Pueblo Motorsports Park Delays Start of 2024 Season Due to Track Conditions
In addition to race track facilities facing issues with attendance / event success, as well as noise / neighboring areas, most tracks can face the problems of severe weather.
Today, Pueblo Motorsports Park (PMP) announced the start of its 2024 drag racing season from the ‘front side’ will be delayed for an unknown amount of time.
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PMP, which has seen use for multiple big events, including Rocky Mountain Race Week, put out a statement earlier this afternoon on their Facebook page regarding the state of the drag racing schedule for 2024:
“This is probably the toughest news I’ve had to share about PMP since the beginning of Covid. No real easy way to do so either so here we go…We scraped the track before the recent no prep race not only because it was a no prep race, but also because it was time to get ready for the first prepped surface racing of the year scheduled for the following weekend.
Prior to beginning work on getting the surface prepared for this coming Saturday’s race, we discovered areas in the asphalt part of the track that concerned us. Those areas of concern start at the concrete to asphalt transition and continue to almost the 1/4-mile finish line. It appeared that the effects of winter didn’t settle well with aged asphalt of our track.
We contacted the City of Pueblo’s Director of Parks & Recreation and asked for a meeting with him and a City Engineer on-track to look at those areas. At the end of that meeting, the Parks & Rec Director and Engineer advised us the surface is in need of replacement and they will be releasing a Request For Proposal for replacing the drag strip racing surface.
They are seeking bids on the following scenarios:
1.) New concrete from the 330’ through the 1/4-mile finish line.
2.) New concrete from the 330’ to about 750’-800’ and from there new asphalt through the 1/4-mile.
3.) New asphalt from the 330’ through the 1/4-mile finish line.
Until the replacement is awarded and completed, we will not be able to drag race from the starting line at the frontside of the track.
How long the process will take from bid to completion is not yet known. Our hope is sometime before the end of this season, but it could possibly be longer. Depending on the dollar amount approved by City Council compared to the dollar amount of the replacement cost, we could be looking for any help we can get to make it happen as well.
The NHRA Chassis Seminars will still happen as scheduled. Road course racing will continue as scheduled. Steel City No Prep races will still be held. As they don’t happen on the same part of the track. We are working on some burnout and drifting events and some drag racing simulator shootouts to also help raise funds during this time to help costs.
If anyone wants to see the track for themselves, they are welcome to walk it this Saturday during the chassis seminar or next Sunday, May 5th from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Anyone who has registered for the ET Points Series, paid for pit spot reservations, registered for Fright Fest, or purchased a VDRA tech card this weekend will receive a refund, issued to their original method of payment.
If anyone is interested in discussing ways to help ensure the cost for the surface replacement is met sooner than later, send us a message here or on my personal page, or call me/text me if you have my number. I will keep you posted when we know what the cost is and how much of the cost the city approves to pay.
I would encourage everyone that to race at Julesburg, Kearney, Grand Junction, Albuquerque and any other small track you can, as much as you possibly can. Give them as much support as you can while we wait for a better, faster, and safer surface here in Pueblo.
While this is the absolute worst time for this to happen for Colorado drag racing, the positive part is that we will have a new surface of some sort by the 2025 season. I am going to stay focused on the positive.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Pueblo Motorsports Park and 1320 Video.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com