Open house shows off speedway proposal

Last week representatives from Northwest Motorsports, LLC, were on-hand at the Hampton Inn & Suites to provide more information to the public about their proposed War Eagle Speedways.

The information showcase, held from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the hotel's meeting room, featured several Northwest Motorsports employees, including President Robert P. Walker and Vice President Pamela K. Dugger.

Dugger greeted guests at the door and said before the showcase was over, more than 300 people had signed the guestbook.

"It was a very nice turnout," she said. "I thought the atmosphere was extremely upbeat."

According to Dugger, the showcase served two purposes: to provide the public with more details about the speedway and also to allow people to ask questions and voice concerns of their own.

"There were a lot people with questions and we were more than happy to answer them if we could," said Dugger.

"We had all different kinds of people coming in," she said. "All in all, it was a very positive experience."

When people first entered the meeting room, the first thing everyone saw were two brand-new motocross bikes sitting in the center of the room, courtesy of Desert Mountain Motor Sports.

Next, guests were presented with an exhibit sponsored by the Idaho Historical Racing Society that featured numerous vintage photographs along with historical information about racing in Idaho.

Then, located on the wall next to the historical exhibit, was an outline of Northwest Motorsports pledge in which they promise to continue to promote racing activities for people of all ages.

The pledge listed several projects the company has sponsored in the past as well as outlining their plans for the future.

A charter club booth was also set up for people to donate money for the speedway.

Overtaking the entire far wall was a series of maps and detailed diagrams showing War Eagle. Those maps contained complete specifications for the motocross and supercross/kart tracks, which were available to the public for the first time.

Dugger said a kart track was not included in the original speedway plans but that the public demonstrated how important it was to draw one in.

"We had more than 200 people write in to request that a kart track be included," she said. "After that, we drew it up as quickly as possible."

Several computer stations were also provided at the showcase for people browse the company's website and chat with other interested parties while sipping refreshments.

"Everyone was just so relaxed and excited to be here," Dugger said. "We couldn't have asked for anything better."

"This was our chance to walk the public through the process, so they can see where we come from and where we're going."

War Eagle, which is proposed to be built near the crossing of Simco Road and I-84, is still in the infancy stages of the production process, according to Dugger.

The company has submitted an application to Elmore County for a conditional use permit, but several things have to happen before that application is even reviewed.

Dugger said both South Central District Health Department (SCDHD) and the Mountain Home Highway Department (MHHD) must first sign off on the application.

A hearing on July 13 with the highway department will decide if the speedway's impact on the local highways will be a positive one.

"We are hoping to have both SCDHD and MHHD sign off on the application by the middle of July," Dugger said. "After that the county's growth and development department will hold a hearing of their own to determine if we get the permit or not," she continued. "I have no reason to believe that it won't be granted. "We are very excited about working with the citizens of Elmore County to make this dream a reality."