Friday, April 2, 2010

Wild Idea for an Indy Lights Venue: Cooper Park Complex

Here's a proposed new oval speedway that's getting lots of buzz here in Central Ohio: the Cooper Park Complex. With it's easy access to the interstate and state-of-the-art facilities, wouldn't this be a great (if not downright wild) venue for Indy Lights?

When the Columbus Clippers baseball team moved downtown into their tony new ballpark, it opened the door for the Cooper Park concept on the site of the old Cooper Stadium. Looks like the proposed track will be a 1/2 mile bullring, with perfect banking for Indy Lights.

The proposal appears to feature a large parking garage and several restaurants with fake names but which are obvious stand-ins for a Rally's, Olive Garden, and a Quaker Steak 'n' Lube. There's also a Marriott Suites, although I'm not sure who wants a room overlooking a race track in this town.

Jeff Gordon Inc. is a partner on the project, and they seem to be downplaying the noise factor in order to get past city counsel. This may be a tough sell, but the proposed Automotive Research and Technology Center may bring in a few jobs that would be tough for the city to pass up.

Check out the video -- I suggest skipping the first 45 seconds, it's unnecessary. :)



Will we see Indy Lights at Jeff's new playground? Unlikely, but it's fun to dream.

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