Old Dominion Speedway Moving to Fredericksburg & Cutting Seating Capacity by Half?

It is being reported on Fredericksburg.com that one of the star weekly tracks in NASCAR's crown is considering a move to the Fredericksburg, Virginia area beside Interstate 95 between Washington and Richmond. The historic Old Dominion Speedway operated by several generations of the Gore family in Manassas is a Virginia weekly racing landmark.

The Yankees couldn't conquer the Virginians in two Manassas Civil War battles, but housing developments are proving to be a worse enemy, much as the beautiful Beltsville Speedway found out.

Old Dominion Speedway eyeing Fredericksburg region?

The owners of the Old Dominion Speedway in Prince William County may be eyeing the Fredericksburg region as a new home for their automotive racetrack.

Steve Britt, principal owner of the stock-car and drag-racing facility in Manassas, said the tracks current site is hemmed in by residential developments. Thats leading to frequent noise complaints from nearby residents.

Britt is looking for a new home for the track along the Interstate 95 corridor between Stafford County and Richmond. He wouldnt specify what locality theyre focused on but said they have begun talking to officials in the selected county about possibilities.

Britt wants to find a site that includes at least 80 acres for the track, isnt far from the interstate and doesnt have a lot of nearby homes. His company has signed a letter of intent on one property and has a backup thats a little farther south.

Britt envisions the track being part of a motor-sports-themed destination. He said logical fellow users would be along the lines of a Harley-Davidson dealership, Quaker Steak & Lube and Dave & Busters restaurants, and a Goodyear Tire store.

He wants to build a modern and interactive track with several entertainment amenities that can seat about 3,500 or about half the capacity of its current home, where the track has been since 1952.

The cost of buying land and developing a new track could be about $20 million, Britt said. He hopes to shave a good bit off the price if a developer would sell him the land for cheap in an effort to get an anchor tenant that would attract other businesses.

Britt hopes to sell the roughly 40 acres where the track is currently located to a homebuilder. The speedway will remain at its current home at least through the 2013 season, which runs March through October.

--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM

Another article from a Northern Virginia paper:

Old Dominion Speedway days are numbered

Drivers and crew of Legends class cars watch as the sun sets over Old Dominion Speedway and the Grand Stock race gets under way on Saturday, July 15, 2006. ODS appears to be nearing its end as the owner is considering selling the land to developers and building a new racetrack south off Interstate 95. Dylan Moore/News & Messenger

By: Kipp Hanley | Inside NoVA
Published: March 01, 2012

MANASSAS, Va . --

Old Dominion Speedway may bid Prince William County adieu in the near future, according to its owner.

In a phone interview Wednesday, Steve Britt confirmed that he's actively looking at a site on Interstate 95 south of Prince William where a racetrack could be paired with auto industry themed restaurants or even a Harley Davidson dealership or go-kart track.

The earliest the speedway would likely closed its doors would be after the 2013 season, said Britt. In conjunction with the site search, Britt is applying to rezone his 38 acres on Dumfries Road to residential in hopes of a attracting a home builder.

Stanley Martin Homes nearly purchased the racetrack land in 2007 but managed only to purchase 22 adjacent acres that are also up for a residential rezoning, said Britt.

Both parcels have to have their respective land use designations changed, a process that could start March 20 should the Prince William Board of County Supervisors vote to initiate a comprehensive plan amendment.

Britt said complaints from newer residential neighborhoods as well as the restrictions placed on a legal non-conforming use like ODS are two of the major reasons for the impending move, said Britt.

"We believe the track and its current location is not conducive to a good relationship with the surrounding property owners, and I'm not sure our use is compatible given where Prince William County sees that quadrant going."

The current NASCAR-sanctioned track has been in operation in Manassas since 1952.
Share This:

--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

Track History

November 30, 2010

By Allen Madding

Allen Madding

In 1952, Longview Speedway, a quarter-mile flat dirt track existed on the outskirts of Manassas, Virginia. Al Gore purchased the track and the 22-acre parcel of land it sat on and reconstructed the race track to be a three-eighths mile asphalt oval. Gore renamed the track Old Dominion Speedway.

Open cockpit roadsters initially took to the track and were later replaced by modifieds. The modifieds were eventually replaced with stock cars and the track became the home to the Northern Virginia Stock Car Club.

On April 25, 1958, the NASCAR Grand National Division (later renamed the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series) came to Old Dominion Speedway for the first time holding a 150-lap event. 25 cars competed and Frankie Schneider won in his No. 62 Chevrolet after leading 106 laps. For his efforts, he collected $600.

The NASCAR Grand National cars would not compete at Old Dominion again until May, 18, 1963 when 16 cars competed in the 300 lap event. Richard Petty would capture the win driving the No. 41 Petty Enterprises Plymouth while Jim Paschal finished third driving the No. 43. Petty collected $1,000 for the win.

When the NASCAR Grand National division returned on July 8, 1964, Ned Jarrett won the Old Dominion 400 in Bundy Longs No. 11 Ford after leading 359 laps and he collected $1,100 in front of a crowd of 5,560 fans.

Jarrett won again in September 1964 at Old Dominion leading 424 laps in the 500 lap event collecting $1,500 with the NASCAR Grand National division.

Junior Johnson took the checkered flag and $1,100 after leading 396 laps of the 400 lap NASCAR Grand National division event at Old Dominion on July 8, 1965 driving his No. 26 Ford.

Richard Petty won the 400 lap NASCAR Grand National division event in September 1965 driving the No. 43 Plymouth leading only the last lap and capturing the $1,300 prize.

Elmo Langley, who would later drive the pace car for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, won the final NASCAR Grand National event held at Old Dominion Speedway on July 7, 1966 driving the No. 64 Ford after leading 231 laps in the 400 lap event collecting $1,100.

Old Dominion continued to host the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Series (later renamed the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series) which competed at the track until 1980.

Since then the track continues to host weekly stock car racing including Mini Stocks, Grand Stocks, Speedway Sportsman, and Late Model divisions. Old Dominion also continues to host the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.

The Speedway also contains a 1/8th mile concrete drag strip which stays busy most Friday nights hosting the Southern Bracket Racing Association (SBRA). It is reported that Old Dominion is the oldest drag strip on the east coast with drag racing events dating back to the Longview dirt track days. Al Gore constructed the first purpose-built asphalt drag strip east of the Mississippi River at Old Dominion in 1953.

You can contact Allen Madding at .. Insider Racing News

--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

This was my "home track" when i was growing up..oval and drags. I just love how builders, build and sell homes, etc. right next to ESTABLISHED racetracks..and then the people who buy the homes, etc., know full well, there's a racetrack nearby, and then start complaining about the "noise". Jeesh, get a life! Maybe the racers should file complaints about all the congestion they have to go through, just to get to the track every week, due to the builders and home owners. As good ole Charlie Brown would say..GOOD GRIEF!!!!!