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MMS will have her date in Circuit Court on November 24th 2008 and we hope to see everyone there! A new petition has been uploaded to the petition page so print them out and get them turned in to Mr. Knox ASAP!!"
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10-08-08 MMS owner Bobby Knox will have a Driver/Fan/Owner/Supporter meeting at MMS at 2:00 pm this Sunday October 12th please show up and support MMS we will also have petitions to hand out so you can get signatures before the Board of Adjustment meeting on October 16th.
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Local racer buys Montgomery Motor Speedway
From: Josh Moon Montgomery Advertiser
Montgomery, AL - - Bobby Knox, who owns Shelby Concrete Inc. in Montgomery, reached an agreement to buy the speedway early last week and finalized the sale Friday, according to Doug Carwyle, who helped broker the deal.
"All of the money changed hands on Friday," Carwyle said. "It's official and there will be a race there by the end of the fall."
Carwyle, who is serving as a consultant now and could become the track's general manager, said that race will be a small but important event.
Issues over the track's license ended a deal former MMS owner Bill Manfull had with NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Rick Crawford. One of Crawford's demands was that the track be licensed to operate by the city of Montgomery.
At a hearing, the Montgomery Board of Adjustment refused to grant that license to Crawford until he reached an agreement with a group of homeowners who had protested the return of racing to MMS.
During the hearing, Manfull's attorneys produced a current operating license from the state of Alabama, which they argued was all the track needed to operate.
"That's the same principle we're working on," Carwyle said. "The lawyers, at the closing, told Bobby that the license is transferable. It says that on the license. They also recommended that we hold a race prior to that license expiring."
Holding a race at MMS is important because the track, which is now in a flood plain, has to hold one racing event each year to maintain its non-conformity status and stay in operation.
According to Carwyle, the event will be held prior to Oct. 1, when the license expires, and will be very small.
"We'll have probably 20 or 25 cars in a pure stock event out here and we'll run 20 or 30 laps," he said. "All proceeds from the race will go to the Catoma Volunteer Fire Department."
From there, the new owner plans to spend the next few months making improvements to the track and the surrounding acreage.
Carwyle said the walls surrounding the track have to be patched and several improvements made. The stands will be replaced, possibly with concrete bleachers. And a new entryway into the pit area will be created.
"One of the biggest complaints we heard from the people around the track was about the drag strip -- that is no more," Carwyle said. "We're going to turn that into the new entry into the pits."
At a meeting at the Catoma Fire Department next Tuesday at 6 p.m., Knox and Carwyle plan to meet with the local homeowners to discuss concerns and lay out several solutions to the problems already raised.
Carwyle said he and Knox had already discussed ways to handle issues with traffic control, noise and events finishing late at night.
"Off-duty sheriff's deputies will control traffic -- one on Booth Road where people exit the speedway and one on Old Selma Highway," he said. "As for noise, we're going to monitor decibel levels and make sure we're not above 100 decibels at 100 feet. We're also going to start all events at 7:30 and be out by 11 p.m."
For the local drivers and fans, just getting racing back to the historic half-mile track is enough for now.
"We're all very hopeful that things will work out and we can get back to regular racing out there," said Jason Mayhan, who has raced several events at MMS and owns a racing parts business. "It's been an up-and-down ride the last couple of months with all that's gone on with Crawford and the people around the track. If we can just get back out there -- that's all we want right now. We'll worry about everything else later."
If everything works as planned, Carwyle said he hopes to hold two race events at MMS each month beginning next March.
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Crawford bows out on buying local racetrack.
By Josh Moon July 25, 2008
The sale of Montgomery Motor Speedway is now on hold.
Rick Crawford will not be buying Montgomery Motor Speedway.
On Wednesday evening, Crawford sent a fax to current MMS owner Bill Manfull explaining he was backing out of the deal. The one-page fax said Crawford would be unable to obtain the necessary licenses and permits before the scheduled closing date and wished Manfull well in finding another buyer.
Late Thursday afternoon Crawford issued a statement through his media relations manager blaming the failed deal on the Montgomery Board of Adjustment's decision last week to delay granting him a license to operate the track.
