Former Peach State Speedway to be ‘flipped’
With a ‘to-do list’ seemingly longer than the half-mile racing surface at Gresham Motorsports Park, Dan Elliott and the speedway’s new management team have their work cut out for them in refurbishing the former Peach State Speedway.
“We’ve done extremely well to accomplish the things we have in the time we’ve done it in,” stated Elliott, the General Manager of the Jefferson racetrack. “We’ve got most of the demolition we can do done and we’re waiting for the permits to get finalized. It’s kind of like a rain delay in racing. You’re waiting for the race to start and you can’t wait to get in and get it done.
The press box and control tower at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson was burned down as part of a training fire for the Harrisburg Volunteer Fire Department Sunday afternoon. The 40-year old facility, formerly named Peach State Speedway, is undergoing renovations that will give the track a new look for race fans when it reopens this fall. Photos by Brandon Reed
Renovation underway at Gresham Motorsports Park
"The timing is right. The weather is going to open up here in the next month and it’s going to be nice. The permits will get done soon and we’ll drop the green flag on the construction and things will start getting done pretty quickly.”
Once completed, the 40-year-old racetrack will hardly resemble the historic, but timeworn, former Peach State oval. According to Elliott, the new track will have a multitude of renovations including a new racing surface, fencing and retaining walls for the half-mile oval with the start/finish line flipped to the old back straight, a fresh aluminum grandstand, a lowered infield for better sight lines, a quarter-mile Legends track on infield, renovated restrooms and new concession areas and trackside parking.
“The new surface means the racing is going to be faster,” said Elliott. “That’s pretty impressive considering the track was very fast even though it was pretty worn out. A lot of drivers will want to come and race here because it’s a fast track. We’re going to bring in some of the best racing the fans in this area have seen beginning with the World Crown this fall and a full schedule of special events in 2010. The new quarter-mile track means we’re going to be able to draw more racers than ever and give fans opportunities to see and participate in events.”
The list of things to do took the green flag a little over a month ago with the destruction of the infield buildings, gutting of the old administration building and scoring tower, and the removal of all the old steel guard rail and safety fencing around the track. The additional renovations are expected to be in full swing soon, something Elliott and the rest of the staff at GMP are looking forward to considering the short time window for completion of the project.
Plans call for the track to be race ready in time for the 26th annual World Crown 300 Nov. 12-15.
According to Elliott, the total facility renovation will benefit racers, fans of the sport, and the surrounding community residents when completed later this year.
“We feel like involvement in the community is a necessity,” said Elliott. “While racing is what we are all about, we want to have a place where the community can come and stage activities. There are so many activities you can do here because we’ll be a multi-purpose venue, so we can have events like car shows and concerts along with community events like Flea Markets and Regional Craft and Art Shows.
"We want to develop as many relationships locally as we can and a great way to do that is through community and area involvement."
For more on this story, see Wednesday's edition of The Jackson Herald.
Only the tech shed remains now in the infield at Gresham Motorsports Park.
“The new surface means the racing is going to be faster,” said Elliott. “That’s pretty impressive considering the track was very fast even though it was pretty worn out. A lot of drivers will want to come and race here because it’s a fast track. We’re going to bring in some of the best racing the fans in this area have seen beginning with the World Crown this fall and a full schedule of special events in 2010. The new quarter-mile track means we’re going to be able to draw more racers than ever and give fans opportunities to see and participate in events.”
The list of things to do took the green flag a little over a month ago with the destruction of the infield buildings, gutting of the old administration building and scoring tower, and the removal of all the old steel guard rail and safety fencing around the track. The additional renovations are expected to be in full swing soon, something Elliott and the rest of the staff at GMP are looking forward to considering the short time window for completion of the project.
New aluminum grandstands are ready to be assembled for the track. These stands will line the new front stretch of the track when the start-finish line is flipped as part of the track’s renovation.
Plans call for the track to be race ready in time for the 26th annual World Crown 300 Nov. 12-15.
According to Elliott, the total facility renovation will benefit racers, fans of the sport, and the surrounding community residents when completed later this year.
“We feel like involvement in the community is a necessity,” said Elliott. “While racing is what we are all about, we want to have a place where the community can come and stage activities. There are so many activities you can do here because we’ll be a multi-purpose venue, so we can have events like car shows and concerts along with community events like Flea Markets and Regional Craft and Art Shows.
"We want to develop as many relationships locally as we can and a great way to do that is through community and area involvement."
For more on this story, see Wednesday's edition of The Jackson Herald.
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