Dirt
BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY
whether you want to be in the county and possibly
the state at times. It’s very, very disheartening
that your county is not trying to fight with you.”
When Bandimere mentions the county, it’s
directed to the “people in high places” or some
of the top officials, not the thousands upon thousands
– many from the local area – who have
shown their support for a track celebrating its
63rd year in 2020.
This year has been unlike any in that span, as
the public health crisis has wreaked havoc across
the country. But the most discouraging aspect of
this has gone far beyond the coronavirus.
“As a small business, we’re getting shut down
because of political reasons and that’s very discouraging,”
Bandimere says. “We’re fighting for
more than ourselves. We’re fighting for all small
businesses.
“The bigger fight is our constitutional rights.
It’s not about drag racing or outdoor venues, it’s
really our constitutional rights. That’s the fight
right now and people need to band together. The
most disturbing thing has nothing really to do
with the virus.”
The county health department approved small
events for a stretch of three consecutive weekends
in August, but the protocol seems to change by
the day. As it currently states, the track must
limit its crowd sizes to 175 people per activity, and
must follow physical distancing guidelines, such
as ensuring fans from different families stayed 6
feet apart. But communicating with county officials
has become increasingly difficult.
The track had to cancel racing suddenly on
the weekend of July 24, stating on their website,
“after three days of numerous attempts to comply
with the restrictions being placed on the drag
strip due to the current COVID-19, they were
ultimately unable to get the approval from the
Jefferson County Health Department.”
Still, the family forges forward, even as they appear
to be singled out within the local community.
It’s a surprising turn from the county after the
track has put millions into the local economy,
with the annual NHRA national event putting
$15 million into the economy. Away from the
track, the family has been active in the community
with its “Race to Read” program and much more.
“As a track, we’ve worked hard on that and
that’s been the discouraging part for our family,”
Bandimere says. “We’ve been in Jefferson County
our entire lives with various businesses, growing
up here, going to school here. The track has been
here 63 years and in the past, we’ve been proud
to be part of the county and community.”
The family, though, isn’t standing by idly. They
continue to fight and continue to be ready to pivot
on a moment’s notice.
That means being ready to host the annual
NHRA Mile-High Nationals should it happen
later this fall, even if it’s a longshot. It also means
trying to reduce expenses wherever they can and
finding new ways to do things.
They’ve redesigned their specialty days, implemented
an online driver registration program
– working out the bugs during the pandemic – and
they will continue their wildly-popular light show
during the Christmas season.
“When you go through something like this, it
does teach you a lot,” Bandimere says. “We’ve
learned things we can do better, make some adjustments
and figure what else we can utilize the
facility for that may not be racing.”
Through all of this, the entire Bandimere family
has been energized by the legions of supporters,
who have encouraged them from the courthouse,
at the track and on social media.
The “I Stand With Bandimere” Facebook group
is over 10,000 individuals strong, all wholeheartedly
showing their support for the facility.
Decals and shirts have been created, rallies
and cruises continue to show support for the
Bandimere family, and it’s all provided a massive
boost for them, especially as they trudge through
this process with seemingly no end in sight.
Make no mistake, though. The family isn’t
backing down – and neither are those offering
their support.
“That’s just been huge,” Bandimere says. “It’s
been very overwhelming and humbling. It’s
also very eye-opening to see how many this
truly affects.
“But it does energize you,” he continues. “This
is not necessarily physically draining, but it is
emotionally draining, not knowing what tomorrow
brings. We’ve been in a fight to stay open and
we’ve done so many things, but ultimately just
don’t know from day-to-day. It’s a scary time, a
frustrating time, a stressful time, but at the same
time, we’re very blessed and very thankful for all
the support we’ve received.” DI
PHOTOS: ROB PEARSON AND JOE MCHUGH
20 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated.com Issue 159