"It is still my dream to own a racetrack, but I want do it without confrontation," Crawford said. "I appreciate the support that the racing community in Montgomery gave to me and I hope that racing will return to Montgomery in the near future."
Several attempts to reach Crawford Thursday afternoon and evening were unsuccessful.
Crawford's quest to buy MMS met some resistance.
The Board of Adjustment's decision to delay issuing a license was due to approximately 25 homeowners hiring an attorney to fight against the re-opening of the track.
Montgomery attorney Doyle Fuller, who represented the homeowners, argued before the Board during a hearing last Thursday that the track could not reopen because it didn't meet the specifications for buildings in a floodplain. Fuller also outlined the various complaints of several people who live near the track.
The Board asked Crawford to meet with those homeowners and try to solve problems with parking, traffic and noise. Crawford said during the hearing that he had no problem honoring that request. Outside of the meeting, he reiterated his position.
"I would be willing to go on as long as (Manfull) is willing to let us go," Crawford said. "I'm going to try and get this resolved and work with everyone to get this place opened back up. This is my dream. I'm going to keep trying."
Manfull didn't hesitate, saying he was willing to push back the closing date for the sale of the property from July 31 to after Aug. 21, when the next meeting of the Board of Adjustments was scheduled to take place.
For local drivers, the news was a blow. But it's something they're getting used to.
"After the last few years, this is getting to be the norm for us," said Jason Mayhan, who runs Mayhan's Racing Collectibles and also runs an auto racing parts store. "There are a lot of long faces right now, because this was such a good situation for us. It's pretty disappointing the way it's all gone.
Three years ago, after several years of sporadic racing and poor management by a variety of different owners, MMS stopped holding events altogether. Manfull leased the track to a company that used it as a storage facility and local drivers were forced to travel to Birmingham or Mobile for events.
What happens to MMS now isn't clear. Mayhan, who said he spoke with Manfull several times on Wednesday, said he believes Manfull is planning to put the track back up for sale and could be interested in leasing it.
"(Manfull) said he's been working with someone and that he would be open to a lot of things," Mayhan said. "Maybe things can still work out."
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MMS deal at an impasse
By Josh Moon July 18, 2008
The sale of Montgomery Motor Speedway is now on hold.
Tony Griggs, left, and Jason Mayhan of Mayhan's Racing attended a meeting of the Montgomery Board of Adjustment to discuss the reopening of Montgomery Motor Speedway in the City Council chamber on Thursday. (Photos by David Bundy)
Robert Harmon, Doug Carwille and Rick Crawford talk before a meeting to discuss Montgomery Motor Speedway in the Montgomery City Council Chamber on July 17. (David Bundy)
At a contentious meeting of the Montgomery Board of Adjustment on Thursday, board members approved a motion that required potential buyer Rick Crawford and the group of landowners who are protesting the reopening of MMS to meet and try to resolve several issues.
"It seems like you all are very close on most of these issues," said board member Ron Sanders, who introduced the motion. "I think it would be best if you all could go back, get together and resolve this on your own and then come back to us."
Many of those landowners, along with a large throng of people supporting Crawford, packed the City Council chamber for the board meeting. Every seat in the small meeting room was taken and about a dozen people stood in the center aisle during the meeting.
A few of the homeowners in attendance Thursday spoke with Crawford after the meeting. He listened to their concerns, offered his solutions and seemed to at least placate most of them.
"I want to work with everyone and I don't want people to be upset," said Crawford, who is currently fifth in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings. "I think there are solutions to these problems if we'll just work together."
However, as Crawford and a large group of people stood on the sidewalk along Monroe Street at one end of City Hall, the most vocal opponents of the track, along with their attorney, stood chatting at the other end of the block. The two groups didn't mingle.
"There's just nothing they can do about the noise and the traffic out there," said attorney Doyle Fuller, who's representing the homeowners. "We'll be happy to talk with Mr. Crawford. I don't know how much we'll be willing to do."
Delays could put the deal in jeopardy.
According to the closing documents associated with the sale of MMS, a deal for the track must be completed by July 31. Crawford said he likely won't be able to meet with the homeowners within the next two weeks since he'll be in Kentucky and Indianapolis for Truck Series events.
