Noticed that Aug 29-30 is shown as tentative at MPH, Hastings, NE…mark me as an enthusiastic Yes…a great facility!
I voted yes on survey, and am willing to post the possible $100 pre entry to show support for the event. I always enjoyed our past events. The town’s friendliness, the steak dinner and other social events at the Guardrail Club, great paddock for RVs (with electricity), the NICEST shower and bathroom trailer I have ever seen, fun racing, the Bacardi Bus. Easy tow, no mountains, but longer trip than our usual events. Town has lots of nearby motels and restaurants. To avoid I76 and I80, I liked traveling east on Hwy 36 after picking up race gas at HPR, the GREAT Kansas roads. The event REALLY needs our members’ support and commitment to get a confirmed spot on our calendar. Please support it!
Mark Robinson
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My concern with abandoning La Junta in 2026 is that I have heard they don’t have much of a financial cushion for losing revenue. If the track won’t survive without RMVR patronage and it closes, it would leave us with HPR and PMP as for-sure tracks in Colorado. PPIR would be a potential if–and it seems like it’s a big if–they are willing to negotiate better terms or we can bring in far more cars.
If going to Hastings means the death of La Junta, I’d rather market the heck out of La Junta for a strong turnout, support our home turf, and have three tracks in Colorado. If La Junta’s finances are such that they don’t need RMVR in 2026 to stay solvent, Hastings is an attractive change of pace. I’m not sure La Junta would give us an answer if we put that question to them, though. I understand it’s not RMVR’s responsibility to prop up a business at our loss, which I wouldn’t advocate for, but losing La Junta would be a damn shame even if it isn’t a track like HPR or PMP.
I completely agree with Justin on this. Hastings is a nice track, but it has always been a hard sell to RMVR because of the distance. Conversely, RMVR did not go to La Junta for many years, until a few of us started going with other groups, found that it’s an easy track to learn but not so easy to ‘master’, and brought to the group’s attention the absolute commitment of the City, and Alan in particular, to support the operation and improvement of facility for the benefit of the Colorado racing community. If we have to make a choice, I would argue in favor of La Junta over Hastings.
I’ve never raced Hastings but ive heard good things and If CVAR or the Heartland club in Kansas or some other club were to schedule a race there I’d consider it. But for RMVR to foot the bill is a financial disaster. Always has been.
If you think about the Colorado race track situation, its really not something we can take for granted. It sounds like HPR is doing well, but it needs some serious improvements and I think their plan of putting garages out there is the wrong direction. The facilites out there are not great. Go to Blackhawk Farms and you will look at HPR in a much different light.
And Pueblo is not a “for sure” track either. Its owned by the city and that could change very quickly. They just had a death at the dragstrip and while not related to the track itself, thats not the kind of publicity that the city would want.
PPIR is an option, but its historically expensive and imho a terrible track. I’d rather go the extra hour and a half to La Junta.
And yes, the facilities at La Junta are not great either. But thats not going to improve if they dont get our support and our patronage. Personally i think La Junta is a fun track with some unique challenges. Its the oldest race track in Colorado and I think it would be a shame to lose it.
The fact of the matter is that attendance at our normal races has been down and personally, i dont think scheduling a race 8 hours away in another state is the best way to turn that around. I will be curious to see the results of the survey. Maybe the option of something new and different will spur people to come out of the woodwork. In the past it has not.
We’ll see.
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La Junta 2025: 28 cars qualified over 3 run groups. I would have entered had my schedule allowed.That was a financial burden to RMVR as well. While I agree we need to support all Colorado tracks, the club needs to plan for likely successful events for RMVR’s own well being first. If the proposed commitment process shows a strong potential for a Hastings breakeven(or better), that should guide the club.
Mark Robinson
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A few comments on the question and survey:
It isnt possible to be fair when comparing the two venues and cities. MPH was prof designed/built 20yrs ago to be what it is, a motorsport club facility; LaJ was built as a military airfield during WW2, and is in terrible condition. If you have not raced Hastings, pls visit their website to see the benefits incl. excellent rv facil, camping, toilet/showers, in town with many restaurants, motels, attractions.
drive time Den to Hastings=5.5hr all divided highway, boring but ez
to LaJ=3hr but thru colospgs and/or stops on 2lane roads/towns…delays
La J may need events to survive, but so might Hastings, PPIR, and Pueblo…which one would we rather lose?
personally, not keen to pay $4-450 entry to race LaJ, but am willing to pay more to race MPH.
if you like MPH, try to help others see the survey; i nearly missed it
…Boysen Loesch CF444