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New Orleans International Raceway Park

Discussion in 'Louisiana' started by gerard.hansen, May 25, 2007.

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Do you think a motorsports park can be built in NOLA?

  1. Yes

  2. Maybe

  3. No way

  4. Build it in Mississippi

Multiple votes are allowed.
Results are only viewable after voting.
  1. gerard.hansen

    gerard.hansen Formula Junior

    Jun 29, 2004
    665
    Hattiesburg/Petal MS
    Full Name:
    Gerard D. Hansen
    #1 gerard.hansen, May 25, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Just thought I would share this plan with everyone. Mobile AL has a track going in and Gulfport has a proposed IRL race in the works. Do you think there would be any chance of doing a track in the New Orleans area?
    This features a dragstrip, small oval and three road course layouts.
    I know it's been proposed before and had little success. Perhaps with the need for new enterprises in the area post Katrina. I know that Homestead-Miami was built after Hurricane Andrew.
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  2. fletch62

    fletch62 Formula Junior

    Mar 8, 2004
    333
    Fairhope, AL
    Full Name:
    Larry Fletcher
    #2 fletch62, May 25, 2007
    Having been born in LA and lived 38 of my 44 years there, I think LA has way too much corruption and uncertainty to get the kind of backing and investment needed for a project like this. If it were me doing it I would look at MS just over the stste line, close to NO and you don't have to fool with the LA crooks to get it done.

    Larry
     
  3. Evil Buddha

    Evil Buddha Karting

    Apr 8, 2007
    244
    Nine Mile Point LA
    Full Name:
    Mitchell
    #3 Evil Buddha, May 25, 2007
    A big 2nd!
     
  4. Dave328

    Dave328 Formula 3

    Nov 24, 2002
    2,133
    Katy
    Full Name:
    Dave
    #4 Dave328, May 26, 2007
    There is absolutely NO WAY a track of that scale will EVER be built in the NO area. Period. Way too many POS politico's are standing in the way with their hands out. (palm up, of course!)

    Dave
     
  5. PWehmer

    PWehmer Formula 3

    Oct 15, 2002
    1,733
    Surrounded by Water
    #5 PWehmer, May 26, 2007
    Anything is possible but the civil costs to develop a site like that would be large in this area. Also tourist draws other then the Quarter don't seem to go well. Look at Jazzland/6 Flags.

    The political machine in the area could be an issue but really that is a bit of a stereotype.

    One issue is that it's a dense area & wherever you wanted to build would result in lawsuits from residents complaining about potential noise/traffic and such.

    That I figure is the reason No Problem is where it is- rural enough that no one complains.

    I do have good memories of the Mardi Gras Grand Prix they had down here for a couple years. While the track layout was weak the location was terrific.
     
  6. gerard.hansen

    gerard.hansen Formula Junior

    Jun 29, 2004
    665
    Hattiesburg/Petal MS
    Full Name:
    Gerard D. Hansen
    #6 gerard.hansen, May 26, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Thanks for the replies. I had dealings with New Orleans officials in the past. Before the Grand Prix du Mardi Gras, I proposed a downtown CART/PPG Indy Car World Series race in 1986. This article ran in the Times Picayune on May 25, 1986. The city delayed everything and CART set the schedule with out New Orleans. They gave a contract to a promoter from St. Petersburg Fla to run a SCCA race and it was cancelled a month before it was scheduled to be run. You may remember it as the Coca Cola Racefest. It took until 1991 before the IMSA race was held. The first year they used a track around the Rivergate and next year moved it to the Dome as I had proposed in 1986.

    We first met with NASCAR on Mardi Gras Day in '86 to talk with them about a new series they had in the works GNLR which was Grand National Left Right. They were downisizing the cars and wanted to run some street races with the scaled down verson of the cup car. Summerset Regals and that type. They never developed the series but Bobby Allison ran one in the 24hr race that year to test. When we met they told us that they felt Louisiana was "politically unstable". They "International Speedway Corp." at one time were approached to manage the Superdome and they got a taste for the LA political climate. They suggested we talk with John Bishop at IMSA and we did as well as talking with CART officials.
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  7. JSinNOLA

    JSinNOLA Two Time F1 World Champ
    Sponsor Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Mar 18, 2002
    20,258
    Denver, CO
    #7 JSinNOLA, May 29, 2007
    Would love to see it happen, but it will still be 5-7 years before we can present a viable enough city to attract and guarantee any solid investment by private parties/organizations.

    I don't think the $$$ will be there unless we show success with the completion of the new(large) warehouse dist. condos going up like Tracage, the completion of the Jazz Park around the Superdome, and the opening of the 64 story Trump Hotel and Tower downtown.

    Again, that looks to be several years off before those three things are completed. So maybe at that point it can happen, but now there are way too many things up in the air to get any solid commitments or meaningful leg work on this type of project.

    But me being the optimist that I am, I lean towards this city being MUCH improved 5 years from now. Especially once we get a competent and PERSUASIVE governor in office the next time around. Which, amazingly, it looks like we are headed that way.
     
  8. JSinNOLA

    JSinNOLA Two Time F1 World Champ
    Sponsor Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Mar 18, 2002
    20,258
    Denver, CO
    #8 JSinNOLA, May 29, 2007
  9. Cajun

    Cajun Formula 3

    Mar 20, 2004
    1,618
    Da BY-U
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    MJG
    #9 Cajun, May 30, 2007
    I forgot all about those!!! BUT I did remember the rap!!! :)
     
  10. JSinNOLA

    JSinNOLA Two Time F1 World Champ
    Sponsor Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Mar 18, 2002
    20,258
    Denver, CO
    #10 JSinNOLA, May 30, 2007
    It's the best part!!!

    lol

    By the way, Liz is back in town now(and 21 :D) ). We should all do dinner soon. I'll talk to her about her friends...
     

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