Making the case for a Portland track

Published 9:00 pm Saturday, September 25, 2004

I strongly recommend that the NASCAR track be built in the Portland area. Locating the NASCAR facility in the Marysville-Arlington area would be a disservice to NASCAR patrons because:

The Marysville-Arlington area has only one small hotel and one old motel. The nearest large hotel is in Everett. Sea-Tac, the nearest major airport, is located in a heavily trafficked area, 50-plus miles south of the proposed site.

Primary access to the track would be on I-5, a freeway frequently plagued with traffic tie-ups. We all know how a fender-bender during heavy traffic periods ties up traffic in both directions for long periods. I-5 access from the south is influenced by heavy rush-hour traffic in downtown Everett, particularly when Boeing employment is strong – and that’s predicted to grow as the economy improves. Traffic from the north would be primarily from the Vancouver, B.C. area, involving a border crossing subject to fluctuations of homeland security alert levels.

Public utilities in the area are not sufficient to support the proposed NASCAR facility. The track facility would be developed over a potentially problematic high water table. NASCAR’s proposed facility would seriously disrupt the ability of many current residents to quietly enjoy their property.

Some positive aspects of the Portland area:

Portland is one of the prime vacation destinations on the Pacific coast. It has an abundance of fine hotels and motels. It has many visitor attractions include an historic old town, fine galleries and museums, waterfront park and several theater companies which will appeal to NASCAR patrons.

Portland’s mass transit is one of the nation’s most extensive and advanced and its airport would be within minutes of the NASCAR facility.

Locating the NASCAR track in the Portland area would be a good move for the NASCAR corporation.

E.M. (MATT) GORDON

Marysville