Tracy Press

At the annual competitors’ meetings held at the track Saturday, general manager Jeff Macey announced that the track will add a United States Auto Club sanction to its existing NASCAR license, with the intention to host a national USAC race next year.

And if the two-day event is scheduled on a NASCAR Nextel Cup off-weekend, Altamont could expect a visit from drivers Tony Stewart or Kasey Kahne, Macey said. Both Cup drivers are former sprint car stars.

The track hosted a slew of Western Regional USAC and sprint races in both 2006 and 2007, and received an award from USCAR in 2006 for race organization.

A new open-wheel sprint car class will join the NASCAR Whelen All-American series weekly competition, called the NCMA Altamont Limited Sprints.

Macey also said that the track’s racing school program, where a fan can pay to drive a track-provided car, will return. The track will offer this program in late models and scaled-down modified vehicles.

Beyond that, much will remain the same next season. All of the mainstay races from 2007 will return in 2008, including three SRL Wild West Shootout dates, multiple dates for the Eldorado Westcar Late Model Series, the Big Dog Open Show, Pumpkin Smash Enduro, and 24 Hours of Lemons.

The rule changes to Altamont’s existing car classes are all very small, Macey said. The updated rules should be posted on the track’s Web site soon.

The year’s competition will open in April with a Big Dog open show similar to the October race that helped close the 2007 season.

The track will open to host other events earlier than that, but the exact date is up to Alameda County, Macey said.

The track and county are still wrangling over the track’s efforts to rezone its 86 acres in unincorporated east Alameda County from agricultural use to planned development.

Macey also laid to rest concerns that the continuing saga of Riverside Motorsports Park, the planned 1,200-acre, $250 million racing project in Merced County led by Altamont Motorsports Park CEO and Chairman John Condren, would affect Altamont’s future operations.

“I haven’t even communicated with them on Riverside stuff,” Macey said. “It doesn’t have a thing to do with Altamont.”

The project faces numerous lawsuits, and the Merced Sun Star reported recently that RMP is in arrears with its former legal counsel for close to $150,000.

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written by Doubtful for 2008 , November 21, 2007

I don't understand how Macey can paint such a rosy future for the 2008 Altamont racing season when from what I understand the 2008 season is dependent upon CUP renewal or Rezoning and approval from the county. I also can't understand how he can distance himself from RMP (Riverside Motorsports) when the Altamont is "led by Altamont Motorsports Park CEO and Chairman John Condren". I wonder what source of money the Altamont pulls from if not from RMP who is "in arrears with its former legal counsel for close to $150,000."

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written by Rod , November 21, 2007

Doubtful for 2008....Did you attend the meeting last Saturday? If you did, then how can you post this comment about the upcoming season at Altamont. If you were there, then you would know that the track will be running next year. Get your facts straight before you shoot off stupid rumors.

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written by Doubtful for 2008 , November 22, 2007

Wow rod, did I hit a nerve? Seems like you are a little defensive. Everything that I posted above was either quoted from the article above or verifiable by calling Alameda county or listening to the procedure from the BOS meeting on 11/16. Sounds like you are the one that needs to get your facts straight.

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written by Team Sideways , November 23, 2007

The article fails to point out the fact that the Altamont has received a formal reprimand from Nascar for not abiding by Nascar rules, failing to pay the $74,000 for the grand national event a week late after the contract deadline and also for terrorizing the residents on Midway Road. I'd be surprised if they have Nascar's support next year.