MEMBERSHIP LOGIN
JOIN PRI
Racing Lions Locate Land For Drag Strip
Image
The Fairbanks (Alaska) Racing Lions’ recently reached a lease agreement with the Fairbanks North Star Borough to lease a plot of land in North Pole that will provide enough space for the group to build a three-quarter mile drag strip.
Through the agreement, the Racing Lions will receive a plot of land adjacent to the North Pole Speedway. The land connects two parcels of land already in the possession of the Racing Lions—a 17-acre plot to the south and a 110-acre plot to the north.
Before the purchase, the group had enough space on its 17-acre plot to put a one-eighth-mile race track, but not enough to safely build a one-quarter-mile track and certainly not enough to consider the three-quarter-mile track the group sought, said group President Jamie Bodenstadt.
The Racing Lions have been planning to put a drag strip in the North Pole area for more than a decade. Bodenstadt said the organization has been working to obtain the land lease for about six years.
In the past, the Racing Lions have mostly raced at Fort Wainwright, although access to the base has become more restricted over the past dozen-plus years.
The drag strip plan has experienced its share of pushback—most recently in 2013 from some of the facility’s neighbors as they sought approval from the borough Planning Commission. Neighbors argued the drag strip would create unacceptable noise levels,,adding to that of the nearby North Pole Speedway.
Bodenstadt and other supporters said it would help bring racing off the streets and into a safer, more controlled environment.
While significant, the lease is only part of the process to get the facility running, according to Bodenstadt. He said the organization still must go through several more years of planning, possibly submitting a large-scale development plan and actually building the facility. He estimated the group remains about $50,000 from completing the planning process.
Through the agreement, the Racing Lions will receive a plot of land adjacent to the North Pole Speedway. The land connects two parcels of land already in the possession of the Racing Lions—a 17-acre plot to the south and a 110-acre plot to the north.
Before the purchase, the group had enough space on its 17-acre plot to put a one-eighth-mile race track, but not enough to safely build a one-quarter-mile track and certainly not enough to consider the three-quarter-mile track the group sought, said group President Jamie Bodenstadt.
The Racing Lions have been planning to put a drag strip in the North Pole area for more than a decade. Bodenstadt said the organization has been working to obtain the land lease for about six years.
In the past, the Racing Lions have mostly raced at Fort Wainwright, although access to the base has become more restricted over the past dozen-plus years.
The drag strip plan has experienced its share of pushback—most recently in 2013 from some of the facility’s neighbors as they sought approval from the borough Planning Commission. Neighbors argued the drag strip would create unacceptable noise levels,,adding to that of the nearby North Pole Speedway.
Bodenstadt and other supporters said it would help bring racing off the streets and into a safer, more controlled environment.
While significant, the lease is only part of the process to get the facility running, according to Bodenstadt. He said the organization still must go through several more years of planning, possibly submitting a large-scale development plan and actually building the facility. He estimated the group remains about $50,000 from completing the planning process.
