setting up a race track

There are a couple track operators here. Hopefully they can provide some assistance.

Have a second job! That way, when you realize there's not really much money in owning a local track, you don't lose everything!

Eh, I don't actually know what Texas requires, although I'd imagine it would be beyond the scope of a "small business", so you'd have to license it?

Depends where it is, obviously, but most of Texas is not zoned. I don't think any environmental permitting needed, either. If it's way out in the country, you probably don't need much in the way of permitting, if any. You can't change the natural flow of water, stuff like that.

Where are you thinking of opening something up? I'm in the Houston area.

I would think you would need some sort of approval from the Parks and Recreation Department, or some type of Off-Road permit. That's just me thinking out loud though.

Definitely have a butt-load of insurance for these sue-happy pieces of shit that think the signed waiver doesnt apply to them.

Check on the Austin, Tx. website and see what you come up with.

[quote="mx_ell":33w60h7o]i was hoping that if i was to have a laywer draw up a good waiver it might do the job but i guessing im goin to need liability insurance then. i take it theres no such thing as a bullet proof waiver?[/quote:33w60h7o]


Yep. Every track thats ever been sued probably had their own "bullet-proof" waivers, probably had their lawyers draw them up, too.

I applaud your effort, and I hope it works out well and I get to meet you at the track sometime. Just dont go into it blind or even in a hurry. Take your time, research everything. Learn what has and hasnt worked for these other tracks before tackling it on your own.

Good luck.

You definitely need to talk to a lawyer about liability before you turn the first shovelful of dirt. While you're there, ask about permits, I'm sure that'll be nothing compared to limiting liability.

Anybody thinking of running a track needs to go to some tracks before hand and be involved.

Deal with the weather.

Deal with the peewee parents that think their kid is their retirement plan.

Deal with half the rides complaining it is too dry and the other half complaining it is too wet.

Take a hard look at the profit margins.

Then go open a liquor store or something that you can actually make a decent living at in this economy.

Doing it with the injury rates and severity going up and with the costs of the barfing, good aweful racket and expense of today's fourstrokes is becoming harder and harder.

Go into it with your eyes wide open and good luck.

after you start all this, get yourself a fan base by getting input from the riders, keep a close relationship with them and they'll come. Ask them what they're looking for in a track.

[quote="mx_ell":1liy4q14]thats exactly the plan, the track will be designed based on what the riders want rather than what i think they would like.[/quote:1liy4q14]

Request # 1:

[size=150:1liy4q14][b:1liy4q14]SEPARATE BIG BIKE/LITTLE BIKE PRACTICE[/b:1liy4q14][/size:1liy4q14]

Its crazy the way these little ones are getting taken out.

[quote="ddog558":2ujmzlb0][quote="mx_ell":2ujmzlb0]thats exactly the plan, the track will be designed based on what the riders want rather than what i think they would like.[/quote:2ujmzlb0]

Request # 1:

[size=150:2ujmzlb0][b:2ujmzlb0]SEPARATE BIG BIKE/LITTLE BIKE PRACTICE[/b:2ujmzlb0][/size:2ujmzlb0]

Its crazy the way these little ones are getting taken out.[/quote:2ujmzlb0]

AGREED, that a BIG must!
Also talk to whatever city or county is there and get them in your corner, Several people have done that and it payed off later when someone was trying to sue or close them down...

The DFW area is totally saturated with tracks. There are about 25 tracks within 2 hours of the airport. To build a track from scratch you will need excellent dirt first, multiple pieces of heavy machinery, a water truck and a lot of time and effort. Plan on spending about $400-500k before you open the gates. Then, you can expect a good crowd to be 30-50 riders at $15 head for a couple of years, until the track becomes established. You will hemorrhage cash for the first two years and if you survive that long you might start breaking if the track catches on. Because of all the local competition, a track has to be perfectly prepped, with excellent dirt and a great layout, to make it. Based on the number of new tracks that have come and gone in DFW over the past 10 years, your odds of success are less than 50%.

[quote="mx_ell":24i5jwvk]i understand that its a competitive area as far as tracks are concerned, but im also prepared to work day and night to get the track open and remain open. could you please break down the 400-500k figure for me, as this would help me out no end, i take it that you are in the DFW area, what would you like to see from a track? as for the adult/kid practice i would have a seprate kids track to avoid this problem and then have seperate adult and kids practice sessions on the main track if enough kids wanted to ride the main track. your input is helping no end, thank you[/quote:24i5jwvk]

Good dirt is the main thing. You need good sandy loam or a red clay/sand mix and a reliable source of water. There is a lot of black gumbo around here and black dirt tracks rarely make it. You'll need 40-50 acres and that will set you back about $10-15k/acre if you want to be remotely close to town. You'll need a good dozer or loader, skid steer and water truck. That will set you back $100k and leasing that stuff won't work. I would look for land near Cleburne/Rio Vista. There is some good dirt out there and if you look at the location of the current tracks, it's not too close to the other established tracks. http://www.txmotocross.com/tracks/track.php

The DFW riders are spoiled by the surplus of excellent tracks so if things aren't consistently perfect, you won't make it. I would suggest that you consider a quad only facility if you want to be successful. That is an untapped market as most of the tracks don't allow quads. There isn't really any money to be made on the mx side. If you cover your overhead, you'll be lucky.

