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Motorsports complex in Columbus


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A general overall terrible return on investment in a genre that is seeing year over year constant contraction. If you look across the country how many race tracks are going out of business or barely holding on by their fingernails versus new ones being built? Unfortunately the reality of auto sport isn't a very pretty picture.

 

Settle in for enjoying the occassional indoor karting day... because other than AutoX and the Mid Ohio events... that's probably all you're gonna get.

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columbus is lame- as a whole it would rather have unused grassy fields than almost-free racetracks. Do we even have any parking lots in the city for the kids to autox at anymore? No more ackerman, carmack, auto-auction lot... when lil burbs like circleville, xenia, and new philadelphia have more motorsports than the 14th largest city in the nation, just LOL
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A general overall terrible return on investment in a genre that is seeing year over year constant contraction. If you look across the country how many race tracks are going out of business or barely holding on by their fingernails versus new ones being built? Unfortunately the reality of auto sport isn't a very pretty picture.

 

Settle in for enjoying the occassional indoor karting day... because other than AutoX and the Mid Ohio events... that's probably all you're gonna get.

 

When CMS closed down, it was still popular and profitable despite the poor location. The family sold the track to Obetz because they wanted to retire, it was a good offer and their kids didn’t want to run the place. It didn’t get bulldozed because nobody was showing up.

 

Why didn’t the Cooper project happen? Because a bunch of mouth breathers wouldn’t like the “noise” on Saturday nights? Who gives a shit? It’s downtown Columbus, not the fucking Hamptons. Anything they build there will only HELP the area. Cooper Stadium has sat empty for a decade now, half torn down, looking like a dump.

 

Columbus has a scarcity of motorsports related activity, for the most part. If they would build something, I see no reason why it wouldn’t be a success. Maybe I'm just naive?

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Columbus has a scarcity of motorsports related activity, for the most part. If they would build something, I see no reason why it wouldn’t be a success. Maybe I'm just naive?

 

I think we need to organize and start a street-racing culture so heinous and disruptive, after a few failed policing attempts maybe organized motorsports will get a chance here.

 

unless anyone has any other suggestions, besides moving

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I think we need to organize and start a street-racing culture so heinous and disruptive, after a few failed policing attempts maybe organized motorsports will get a chance here.

 

unless anyone has any other suggestions, besides moving

 

I’m happy to street race for tracks.

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Even the OVR has lost almost every single space they used to race in. All that's left that will accommodate a 100-car grid is the paddock at National Trail, and it's AWFUL. Full of cracks and chuck-holes, and you can watch the pavement peel back in the brake zones over the course of a day.

 

OSU Ackerman was pretty nice - ESPECIALLY nice in comparison. But the new construction there means the lot is in use on the weekends, so that one's out.

 

SPARC would be amazing if somebody would shake a leg.

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What the hell are they doing with Cooper Stadium? What happened to the race track proposal? Why hasn't there been any talk of a suitable replacement for Columbus Motor Speedway?

 

Race tracks are started in farm country where neighbors are interested, people who aren’t interested start moving close to these places and complain about the place that’s been there for 40 years or more. Add to the fact that lawyers let you know you don’t have to be responsible for yourself, the track should, it makes it silly to open up that sort of liability for small monetary gains.

If you would like a small racetrack, move to Utah, buy some cheap land and build a racetrack for you and your friends to have fun. Charge $10 to get in and $2 for a hot dog, for a night of internal combustion fun. It’s only a matter of time before the Geetos of the world move from the cities they love, to come and be your neighbors though.

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columbus is lame- as a whole it would rather have unused grassy fields than almost-free racetracks. Do we even have any parking lots in the city for the kids to autox at anymore? No more ackerman, carmack, auto-auction lot... when lil burbs like circleville, xenia, and new philadelphia have more motorsports than the 14th largest city in the nation, just LOL

 

:fuckyeah:

 

It’s only a matter of time before the Geetos of the world move from the cities they love, to come and be your neighbors though.

 

:lol:

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Even looking at this from the spectator side of things, Columbus Motor Speedway was a 1/3 mile short track, nothing fancy, and they filled that place up whether it was for late models, compacts, NASCAR's K&N series, or the true hilljack stuff like the school bus demolition derby or whatever. The track was in a shitty part of the south side of town and it was still successful for decades. We can get 17k people to show up at the Crew stadium for a fucking soccer game, so surely we could get a halfway decent crowd to support another short track, no?

 

Maybe I underestimate the power of stupid people. I mean look at the Polaris Amphitheater, they tore it down because the twats who bought houses nearby complained about the noise, and apparently those are the people we cater to nowadays. But hey, it all worked out, they built a fucking IKEA there :rolleyes:

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The NIMBY types helped kill the track and they continue to kill others across the nation.

 

There are so many different factors in play that are helping to slowly kill motorsports and hot rodding in this country. I love what I do but I'm already planning the next stage of my career when I have to jump off this sinking boat.

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When CMS closed down, it was still popular and profitable despite the poor location. The family sold the track to Obetz because they wanted to retire, it was a good offer and their kids didn’t want to run the place. It didn’t get bulldozed because nobody was showing up.

 

/QUOTE]

 

This is only partly correct. Yes it was profitable, and I workout with one the owners kid/grandkids so when I heard of the sale I asked him about it and he explained the sale.

 

The grandfather was the primary owner and wanted to sell. The guy I workout with was totally against the idea but really didn't have a say in it.

 

Obetz offered a butt load of money and the elders took it.

This is from the horses' mouth

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This is only partly correct. Yes it was profitable, and I workout with one the owners kid/grandkids so when I heard of the sale I asked him about it and he explained the sale.

 

The grandfather was the primary owner and wanted to sell. The guy I workout with was totally against the idea but really didn't have a say in it.

 

Obetz offered a butt load of money and the elders took it.

This is from the horses' mouth

 

Thanks, that's good to hear. The owner told the press that his kids weren't interested in it, which was his excuse for selling. When I read that, it kind of pissed me off. Why wouldn't the kids want to take it over? So I'm glad that there's more to the story.

 

I still think it's dumb that they bulldozed it. I'm not sure why they had to build a lacrosse complex there. I mean anywhere else would have worked too; no need to tear up the track IMO

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CR is pretending like it cares about racing again? Must be winter.

 

There are 2 great indoor go-kart tracks in the city that struggle to keep league nights filled, and Mid-Ohio is 50 minutes away.

 

the problem is go-karts is not a car and Mid-Ohio costs 50k+ to rent privately for a function meaning its not cost effective to rent.

 

While CMS could be rented for $1000-1500 including EMS and insurance for the day.

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the problem is go-karts is not a car and Mid-Ohio costs 50k+ to rent privately for a function meaning its not cost effective to rent.

 

While CMS could be rented for $1000-1500 including EMS and insurance for the day.

 

CMS was a whole lot cheaper than that. At least the last couple years it was open.

 

Mid ohio is great, but spending $300 and all day at a track day is a lot more committment than $20 and a half day screwing around at CMS.

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CMS was a whole lot cheaper than that. At least the last couple years it was open.

 

Mid ohio is great, but spending $300 and all day at a track day is a lot more committment than $20 and a half day screwing around at CMS.

 

Build something on rymerland.

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