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Jan 10, 1999 DeSoto Speedway Sale Pending?
DeSoto Speedway will host the season opener for the American Speed Association (ASA) on March 28th. The big question is will the DeSoto Speedway be under new ownership when March rolls around. The speedway is probably going to be sold in the next six weeks. Who will be the new owner is the question. The speedway has said there will be an announcement at the Awards Banquet later this month.
DeWayne Musick, who has owned the speedway longer than anyone, probably saved the track from being turned into grazing land or a housing development when he bought the track in 1991. Tom Stimus, one of Manatee’s most flamboyant citizens at the time, had lost the ownership of the track to NCNB bank.
Musick purchased the property at the ensuing bank auction for $500,000. The speedway facility includes 38 acres, the asphalt track, a 6,500 seat grandstand, pit tower and press box. It is one of Florida’s finest speedways and sits adjacent to the DeSoto Memorial Speedway. The track reopened under Musick’s guidance in May, 1991.
The best guess is that when the ASA launches it’s 1999 schedule at DeSoto Speedway in March that the new owners will be in place. Though there have been rumors that a Carolina group is purchasing the track, our sources tell us the speedway is being purchased by an Indiana group who have a strong racing background.
Though DeSoto is one the most attractive venues among drivers in the State, there are some things that need to be fixed. The asphalt in turns three and four is in dire need of repair, and though exciting for fans is a nightmare for some drivers. Also there are a number of drivers and crew who feel the purses should be adjusted to a more realistic level to keep the competition level high. Promoter Todd Merikle in first year on the job made some real progress in bringing back the excitement that DeSoto had been known for in years past. His work in the community on behalf of the speedway is helping to bring back fans who have stayed away over the last several years. Desoto Speedway is 9 miles east of I-75 from the Route 64 exit near Bradenton. Sunshine Speedway (near the St. Petersburg Airport) and Charlotte County Speedway (near the Punta Gorda Airport) are both within a 45 minute drive of DeSoto Speedway. East Bay Raceway in Gibsonton is one the State’s hottest dirt tracks and is also within a 45 minute drive of DeSoto Speedway. Some people feel this a detriment to the success of each of the tracks. And other say that is ‘hogwash’ and the answer is to get more cooperation between the tracks.
Hmm..maybe they are onto something.
-Jack Smith |
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