Drag City, Banning... possible construction!?!

[blackbird]

I've been thinking about checking the last couple weeks and finally remembered to go to their web site while I was online and low and behold there is some construction equipment. And the pictures can't be that old because the new casino is in the background (since I believe this has been in the works prior to the casino's construction).

Some earth moving equipment and a little work is far from a completed track but I was shocked to see something, anything going on. :lol: So with with a poll for the SoCal people who thinks it will see completion?

[blackbird]

And from their new web site (guess the "Mopar" part got dropped, probably after they got tired of waiting for it to happen).

http://www.dragcity.net/

[lunchbox660]

every time they publish something about "progress" it gets halted again by something new....this is never going to happen in any of our lifetimes....

[djfourmoney]

There is nothing else to stop it actually. Residents are dumb if they are still calling the city managers office wondering about the noise. They should go pick up the impact report and read it for themselves. The economic impact it will have on the city can not be dismissed because some people want to race there cars on the weekend. It will bring LOADS of money into the city's coffers.

Especially if they host important events. The events will come if the track is good and I believe it will be very good when all is said and done.

The only thing that is of concern is that its less than 30 miles from California Speedway and its drag strip. Now if that track gets torn up if Banning proves to be sucessful will not be welcomed. What we need are more facilites, not less or one to replace another.

If they open on-time the reality of LACR closing in Oct will have less impact.

[lunchbox660]

i just heard from my buddy that 7 april will be the last date for street cars to race at pomona as well...not sure how true it is, and i dont know if that means they are closing or not, but thats just what i heard.

i am looking forward to the banning site. it is close to where i live, which will be very nice, and the city of banning is very small so i dont see it being a problem and i agree it will just bring more commerce eventually. the town people may not like the noise, that much i understand, but it shouldnt be reason to halt a project. there are tons of things i dont like about what goes on in the town i live but i deal with it, so can they.

[slow4dr]

Their message board was put back up in January. A few locals took pictures of the non existant construction and the posts were almost immediately removed(reminds me of Ekool). It was actually really funny because the main page showed pics similar to the one above yet the pictures the locals took looked MUCH different(same old dirt lot).


The fact that thier plan includes digging down some 50' from ground level it will take a shitload of time to escavate.

To me Fontana missed the boat for street legals. They don't run enough to impact this track what so ever.

Most races normally held at Pomona will now be held at Fontana and I am sure many others will transition to Banning. There is a new sanctioning body to compete with the PSCA as well so hopefully drag racing will be back in so-cal.

http://www.westcoasthotrod.com/


Anyway, I am the eternal pessimist so I'll believe it when I am sitting at the christmas tree waiting for the ambers to come down.

[th3_n00b_pwn3r]

I remember reading about this a few years ago and then it seemed like everyone just forgot and gave up on it. I love the idea of a new track close to home, but ill believe it when I see it...

[blackbird]

Update from their web site:

http://www.dragcity.net/



LATEST NEWS: 04/22/2007

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: Buying the land from the City

In the past several weeks many people have inquired as to what was going on with the Drag City project? Why is the construction equipment not moving and just sitting there? Obviously, with so many things happening behind the scenes it becomes very complicated and thus sometime protective for us to report on every obstacle, task, and aspect of the project.

However, we are relived to share the following information that Judith Von Klug, Redevelopment Director of Banning will give to the Banning Community Redevelopment Agency (aka City Council) on April 24, 2007.

Her report says the following:

"Now that the FAA land has been released and the burrowing owls relocated off of the site, all discretionary approvals required for the project have been satisfied. In accordance with the purchase and sale agreement for the City-owned land, the appraisal for this parcel is currently being updated to set the final sales price. When that update is done within the next 30 days, the Developer can finalize financing for the project. Staff is optimistic that all financing requirements will be completed for the project in the next 60-90 days and at that time the City-owned land will be sold to the developer and work on the raceway will move forward".



