Old Dominion Speedway

[jonm38]

Few weeks ago, I heard talk about this and now saw it in the FreeLance Star - Fredericksburg, VA News paper. It would be on the north side of Mudtravern road.


Old Dominion Speedway plans to relocate to Spotsylvania County

A rendering shows part of the planned oval track and grandstands at Dominion Raceway, which could be built in the Thornburg area.

The owner of a stock-car and drag-racing facility near Manassas plans to relocate the complex to a 160-acre site just off Interstate 95 in Thornburg.

Steve Britt, principal owner of the Old Dominion Speedway, is under contract to purchase land just north of Mudd Tavern Road from a man who lives outside the Fredericksburg area. The sale is contingent on various government approvals, including a rezoning and special-use permit from Spotsylvania County.

The new facility will be called the Dominion Raceway and will be easily visible from I–95. The main entrance will be off Mudd Tavern Road near the northbound ramp onto 95.

Britt wants to create a racing-focused entertainment complex that could also be used year-round for festivals, karting, collector car auctions, drive-in movies and other special events. Though he hasn’t spoken with a local group pursuing a minor league baseball stadium, he thinks that could be part of it.


The proposed site is north of Mudd Tavern Road and east of Interstate 95.
Old Dominion has been in its current site in Manassas for more than 60 years, but is now hemmed in by residential development. That has led to frequent noise complaints from neighbors, which convinced Britt to search for new locations along 95 between Stafford County and Richmond.

He has spent much of the past two years looking at sites, including some in both Stafford and Spotsylvania counties. He said he ultimately selected the Thornburg property for a variety of reasons, foremost among them the interstate and a lack of dense residential development nearby.

The interstate provides easy access to many thousands of race fans and high visibility to passersby, and generates a lot of noise of its own. The site is also bordered by the Po River and a more than 400-acre wooded property that is under conservation easement.

The land is in an area targeted for commercial growth and already has nearby hotels. And it’s reasonably close to Lake Anna.

The centerpiece of the planned Dominion Raceway is an oval track that will be four-tenths of a mile and attract up-and-coming racers looking to advance to the NASCAR ranks.

An adjacent grandstand will seat 3,500 people. There will be a three-level building featuring office space for Dominion employees, a food and retail area, and suites that companies or individuals can lease.

Britt plans to sell naming rights to the complex and other corporate sponsorships. He wants to make the facility as interactive as possible for fans and plans to include a Jumbotron screen.

The complex will also have a drag-racing strip, and a two-mile road course that auto enthusiasts could use. There will be a large area for parking and festivals.

Near the entrance will be pad sites for commercial uses such as restaurants, gas stations and automotive dealerships.

Britt estimates it will cost $10 million to $12 million to buy the land, develop the site and build the racing complex. He will have partners in the development and is interested in talking to investors.

About 15 people would work at the Dominion Raceway full-time, and another 60 to 100 people would staff events. Britt isn’t asking for public incentives, but has requested that Spotsylvania officials expedite the approval process.

Last week he was in front of Spotsylvania’s Economic Development Authority in closed session to discuss the project. Britt’s attorney, Charlie Payne of the Hirschler Fleischer law firm, plans to file the rezoning application in a month.

A quick approval would allow Britt to open the facility in time for the 2014 racing season. He is under contract to sell the 40 acres where the Old Dominion Speedway is currently located to a home-builder this coming April and wants to start developing the Spotsylvania facility soon thereafter. The typical season runs March through October.

Britt says he won’t pursue another location for his raceway if the Thornburg site doesn’t secure the various government approvals. He’s looked up and down the 95 corridor and thinks he has found the perfect spot.

“It’s as good as it gets,” Britt said of the site. “This is where it needs to be.”

[edog]

This would be awesome! I am not sure if it is good for me our not, but i hope the drag strip is 1/4 mile, and the road course can be used for club days. The wife will not be happy...lol!

[jonm38]

That would be fun, if everything goes right. One thing the county might have to do, it upgrade the bridge there before it does happen, or even fix the bumps....
Could you think of if Camaro5 saw it in a couple of years from now....

[thesnoopster]

If this do happen....(the key word is if!) ... and its a 1/4 mile track...im soooo there! But most likely it will be another 1/8 mile track, so that they can save money on the land and put much on it as possible... a 1/4 mile track will take up a lot of ground on what they buy. Only time will tell....

[jonm38]

First, they need to fix that bridge going across 95...... bumpy, bump, bump. LoL.

[ripcurl329]

i saw it as well.... im just a few miles down the road... it would be so bad @ss to be so close.

[Baltimorejohn1]

Ol Fredericksburg is coming up....
Nice spot north of Richmond.......

[mntgome1]

Originally Posted by Baltimorejohn1

Ol Fredericksburg is coming up....
Nice spot north of Richmond.......

Tell me about it.... Im only 30 years old but I recall heading down what my siblings and I used to call (Da Country) Orange County. We would hit RT. 3 and there were about two buildings. There was a Rallys and a 7Eleven closer down by the battlefields. I went down there about a year ago and got lost as soon as I got off of 95

But anyway im glad they are bringing a Racing Complex to the area...