Right track

A private entrepreneur is on the fast track to bringing stock car racing back to the Oliver Paipoonge area.

The last dirt track racing in the Thunder Bay district closed about nine years ago. Since then racing enthusiastic have had to look elsewhere for stock car racing.

But that will soon change.

Richard Schutte, spokesman for Thunder Valley Development, said they are closing in on the date of when they will open a new dirt track in the Oliver Paipoonge area. Schutte was able to purchase 31 acres amount of land near the OPP detachment off Highway 130 near the closed down go-kart track.

While there’s still some work to be completed such as draining the excess water, Schutte expected the track to be up and running either in the late summer of 2013 or 2014.

“Basically we need a lot of fill in here that’s where we are at,” Schutte said. “We have purchased some equipment but we need some more donated. Once the fill is in, we got some engineers lined up to do a track layout. We’re moving along as we expected.”
He said the final price hasn’t been determined but guessed around a million dollars.

Schutte raced years ago at the track at the Riverview Raceway, Superior, Cedar Lake and several other Wisconsin and Minnesota tracks and said many racing and drivers wanted to have a track back in the Thunder Bay area.

Schutte said the last dirt track was too far out for people to get to. He said having his track between two highways will make sure that doesn’t happen again.

While he admits having a start date for the first race within the next two years maybe a bit ambitious, he said they can’t wait around for something to happen.

“We kind of have to force it one way or the other,” he said. “We’ll keep moving on it.”

He added he has partners invested in the projects but they wished not to be named in the media.

Oliver Paipoonge Mayor Lucy Kloosterhuis said council approved Schutte’s proposal years ago and was glad to see him making progress.

She said having a track in the area will be a great asset.

“I think it will bring tourists or at least those who follow the race track circuit,” Kloosterhuis said. “I know personally of a who people who spent a lot of time going down to the United States and elsewhere to take part in the circuit or just to watch it. I’m hoping some of those people will come here now.”