How many others saw the new plans for Pacific Raceway's future? What I did not see was a timeline. Did anyone else happen to see this, or have more info on how likely THIS plan is to come to fruition? I'm sure they had it posted, but my focus honestly was more on keeping cool...starting to feel like I was back in Phoenix....

I hear you on the keeping cool part! I was at the track yesterday and almost melted. Not much better at the house today. Good thing I've been working graveyard shift lately, it cools down a little at night.

As far as the timeline for the PR project, I will be waiting for one as well. We all will. In the end everyone will be amazed if they can really pull it off in a timely manner. Its a pretty ambitious plan to do in a short period of time.

The whole thing has me wondering about the projects' validity on several fronts. One thing is for sure. There is alot of gravel underneath where they propose the new dragstrip. They've been taking some out of there for years.

I defininitely looked over the plans while I was at Pacific Raceways this weekend. Sounds like it will be a great facility once the planned upgrades are finished.

Here's a link to an article that will give you some more imformation: http://www.kingcountyjournal.com/app...NEWS/606290316

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"Even the smallest dog can lift its leg on the tallest building."-- Jim Hightower

I've always thought that NHRA needs to make more of the Summer races Night races. I'm sure some tracks have curfew issues, but cooler temps and more Night racing is a Huge sell! I've been to Seattle 5 times and Damn lucky I missed the Heatwaves!

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Shift for Brains!!!!

I'd love to see some night races. Unfortunately, though, Pacific Raceways is under some pretty tight curfews so we probably won't see it happen here.

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"Even the smallest dog can lift its leg on the tallest building."-- Jim Hightower

I need to convert my story to PDF form so you can see what Jason told me about his plans. I write for a local community newspaper that covers Covington and Maple Valley. I have claimed Pacific Raceways as my own since Covington is the closest city to the track, although it does have a Kent address.

Groundbreaking, according to what Jason Fiorito told me, is tenatively planned for March 2007. Construction on the racing surfaces (drag strip, road course, etc.) is slated to begin January 2008 with completion scheduled for January 2009.

I respect Mark Klaas tremendously (from the King County Journal). We work in the same building, but for different papers. I have known Jason was formulating plans to make drastic changes since October and wrote it about it then. Not to mention the fact I've spent the past three months trying to get time with Jason Fiorito. He's a busy guy. And a very nice guy. And a guy I suspect I will be talking to again in the near future.

I also spoke with King County Council member Larry Phillips. I got myself into Fiorito's tower suite on Friday afternoon due to being invited to a community leaders meeting where the whole plan was outlined. I missed it because I couldn't find the building where it was held -- I suck with maps. Anyway, I wanted to watch the nitro runs. I am a drag racing fan, thanks.

Anyway, Larry told me that the hope was for the proposal to be worked out at the executive level so that a package could be brought forward to the council that it could comfortably approve. Now, I was not taking notes when he said this, so that is not a direct quote, and so should be taken only as a recolletion of an off-the-record conversation. Disclaimer over.

From what Jason has told me, King County Executive Ron Sims has been favorable to the proposal. There is still not a timeline that I can ascertain as far as the permitting and the master plan proposal going before the County Council. Hopefully either Charlie Kester or Jason Fiorito will contact me when they do have a date where the matter will be discussed by the County Council.

I spent two hours talking with Jason Fiorito and Charlie Kester about the proposed master plan. My laptop battery actually died, I spent so much time there talking with them about it.

Jason is very passionate about making these changes. It seems to me that if anyone can make them happen, he can.

If anyone has any other questions about it, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm the only reporter in the area that is familiar with the plan and is a member of the Mater that I am aware of. Any questions I can't answer I can get answered.

Kris, thank you for your reply (well, thank all of you). You were the person I was looking for, but couldn't remember your real name . If you can let me know when you get your story into PDF format, I'd love to read it. Thank you!!

Catherine,

now that is good to know. You'll remember me now! Heh.

Shoot me a PM with your mailing address and I'll drop a hard copy in the mail for you.

Although the diagram of the Pacific Raceways conceptual expansion layout is not necessarily to scale or completely accurate in all details, the new location of the drag strip will limit the shutdown area to only a quarter mile. Currently the shutdown area is a half mile.

Must be a scale issue - I don't think anyone will want to run a quarter mile with a quarter mile to stop - a half mile is pretty much the minimum for the shutdown portion of the strip.

I'm not familiar with the track other than what I've seen on TV so this may be a dumb couple of questions. Are they still going to reverse the direction of the track? If so, what about the up-hill shutdown area? Are they going to dig a trench through there in order to make it level? Secondly, why did they erect those great new stands in what will become the end of the shutdown area? Seems like it would be a major job to move them to the other end but what do I know. .............."HIP"

I read they will Not turn the track around, but Change directions about 90 degrees. Pointing the track toward local development to reduce Noise. I'm sure Kris Hill has all that info.

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Shift for Brains!!!!

Roger, here is the link to the post where Kelly shared the PDFs of my story. (Thanks again, Kelly, for hosting the story.)

NHRA to skip Seattle in '07?

That should answer some of your questions. Other questions I can answer, or Jeff can answer.

The new plans call for the track to run north and south as opposed to the present east to west. Sunlight in the driver's eyes have been a problem there forever in the evening.

The new grandstands could be easily removed and re-located in a new spot. Post and pier constructed. I have to say, those new grandstands are 1st class. What a change from the old ones that were hastily built in the late 60s to be installed for the old Seattle Pilots (MLB team) in Sick's stadium. They lasted 1 year in Seattle before they became the Milwaukee Brewers. SIR (Pac. raceways, now) aquired them when the Pilots left and they were there for 35 years. Rotting.

Had some really great times in those stands, though.

The new aluminum grandstands are a big improvement over the old ones, but would it have been too much to ask to put seat backs on them, or put a little asphalt or grass down on that side? It`s always one big dustbowl over on that tower side.