High Plains Motor Speedway in need of funds

CLOVIS — High Plains Motor Speedway organizers say the needs at the facility are lapping available funding.

The city’s parks, recreation and beautification committee discussed how to meet the speedway’s needs during its Monday evening meeting.

Brad Harris, general manager of the facility, said the track is in a precarious position with lighting and seating, and petitioned the committee to consider putting money toward the purchase of new equipment.

“The current lights are pretty much obsolete, and we’re out of replacement parts,” he said. “We start racing May 6, and if (the lights fail) that just kills us.”

Harris said much of the speedway’s participant vehicles come in from Lubbock or Amarillo, so most of the daily racing doesn’t take place until close to sundown. He identified two turns on the track that are nearly dark enough to be hazardous, and said it would cost approximately $47,000 for 45 new light fixtures for the whole park.

Two new bleachers, valued at over $24,000 each, will provide seating capacity for 800 people.

Harris recommended dividing the $13,000 remaining of the department’s easement money toward the two projects.

Members of the committee were interested in assisted in supporting the speedway but wanted to explore alternatives to purchasing new equipment.

Parks Director Mark Dayhoff said the city might be able to donate a couple of used bleachers, but they would require modifications before coming up to code — specifically, new steel rails welded on the end.

Harris was open to the idea and said speedway officials could supply the welding.

Commissioner Tom Martin asked where the speedway stands in relation to the city’s other obligations, but was open to exploring more possibilities at the department’s finance committee meeting next month.

The park may well deserve some attention, he said, especially “if you’ve been going 25 years and it’s been held together with duct tape and bailing wire.”

“It is a park, it belongs to the city, and I think we should be able to do something,” said Mayor Pro Tem Juan Garza. “But how much is too much.”

The committee hopes to nail totals down in three weeks time, and come back with numbers to their April 24 meeting. Any recommendation would require approval from the Clovis City Commission.