Belle-Clair
 

Attachment 26404...Photo of Little Belleville now...SAD!

Re: Belle-Clair
 

Originally Posted by racenut69:
Attachment 26404...Photo of Little Belleville now...SAD!

Jim Goerge told me that won't lease to anybody

Re: Belle-Clair
 

Re: Belle-Clair
 

Is there a reason they can’t put it up for sale? Went there one time pre Covid on Jims recommendation for POWRI show. Was awesome show, it’s a shame what it looks like now. Don’t know if anyone would buy it but it’s better then letting it turn into a woods.

Re: Belle-Clair
 

Re: Belle-Clair
 

Originally Posted by racenut69:
Rumors that a serious amount of back taxes are owed,but I doubt we will ever know?

Wouldn’t that be public record by the County Treasure’s office? Not sure how Illinois works.

Re: Belle-Clair
 

Belle-Clair Speedway is on the grounds of the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds in Belleville, IL. It's not for sale. I don't imagine it's in danger of turning into "woods" as it is in the middle of town and adjacent to commercial and industrial areas. The more likely danger is the Fair Board deciding that they are tire of dealing with neighbors (who don't really live near) complaining about the noise, dust, and traffic, so they take this opportunity to let it fall into such disrepair that "the only logical course of action" is to bulldoze it and use if for other fairgrounds activities...

Happened in Oklahoma City to the finest speed plant in all the plains. Any track that is inside city limits is in danger. Heck, if it's NEAR a city, it's in danger because somebody is going to decide they want to buy up the cheap land around it (cheap because of the noise and dust). Then, they get the nearby city to annex it and then shut it down because it's "ruining the property values of it's neighbors". Belle-Clair's only neighbors I can see are a sewage treatment plant, but that won't stop them from shuttering it permanently. You have to make sure you put racetrack friendly people on these fair boards and authorities. Otherwise they'll all be gone and you'll have to drive 40 miles to the middle of nowhere to hold a race.

It's a shame. We saw a POWRi micro show there years ago when they still ran the Meents there. It really looked like a fun place.

Re: Belle-Clair
 

As much as I would like to see BC open again since it is only a few minutes from my house, I can't see another race happening there again :13: With the fairgrounds owners having no interest in the track, they're not going to make repairs to the facility. The loose boards have only gotten worse, the bathrooms needed repair before the layoff, the implements have probably not been started in over two years, but maybe the lights would still work.... The track had friends that got along with city hall, but there is a new mayor now. How receptive is she to auto racing? And the people who always complained about the noise would have ammo now, "the track has not run in two years, so why is it now". If someone could get the repairs done, I think they would have a big, hard fight with the city and the neighbors to reopen.

I have no insider information here. This is totally personal opinion. But I think I saw the last race at Little Belleville in Oct 2019. I'm glad my son and I bolted out of our birthday party to see the features that night. :22:

Re: Belle-Clair
 

Originally Posted by Chief Wahoo:
Is there a reason they can’t put it up for sale? Went there one time pre Covid on Jims recommendation for POWRI show. Was awesome show, it’s a shame what it looks like now. Don’t know if anyone would buy it but it’s better then letting it turn into a woods.

Same here... only my recommendation was from "Mr. Funk"
It was great, POWRi midgets & micros
Hope it reopens...:23:

PowrI-WAR Sprint car races were bad ass there too.

Re: Belle-Clair
 

Love that place,simple as that.

I used to tell people that "If there is a more exciting place where they race midgets, I havent found it yet"........

Re: Belle-Clair
 

They had 3 mid-week wing sprint shows there in the 90s, like 97 or 98, I made all three with my car we were doing 7 something second laps. Best finish for me was 3rd all 3 times or 2nd loser all 3 times.

Ran a midget there a bunch in the late 80s. It's a shame to see it go away.

Re: Belle-Clair
 

Fairs are the biggest haters of racing in this country. Remember the Indy mile. Sad things is there was a time when auto racing saved many of those same fairs.

Originally Posted by BrentTFunk:
Fairs are the biggest haters of racing in this country. Remember the Indy mile. Sad things is there was a time when auto racing saved many of those same fairs.

Glad to say there are some exceptions to the overall animosity fairboards have for racing.

Belle Clair was good,I'll take Mighty Macon anytime though JMO.

Originally Posted by PJ Wright:
Glad to say there are some exceptions to the overall animosity fairboards have for racing.

I agree. Sheboygan County Fair Board has been awfully good for a long time, as have the neighbors in Plymouth. If you’ve never been, the track and fairgrounds are in the middle of an old neighborhood. Houses that back up to the back straightaway pits have party decks and can watch the festivities.

Re: Belle-Clair
 

Have had the pleasure of attending midget shows at both Little Belleville and Mighty Macon. Night in, night out I'd rate the racing quality of the midgets about the same giving just a slight edge to Mighty Macon.

Re: Belle-Clair
 

Both are great for sure. I'd have to give a slight edge to Belleville. What a shame to see it now

Re: Belle-Clair
 

My first recollection of racing is at Belle Clair in the 60's. We and hundreds of others rooted for Dandy Don's 28 coupe. Pits in the infield. No fire suits. Standing starts. Flagman down on the track. There was always a car being welded on. The beer guy pushed around a cart with a wash tub full of beer cans and ice. I'm thinking Allied raced three nights back then. We had to pick between burgers and fries at Sandys or racing on Friday nights. Racing normally won. It looks like they didn't pay property tax last year and the tax bill was auctioned off.

Re: Belle-Clair
 

Originally Posted by PJ Wright:
Glad to say there are some exceptions to the overall animosity fairboards have for racing.

Port Royal would be one, Knoxville would be another. both have done a lot for racing.

Re: Belle-Clair
 

I remember the washtub beer guy also...;)

Originally Posted by sw1911:
My first recollection of racing is at Belle Clair in the 60's. We and hundreds of others rooted for Dandy Don's 28 coupe. Pits in the infield. No fire suits. Standing starts. Flagman down on the track. There was always a car being welded on. The beer guy pushed around a cart with a wash tub full of beer cans and ice. I'm thinking Allied raced three nights back then. We had to pick between burgers and fries at Sandys or racing on Friday nights. Racing normally won. It looks like they didn't pay property tax last year and the tax bill was auctioned off.

Re: Belle-Clair
 

Originally Posted by racenut69:
Rumors that a serious amount of back taxes are owed,but I doubt we will ever know?

Do you know who owes the back taxes? I doubt the fair has to pay any. is it the former promoter?

Re: Belle-Clair
 

Originally Posted by BrentTFunk:
Do you know who owes the back taxes? I doubt the fair has to pay any. is it the former promoter?

You can go to the St Clair County property records and see the unpaid tax and the entity that bought the unpaid tax bill. The tax bills are sent to the fairgrounds corporation.

https://stclairil.devnetwedge.com/pa...270315017/2021

Re: Belle-Clair
 

The Belle-Clair Fairgrounds aren't owned by the city, county or state. It is privately owned by a group of individuals Those people makeup what is known as the Belle-Clair Fairboard. It is theirs to sell and they set the price. I've heard they wanted anywhere from 1.3 to 1.5 million for it. If someone did purchase it, then they still have to work with the city on racing there again. Unless there is a contract in place, the property owner is responsible for property taxes. Governments here do not bill a lessee of property but the property owner.