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Corbin Motor Speedway Set To Reopen In April
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After three years of silence, the roar of racing engines will once again emanate from the historic Corbin Speedway race track.
Sixty-one-year-old Corbin native Jerry Brock reached an agreement with the group that purchased the speedway in April on a one-year lease with an option to lease it in 2017.
“I’ve raced for a long time,” Brock said, noting when the speedway closed, competitors who wanted to continue racing had to travel 135 miles to the track at Newport, Tennessee to do so.
Brock said approximately 40 fellow racers, some from as far as Paducah, have volunteered their time to help get the track open.
“It has really surprised me,” Brock said of the response when he began working on this early last year.
“It is kind of running wild,” he said.
Brock said a drivers meeting will be held March 5 at the track to get a more accurate appraisal of the number of competitors to expect when racing returns on April 2.
“We will be taking it through the first four months,” Brock said. “By July 15, we will let them know if it is going on.”
In addition to the weekly racing on Saturday nights, Brock said plans are in the works for special racing events on Memorial Day and Independence Day.
Sitting dormant for three years, parts of the facility, particularly the stands have fallen into disrepair.
Brock said with the first year being an experiment, the only repairs made will be those that ensure the safety of the fans and the competitors.
“Changes will come in the future,” Brock said.
Admission prices are still being finalized. Brock said admission to the grandstands will be $8 to $10 and approximately $30 for the pits.
“We don’t want to overcharge,” Brock said.
Corbin Motor Speedway has a Facebook page where updates are being posted and a countdown is underway to opening night.
Corbin Motor Speedway is located off of Cumberland Falls Highway.
The facility began life has a half-mile dirt track. On Aug. 29, 1954 it hosted a NASCAR race, which was won by Lee Petty, father of NASCAR legend Richard Petty.
The current track is a half-mile banked asphalt oval.
Sixty-one-year-old Corbin native Jerry Brock reached an agreement with the group that purchased the speedway in April on a one-year lease with an option to lease it in 2017.
“I’ve raced for a long time,” Brock said, noting when the speedway closed, competitors who wanted to continue racing had to travel 135 miles to the track at Newport, Tennessee to do so.
Brock said approximately 40 fellow racers, some from as far as Paducah, have volunteered their time to help get the track open.
“It has really surprised me,” Brock said of the response when he began working on this early last year.
“It is kind of running wild,” he said.
Brock said a drivers meeting will be held March 5 at the track to get a more accurate appraisal of the number of competitors to expect when racing returns on April 2.
“We will be taking it through the first four months,” Brock said. “By July 15, we will let them know if it is going on.”
In addition to the weekly racing on Saturday nights, Brock said plans are in the works for special racing events on Memorial Day and Independence Day.
Sitting dormant for three years, parts of the facility, particularly the stands have fallen into disrepair.
Brock said with the first year being an experiment, the only repairs made will be those that ensure the safety of the fans and the competitors.
“Changes will come in the future,” Brock said.
Admission prices are still being finalized. Brock said admission to the grandstands will be $8 to $10 and approximately $30 for the pits.
“We don’t want to overcharge,” Brock said.
Corbin Motor Speedway has a Facebook page where updates are being posted and a countdown is underway to opening night.
Corbin Motor Speedway is located off of Cumberland Falls Highway.
The facility began life has a half-mile dirt track. On Aug. 29, 1954 it hosted a NASCAR race, which was won by Lee Petty, father of NASCAR legend Richard Petty.
The current track is a half-mile banked asphalt oval.
