The owners of Capital City Speedway just west of Stittsville are looking for a new operator, with only a few weeks left before the traditional start of racing season.
“We’ve had a couple new guys come along and we’re doing a little dance with them to see if they have the right means of finance and mindset. Running an outdoor stock car track is a total different animal,” says owner Russell Drummond.
UPDATE: Tough to turn a profit on Speedway, says former operator
In December, the Speedway posted a note to their blog stating that a minimum investment of $60,000 was required to run the facility, but Drummond says that’s not necessarily an accurate price.
The previous operator was Todd Gow, who ran the speedway for four years. “We were really sad to see [him] leave, it was a heck of a job he’s done,” says Drummond. “He bought some t-shirts and equipment for the drag strip, and equipment for the drifting. I’m not sure how much he would like to sell for to the next person coming along. It’s probably negotiable.”
Drummond says his family’s construction company has owned the track for the past eight or ten years. They’ve leased it out to an operator every year, except for one.
“It took away attention from our meat-and-potato business. We’re in construction and fuel. Having a family-run business, it’s already tight. We’re not a big corporate company we wear a lot of different hats. We just can’t look after it,” he says.
“The word is out there and we’ve talked to some different people, and hopefully optimistic that something will come out of it. We’re not in panic mode, but sooner would better.”
Besides the investment, Drummond says whoever takes over the lease will have the benefit of pretty much a full staff from the year before.
“There’s only two positions that I know of for sure that we need to have replaced. Our announcer, Motormouth, has retired. Our race director has also retired I believe. It’s only a couple of guys. The advertisers are happy to come back I’m pretty sure.”
And if they don’t find an operator?
“Do you delay the season? I think that’s what would probably happen. Are we hoping that happens? No. But that’s what probably happens. We wouldn’t want to see that. The money that we get form rent probably pays 2/3 of the property taxes on the facility. That’s all we’ve been getting from past lessees. It’s not a money-making venture for us.”
If you’d like to run the Speedway this summer, you can reach Drummond at 613-226-4444.