Motorsports track opening delayed

PRICHARD, Ala. - Whether he's working cars or talking cars, Tommy Praytor is embedded in the Gulf Coast's racing scene.

"We've been in racing for 15 years doing everything from racing at Mobile International Speedway to touring in the Nationwide series, Cup series, Truck series," said Praytor. "We've done just a little bit of everything."

When he first heard the patch of land off Highway 158 in Prichard was becoming a Dale Earnhardt Junior endorsed track, Praytor was amp'ed.

"When they first announced the project it was very aggressive with a big plan with a lot I's to dot and T's to cross. What the organizers have found out over the last three or four years, there were a lot more I's and T's than what they thought about."

Since the track was granted a permit in December of 2008, the park has seen a yellow flag. The target opening date is now 2011, but the project's organizer, former Mobile mayor Mike Dow, said, "The project is moving down the road in an organized fashion."

Dow also said the economy "should not stall the project."

Praytor, who also runs a real estate business, believes the park's initial opening date brought out a caution. "Whether your building a 5,000 square foot office, or developing thousands of acres, that doesn't happen over night. As a real estate person, when I heard their time table. I thought that's not going to happen."

Dow assures us the park is going to happen, but the finish line is a little further away.

Construction of the park is expected to take between 18 to 24 months, but no target date has been established. Project heads will meet in Mobile on Wednesday the 20th to discuss the track's progress.