Summit Motorsports Wants to Grow
October 19, 2010Norwalk, OH - The owner of Summit Motorsports Park is looking to fast track an expansion, but he lacks the space to make his vision a reality.
And while he’s determined to stay in Huron County, Bill Bader Jr. said relocation is a possiblity if, by January 2012, he can’t resolve issues limiting his facility’s growth.
For officials in Norwalk and Huron County, the dilemma is huge.
If the dragstrip moved, it would take nearly $100 million in economic activity along with it, according to a study released this week.
Summit Motorsports Park is landlocked to the east and south by Ohio 18 and Ohio 601.
The complex attracts about 500,000 racing fans each season, according to a marketing study by Hedges & Co., a consultant Bader hired to measure his facility’s economic impact.
Before fans can even watch the pros fly down the dragstrip, they have to sit in traffic on a single-lane highway. Rerouting traffic to U.S. 20 would fix that problem, Bader said.
The second major problem is lack of land, but this can be addressed if Bader is able to purchase about 160 acres north of the 225-acre complex.
Both plans, however, require Bader to infringe on the Huron County Airport.
“If that land were to become available, I’m very interested in purchasing that land,” Bader said. “But without that ground, without that access, I’m in limbo.”
Bader’s expansion calls for new parking lots, as well as a campground, hotel and restaurant, while an additional 10 to 20 businesses might also be attracted to an expanded site.
The new land could even open the way for a 2.1-mile course — possibly a high-banked oval for round-track racing — and an amphitheater for non-racing events like concerts.
As for the financial impact, Bader said his facility’s activity speaks for itself.
The raceway generated more than $99 million in economic activity in Huron and Erie counties last season, though Norwalk Economic Development Corp. director Ellen Heinz said those numbers may be conservative estimates.
An expansion could increase the raceway’s business by 10 to 15 percent, as well as boosting staffing levels by 187 people, the study said. The facility already employs 429 full- or part-timers.
Still, it’s no simple matter to close the county airport and sell the land.
The airport has struggled financially, and commissioners have decreased the annual contribution to its operation.
But Bader said if he can’t move ahead on the expansion within 18 months, he’s already eyed new turf — in Mansfield.
He recently visited Mansfield Motorsports Park in Richland County, an area being billed as a future motorsports Mecca. The park has ideal space for a larger fan base and improved traffic flow.
Bader also said he met with Erie County commissioner Pat Shenigo, who identified several parcels in Erie County suitable for a raceway.
“I would never leverage one county against another one,” Bader said. “That’s not our style. But the question came up: Are you exploring other options? And we are exploring other options.”
Huron County commissioner Gary Bauer said it’s no secret Bader has been scouting property, though he wonders if starting a new raceway from scratch is a realistic goal.
“We’re doing everything we can to keep him here,” Bauer said.
An agreement in the works between Huron County commissioners, the airport and the raceway could relieve some traffic congestion at next season’s events.
Details about the airport’s future, meanwhile, are likely to emerge Tuesday when county officials meet with the FAA.
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