? (local joke) The environmental effects in those wet lands would probably ruin that idea. It would be conveniant for us Central Floridians, but we have the most tracks available to us now than any other region in the country, that I am aware of.
I used to run stock cars at Speed World and it would be nice to race close to home, but I just can't see it happenning with the massive over growth we are having here. There seems to be enough property at the dragstrip to create a road course. Some may remember Lakeland and Gainesville both had road courses attached to their dragstrips similiar to Morroso.
I have said for many years, "They could have put Disney World in Mississippi or Arkansas as far as I'm concerned." Just my 2 pennies worth.

David

Bitho, the nightmare before Christmas
 
Bitho, the nightmare before Christmas
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I don't care who you are..that's funny.. a Bithlo joke is always funny. But be careful Dave, there are probably some Clermont, Groveland and Mascotte jokes out there too. :)

When you consider the rapidly rising prices of real estate in CFL, a better approach might might be for the region to purchase the property as an investment. When the time is right, develop and lease off the frontage and prime pieces to industrial/track friendly businesses. Manufacturing plants and Junkyards don't usually oppose some weekend race activity-the junkyards could actually profit from it.

Just a thought.
 
Well, I was thinking it could be more than a facility for just club racing. There would be enough room for a skidpad that would be available to members for reasonable rates, a combination kart/autoX course would be a great tool to attract new members into the region - hell a proper kart track could even be a good source of income to the region if it were also open as an "attraction". Entry fees for events at the track would be paid back into the region rather than private track owners....the benefits go on and on. I'm not made of money, but I could scrounge up a grand or so to donate to a cause like this... By the looks of the old signage on the property it looks as if it's been for sale for close to 10 years, I guess I could give the auctioners a call and see what theyre expexting the property to sell for, but I just don't know if this would be something the region would even consider. fun to think about though.
 
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