Be ready to spend every friday and saturday night on a tractor.

texas is absolutly the easiest state in the country to run a business in!

[quote="davis224":15lr1ph9]Ask them what they're looking for in a track.[/quote:15lr1ph9]

don't just ask. once in awhile, actually do what they suggest.

The best idea is to find a source of (free) sawdust to mix in. I have to load and haul, but what great results! After trying chopped hay, grass clippings, etc, medium coarseness sawdust is the hot setup!

My track's soil was pretty good, in the beginning, for racing. I had a program of replenishing topsoil, by hauling it from the soil "traps" I built to catch runoff and re-spreading it on the track. But my "sawdust program" makes maintenance easier, uses less water for dust control and handles a rain shower better! My motto for racing is to use 756's and match the tracks I ride, to my tires. No hard pack, no blue groove, no dusty marbles for me!

I have a list of basic equipment, including machinery and buildings, that you need to operate a motocross track on a 80-acre plot. It will help you get started. Consider ambulance service costs and whether you will operate a concession stand, as a profit center and a food service for workers. When you shop for liability insurance, make sure it includes protection from riders and spectators. One million dollars, for each, is minimum limits.

[attachment=0:r7575iit]Track4Sale.jpg[/attachment:r7575iit]
Jimi J

Just get in touch with who ever you need to in Arlington and buy Mosier Valley back. You'll be set to go!

found what ya need right here... come on down where the competition isnt as stout....

[url:1fd259zt]http://corpuschristi.craigslist.org/mcy/590440485.html[/url:1fd259zt]

If you really want the track to be successful and long term, then you'll need to own the surrounding land as well.

If you can own enough land to keep the neighbors beyond earshot of the bikes then you'll be in business forever as your competitors get regulated out of business. Depending on the proximity of said neighbors and the lay of the land for sound absorption, consider 150-200 acres with the track at the center as a minimum.

If you can find a valley of land for sale that includes the surrounding hilltops you can keep the neighbors at bay until the temptation to sell out become too great to ignore.

[quote="mx_ell":ogq4y4tg]i was hoping that if i was to have a laywer draw up a good waiver it might do the job but i guessing im goin to need liability insurance then. i take it theres no such thing as a bullet proof waiver?[/quote:ogq4y4tg]

first off find out if you do need permits or not, I am sure there has to be some kind of approval. Do the whole membership deal where you are a member of the track like some of the tracks in so calif, you can't sue yourself !! How far are you from Freestone ?? Tony Miller is an awesome guy and if you aren't far maybe he can give you some tips and also maybe you can have a series together, working with your fellow tracks is always the best way to go about it, don't run on his race days and try to mix up the practice days, or with whomever is your next closest track. If you have anymore questions just ask, my family has started/ran a few tracks.

S

[quote="mx_ell":10qp1abf]jimmy j, you couldnt post a copy of the list coudl you as it would really help me out. also in teh picture of teh tarck how much of teh picture is your 80 acres as im trying to picture how big x amount of acres is. thanks[/quote:10qp1abf]

Check your pm's. You either received one or two or NONE from me. The program was acting strangely

JJ

[quote="Rooster":3j90rxvj]If you really want the track to be successful and long term, then you'll need to own the surrounding land as well.

If you can own enough land to keep the neighbors beyond earshot of the bikes then you'll be in business forever as your competitors get regulated out of business. Depending on the proximity of said neighbors and the lay of the land for sound absorption, consider 150-200 acres with the track at the center as a minimum.

If you can find a valley of land for sale that includes the surrounding hilltops you can keep the neighbors at bay until the temptation to sell out become too great to ignore.[/quote:3j90rxvj]

while im not sure if this is the same in texas, but. a buddy of mine has a private track of his own (out in the country) and it runs up to the property line. the owner of the neighboring land sold it and it turned into a housing development. one of his new neighbors wasnt too happy about the noise so she called some people to ask if they could make him move it so it wasnt as close. im not sure who she called but they told her they couldn't do anything about it because it was in the country and they were there first. so, what my question is, wouldn't the same rule apply

The big question is, will you have another source of income? The track will run in the red for two years, minimum. If you intend to make the track your primary source of income, you will fail. Of those 25 DFW area tracks, only one makes enough money to pay the promoter enough to make it his sole source of income and his family already owned the property before he built a track.