Possible new race track in San Diego County!

[SDGT3]

Pala Casino off the I-15 has broken ground on a motorsports facility on their land. Given the uncertainty of the Q, this may be something not only PCA, but all of the local clubs may be interesting in pursuing. According to their website, www.palaraceway.com they have an off road course right now and karting and road course forthcoming. Apparently they had a portion of the road course paved, but had to tear it down due to geological problems. The website claims they are going to redesign it. This could be an incredible opportunity for the club and we might want to express our support to the tribal leaders in completing this project.

[Rsylvestri]

Looks like all MX, ATV & one kart track

[SDGT3]

That's what the map looks like, but if you click on Automobile it explains the road course.

[Autobahn]

That would we wonderful to have a local track. Unfortunately the hard core environmentalists will block it every time. I have a good customer that has worked with big money groups for over 15 years to try and build tracks close to San Diego. The money is there, the land is there and it still can't get done. Imagine driving 45min to an awesome track. I really hope they pull it off!!!

[Mike]

Ethand posted photos of the Pala track a while back.
Back then they were tossing this plan around.

[SDGT3]

I'll be the first to say "I'll believe it when I see it" and that still holds true, but I went over the press release and the tribe claims they have endured 5 years in getting all the federal, environmental, and whatever else permits necessary to build it.

It obviously looks like a hybrid in catering to the motorcycle/off road crowd and a country club type setting. My point is that the local car clubs should probably be in touch with the developer (not the tribe as the press release states that all inquires be directed to MX of Encinitas)to express an interest in the use of a true multi-use motorsport facility for the region.

[Bob McLaughlin]

Native American land falls under different laws. Hopefully, this group will be able to complete the project.

[Dan Chambers]

Okay: a little insight:

Last summer I worked at the former Vulcan cement works and quary on the Pala Reservation. It's right on Hwy 76. Currently, the site is finalizing a groundwater issue between Pala and Vulcan, and settlement is imanent.


I met the race-facility developer (one of them anyway) one day on site who showed me the construction plans of the upcoming facility. Currently there are no "immediate" plans for a road course. They are going to focus on BMX, Motocross racing (hoping to get a National racing sponsorship to replace the old Carlsbad Raceway Motocross races), atv, and mtn.bike/single-track recreation area. Also in the plans: camping and hiking.

When I mentioned my interest in P-car racing and my afilliation with PCA he said the original plans were to build a road-course. Unfortunately, shallow groundwater and extensive grading to "smooth out" the rather dramatic elevational changes would require fairly expensive topographic changes. Additionally, the site sits on shallow "overburden" atop very hard granitic bedrock that would have to be removed (can you say blasting?) in order to achieve a raceway configuration with any speed potential. This, according to the developer. My two months out there lends me to the opinion that, based on his original plans, he's right. The site is in a basin that runs up into the mtns. just west of Palomar, and it's pretty tough country. Bedrock is shallow, and even "daylights" in several areas on site. Tough to smooth out.

However, if the more southerly portions of the facility were re-configured, there might be some potential for a road-course. Good luck on that, though. The "environmentally sensitive" areas are part of the environmental impact-swap the faciltiy is required to maintain. Remember, the SLR river is right there, on the other side of the hwy., so watershed impacts will be closely monitored.

It would be great to have a road course that close to home, and I'd be right there in a heart-beat to drive it. But based on my work up there, it'd be a tough, slow, quick elevation-change course ... kinda like the track above Streets of Willow.

[ronaldtrotter]

Darn Dan,

You spoil all the dreams and wishes of the rest of us who have no clue as to what you said about ground water, swamp, and over burden.

[Dan Chambers]

Darn Dan,

You spoil all the dreams and wishes of the rest of us who have no clue as to what you said about ground water, swamp, and over burden.

Sigh ..... sometimes I feel over-burdened. You know ... ignorance is bliss. But .... what does that say for a tiny bit of knowledge?

There is a silver lining to this. They were initially looking into a road course. That seems to indicate to me that there are people out there with the idea and a desire of a road-course needing to be built. I'm optimistic....

Now, if we can just convince the local politician to stop giving away good raceway lands to the housing developers, we might get somewhere. Can you say SDAG + BIA = Love? Just ask the McMillin's.

[Mike]

Dano, Thanks for the inside info!

[4est]

I can't afford a track near San Diego. My monthly budget for tires alone would be prohibitive.

[LUCKY DAVE]

I wouldn't be holding your breath guys.......the road course seems to be planned for phase 23,786 of the developement.

[terryb]

I got a reply from Kirk Chandler at Pala about the proposed track. I would think the more interest we show the more inclined they may be to pursue it. Here's a link to send a comment - http://www.palaraceway.com/contactus.asp

Thanks for your interest in Pala Raceway. The status of the road
course is that it is in the preliminary planning phase. We had
originally planned on using over half of the off road site for a
road course, unfortunately the soil conditions that were left behind
from the former sand/gravel mine did not allow for the compaction
necessary to build a good road course that would last without
sinking and buckling the asphalt.

We have heard the requests and see the need for a road course in San
Diego and we would like to be the ones to provide that to San Diego
motor sports enthusiasts. Stay tuned for more details.

Thanks again,

Kirk Chandler
Pala Raceway
1-888-PALA-MX1