The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Other Sports

January 30, 2013

Facility for sale, but racing will continue at BMP

By Dan Stillwell Register-Herald Sports Writer

Racing will continue this year at Beckley Motorsports Park.

The 54-year-old, 3/8th-mile dirt track and facility is for sale, but current operations will continue, regardless.

“The track has always been for sale,” track co-manager Joe Jackson said. “But we have a lease on the track, so it doesn’t affect us at all.”

All systems are go for another year of racing. Should the track be sold, the lease will remain in effect.

“As long as we stay current with our lease, we can go forever,” Jackson said.

The 2012 season was a good one for the track, with several big races, including the Black Gold 50, which paid $10,000 to win and brought in dirt-track superstar Dale McDowell.

NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace raced at BMP one Friday, drawing many fans, and the season culminated in October with one of the biggest events in track history, the Fastrak World Championships.

“We’re looking for another big season,” Jackson said. “We signed some things with Fastrak, but we don’t know if we’ll get the World Championship back or not. We’re holding out hope it will happen.

“We’re also negotiating with some NASCAR drivers to come back.”

The always-popular Winged Sprints are also scheduled to appear. They’ve set several track speed records in the past.

“They are something else,” Jackson said. “They bring their front wheels off the ground as they come down the front and back stretches.”

Locally, the track expects to return its strong group of driving regulars.

“We had our drivers meeting last week and we registered 57 of them,” track co-manager Billie Jackson said. “I also know we have a bunch of young and upcoming drivers going to start out this year in the crate class.”

Joe Jackson added, “The drivers are raring to go.”

The first event of the season will be a car show March 30. The first races are scheduled for April 19.

“I’m getting excited,” Billie Jackson said. “I think everybody has had enough of sitting in the house. They’re ready to go racing.”

— E-mail: dstillwell@

register-herald.com

Text Only
Other Sports