Perhaps I'm not reading this correctly, but it would appear to sound as if they don't even own the land yet. And another "60-90" days roughly translates to a completion date between 2009 and never. :rofl:

[punkrokdood]

Update from their web site:

http://www.dragcity.net/
Perhaps I'm not reading this correctly, but it would appear to sound as if they don't even own the land yet. And another "60-90" days roughly translates to a completion date between 2009 and never. :rofl:
its sad that they are in all reality farther behind than anyone thought :ftard:

[slow4dr]

Update from their web site:

http://www.dragcity.net/



Perhaps I'm not reading this correctly, but it would appear to sound as if they don't even own the land yet. And another "60-90" days roughly translates to a completion date between 2009 and never. :rofl:



They've actually mentioned that before and it's just one excuse in a long line........as you already know

[blackbird]

The next bi-quarterly bump. :lol:

There's some new propaganda posted on their site as of today. The corporate jet must need some more fuel for a late summer vacation. :rofl:

http://www.dragcity.net/

[KiDD]

Doing a project like this can take alot of time. If they had some people from NHRA, IHRA or others looking at them hosting an event there it coulld speed things up.

If the city does not want this to happen, they very likley can open the gates and be shut down within a few months. I do not know much about his project and what the plans are for this track. Are they opening as 1/8 mile or 1/4?

What sanctioning body are they going to be hosting?

Sometimes a good outlaw track can make more money.

[slow4dr]

Doing a project like this can take alot of time. If they had some people from NHRA, IHRA or others looking at them hosting an event there it coulld speed things up.

If the city does not want this to happen, they very likley can open the gates and be shut down within a few months. I do not know much about his project and what the plans are for this track. Are they opening as 1/8 mile or 1/4?

What sanctioning body are they going to be hosting?

Sometimes a good outlaw track can make more money.


It is/was being backed by NHRA & Mopar. This track was supposed to take the duties of major national events because Pomona will be going away eventually. The city is completely behind them or at least they keep saying the Mayor is behind them. I've sen the proposed financial gains and they were impressive and Banning is a small city so it would be in their best interest to allow it.

It's supposed to be 1/8th mile at first and then transitioned to 1/4.

[blackbird]

It would definitely help the local area but this isn't the regular problems that come up in a big project. They've been dragging this on for something like 6 or 7 years now and it's been suspected the two brothers are lining their pockets at the expense of the backers. It would be great for me to have a track less than 45 minutes from my house and being a new facility but I guess we'll have to wait another few months and see what the excuse is then. Probably some species of endangered rocks will be found. :rofl:

[slow4dr]

Probably some species of endangered rocks will be found. :rofl:

:ooroll: Like Glamis.........."Fuck the Milkweed"

[blackbird]

Looks like it has finally come to a close:

http://www.dragcity.net/

THE DRAG CITY PROJECT CAME TO AN END IN THE CITY OF BANNING
ON OCTOBER 23, 2007.

THE CITY COUNCIL HAS VOTED TO BUILD INDUSTRIAL PARKS ON THE PROPERTY THEY ACQUIRED FROM THE FAA FOR OUR DRAG STRIP BECAUSE BANNING AIRPORT ASSOCIATES (BAA) FAILED TO MAKE THE REQUIRED ESCROW DEPOSIT AND TO BUILD THE TRACK IN THE TIME FRAME THE CITY WANTED.

WE FEEL THAT THEIR TERMINATION OF THE AGREEMENT IS UNLAWFUL AND A LAWSUIT WILL BE FILED AGAINST THE CITY OF BANNING IMMEDIATELY!

In the meantime, We, the Marocco's of DRAG CITY, want to THANK ALL OUR SPONSORS, FRIENDS,RACERS, and FAMILIES WHO SUPPORTED OUR EFFORTS FOR THE PAST 7 YEARS! WE tried our hardest to make it a reality however in the end you don't always control what you started.

TO ALL our "original" investors and sponsors we will make every effort to pay back 100% of your deposits as soon as we are able to liquefy our assets.

40 ACRES OF LAND IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR $12.2 million
industrial zoned near airport with off site improvements completed on Barbour Street

[slow4dr]

LOL FAIL

[timmy]

lol

I was expecting to see that it had burned.

[blackbird]

If it had burnt they probably could have dragged it out for a little longer and tried to get more investors to "donate" to the project. :rofl: