Randy Blaylock
Highlander Motorsports
For those of you that aren't yet aware, there is a new racing venue project under development in Mason County, near Shelton WA, called The Ridge Motorsports Park. This venue includes a fantastic road course, that's oriented towards the club racer, conceived and developed by members of our very own Conference family.
This project is not oriented towards pro racing, it's not a high dollar country club deal, it's not a taxpayer subsidized NASCAR oval. It's a facility for you and me, to continue to race at the club level for years to come, where other local tracks may cease to exist because of encroaching development, noise complaints, or other political pressures.
The road course layout was designed by pro racer Johannes Van Overbeek, and has multiple configurations available, with several challenging and exciting geographic features included. There will also be a drag strip, and possibly other types of racing features oriented towards the amateur in the future.
As with any project of this scope, especially a motorsports oriented facility in this political climate, there are multiple hurdles that need to be overcome. Much progress has been made to date, and the next step is to successfully argue for a change to the local noise ordinance, that will permit the project to continue to move forward.
One of the best ways to ensure the success of this change is to demonstrate to the Mason County Commissioners that there is a population of people that are interested in this project, that will support this project as customers of the facility when it's finished, bringing dollars into the Mason County coffers.
There is a meeting planned to consider this ordinance change, where our attendance will make a material difference. There is a small group of people that are opposed to the project that will no doubt be there to express their opinion, as is their right. Just as it is our right as citizens and motorsports enthusiasts to express our opinion supporting the project.
In government decisions, numbers matter, both dollars and faces. We don't need any dollars, just your presence at this meeting, in overwhelming numbers compared to the naysayers. We need to show the Mason County Commissioners that approving this change and allowing the project to move forward is the right decision for the County because of the bottom line; the dollars that will come to Mason County from the direct operation of the facility and the collateral dollars of food, lodging, gas, etc...
The meeting will be held Tuesday May 4, 2010 at 9:30 a.m.. The meeting location is; Mason County Courthouse, Building 1, Commission Chambers, 411 North Fifth Street in Shelton, WA.
I have seats available for anyone that wants to carpool with me. Maybe we can start a roll call here to organize a caravan or something.
Please consider attending the meeting and supporting your own motorsports future. After the meeting, there will be a visit and tour of the site, with a pizza feed. Come check it out.
Please also show your support by commenting in favor of the project on the blog. There more supportive comments the better, let's push the count over 100.
Here's a link to the homepage, the blog is linked on the site: http://www.raceinmason.com/
Please feel free to copy and paste or cross post this message to other forums, blogs etc.. that can help build attendance. The more people that come to the meeting the better, even if most of us have to stand outside.
This project is not oriented towards pro racing, it's not a high dollar country club deal, it's not a taxpayer subsidized NASCAR oval. It's a facility for you and me, to continue to race at the club level for years to come, where other local tracks may cease to exist because of encroaching development, noise complaints, or other political pressures.
The road course layout was designed by pro racer Johannes Van Overbeek, and has multiple configurations available, with several challenging and exciting geographic features included. There will also be a drag strip, and possibly other types of racing features oriented towards the amateur in the future.
As with any project of this scope, especially a motorsports oriented facility in this political climate, there are multiple hurdles that need to be overcome. Much progress has been made to date, and the next step is to successfully argue for a change to the local noise ordinance, that will permit the project to continue to move forward.
One of the best ways to ensure the success of this change is to demonstrate to the Mason County Commissioners that there is a population of people that are interested in this project, that will support this project as customers of the facility when it's finished, bringing dollars into the Mason County coffers.
There is a meeting planned to consider this ordinance change, where our attendance will make a material difference. There is a small group of people that are opposed to the project that will no doubt be there to express their opinion, as is their right. Just as it is our right as citizens and motorsports enthusiasts to express our opinion supporting the project.
In government decisions, numbers matter, both dollars and faces. We don't need any dollars, just your presence at this meeting, in overwhelming numbers compared to the naysayers. We need to show the Mason County Commissioners that approving this change and allowing the project to move forward is the right decision for the County because of the bottom line; the dollars that will come to Mason County from the direct operation of the facility and the collateral dollars of food, lodging, gas, etc...
The meeting will be held Tuesday May 4, 2010 at 9:30 a.m.. The meeting location is; Mason County Courthouse, Building 1, Commission Chambers, 411 North Fifth Street in Shelton, WA.
I have seats available for anyone that wants to carpool with me. Maybe we can start a roll call here to organize a caravan or something.
Please consider attending the meeting and supporting your own motorsports future. After the meeting, there will be a visit and tour of the site, with a pizza feed. Come check it out.
Please also show your support by commenting in favor of the project on the blog. There more supportive comments the better, let's push the count over 100.
Here's a link to the homepage, the blog is linked on the site: http://www.raceinmason.com/
Please feel free to copy and paste or cross post this message to other forums, blogs etc.. that can help build attendance. The more people that come to the meeting the better, even if most of us have to stand outside.
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