Thursday, December 14, 2006
Track gets green flag Merced
Track gets green flag Merced supervisors give nod to raceway's environmental review
By ADAM ASHTONBEE STAFF WRITER
Last Updated: December 14, 2006, 05:11:52 AM PST
Merced County is on track to become the center of Central Valley motorsports with an eight-track raceway designed to draw people from hundreds of miles away.
That raceway, the Riverside Motorsports Park, could open within 18 months on an 1,187-acre site northeast of Atwater, said John Condren, the project's chief executive.
He won a critical vote from the Merced County Board of Supervisors early Wednesday to approve Riverside's environmental review despite objections about its potential effects on air quality, traffic and farms.
"It's been a long time coming," said Jeanne Harper, Condren's wife and Riverside's communications director. "We've got about six years invested in this project."
The supervisors' 3-2 vote after an 8½-hour meeting had supporters on Wednesday crowing about the raceway's potential economic impact.
Park plans include some NASCAR events such as Busch Series, Craftsman Truck Series, Grand National Stock Car Series and the Whelen Grand American Series.
Drag races, go-kart events and road racing also are proposed at the track.
By ADAM ASHTONBEE STAFF WRITER
Last Updated: December 14, 2006, 05:11:52 AM PST
Merced County is on track to become the center of Central Valley motorsports with an eight-track raceway designed to draw people from hundreds of miles away.
That raceway, the Riverside Motorsports Park, could open within 18 months on an 1,187-acre site northeast of Atwater, said John Condren, the project's chief executive.
He won a critical vote from the Merced County Board of Supervisors early Wednesday to approve Riverside's environmental review despite objections about its potential effects on air quality, traffic and farms.
"It's been a long time coming," said Jeanne Harper, Condren's wife and Riverside's communications director. "We've got about six years invested in this project."
The supervisors' 3-2 vote after an 8½-hour meeting had supporters on Wednesday crowing about the raceway's potential economic impact.
Park plans include some NASCAR events such as Busch Series, Craftsman Truck Series, Grand National Stock Car Series and the Whelen Grand American Series.
Drag races, go-kart events and road racing also are proposed at the track.
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