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Old 09-08-2011, 05:23 PM
Chevy454 Chevy454 is offline
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Default Gateway International Raceway news

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/motor...c8c18edc0.html

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
<span style="font-weight: bold">Group aims to revive Gateway race track</span>

BY KEN ROBERTS • [email protected] &gt; 314-340-3092 STLtoday.com | Posted: Thursday, September 8, 2011 12:05 am

Former professional race-car driver and St. Louis area land developer Curtis Francois is part of a group of investors that will lease Gateway International Raceway for one year.

The agreement, which is set to be formally announced today, will allow the Madison facility to come alive again — for at least one year with the return of the National Hot Rod Association.

The NHRA Midwest Nationals will take place on Oct. 5-7, 2012, and will be part of the &quot;Countdown to the Championship.&quot; It will be the fourth of the six-race &quot;Countdown,&quot; which will crown champions in the four professional categories — Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle.

The group might not wait until October 2012, though, to get going — it might try to hold limited racing at Gateway this fall.

&quot;We are currently working with state and local governments to put together a redevelopment plan that will allow us to purchase the facility and lay a firm financial foundation for the track,&quot; Francois said. &quot;We've received incredible interest and support from the racing industry, state and local officials, local businesses and racing fans. We are very excited about the jobs this investment can create and the overall economic impact it can have on the region.&quot;

Francois, 47 of St. Louis County, is a former professional racer who has driven in the (NASCAR) Grand-Am (Rolex Sports Car Series), Indy Racing League (Firestone Indy Lites), Sports Car Club of America and International Motor Sports Association.

He has been a residential and commercial real estate developer since 1998, concentrating primarily on the developments in the Metro East area.

&quot;In order to be a part of the 2012 season, we had to move quickly and negotiate a lease for the facility,&quot; Francois said. &quot;We are excited to reach an agreement with the NHRA. This event is very important for the future viability of the track and illustrates the interest the industry has in revitalizing this wonderful entertainment venue. We look forward to a long partnership with the NHRA.&quot;

NHRA president Tom Compton is ready to return.

&quot;We never wanted to leave Gateway,&quot; Compton said in a phone interview. &quot;We're thrilled to be coming back. St. Louis is a great market. The group has been terrific to work with and they are good for Gateway.&quot;

Francois met with Compton and other NHRA officials over the weekend at the just-completed U.S. Nationals in Claremont, Ind. It was there where Francois finalized the return of drag racing to the St. Louis area.

The NHRA did not race at Gateway this season after Dover Motorsports Inc. closed the track in November 2010. Dover had been leasing the track since 1998. In March of this year, the Delaware company terminated its leases with three of the four majority owners.

Dover also owned 18 acres and relinquished that property to the lease owners in March.

What is unclear is whether the NASCAR Nationwide Series will return in 2012, although the prospects don't seem bright. The Nationwide and truck series schedules have not been finalized.

&quot;All NASCAR sanctions are handled on a year-to-year basis and we will continue to evaluate potential race markets for all NASCAR series,&quot; a spokesman said.

In 2010, when Dover announced it would not seek 2011 dates for Gateway, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations Steve O'Donnell said it probably would be hard for Gateway to get back on NASCAR's radar.

&quot;It's fairly challenging to get back on the schedule,&quot; he said at the time. &quot;NASCAR is not in the business of pulling dates from someone. So once someone opts out, we fill those venues with what we feel like are going to do a good job and have done a good job. Once that schedule is full, it's quite difficult to get back on there.&quot;

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/motor-spo...l#ixzz1XNIiT3lR</div></div>
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Old 09-08-2011, 07:24 PM
ORIGLS6 ORIGLS6 is offline
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Default Re: Gateway International Raceway news

We'll keep our fingers crossed! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]
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Old 09-08-2011, 10:06 PM
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Default Re: Gateway International Raceway news

We are moving in the right direction now.....
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Old 09-08-2011, 10:10 PM
Chevy454 Chevy454 is offline
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Default Re: Gateway International Raceway news

Mark: have you heard anything lately about the *new* MAR up north of y'all? Still in limbo??
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Old 09-09-2011, 03:40 AM
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Default Re: Gateway International Raceway news

I heard the new location is in Montgomery County just west of Hwy 19. I think its a pipe dream and now if Gateway re-opens they will have to look for new bleachers.
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Old 09-09-2011, 01:14 PM
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Default Re: Gateway International Raceway news

Gateway is a nice facility. I liked it there.
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Old 09-23-2011, 04:30 PM
Chevy454 Chevy454 is offline
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Default Re: Gateway International Raceway news

http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journal...a958eb9605.html

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Track redevelopment plan may hit snag
By Jim Merkel STLtoday.com | Posted: Thursday, September 22, 2011

A lawmaker says the investment group that wants to redevelop the shuttered Gateway International Raceway may not be able to use state money for the proposal.

&quot;With the current potential buyer and his plans for that facility, there are not opportunities for them to avail themselves of state (funds),&quot; said state Rep. Thomas Holbrook, D-Belleville, last week.

A development team headed by professional race car driver and real estate investor Curtis Francois earlier this month unveiled plans to lease the closed Illinois State Route 203 track and begin races in 2012. A press release said the group also wants to buy the property and work with state and local governments to create a redevelopment plan.

Susan Ryan, a spokeswoman for Francois, would not comment about how the project would be funded, including how much would rely on public financing. She said discussions continue about the scope of the redevelopment. No plans have been made.

&quot;We're still ironing out those details,&quot; she said.

The track, which straddles Madison and St. Clair counties, closed in November. Track operator Dover Motorsports Inc. leased land from several property owners. Those agreements have since been terminated.

Madison Mayor John Hamm said reopening the racetrack is a major priority. The city received about $300,000 a year from ticket and sales tax revenue, as tax increment financing funds.

&quot;We are for this track to run,&quot; he said.

Hamm also wouldn't talk about specifics of the redevelopment plan.

Reopening the track would create 50 full- and 300 part-time positions, according to organizers.

The new owner would also have to pay about $334,000 in back taxes to St. Clair and Madison counties, records show.

Ryan said their No.1 priority right now is getting racing lined up for next year.

&quot;They are really working right now to secure the lease,&quot; she said. &quot;They'll be working on plans after that.&quot;

The planned reopening already is helping businesses like Jim Riskovsky Automotive Engineering, 1300 State St. in Madison.

Drag racers who had held off getting work done because there was no place to race now are bringing their vehicles in, Riskovsky said. &quot;Anybody who races competitively,&quot; he said, &quot;they're going to be spending money.&quot;
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Old 10-13-2011, 06:21 PM
ORIGLS6 ORIGLS6 is offline
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Default Re: Gateway International Raceway news

Brandon Mudd
St. Louis Motorsports Examiner
October 12, 2011


The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) announced Wednesday the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Series event at the former Gateway International Raceway will be moved up by one week. Originally, the track was going to host the NHRA Midwest Nationals Oct. 4-7. The new date is scheduled to be the weekend of Sept. 28-30. Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Penn., will take over Gateway's original date.
Both races remain part of the NHRA's six-race Countdown to 1 playoff series. As it has in the past, Gateway will host the Pro Stock Motorcycles at its event. The most recent NHRA Full Throttle Series race at the track outside St. Louis was held April 30-May 2, 2010, with Robert Hight (Funny Car), Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Warren Johnson (Pro Stock), and Michael Phillips (Pro Stock
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