Lake Hill Speedway?

Dear Leadfoot: That's possible as the three of us were real close in the points and I could have been mistaken after 53 years. Chalk it off to senility or something. (Ha!)
....Bruce H.
 
Stopped at the track today(Sunday Dec 30)to shoot some video for our next show and found that the track is once again half full of water
Other than that it looks just like it did at the party
Rick Riebeling
Producer
St. Louis Motorsports Review
Charter Cable channel 18
Tueday 8:30 PM
 
KEG before we get our hopes up or give up any input you can offer? I know sometimes you can't say anything and it takes a lot of time for something to happen but before the track fills up to the top is it smart to drain it or keep it full for now? Im thinking that if you are to reopen the track will you cut a grove in turns 1&2 to keep it drained or pump it out again. Im shure the next drain will cost? Please update us. WHERE DID YOU GO?
OK LEADFOOT Give it up I know you know something.
 
They had a sump pump that kicked in when it got to deep but when thay closed it colgged and never was run anymore. now the pipes are broken and still no electric so it is inpossable to drain
 
reSScued said:
32 Deuce,
The first inverted wing on the sprint was put on Al's car with the help of Roy Hall and my father Ken Luebbert and the guy's at the shop. I guess they should have put a patent on it.
I use to paint George Eagans silver crown cars in the early 90's and it was great to hear the stories that George, Gus Soan, Hubert Eves, Bob Hemple, Pat King and Elmer Norath would all talk about.
I wish that I had a chance to talk to Wib Spalding on Saterday, But as it turned out it was better just sittin back and listening to what was being said...

Still a very moving day for all.. Thanks, Tom Luebbert
Click to expand...
There were cars running at the old Cape Girardeau track in Arena Park in the 60's with wings.
 
bryanracing55 said:
KEG before we get our hopes up or give up any input you can offer? I know sometimes you can't say anything and it takes a lot of time for something to happen but before the track fills up to the top is it smart to drain it or keep it full for now? Im thinking that if you are to reopen the track will you cut a grove in turns 1&2 to keep it drained or pump it out again. Im shure the next drain will cost? Please update us. WHERE DID YOU GO?
OK LEADFOOT Give it up I know you know something.
Click to expand...

The track can be drained at any time by breaking the pipe that holds the sump pump to release the water. We excavated the other end of the free flow drain pipe behind turn three during cleanup but were told by the guy cleaning the muck out of the infield that he wanted us to leave the water in the infield to make it real easy to draw up the muddy sludge into a tanker truck. So we did. Draining it will not be a problem. It never was a problem.

As far as what is next.... we shall see. You know some of the possibilities.
Another would be to......sell the property to other investors who could do what they want to keep the track alive. It cannot be done by racing there a couple of times a year. It cannot be done by a car show or two or even another reunion day. It has to have a workable business plan that can show a long term profit to the investors. The land is much more expensive than it was in 1981 and there are acres (55 of them) that would have to be developed to include a variety of revenue producing businesses. Up by Chicagoland Speedway and six or seven other sites around the country, business investors have created "Country Club" settings and memberships but without golf courses. Instead they have built road courses and members can run their Porsches, Mercedez's, Vettes, Mustangs etc as fast as they want without getting a ticket! Maybe a scaled down version would work at Lake Hill. Noise is still a concern. The land goes on for another 3/4 of a mile up past the lake. How much noise would a roadcourse of mufflered cars make in that valley between the tracks? Some, a lot, a little? We don't know yet. They have 300 members at the Joliet site at $20,000. per member, plus annual/monthly dues. Could that amount pay for much of the cost of operating the entire facility and leave dates open for general public events at the old track? How about the museum? How about revenue producing ideas like the banquet hall and convention center? Can we get the support needed to bring all this into reality? The current ownership builds condos not racetracks. Either a plan has to be made to bring them all into the project using the land as their part of ownership in the investment or... buy them out. Big Bucks. We are talking about Big Bucks!!!! It takes a massive plan or there is no plan at all. 55 acres at,... oh lets say $100,000 per acre equals $5.5 million worth of land. At $70,00 per acre you still have 3.85 million. The area land inside of hwy 141 is going for the higher numbers. It looks to me like it would be best to have the current ownership partner in this endeavor so we don't have to buy the land outright. The condos will cost millions upon millions to build but they know what their return will be; So, as I said... We shall see. Kim is going to be working on the cost projections etc... from his end but we don't have an unlimited amount of time so if any of you out there have some extra millions stashed away or your brother-in-law does...join the effort.
Now there's an idea. Sell Stock!
Happy New Year!
 
