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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Oath Keepers find another mine to 'protect' ... Giving kids a leg up on learning ... Table Rock Road slated for improvements ... Our View: Oath Keepers find another mine to 'protect' ... Giving kids a leg up on learning ... Table Rock Road slated for improvements ... WHITE CITY John Skinner back in charge at Southern Oregon Speedway Former operator will return for at least one more year Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 17, 2015 at 9:21 AM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 17, 2015 at 9:21 AM » Social News  A lease on the Southern Oregon Speedway that appeared to be veering off course is now back on track. The track will hold its first race of the season Saturday, and Medford auto dealer John Skinner will be back in charge. “I got the track back,” said Skinner, who ran the speedway for 20 years. “I want to start off with a bang.” More information on the race is available at http://www.sospeedway.com. Skinner will have the lease until Dec. 1, after which Jackson County will seek bids from promoters to run the oval track for a five-year period. Skinner and the county were at odds over the improvements that he’d made at the track, which is at the county Sports Park off Highway 140 near White City. He estimated he’s put $1.7 million into the track since the contract began in 1995. Because the contract is about to expire, the county sent out a request for proposals for someone to manage and operate the oval track for the upcoming season. The contract specifically states the value of the track should be based on net revenues generated over the preceding five years. An independent appraiser reviewed the value of the property and determined Skinner hadn’t made any money off the track. “We were arguing because I was supposed to get 20 percent of the value of the race track back,” Skinner said. “But they came back with a value of zero.” Skinner said he turned over the management of the track to another promoter who wasn’t successful at bringing in revenue. He said for the upcoming year he’s bringing back Jim Rogers, who operated the track successfully for many years. Skinner said he’s not sure if he’ll continue with the track after this year. John Vial, director of Jackson County roads and parks, said the one-year agreement will provide the county with a percentage of revenues ranging from 4.25 to 11 percent. A flat fee of $10,000 also will be charged. The new contract is more favorable to the operator than the previous contract, which had a flat fee of $20,000 and a percentage of revenues ranging from 10 to 20 percent. Skinner will be required to upgrade a road leading into the oval track as part of the arrangement. “The county is excited to get this one-year contract,” Vial said. One of the reasons the county decided to ask for less money is because of the short amount of time for the lease, Vial said. “We recognize it is difficult to make a lot of money in one year,” he said. “We appreciate John stepping up and doing this.” Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/reporterdm .   By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 17, 2015 at 9:21 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501