Fernley-Reno racetrack is racing field of dreams

About 45 minutes east of Carson City, there's a motorsports playground that is getting bigger and better every year.

Reno-Fernley Raceway, located on Highway 95 just south of Fernley, is Northern Nevada's new hotbed of motorsports activity.

The complex came into being just three years ago, as part of a 3000 acre master plan project being developed by Rich Cable. The 500 acre motorsports park started to take shape when one of Cable's employees, a motocross rider, asked if he could build a motocross track on the southern section of the property.

Cable was looking for a way to enhance recreational opportunities in the area, and this seemed like a good use for the property.

"We were fortunate in that there's a ridge of higher ground separating the southern 500 acres from the rest of the project, creating a natural noise barrier," Cable said.

Once the motocross track was in place, he saw possibilities

for other types of motorsports activity.

"People kept kidding me about the saying in the movie, Field of Dreams, you know, 'If you build it, they will come.' So I actually trademarked the slogan 'Racing's Field of Dreams,'" Cable said.

The first track, the motocross course, was configured to be very versatile - motocycles, quads, and buggies have all raced there. In 1998, Cable started modifying a natural bowl in the terrain into a 3/8 mile dirt track.

By placing the track in the bowl, noise would be dissipated, and the site was far enough off the highway that lights would not create a problem for traffic. After listening to many opinions on how to build a dirt track, Cable enlisted the aid of Fred Nagle, who designed and built dirt tracks at Chico and Susanville, both in California.

The track has been a work in progress over the past two years, but has matured into probably the finest dirt surface in the Western United States. It also has lots of spectator

amenities:

Bleachers, a "tailgate" viewing area, and fire pits for those cold

nights in the spring and fall. Five to six miles of underground conduit have been installed for lighting.

Further improvements are planned, including permanent restroom facilities with showers, 2000 to 3000 more bleacher seats, and box seats which will be sold on a season basis.

The "new" box seats have a unique history, having originally been used for the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics.

"We made our biggest strides in race operations in 1999, when Bob and Jennifer Ruhberg volunteered to show us how to do things,"Cable said. "Bob was our competition director, and Jennifer did the scoring, and they taught us a lot. We wouldn't be where we are today without their help."

The Ruhbergs of Carson City moved on to their own Modified racing operation this year, but the foundation they laid has kept things running smoothly on the operational side. Reno-Fernley runs primarily on volunteer help, with many of Cable's employees getting into "race mode" come Friday afternoons.

Every other week during the season there's a stock car and IMCA modified show, with Legends, Dwarf cars, and Sprint 100s on alternate weekends. Car counts have been averaging more than 80 for the stock car shows and 30 to 50 for the Legend/Sprint events.

In addition to the original motocross track and the dirt oval, a second motocross track has been added, along with a sand drag track. Rod Hall, the famous Reno-based off-road racer, has an off-road course that he uses to test Hummers and teach off-road driving. The course includes a diabolical mud bog

and a "hump" that vehicles must winch over.

Although Cable has spent roughly a million dollars on development of the motorsports park so far, he plans to invest another five million over the next few years. Ground has already been broken for a 1/2 mile paved oval, part of which will be incorporated into a 2.5 mile paved road course. Paving,

bleachers, control tower, and other amenities should be in place by this time next year, with races planned on these courses for the 2002 season.

Additional camping areas will also be open to enable racers and fans to come out and spend an entire weekend at the facility, watching and participating in a whole range of motorsports and family activities. All the tracks are laid out with attention to hillside spectator areas, and there will be ample parking when the facility starts to draw major racing series.

Other planned events include demolition derbies, tractor pulls, and Monster Truck events. In addition to the motorsports activities, there are opportunities for other types of family fun. There's a large paintball facility on the property, which is popular for group and corporate outings. There is also an amphitheater that will be used for concerts, either

in conjunction with major races or as stand alone events.

If you want to see the future of motorsports in Northern Nevada, you'll want to check out Reno-Fernley Raceway at the earliest opportunity. Not only does it has something for just about every race fan's taste, but it also offers the opportunity for those who wish to get involved in racing on a more

personal level.

Additions to the volunteer staff are always welcome, and

volunteers have the opportunity of working their way into paid positions as well. If you want to get into a motorsports career on the ground floor, Racing's Field of Dreams may be your vehicle. For information about the 2001 schedule, or how to become a volunteer or season ticket holder, call (775)

575-7217.

Rich Cable has built it - and he wants you to come and enjoy.