Popular Holt racetrack closes

Emerald Coast Dragway in Holt has closed its gates.

"After a two-year legal battle and hundreds of thousands of dollars, it is with mixed emotions that we announce Emerald Coast Dragway is closing," racetrack owners Richard and Kelly Stephens announced in a written statement carried by several online racing sites. "When we purchased the track three years ago we were unaware of the track's true financial situation and all the major improvements needed. After investing our life savings, and fighting for a business that we are very passionate about, we have decided to move on."

The track, located adjacent to Interstate 10 on Garner Landing Road, was popular with locals and attracted racers from out of town as well.

Tim and Sonya Tindle, owners of Tindle Racing Team, sold Emerald Coast Dragway to the Stephens, who could not be reached for comment, in September 2008.

"They stopped making payments to us in June 2009 and their explanation in the December press release makes it sound like we don't have the track, but we do," Sonya Tindle said. "The circuit court said it belongs to Tindle Raceway Holdings and it does. And we have shown it to several prospective buyers and we hope to have good news for racing fans in the very near future - perhaps as soon as next week," she said.

Emerald Coast Dragway had just added a new drifting course to the facility in September. The figure eight was to be completed in the spring of 2012.

In 2006, the track proved itself one of the quickest eighth-mile tracks anywhere in the world, with one of the first three-second pro-modifieds run by Alabamian Joey Moore.

Glenn Price raced the Emerald Coast Dragway track many times over the past few years and said that as a businessman he understands how hard it is for small-town tracks to stay open and make a profit.

"With insurance, fuel costs rising, wages, maintenance and equipment and track upkeep, you have it stacked against you going in," Price said. "Then you have to charge admission and, for an average family with a couple of kids, the parents can't spend $100 to go to the races every weekend.

"I personally just don't see how it will ever reopen unless someone has more money than sense and that is sad. My family loves racing. But buying a track in today's world is like buying a pig in a poke."

There has been speculation on online racing forums that Johnny Jordan, who ran Emerald Coast Dragway for four years prior to the purchase by the Stephens, would reopen the track. Jordan said, however, he was not in the mix to lease, manage or purchase the facility.

"It's a long drawn out story but that is a great track and I hope Tim and Sonya (Tindle) have everything worked out soon and that it reopens," Jordan said in a phone interview.