ROCKINGHAM — Commissioners reiterated their firm stance that all monies going toward the Speedway from the state should be used to get the track “race-ready” for NASCAR.
Richmond County Finance Director Cary Garner shared information regarding the NC Motorsports Pass Through Grant with the Board of Commissioners Tuesday evening.
In May of 2022, Pandemic Recovery Grants totaling $45.8 million were distributed to 17 venues in North Carolina. by the Department of Commerce The Rockingham Speedway was granted $9 million and the Rockingham Dragway received $485,000.
Garner stated that they made a request in October of 2022 for $3 million for paving and resurfacing of the track, followed by a request of just over a million in October of 2023. Garner said about $450,000 of that second request have already been spent.
The third and final request of $4.99 million will be used for 17 different areas of improvements at the Speedway pending board approval. Multiple commissioners raised concerns about $1.2 million listed in the request for Little Rock, a half-mile track built behind the backstretch.
“We’re just the conduit,” Garner said about the request, noting that they’re simply moving this along to the Department of Commerce. “All we can do is ask and then funnel, appropriate everything as they’ve appropriated to us on a reimbursement basis of course.”
Newly-appointed Vice Chairman Dr. Rick Watkins sought to codify the concerns of the commissioners in a motion. Watkins recommended that the $4.99 million request for earmarked improvements at the Speedway be approved, with a stipulation that Commerce prioritize spending on the Speedway, and retain the $1.2 million request for Little Rock until the other major projects are completed and the track is “race-ready.”
Commissioner Andy Grooms said he had concerns about approving this request that includes over a million dollars for something that will not entice a major racing entity to return to Rockingham.
“Are you pretty confident that Commissioner Watkins motion covers what we’re talking about?” Grooms asked Garner. “My biggest thing…is for that track. I want it to go the big track. I don’ t want anything that comes through this board…necessarily saying that we agree that you [Commerce] can look at this and spend it how you want. I want what we vote on…to go to that track and bring back NASCAR.”
County Manager Bryan Land and Garner agreed with the concerns expressed by Grooms, while still lending support to the verbiage of Dr. Watkin’s motion. They reaffirmed that the motion is adequate and diligent enough to quell any concerns about where the commissioners desire this money be spent.
Watkins stated that the language of his motion recognizes that the Commissioners don’t have the statutory authority to require Commerce to do anything, but it does make a request of what their wishes are in terms of spending funds as Commissioners.
“I think this board would agree that our number one goal here is to get NASCAR back in Rockingham,” Watkins responded.
Grooms also asked if there was anyway that this $1.2 million could be allocated to a different venue if Commerce saw fit, which Garner replied that the funds would be held for the Speedway to submit another request to exercise those funds. Commissioner Justin Dawkins also noted a computational error in one of the bids, which Garner said has been corrected since that document was initially shared.
Re-appointed Chairman Jeff Smart presented the motion the board, with six votes of support and Dawkins as the lone dissenting vote.
Smart asked that Garner keep the commissioners updated with how the Speedway-pertinent funding is being spent, allocated and used. Garner said he receives a disbursement plan every few weeks that he will keep the board apprised of.
“The obvious goal… [is] getting NASCAR back,” Smart concluded. “Not only for financial reasons, but for quality of life. Bring it back. Let’s bring racing back to the rock. That’s what we are doing this for.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Commissioner Grooms voted against the motion; the article has been updated to reflect that only Commissioner Dawkins voted against the motion.
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