NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Phil Nightingale with Salt City Racing gave an update to the Board of County Commissioners at their meeting on Wednesday.
"It's been a very successful year," Nightingale said. "I've met with the city council a couple times and talked to them about what's going on there at the fairgrounds. To kind of give you an update, that racetrack was basically raced once a year. To try to race on that track once a year is not good. It's hard to get a track prepared and ready to go. That facility, it's been around for many, many years. I'm not here to talk about the history of that track, but the facility is really cool and really good for a spectator to come watch races."
Despite the rainout on Sept. 20, the attendance figures in the grandstand have averaged over 1600, with over 300 per night on average in the pits, and one more night of racing coming up Oct. 5.
"Our biggest race we had this year was the USAC race," Nightingale said. "We brought those cars in here and they did a hundred lap race. It was the 14th time in the whole history of the track that a 100 lap race was completed. There was a lot of speculation whether we could get a hundred lap race in, if the track would hold it, or whatever. I brought a guy in from Iowa to help me prep the track the first of the year. I'm telling you, I think the track could have done 150 laps, as well as the track held up. We had an exciting race. It was very fun. I will tell you that, there was not a hotel room available in Hutchinson. There was not a hotel room available in McPherson. How I know that is, a gentleman from IMCA, who is our sanctioning body that sanctions most of our races, tried to get a hotel room in both of those towns and he had to stay in Salina."
Nightingale is waiting on the Fair Board's meeting on Oct. 15 to see if they will approve a five-year deal. If they do, he has big plans.
"Katy, bar the door for what we have coming," Nightingale said. "We have sanctioning bodies already calling us. We're already talking to some other sanctioning bodies. As big as that USAC race was to come in to race, hopefully, we're going to get three more of those, so it would be four of those big races for next year. I'm here just basically to be aware of what's happening at the racetrack. I don't know what support Reno County can do."
Nightingale noted that the City of Hutchinson has given him the water for the track all season long.