Magnolia Drag Strip Closing

[padam]

UMTR just published their 2025 schedule, and Magnolia isn’t on it. I asked and was told Magnolia wasn’t opening.

I did a little digging and the only thing I could find online was that there are a couple of no-prep races that are supposed to happen, but nothing else.

I can’t say I’m surprised. I raced there last fall, and before eliminations started Jim Rankle called a drivers meeting and told us he didn’t have the money to pay the purses, but if we wanted to do a gamblers race he could pay in Summit Bucks. Not a good sign.

 

[BB BEEPER]

Sorry to hear that. I raced there alot in 1970's.

 

[PRHeads]

Hate to hear that.

 

[Nxcoupe]

Sad day

 

[Budnicks]

Irwindale (new one, not the org. in SoCal) was shutdown recently now too

sad ****, we used to have like at a min. at least 28 dragstrips here
when I was a kid riding around with my stepdad Bob...

we have like 4 now

 

[peabodyracin]

If it isn’t the skyrocketing value of the land, or the neighbors moving in and then complaining/petitioning, or the tree huggers lobbying over anything they can think of as an environmental issue, or the cost of insurance. Take your pick.

 

[padam]

I’m not too sure what happened at Magnolia.
The land is leased to the track operator, but there are a lot of restrictions on it because it is in a flood plain and is under the control of the Army Corps of Engineers (if I am not mistaken.)

Anybody that has raced there in the last few years can tell you that the place has really gotten run down.
I believe the whole track surface needs repaved.

I don’t know if the condition of the facility is a result of people not coming out, or if people don’t come out because of the condition of the facility.

One of my issues with the place is that if there is any hint of bad weather or if the pits are wet they cancel the race. If it rains during an event they will not dry the track.
I think last year they only had a couple of races through June.

The don’t have effective lights, so they won’t run after dark. (I think the no prep guys bring their own lighting.)

I have heard the operators complain that they don’t make money, and that is really the bottom line.

 

[oldkimmer]

Dam, that’s too bad. Hate to loose another track. Kim.