Thanks for the info LEDFOOT, Most of that info is already known but a Country Club Membership for that kind of racing will not work. 2 main reasons--1) You still have the loud car noise even with mufflers 2) This area like you know is not Ladue and most of us do not drive Porsches. How abought some kind of public meeting of racers to help come up with some kind of game plain insted of just leting time pass. Like you said we don't have an unlimited amount of time. We have already talked about a kart track /banquit center/ museum / car shows /ect: I talked about looking into QMA (quater midgets) and some of the people there have said lets talk. Any word from them or shoud I get that ball rolling? Almost every banquit center I know survives as is, along with a kart/QMA track I will almost bet that would be a great start. I race with SLKA Karting so I kinda know the income something like that can produce. Let's say KEG'S Investers go with the race plain and you own the land and rent out the connession stand / ticket booth / lease some of the land to a race club or two / open a banquit center / rent the track to open practice / car shows /All of these can bring in a mounthly income. maybe even a 100 or 200 room hotel for the racers to stay at ECT: do you think that would get the place runing? Talk to some clubs and get them to invest. Most racers that I know say if there was a on site place to stay next to there equiment that they would love to do that instead of leaving the track and useing a motor home. Or on top of all that a RV lot too boot. THINK ABOUT THAT A state of the art hotel worked into a racetrack with full entry to the track?A frist of it's kind Im shure. Give the rights to a big hotel like motel 6 or someone bigger I think they might even invest. Dose KEG need help in looking down some of these roads? Lets don't just sit back a let a historic track just pass in a dream. BULD IT AND THEY WILL COME. You know it's true look back on the reunion. Talk to Kenny Schrader or some other NASCAR DRIVERS after all look what Carl Edwards is bulding across state.
:rolleyes: :rolleyes: BULD IT AND WE WILL COME :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
Are condos really a viable option there? I live in Valley Park and was told that the Fire Dept will not approve them unless a second way in and out is provided. My understanding is that would mean two, 2-Lane viaducts providing access to the property. I assume it also means a new and wider bridge would be needed. That may mean a better chance of the track staying, instead of condos being built. If anyone has better info on this, or if I am missing something, please fill us in.
 
No matter what go's there they will need 2 ways in and a bigger bridge and that is part of the issues they are having. The 2nd way in is no big deal, the new bridge is costly and giong over water is an epa issue I think. All of that has been brought up. As I understand and could be wrong Valley Park realy don't want condo's for say. They want something that will bring in more Revenue like shops or something on those lines. Hope it helps.
 
Tracyb43 said:
Are condos really a viable option there? I live in Valley Park and was told that the Fire Dept will not approve them unless a second way in and out is provided. My understanding is that would mean two, 2-Lane viaducts providing access to the property. I assume it also means a new and wider bridge would be needed. That may mean a better chance of the track staying, instead of condos being built. If anyone has better info on this, or if I am missing something, please fill us in.
Click to expand...

They won't approve anything in there without the bridge and emergency exit. Those problems Kim believes he has solved. It's the NOISE factor. Even with mufflers and we don't have data on it yet. 60 decibles are what is allowed. What has to be determined is... 60 decibles from where? And do mufflered cars put out more than 60 decibles once the sound leaves the valley between the tressels and reaches the condos on the outside the track? How about more than one car? If there is no "outside" racing allowed because of noise (except for a couple of special events a year) then you have to make the numbers work with other things. Museum, banquet center etc... Since we can only guess at the outcomes it is called "risk." People with money like reasonable control over "risk" or they often won't.
 
Has anyone looked into the possibility of trying to have the track placed on the national registry of historical landmarks? I mean with the place having been so popular back in the 1920'2 and 1930's as a picnic spot it might have a chance. How many of these places still survive today? It's worth a shot if anything to try.
 
LEDFOOT,
All that is clear but IS THERE any NEW news? Like Rescue Flagger has said and you of all people know how to look into the historical part of all this.Here is the big question: With every thing said where dose the track stand at this point? Has anyone steped up to offer the "Risk"? Who needs to push the ball farther? What can we do as fans to move this forward. Where is KEG and Can he give some insight into this? The way it looks by all the post this is a dead subject. I think everyone knows it will take some investers and offers so where do we go from here? Please don't get me wrong Im not bi***ing It's just I have a large interest in this project moving forward and feel my hands are tied. I know some people that are intrested in the track but will not move forward with no responce on the questions that have been put on the table.:cool:
 
I saw Kim yesterday. He is busy doing all the thing he has put off for the last 4-5 months. I think some of the questions can only be answered by him. An actual plan does have to be put together in detail to attract any other investors or to get the support of the current ownership. My understanding is that the gentleman in Ohio makes money building condos etc. He doesn't have an emotional tie to the track. If a complete plan with costs and return can be put together then maybe he will stay in the game. If not, he is willing sell the place to someone or a group who want to take the project on. Nothing more happens until a plan is in place. Kim hasn't had time yet to work on that. However, we are looking for a few revenue producers for the spring at the track. The more that happens out there the better the chances are of attracting additional investors. The bridge issue and the emergency exit are things that Kim is working on that have to be solidified before anyone is going to seriously consider investing. Perhaps Kim can add some insight as soon as he has some time to post.
 
Ty for the update leadfoot. It is a small glimer of hope for the old place. But you know what they say, start out small end up big.;)
 
Ya LEDFOOT Thanks. I hope I did not fall though the roof for no reason. I can still feel the knot on the inside of my left leg. Looks like I have my own little souvenir from the track. You say some revenue producers? Like a car show or get some big business's to maybe have there Company BBQ there and show off the track? If that can work someone needs to hand out flyers saying " Have Your Company BBQ at Lake Hill Speedway " Put a post out and offer to rent the track grounds out for private party's . Just thinking out loud. Hay please tell Kim I said hi, Thanks Kent
 
Here is something of some good news. One of the pictures I took at the reunion is on www.kmov.com under the weather tab, then scroll down to weather pictures, click veiw all then search lakehill. This was a very good picture that i took as i was preparing to leave. hope all enjoy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.




Back
Top