96collector

http://www.countylinedragwayinc.com/

Joe_G

A sad day indeed. I spoke to Tony the owner about a goodbye event but he said the city who owns the land wouldn't let him. It's too bad, that place was really popular.

96collector

I know it's to bad you only live down the street from that place. Was it because the city wanted more money or was it because code violations I keep on hearing different rumors. I heard that they wanted an outrageous amount of money to keep that place open. You would think they would be satisfied just to pay the property taxes on it and make some profit.

Joe_G

My understanding is the city owns it so there is no property taxes collected. I have heard, but don't know for sure, that the city collected a cut of the revenue. I have to imagine with all the rainouts the revenue isn't all that much to the city, it costs a fair amount just to have the place open. I don't know if the city's deal was a cut of revenue off the top or a cut of the net profit, but if it was net profit I can't image the city collected much over the years.

The story I was told long go (and as printed in the newspaper) was that long term plans were to sell to a quarry (look on the map, quarries surround the place), but due to the economic downturn, demand for rock wasn't that high so we were able to have our track. Now that the building boom is in full swing here in S. Fla (once again, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a tower crane in downtown Miami) the demand for the rock has increased and so the city can make a lot more money selling the rock vs the small amount I'm sure they got from the drag strip.

Tony told me (and others) that he's working on a ¼ mile track with a mud pit (those are money makers as rain doesn't matter for those events). However, the economics for a drag strip are very very hard to make work in today's age....the land is more valuable for other uses, particularly in a land locked area like S. Fla with the ocean on one side and 20 miles west the Everglades.

I sure hope we get another track, PBIR is so far from Miami that it's hard to get people to come up, but I'm not holding my breath. Countyline was close to the population center of Miami and so they had tons of spectators despite the place being pretty much a dump. It was our dump though and we all have some very fond memories of it.

96collector

Fond memories for sure always keep it in your heart just like the Corvette challenge we had for 5 years that my friend was the fun years. Somehow I always think it will come back someday. I don't see why we don't get the old group back together again and have one big Corvette challenge race. I am sure PBIR or somebody will have us at least once a year......... Just thinking positive. Maybe they should have it in the rainy season when nothing is going on and maybe we can get lucky.........

Joe_G

Rick I sorely miss the Corvette Challenge - we all met and became such good friends, it became as much or more a social event with some racing thrown in. I always say, I never get the same camaraderie at the Summit series, I think it's because its for a few bucks, people aren't so friendly. When it's a trophy, who cares, we ended up being there to see our friends. Plus it helps that we all have the same cars.

I've heard rumblings that a local shop may be putting one together.

But for sure, if you want to do a Saturday night event I guarantee we can get a group together, we could just piggy back on another night, no problem. Count me in for sure, and I'll reach out to a bunch of the old gang. Just pick a night and let's make it happen!

REDGAR

bummer

96collector

Sounds good to me Joe. Maybe we shouldn't do it during the rainy season went all the way up to Orlando on Saturday got my motel room went to speed world got three practice rounds in then the sky opened up........ rainout. Got to hang out with fuzzy dice. Talk about a bummer.

kazman

96collector

LOL , You know what I meant.

kazman

Of course but I still found it funny.

96collector

Thinking about going over to IRR this week. Be watching the weather closely.........

Fuzzy Dice

Yeah, yeah...lol...sorry you got rained out...I am taking a break for the summer so at least I could be the food go getter...

kazman

I'm gonna try to get to IRR this Saturday. I need a night out for sure. Wife may even allow me to take her RV.