By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
In July 2020, Suchy Construction was awarded a $1.6 million contract to reconstruct the SRCA Dragstrip at the fairgrounds, just outside of Great Bend. After the project was completed in May 2021, issues with high spots and needing to polish the concrete was brought to the attention of the SRCA Board and Great Bend City Council.
Spending extra money to polish the track caused the top sealing part of the concrete to come off, creating thousands of holes in the track.
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Great Bend City Attorney Allen Glendenning said the city has been working through lawsuits and arbitration claims for the past few years to determine who is at fault for a project completed that did not meet the dragstrip’s specifications.
"Through mediation last week and finally today, we've come to a tentative settlement agreement with the Suchy side of things," said Glendenning. "We recommend that you (council) approve this settlement agreement and authorize the mayor to sign it."
The SRCA has cancelled the past two race seasons because the track has been unsafe to operate, and there is a lack of funding to resolve the recent mishap.
No details of the settlement agreement or steps to potentially repair the track were revealed following the city council’s 15-minute executive session Monday night. The council voted 8-0 to approve the settlement agreement with Suchy Construction.
This past October, the city revealed plans to start the process for a Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) bond that includes improvements at the SRCA Dragstrip. If approved, the STAR bond could still be years out from getting started.