TERRE HAUTE — By all measures the 2007 motorsports season at the Wabash Valley Fairgrounds will go down as one the facility’s most troubling and least productive in recent years.
Shrouded in controversy the Action Track sat idle throughout the summer. Attempts to revive the fortunes of Action City Dragway USA were met with mixed results.
As the season drew to a close, the future of racing at the Fairgrounds was clouded in uncertainty.
In recent weeks, that picture has not only become clearer, but much brighter.
Dragstrip officials have taken preliminary steps to make major improvements to their facility, while Fairgrounds officials are now actively seeking a new promoter for the Action Track after Dave Allison recently agreed to relinquish all promotional rights at the oval.
Fair Board president Dave Hartman has confirmed that local officials and Allison reached an agreement last week to sever their ties.
“Through mutual agreement we parted ways with Dave Allison,” said Hartman. “Pete Plant, the chairman of our race committee, is heading the search for a new promoter. We’ve been approached by several parties regarding the position.”
Although Hartman is reluctant to mention names, former Action Track promoter Bob Sargent is considered a leading candidate for the position.
When reached by telephone last week Sargent acknowledged he has been in contact with Fairgrounds officials.
“We talked for the first time last week. There’s nothing definite, but we will be talking again in the near future. We like the facility what with its tradition and history,” said Sargent, who stages nearly 80 events every season at tracks throughout the Midwest.
A visit to the Fairgrounds shows that work is already underway at the drag strip, where officials hope the lengthening of the shut down area at the eighth-mile strip will make for safer conditions for the racers and help attract bigger and faster fields for 2008.
Co-promoter Dallas Montgomery cites the need for expansion and is excited what the changes will do for racing at the strip.
“We’re going to put down an additional 200 feet of concrete. … major, major improvements that needed to be done,” said Montgomery.
“The track needed to be lengthened. We want to make this a real race track where we can have some faster cars and provide them with ample shutdown area,” he added.
Once the changes are made Montgomery said racers and fans can expect to see the relocation of the starting line and most of the existing steel guardrail replaced by concrete barriers.
When the project is complete there will be about 450 feet of concrete on the 660 foot racing surface.
The privately funded project is part of Montgomery and partner Marty Sabla’s commitment to make the local strip one of the nation’s finest National Hot Rod Association-sanctioned strips.
The strip recently staged a workday to help institute the new changes.
Over 40 volunteers donated their time on a cold blustery day to get the project started. That included a pair of Valley racers who see the improvements as a major plus for racers and fans.
“It’s a positive thing that needed to happen,” Super Pro racer Ron Hayman said. “The cars are so aggressive. You’ve got to have concrete for 150 to 200 feet.”
Newly crowned Super Pro champ Dustin Brenton welcomes the changes.
“Its a win-win situation for every fan who wants to see faster cars. We want to get the track back where it used to be,” said the Rosedale driver.
Nationally recognized NHRA track announcer Nick Agresta says the improvements will have positive and far reaching effects for the track.
“It will take Action City Dragway to a new level. Something that was long overdue,” Agresta said. “It will help usher in a new era. I think you can say the heartbeat of racing at Action City is alive and well.”
Joe Buckles can be reached by mail at the Tribune-Star, P.O. Box 149, Terre Haute, IN 47808.
Trackside
Idling Action Track will shift gears to new promoter
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