The soonest any deal between Crawford and the homeowners could be approved would be at the next Board of Adjustment meeting on Aug. 21.
Bill Manfull, the current owner of MMS, said he would be willing to push the closing date back if Crawford's interest remained the same. But he said, he can't wait forever.
"If I feel like we're moving forward and everyone's still wanting to make a deal, yeah, I'll work with him," Manfull said. "Most of this is up to Rick right now. If he's willing to continue on, I'm going to continue on."
At one point during Thursday's meeting, it seemed as if all the uproar was for nothing. Manfull's attorney, James Dickens, provided the Board of Adjustment with a copy of a current business license from the State of Alabama, which authorized Montgomery Motor Speedway LLC., to operate as a "racetrack." Upon receiving the license from Dickens, Sanders tossed his hands in the air and said, "Well, there we go. That solves everything."
After some discussion, though, board members were unsure if the business license was enough to automatically grant approval for races to be held at the track.
The sticking point was the track's non-conformity status. Because the area around MMS is a floodplain, the track has to be granted an exemption to operate. It had that exemption due to the fact that it was in operation prior to the zoning of the area.
Fuller is arguing that it lost that status when it shut down for two years to serve as a holding facility for Hyundai cars. Dickens, however, said the track never closed and always maintained an office with a working phone and at least one employee.
"At no time was the track ever closed," Dickens said. "There were no professional races held at the track, but it was open. And it served as a racetrack. (Manfull) and his friends, who are racers, used it several times."
Outside of the meeting, Crawford, surrounded by supporters wearing "Bring Back The Track" T-shirts, said he was still committed to buying MMS.
"I would be willing to go on as long as (Manfull) is willing to let us go," Crawford said. "I'm going to try and get this resolved and work with everyone to get this place opened back up. This is my dream. I'm going to keep trying."
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Crawford says MMS can be showcase
By Josh Moon June 25, 2008
With one rather expensive purchase, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Rick Crawford has elevated himself to near legendary status in Montgomery racing circles.
In a phone interview with the Montgomery Advertiser from his shop in Concord, N.C., Crawford talked Tuesday about his newfound popularity in Montgomery, his plans for the track and the expectations he has for MMS.
Q: You're a popular a guy around here. The local drivers are excited about racing returning and even more excited that a well-known face and name will be running the show. You'll obviously have local support, but where do you start?
A: First, some of this is a little premature because we've still got one last hurdle to clear before this deal is done -- the license from the city. We've done everything else and the money has been sent to the auction company, but we still need the license. But I can speculate, I guess. There are several things I want to do, and it's great that the local folks are behind us. When I took a tour of the track (last week), I saw that it could be a showplace. There's some work that needs to be done to the track surface -- nothing major. We need to fix the walls. I'd like to replace the grandstands. Just several things need to be done to make it into a place fans want to come to -- a place the local community can be proud of again.
With all of that in mind, when do you foresee holding the first events at the track?
I think we can have something on the schedule for the
fall of this year. That's the plan right now. My main thing -- and I want people to understand this -- is I want to put out a great product. We're not going to do things halfway. So, when we get into this a little and feel comfortable that we can put on a quality event that fans will enjoy, we'll do that. We're planning right now on that coming this fall.
There was a major rift between the old owner and a lot of the local drivers. Those guys have some bad feelings. Some of them have stopped racing. Do you think you can get them back?
I hope so. That's one of my top goals -- to get the local community involved. And that especially includes those drivers around there and throughout the state. They'll be very important to what we want to accomplish. I think my name
and where I've come from -- going from the short tracks of Alabama to winning at Daytona -- I think a lot of them will trust that I'll make things right out there. And once they see how we're running things, I think we can keep them around.
Given your name and your status (Crawford is fifth in the Craftsman Truck points race), is it safe to assume that a few of NASCAR biggest names might show up at the track for events?
I think that's a pretty safe assumption. I have some guys who owe me some favors and I'm planning on asking for some favors. I'm going to do this like old (Montgomery racing promoter) Bob Harmon used to do and pull a rabbit out of my hat. I'll admit right up front that I'm new at this, that I've never owned a track and put on events. But I also have high expectations. And I know how this works. You give fans what they're looking for, it'll make them come back and they'll bring others with them.
