$200 million super speedway proposed for area

Northwest Motorsports announced last week its intention to construct a major $200 million motor speedway in Elmore County.

It is currently in the process of filing an application for a conditional-use permit with the county's growth and development department.

The racing complex, to be called War Eagle Speedways, is slated to be built just south of I-84, off of Simco Road. Northwest Motorsports has secured more than 1,600 acres for the facility next to Fat City Fireworks on Simco Road.

According to Jo Gridley in the county's assessor's office, the land is located less than one mile from the Ada County boundary and all of the surrounding property is owned by Juniper Station Farm, LP.

The speedway, proposed for completion in the spring of 2008, would include seven race tracks--a 11/4-mile quad oval, a drag strip, a half-mile asphalt oval, a quarter-mile dirt oval, a motocross track, a supermoto/kart track and a BMX super track.

The quad oval and infield alone is projected to seat anywhere from 75,000-100,000 spectators. The drag strip will seat an additional 25,000-50,000 people while the 1/2 mile track will provide seating for up to 40,000 people.

In addition, Northwest Motorsports plans to include an expo center with a quarter-mile indoor track and other venues to hold conventions and trade shows.

The company plans to file their conditional-use application with the county this week.

Pamela K. Dugger, Vice President of Northwest Motorsports, said that the company will be filing the application Thursday at the Elmore County Courthouse.

"We will be filing it sometime on June 15th," she said. "At that time we hope to announce our timeline and learn more about the process to approve the application."

Bonnie Sharp, Elmore County Addresser, said that a public hearing would have to be held if the planning and zoning commission made such a recommendation.

"Once they submit the application, our department will then make sure everything is in order," she said. "We don't proceed until it is."

When the entire application is complete, Sharp said it will be sent to the planning and zoning commission for review.

"It's hard to say how long the process will take because there are so many aspects involved," she said.

"When you're dealing with a facility of this size and stature, numerous people need to be contacted before a final decision can be made."

Sharp said the Idaho Department of Transportation (IDT), Central District Health (CDH), and the Mountain Home Highway District are just a few groups that might have concerns regarding War Eagle Speedways.

Sharp also said that she had already received numerous phone calls from local citizens wanting more information.

"To my knowledge there is no organized group in opposition of the speedway at this time," she said.

"And if people want more info they can either come to the courthouse or simply attend the initial public hearing, whenever it's announced."

Both Dugger and Robert P. Walker, President of Northwest Motorsports, are originally from Idaho. Dugger has worked at Mountain Home Air Force Base in the past and Walker hails from Glenns Ferry.

Sharp said that this could be one reason the company will receive a warm reception as their plans to construct the speedway unveil.

"They're local people and that means a lot to the citizens of this county," she said.

Another reason the speedway could receive a warm reception is the possibility of hosting events from major auto racing series, including NASCAR and IRL.

Dugger said they have not yet secured any deals with NASCAR or IRL and has only begun to explore the process of bringing in major cup races. She added that bringing the best to Idaho would be the ultimate goal.

"Ultimately we'd like to have NASCAR and IRL even if it's not major cup races," she said.

The $200 million complex would be the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest and Dugger said they hope to draw race fans from all over the region.

"By the time we are fully online we hope to be booked years in advance," she said. "With all these capabilities we're hoping to host 300 events every year."

Impact figures taken from War Eagle's website state that more than 224,000 overnight visitors will visit the speedway annually, generating annual spending of $283,296,000 (figures are comparable to Kansas Speedway, located in Kansas City, Kan., which is the newest motorsports facility on the NASCAR circuit).

Several smaller race tracks currently hold races in the Treasure Valley area. Meridian Speedway operates out of Meridian and Firebird Raceway is located just north of Boise.

Dugger said the company will continue to conduct impact studies in the next several months to determine if the Treasure Valley area can support a facility such as War Eagle Speedways.

Northwest Motorsports hopes to break ground this fall and Dugger said her company is counting on local Idahoans and people from all over the northwest to come watch major events at a venue close to home.

Currently, the closest NASCAR tracks to Idaho are the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Southern Nevada, and the Pikes Peak International Speedway in Fountain, Colo.

More information on the proposed speedway can be obtained by visiting their website at www.wareaglespeedway.com.