State Grand Could Revive Plan to Build MMP Drag Strip
February 18, 2010MANSFIELD -- Mike Dzurilla still wants to bring grassroots racing to Mansfield Motorsports Park. He's hopeful a grassroots movement will make it happen.
The North Central Building Trades are circulating petitions on behalf of the track, which will be given to Gov. Ted Strickland during a meeting March 7. The hope is they'll attract a state economic development grant that can be used to build the long-planned drag strip at the north-side site.
"The trades have looked at this and said this makes sense," said Dzurilla, owner of MMP. "It's the voice of many versus the voice of one. It's a huge boost and makes me want to work even harder."
A world-class drag strip was first proposed in the summer of 2006, and construction started a few months later. However, it was halted after difficulties with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency over a stream on the property and never restarted after funding for the multimillion dollar project dried up due to the economy.
"After hearing Mike's story, it's something we think we can help," said Carl Neutzling, vice president of North Central Ohio Building Trades and business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Worker's Local 688.
The project found itself in a catch-22 that Dzurilla and the unions hope to rectify.
"The banks won't give a loan unless the government is attached to it, and the government won't attach to it unless there is a bank involved," Neutzling said.
A state grant could make the track expansion happen, something Dzurilla estimates will cost $6 million. The trade unions, which have gotten thousands of signatures from Canton and Youngstown, as well as north central Ohio, are on board because it's a shovel-ready project for its members. Neutzling estimates more than 80 construction jobs could be created by the project, which includes laying a 5,400-foot concrete drag strip along with the necessary buildings to service the track.
Once built, it could mean 20 permanent jobs, 250 seasonal jobs and as many as 300,000 fans and competitors visiting the track and frequenting area businesses.
"I'm very hopeful, but a lot depends on the meeting with the governor on the 7th. I'm hopeful we can get this pulled off," Neutzling said. "It's what we're looking for because it's ready to go."
By adding a drag strip, Dzurilla thinks he can open his facility for more than 200 days a year for pro and sportsman drag racing, track rentals, and motorcycle events. That kind of activity could allow him to bring back weekly racing to the half-mile oval as well as bring more special events to the track, such as the July ARCA Series race.
"All the trades have banded together and said let's pass these petitions around and pass them on to the powers in Columbus. The trades came to me with this idea, and it was a real boost of encouragement," Dzurilla said.
Author: rmccurdy@nncogannett.com
Related News
« Back to News
OUR SPONSORS
 |
 |