There was some discussion about bringing in NASCAR as the sanctioning body for races at MMS, but your associate, Doug Carwyle, said you were against that move. Is that something you plan to revisit? Are you open to instituting NASCAR's rules?
Certainly, I would be open to that. My only holdup and the only reason I wouldn't do that right off is because my main goal is to build racing back up out there. And the best way to do that is to make sure that you keep costs to the drivers as low as possible. Once we build the car base back up and spend a little time promoting our local drivers and making stars out of them, I'd love to go back and look at bringing in NASCAR rules. The thing I want drivers and local race fans to understand is that me and the people we'll hire out there, we'll be open to all suggestions. We'll listen to what they say. I might hang a dang suggestion box out front. This is their track. It won't work without them. I plan to work with them and we'll make this thing a success and something they can be proud of.
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Start your engines: Driver buys MMS
By Josh Moon jmoon@gannett.com June 24, 2008
Montgomery Motor Speedway has a buyer.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Rick Crawford has reached an agreement in principal to buy the half-mile track, according to Doug Carwyle, a local businessman who helped broker the deal.
The only stipulation to the sale is that the city of Montgomery grant a license allowing the track to hold races. Kevin Radvany, who handles public relations for Crawford's race team, said track representatives will make the request with the city licensing board July 17.
"Outside of that one thing, it's a done deal," said Carwyle, who is expected to help manage the track once Crawford takes ownership.
"Rick and (current owner) Bill Manfull have agreed on the price. Rick sent the retainer -- $50,000 -- to the auction company. All that's left is getting that license. If that happens, we go back racing."
Carwyle said Crawford, a Mobile native who is currently fifth in the Craftsman Truck Series points standings, has been involved in the sale of MMS since the auction a month ago. Carwyle was on site that afternoon as Crawford's representative.
"I had an honest conversation with Manfull that day and I found out what it would take to buy it," Carwyle said. "I told Rick that if he offered $575,000, he'd own the track. Or if he wanted to (negotiate) with the guy a little, he could go $565,000. I left it up to him. But he got it done."
Attempts to reach Crawford late Monday evening through Radvany were unsuccessful.
Radvany said Crawford's purchase of the track would have no effect on his participation in the Truck Series.
"This is no different than Tony Stewart owning Eldora Speedway (a small dirt track in Ohio)," Radvany said. "This is something Rick has always said he wanted to do."
The sale of the track puts an end to nearly two months of speculation and rumors that began when Manfull first listed MMS with an auction company in early May.
Local race fans and drivers took particular interest, since any sale could mean the return of racing to the track. Under Manfull's ownership, MMS has been used for two years as a storage facility for Hyundai cars.
"This is absolutely fantastic," said local driver Jason Mayhan, who also owns a racing parts store. "Not only is this an owner who will bring back racing, he's a guy who'll do it right. There won't be any shortcuts with Crawford. This is big time."
Exactly when racing might return to MMS isn't clear.
If all goes smoothly with the licensing issue, Carwyle said there are several improvements that will be needed before the first race is held.
"The track (surface) is in great shape, but there are some cosmetic things that need to be done," he said. "There were some holes cut in the walls so they could drive the Hyundai cars in there, and those have to be fixed. We've actually already got that lined up. There are just some things that need to be done."
Other projects include sealing the racing surface, replacing the grandstands and renovating the adjoining drag strip.
"One thing Rick said was that he wanted to take things slow and not get in a hurry," Carwyle said. "There's no need to rush. Of course, then he said he wanted to hold the Alabama 300 here in November, and that would be rushing a little."
One other possible change that Carwyle is pushing would bring in NASCAR to sanction all races at the track. Should that happen, rules for each racing division would be clearly defined. However, all drivers competing at the track would be required to pay a yearly membership fee and possibly incur other costs.
Carwyle said he was for it, but Crawford is against it.
"That's something I'm going to revisit with him," Carwyle said. "I think it's important and I don't think it would cause that big of a problem. He's worried about the cost to the local guys. My feeling is we're basically starting from scratch around there after (the track sitting dormant for) the last two years."
