By Associated Press
Mobile, AL – A 600 (m) million dollar Dale Earnhardt race track and entertainment complex will be built on 25-hundred acres in the Prichard-Saraland area just north of Mobile. That announcement came today (Friday) from the track's investors, who ruled out two sites in south Baldwin County. It could take about two years to build the four-track motorsports park off Alabama 158, near Interstate 65, with a full season of activity expected in 2010. The chosen site faces the University of Mobile. A five-thousand space R-V park, a theme park and a seven-thousand seat arena also are planned, besides hotels, retail, restaurants and music theaters. Investors in the track include NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Dale Earnhardt Junior.; his brother, Kerry Earnhardt, a driver in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series; and sister Kelley Earnhardt Elledge. A project of this size would be a windfall for Prichard, which has a population about 28-thousand and is one of Alabama's poorest cities. Baldwin County sites in Loxley and Summerdale were considered. While Summerdale courted the track investors, Loxley was less than enthusiastic about the proposal. Residents voiced concerns about racing noise and traffic.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)