By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
After the SRCA Dragstrip Board announced the cancelation of the 2023 race season in April, the City of Great Bend announced that they intend to repair or rebuild the track. The City also noted the process to get the dragstrip reopened is a legal matter and have been advised not to discuss the details.
Since that late July press release, community members have voiced their support for the SRCA at Great Bend City Council meetings in hopes to find a solution to keep the race track operational.
Marcie Fross spoke Monday night to the council. Fross has either been a racer or volunteer at the SRCA for more than 30 years.
"I get to see all of these racers come in at the gate excited when they get to Great Bend," said Fross. "They're excited because this is a track that is volunteer ran. They know that our heart is in it. They know that we work hard. I watch the volunteers and what they're doing to make this track operable."
The SRCA Board canceled the season because the racing surface was unsafe and needed substantial remedial work. For $1.6 million, Suchy Construction completed the reconstruction of the historic dragstrip in May 2021. There have been lingering problems with the track since.
RELATED STORY: Great Bend's dragstrip - Lingering problems, responsibility questions
"I also get to hear 'Is my favorite restaurant still here?' or 'Is this favorite place still here?' and all the excitement," said Fross. "The racers get out of their vehicles and are happy to be here."
The SRCA held the first national event in the 1950s for the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).