Concerns with Diamond Mountain Speedway contract

I am currently what you might call a “part time” Susanville resident. We currently spend about 12 to 14 days a month at our “other home” in Susanville while exploring the possibility of moving our life, both businesses and our personnel  there.

My in-law’s family goes back nearly 100 years in Lassen County with my father-in-law currently living in the same Susanville area home he has for the past 50 years. So, I have more than a passing interest in the area.

I’m a lifelong “motorsports guy’ in the same business with my wife’s help for the past 24 years.

For the past 12 years, I have been “intimately involved” with the day-to-day operation of one of the West Coast’s Premiere Micro Sprint Race Tracks, “Delta Speedway” (deltaspeedwaystockton.com). I was there when the Panella’s took it over. I’ve done everything from help repair the facility — assist in employee recruitment, repair, design and built specialized track equipment, and I personally inspect every Micro Sprint (average 150 cars a season) as the head of tech there. So, I know a little bit about every aspect of running a small-time race track, including contracts and contract negotiations.

Which brings me to the point of this whole thing — Diamond Mountain Speedway. Even though I’m “on the outside looking in,” my experience and knowledge in this area makes that whole deal with the Fair Board smells really bad to me.

So, you took an out-of-town deal with someone that was trying to get three tracks going instead of a local deal (for less money)? Then the “contract” is is so loose that they can just pullout and say sorry fellas we couldn’t do it, and that’s OK? Great contract huh?

Somebody seems to have gotten a “sweetheart deal,” don’t you think? You would never walk away from our racing contract with the San Joaquin County Fair like that without financial repercussions. And lets not forget about all the money spent by the racers in anticipation of a racing series.

I don’t get it. There needs to be more public transparency as I don’t feel the Fair Board can be trusted.

And now they want some poor sucker to align with them on the installation and operation of a gokart track? LOL!

As a true life long “hands on” motorsports enthusiast that has seen way too many race tracks close, I would really like to see a multi-use facility at Diamond Mountain Speedway.

Ken Jensen, Susanville