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41 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, April 19, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 28, 2005 Dave Hix, president of the Oregon Drag Racing Association, supports giving management of Jackson County�s drag strip to the Hot Rod Gassers Association. Two others have bid on the track. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Gassers make run on drag strip By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Drag strip supporters are pressuring Jackson County commissioners to sign over the lease of the White City track to the Hot Rod Gassers Association, even though the business might not have the deep pockets of other contenders. Dave Hix , president of the 86-member Oregon Drag Racing Association, told commissioners this week that what the Gassers lack in finances will be made up by attracting donors to upgrade the track facilities and by stimulating more interest in the races. "All the racers said they would go along with them," Hix said later. "We felt the Gassers were more compatible with us and had the best plan." John Skinner decided not to renew his lease on the drag strip last year, although he still runs the adjacent circle track. Advertisement After Skinner stepped out, the Gassers, along with two others — Larry Osborne, owner of Prestige Manufactured Homes in Medford, and Bill Medlin of California — submitted their offers for the lease. The county parks department has recommended signing a lease with the Gassers. Hix said the Gassers have received commitments from donors willing to make several hundred thousand dollars’ worth of improvements at the track. The donors, he said, weren’t willing to put money into an account to satisfy some of the county’s concerns about financial backing. "They have given letters of intent, but they didn’t want to give him the cash right away," he said. County Commissioner Jack Walker said he still has questions about the Gassers’ lease — $1 a year and a minimum $40,000 investment over the five-year term. "I’m not satisfied with the numbers, and I’m waiting to hear from them," he said. Walker, who is a drag strip enthusiast, said he couldn’t go into details about the contract discussions at this point, but said, "If we’re going to negotiate deals we’ve got to be fair to the public." Osborne, who said he submitted extensive financial statements to the county to back up his lease offer, said he also has questions whether the association has enough funding. "It’s set up for failure if they don’t have enough backing," said Osborne. Commissioner Dave Gilmour, who is not a drag strip enthusiast, said he doesn’t have any qualms about the Gassers’ proposal, and feels the specifics will work themselves out. "I’m supportive of them," he said. "They have a lot more local support among the people who use the strip right now. " Bill Fitting, business manager for the Gassers, said the association will depend on a lot of donated time and materials to make the improvements to the drag strip, such as new bathrooms, completion of the return ramp, renovation of the pit area and improvements to the grounds to make it more park-like for families. He said Joy Construction of Woodburn has agreed to donate time and materials to build the bathroom facilities, which would include eight stalls for both men and women and a total of four showers. Drag strip supporters had complained the existing bathrooms don’t work properly during events. "Steve Joy (of Joy Construction) and his wife have been depressed about the bathrooms," he said. "They wrote a letter of commitment." Fitting, who will move to Jackson County from Grass Valley once the lease is signed, said the value of the bathroom project is estimated at about $200,000. He was hoping to have the project completed by April for the opening of the season, but said it won’t happen that fast because of the delays getting the county to sign the lease. In the next 18 months, the Gassers plan to use other donors to complete the other projects, he said. Increased enthusiasm in the track will attract more races, stimulating the local economy, Fitting said. "Our goal in two to three years is to make it one of the most talked-about strips on the West Coast," he said. Randy Hutton, county parks administrative assistant, said all three lease proposals depend on donors to upgrade the drag strip grounds. Ultimately his staff recommended the Gassers because they presented the best management and promotions skills needed to succeed, he said. The county could have asked for a greater financial commitment than $40,000 over five years, but Hutton said, "We don’t want to set up a promoter to fail. We want to give them ample time." Success has not been a sure thing for the six managers of the drag strip since it opened in the 1970s. "No one yet has been able to make that a profitable business," he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Tatoos Advertisement s