Tuesday, Jul. 22, 2008

Our View: Let new group build racetrack

A multiple-use venue for racing is a good idea, but is Riverside Motorsports Park the group to build it?

The Riverside Motorsports Park folks say they're still committed to the racetrack near Atwater but by all indications they might pull out of the project.

There's a credibility gap with the group. and it's hard to believe what they say. They want work on studies for the project to stop. They want some money returned.

At first, the Sun-Star was behind the proposal. We liked the idea of a multiple-use venue for all kinds of races, concerts and other events. The more we studied the plan and took a critical look at the key players in the project, the more we didn't like what we saw.

We're still not opposed to the track, in a smaller version, but the current RMP leadership team has to go.

Early investors talked about starting small and growing the park over time.

That's a good idea.

John Condren, the principal backer of the motorsports park, thought otherwise. He took an all-or-nothing stance from the beginning.

Only recently did Mr. Condren show a little bit of compromise and talk of a smaller version of the project. Now, there's nothing but empty fields and empty promises.

Mr. Condren apparently changed wording in a contract with Merced County. He says he did it with the county's knowledge. The county was shocked to learn he did this. Who do you believe?

The county now won't perform work on the project unless the RMP folks pay first.

Mr. Condren has said the money to build the park was lined up. It apparently isn't, and they're still searching for investors.

Mr. Condren booted out those early investors who wanted to go slow at first and build over time. They say they were treated unfairly by Mr. Condren.

Mr. Condren and his inner circle have lost all credibility in this community.

For the racetrack proposal to move forward, they must move aside and let a new group take the wheel.

Merced lacks a great venue for weekend warriors and music fans. A smaller version of Riverside Motorsports Park would work.

We still don't mind a track being built. Try a facility with a smaller footprint and fewer tracks and grow it over time.

Let some of those early investors, longtime racers with good credentials and better ideas, take over and build a track.

In its current state, the racetrack will never be built.

It's unrealistic to think the community will back Mr. Condren and his team. That can't happen.