EL CAJON, California -- At a point in time when the Cajon Speedway should be hitting high gear for the 2005 season, track promoters are now wondering if the famed racing facility will be operating at all this year. The news of problems at Cajon Speedway, a three eighths of a mile NASCAR sanctioned oval near San Diego-California, came on January 5th from Kevin Brucker whose family has been promoting races at the track since 1961.
The short, and to the point, press release issued by Brucker indicated there were a variety of reasons why his family could not operate the speedway this year. Chief among those reasons is a land lease with San Diego County that is up for renewal this August. The Cajon Speedway sits in the middle of a large industrial complex and that location seems to be the core of any reluctance by San Diego County officials to renew the speedway's lease. County officials there have expressed an interest in giving the area a redevelopment facelift that will entice the private sector from the aerospace industry to relocate there.
However the question has already been raised: why can't the Cajon Speedway and any public-private sector, such as the aerospace industry, co exist in the industrial park? Mark Norris and Bo Lemler truly believes it is indeed possible and are in the process of trying to prove it by acquiring a sublease from the Brucker family, to open the speedway for the 2005 season, and followed by a new long term lease from San Diego County that will keep the track operational for many years to come.
Do not make the mistake of thinking that these two men jumped out of the speedway grandstand with stars in their eyes and a sudden whim to go into the racing business. They, in fact, are bringing a lot of experience to the table. 55 year old Mark Norris is a Ramona, California based car builder who raced at the Cajon Speedway for over 20 years and won three track titles there. He also has prior experience as a race promoter at the Yuma Speedway. 61 year old Bo Lemler is a well known driver from the old Ascot Speedway days, near Los Angeles, in the 1980's and enjoyed considerable success as a nationally ranked road racer with the IMSA Series. Both are reported to be astute businessmen. Their combined racing and business experience is likely the one thing that Cajon Speedway needs the most right now.
At this writing Norris and Lemler are still working on the arrangement to sublease the track from the Brucker family. That process appears to be heading in a positive direction according to a January 21st statement issued on the speedway's official website. That statement said "as many of you have heard, Mark Norris and Bo Lemler have been working on a deal to rent the track from the Brucker family and operate it this year. Nothing has been formerally signed yet. But Kevin Brucker said we could tell everyone they are in basic agreement on the terms of the arrangement. There are still a few kinks to be ironed out, the grandstand is due for an inspection this year, so there is still the possibility that something could happen to upset the apple cart so we can't say for sure everything is settled. Under the agreement, Cajon Speedway would continue to be a NASCAR sanctioned track."
Once that sublease is agreed upon, the battle to save Cajon Speedway is only half won. The speedway's survival will then become dependent upon the availability of the long term lease from county officials. Norris and Lemler have made it clear they are willing to develop the property but will not consider doing it on a year to year basis. Recent published reports, from "The San Diego Tribune", indicate the two men will be asking the county to lease them the land the speedway resides on, and the adjacent parking lot, until the year 2015. They have also emphatically stated their belief that, if the track goes dark during the 2005 season, it will be virtually imposible to revive it again and bring it back to its former glory.
At a point in time when stock car racing in the western states is at an all time high this is not the time to be losing a race track. This is especially true of a race track with such a rich and colorful history. Since the track opened in 1961 approximately 4 million fans have attended races there and that's why Cajon Speedway is one of the most successful tracks in the western states area. In 43 three years there has been nearly 1,400 nights of racing with 595 different drivers in victory lane following nearly 3,200 main events according to the track's historical records.
The rich history of the Cajon Speedway alone says all efforts should be made to save it from closure. To all west coast racing fans, who have enjoyed many fine nights at the speedway, perhaps it's time we express our appreciation by getting directly involved in this issue. Letters and emails to San Diego County officials would be a good start. Officials there need to be reminded of the track's history, entertainment value to the community and the economic value to the county. The Cajon Speedway has been a long time tax revenue source for San Diego County. A lot of the teams, and fans, who come to the speedway on race nights are from out of town and that often translates into tourism dollars spent at local motels and restaurants. Perhaps it's time for NASCAR to weigh in on this issue. A well timed letter from Daytona Beach, Florida would likely have a very positive influence on county officials.
The efforts of Mark Norris and Bo Lemler to save the Cajon Speedway should be applauded and supported
