Mansfield Motorsports Park looking at drag strip

By Rob McCurdy

July 23, 2010

MANSFIELD -- With his track's lone event of the season in the books, Mansfield Motorsports Park owner Mike Dzurilla is turning the page.

He's hopeful the next chapter at the Crall Road speed plant includes a long-awaited drag strip and other amenities.

"I'm excited still," he said. "These are tough times, but I think we're going the right way. We're learning."

Earlier this month, Richland County Commissioners green-lighted Dzurilla's plan to apply for $8 million in federal economic stimulus money for the project by designating the county as an economic recovery zone.

"It's in the process. It's a government thing, and when it comes to government, it always moves slowly," Dzurilla said.

He's gotten no positive or negative signs it will be approved or disallowed, but he's optimistic something will be known within weeks.

"Hopefully it will be good news and we can pull the trigger," he said. "The nice thing about being on an open schedule is we can really tear the place apart. We do have the opportunity to make a mess out there without worry about the (racing) schedule and interfering with events. It will help us get the facility done sooner.

"I'm still optimistic and working as hard as I can."

Dzurilla has long been on the record saying he did not want to take stimulus money. However, he said this program is different. It does not involve grants, but instead the issuing of bonds which he'd need to pay back with interest, albeit at a lower rate than a conventional lender.

Last week, it was reported in the News Journal that the decision will be up to a state committee, and if approved, Dzurilla could receive a 45-percent federal income tax credit on private financing for the project.

According to Joseph Roberts, of RBC Capital in Columbus, who met with commissioners last week, Dzurilla is a good candidate for funding because of the equity he has in the facility. Dzurilla said that equity is 82 percent.

"We've done all the paper work. We meet and exceed the qualifications for the program," he said, adding that he has the support of the commissioners, state representative Jay Goyle and other government officials.

The project includes a mile-long drag strip plus other motor sports related additions to the property and upgrades to the short oval which would allow MMP to be open for business at least 250 days a year.

With that many dates, the facility could see up to 350,000 people come through its gates when operating at full capacity. Once the additions are built, Dzurilla foresees the need for at least 30 full-time employees and dozens more seasonal part-time workers.

The trickle down effect of tourism dollars on other area businesses and the creation of jobs in the community, plus the fact that it's a shovel-ready project which has widespread union labor support helps MMP's cause.

"There's a lot of sharing of information, and I have gone to several tracks. I work with them and they work with me," Dzurilla said. "In talking to other owners and sanctioning bodies, and from what we've already experienced here, I got attendance figures from them.

"As for the economic numbers, we talked to people a lot smarter than me and they have formulas for everything."

The cost of the project as well as the needs in materials, labor and machinery were estimated from when the project was initially started in late 2006 and updated in the last couple of weeks.

"I can't promise more than I can deliver," he said. "With these numbers, they were put together on a conservative basis and not the best-case scenario, that way if it doesn't happen you don't have egg on your face."

Since buying the track in 2002, Dzurilla has invested more than $20 million into the facility by building a state-of-the-art grandstand, concession stand, concourse, ticket office and tech building, while redesigning the pits and infield.

He upgraded all the safety gear like lights and catch fencing. In 2006, MMP was the only weekly race track in the country to install a Safer Barrier.

Dzurilla also subsidized most of the events over the last eight years out of his own pocket, including the popular NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

In August of 2006, Dzurilla -- who once owned a successful NHRA Pro Stock team before folding it and selling it -- announced his long suspected plans of building a drag strip next to the oval and hosting the IHRA's World Nationals. Construction started later that winter but was halted by the spring of 2007 because of EPA issues and financial snafus.

The project has been talked about plenty despite being stalled ever since.

"None of this stuff is rocket science. The problem is doing this at probably the worst time to ever do this," he said. "It's not just me. Most of my friends are in real estate development and they're feeling it, too."

So it remains to be seen how the next chapter is going to turn out.

"I know the economy is bad, but there's got to be a way to figure it out," he said.

rmccurdy@nncogannett.com 419-521-7241

Keywords: mmp