Race Track For Sale!!!!

[Dayle Frame]

Grattan Raceway is for sale. The owners built the track waaaaay back when (mid 60’s?) and want to get out from under it. It’s a fabulous, old school facility and deserves a new owner who WON’T turn it a golf course or condos. Grattan’s not famous but it’s a kin to Summit Point, Blackhawk Farms, Hallett......non pro, family run, great tracks with lots of charm and character.


Truth be told, it could use some TLC and a couple of suspicious fires upon purchase. The buildings need to go so they can be replaced by new structures without leaky roofs, real power, etc.


http://www.grattanracewaypark.com/


Dayle


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Dayle Frame (259138)
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Nat Comp & Div F&C, WMR Comp Manager

[killerken53]

I'll make sure to get extra lottery tickets tonight.

[Keith Carter]

The last time we were there which was several years ago, it needed TLC. It probably severely needs it now. Hopefully it gets the same treatment Blackhawk got once it was under new ownership.

[Dayle Frame]

The course has been repaved, the jons upgraded, upper paddock has been repaved, buildings freshened a bit....so they've dumped money into the facility. But, yes, it needs to be "Blackhawked".

Dayle

[kea]

I first raced Gratton with an Enduro Kart in the mid-60's, did my SCCA Drivers school there in 1971 and did my last race there with my Ralt RT-1 Super-Vee in 1988.
Needless to say, I love that track.

The re-pave and new bathrooms were a welcome investment.

I haven't been to Blackhawk since the mid-80's, so I can not relate to what Keith is referring to. But as Dayle said, there are a few buildings that could go away, but all in all, it's a great track (picture a roller-coaster) to race at, particularly if you are in an open wheeler. If you like race tracks with elevation changes, this will excite you.

[Michael Rand]

I only ran Grattan once, WAY back, 1971 to be exact, in a Brabham BT29 FB car.
Always kinda hoped for a repeat appearance, maybe on my 2020 tour of tracks it has been to long since I last ran there ?
Roebling and Mosport and now Grattan...
Hopefully Phil Kingham and Dave Harmison might help me out a bit with some tips ?
Ha !!!!

[PK]

I only ran Grattan once, WAY back, 1971 to be exact, in a Brabham BT29 FB car.
Always kinda hoped for a repeat appearance, maybe on my 2020 tour of tracks it has been to long since I last ran there ?
Roebling and Mosport and now Grattan...
Hopefully Phil Kingham and Dave Harmison might help me out a bit with some tips ?
Ha !!!!

Sure!! No problemo. I love that track, too. Not a classic, straightforward corner anywhere. It's a great place to have a home-court advantage.

[Garey Guzman]

I only ran Grattan once, WAY back, 1971 to be exact, in a Brabham BT29 FB car.
Always kinda hoped for a repeat appearance, maybe on my 2020 tour of tracks it has been to long since I last ran there ?
Roebling and Mosport and now Grattan...
Hopefully Phil Kingham and Dave Harmison might help me out a bit with some tips ?
Ha !!!!

Maybe PK and DH can buy the track so DH has something to do in retirement!

[DaveW]

I have an old 6-page PDF of this that I wrote in the '70's, IIRC, that was too big for this forum. I think it still applies, except for the description of the bumps and maybe the run-off areas.

So I used the snipping tool to create a jpeg from each page of the PDF. They are attached here:

[EYERACE]

If the area has been slowly building up with houses / subdivisions then I fear the worst for y'all.

[Dave Harmison]

Yeah, the track is owned by some combination of the family members. Sam, the brother that's hands-on, has been trying to sell it for some time, like many years. He really, really wanted to talk us Ford guys into having Ford buy it. Up side is there isn't a straight forward corner in the place which makes it fun to race on. Down side is there isn't a straight forward corner in the place. Result is that although it's a fun place to race, your setup is atypical and doesn't tell you anything about your car for "regular" tracks im my opinion.
I think he was talking $5M, but that may be b.s.

[DaveW]

...Up side is there isn't a straight forward corner in the place which makes it fun to race on. Down side is there isn't a straight forward corner in the place. Result is that although it's a fun place to race, your setup is atypical and doesn't tell you anything about your car for "regular" tracks in my opinion...

Actually, back in my FF days, Steve Lathrop and I found it a VERY good place to test. Because it has some of everything, we were able to get setups that seemed to apply everywhere. We would make a change, and I'd enter the track before turn 5, do 1.5 laps and enter the pits at the normal entry. That short run was just right - short enough so I wouldn't start compensating for the changes, but long enough to evaluate them.

[racersonly]

Hands down, my favorite race track. The most fun you can have with your clothes on. Somebody please buy this race track.

[DaveW]

Hands down, my favorite race track. The most fun you can have with your clothes on. Somebody please buy this race track.

Mine, too. I just don't like the 8-class race groups. They're a recipe for disaster at a track like Grattan.

[R. Pare]

Actually, back in my FF days, Steve Lathrop and I found it a VERY good place to test. Because it has some of everything, we were able to get setups that seemed to apply everywhere. We would make a change, and I'd enter the track before turn 5, do 1.5 laps and enter the pits at the normal entry. That short run was just right - short enough so I wouldn't start compensating for the changes, but long enough to evaluate them.

Add to that, it is one of the best shock testing tracks here in the midwest, with maybe Blackhawk being slightly better.

And for viewers, you can see more of this track from one vantage point than just about any other.

[SStadel]

We chose Grattan as a tune up to Sonoma last year, on purpose. Hint, we won at Sonoma. Its a great track, but a bit cramped for paddock. I first ran there in 1988 in an ITA Mazda and a Club Ford. It was some kind of Regional "Dash for Cash" thing. Won in ITA after a race-long duel with another ITA Mazda. Have loved the place ever since.

[GrahamLoughead35]

Any updates on the selling of this track? Will it be on the SCCA calendar next year?