Start your engines: Driver buys MMS
By Josh Moon • jmoon@gannett.com • June 24, 2008
Montgomery Motor Speedway has a buyer.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Rick Crawford has reached an agreement in principal to buy the half-mile track, according to Doug Carwyle, a local businessman who helped broker the deal.
The only stipulation to the sale is that the city of Montgomery grant a license allowing the track to hold races. Kevin Radvany, who handles public relations for Crawford's race team, said track representatives will make the request with the city licensing board July 17.
"Outside of that one thing, it's a done deal," said Carwyle, who is expected to help manage the track once Crawford takes ownership.
"Rick and (current owner) Bill Manfull have agreed on the price. Rick sent the retainer -- $50,000 -- to the auction company. All that's left is getting that license. If that happens, we go back racing."
Carwyle said Crawford, a Mobile native who is currently fifth in the Craftsman Truck Series points standings, has been involved in the sale of MMS since the auction a month ago. Carwyle was on site that afternoon as Crawford's representative.
"I had an honest conversation with Manfull that day and I found out what it would take to buy it," Carwyle said. "I told Rick that if he offered $575,000, he'd own the track. Or if he wanted to (negotiate) with the guy a little, he could go $565,000. I left it up to him. But he got it done."
Attempts to reach Crawford late Monday evening through Radvany were unsuccessful.
Radvany said Crawford's purchase of the track would have no effect on his participation in the Truck Series.
"This is no different than Tony Stewart owning Eldora Speedway (a small dirt track in Ohio)," Radvany said. "This is something Rick has always said he wanted to do."
The sale of the track puts an end to nearly two months of speculation and rumors that began when Manfull first listed MMS with an auction company in early May.
Local race fans and drivers took particular interest, since any sale could mean the return of racing to the track. Under Manfull's ownership, MMS has been used for two years as a storage facility for Hyundai cars.
"This is absolutely fantastic," said local driver Jason Mayhan, who also owns a racing parts store. "Not only is this an owner who will bring back racing, he's a guy who'll do it right. There won't be any shortcuts with Crawford. This is big time."
Exactly when racing might return to MMS isn't clear.
If all goes smoothly with the licensing issue, Carwyle said there are several improvements that will be needed before the first race is held.
"The track (surface) is in great shape, but there are some cosmetic things that need to be done," he said. "There were some holes cut in the walls so they could drive the Hyundai cars in there, and those have to be fixed. We've actually already got that lined up. There are just some things that need to be done."
Other projects include sealing the racing surface, replacing the grandstands and renovating the adjoining drag strip.
"One thing Rick said was that he wanted to take things slow and not get in a hurry," Carwyle said. "There's no need to rush. Of course, then he said he wanted to hold the Alabama 300 here in November, and that would be rushing a little."
One other possible change that Carwyle is pushing would bring in NASCAR to sanction all races at the track. Should that happen, rules for each racing division would be clearly defined. However, all drivers competing at the track would be required to pay a yearly membership fee and possibly incur other costs.
Carwyle said he was for it, but Crawford is against it.
"That's something I'm going to revisit with him," Carwyle said. "I think it's important and I don't think it would cause that big of a problem. He's worried about the cost to the local guys. My feeling is we're basically starting from scratch around there after (the track sitting dormant for) the last two years."
Carwyle said Crawford, a Mobile native who is currently fifth in the Craftsman Truck Series points standings, has been involved in the sale of MMS since the auction a month ago. Carwyle was on site that afternoon as Crawford's representative.
"I had an honest conversation with Manfull that day and I found out what it would take to buy it," Carwyle said. "I told Rick that if he offered $575,000, he'd own the track. Or if he wanted to (negotiate) with the guy a little, he could go $565,000. I left it up to him. But he got it done."
Attempts to reach Crawford late Monday evening through Radvany were unsuccessful.
Radvany said Crawford's purchase of the track would have no effect on his participation in the Truck Series.
"This is no different than Tony Stewart owning Eldora Speedway (a small dirt track in Ohio)," Radvany said. "This is something Rick has always said he wanted to do."
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