FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Racing will not take place at Indiana’s Baer Field Motorsports Park next season.
Baer Field Motorsports Park Promoter and General Manager Dave Muzzillo announced in a Facebook Live video Saturday that the owners of the property have chosen not to renew his lease on the property, which will be listed for sale.
“I met with, actually two weeks ago today, with a representative of the company that owns the property and we went through a lot of stuff,” Muzzillo said. “A week later I get back from the PRI show and I get a registered letter telling us that the lease will not be renewed.
“We need to vacate the property and the property will be up for sale,” Muzzillo said. “There will be no racing at Baer Field in 2020 unless somebody wants to write an extremely big check for the property. The amount we were told was really unacceptable.”
Muzzillo took over promotion of Baer Field Motorsports Park in 2015 and has operated the track for the last five years. The track first opened in 1964.
The Champion Racing Ass’n has already announced several events would be held at Baer Field Motorsports Park next season across the several divisions the organization sanctions. Â No announcements have been made regarding the rescheduling of those races.
“It’s really heartbreaking. We were totally blindsided by the whole thing,” Muzzillo said. “Extremely blindsided. It was a slap in the face. It was explained to me that they do not want to be absentee land owners. They do not live in the state of Indiana. They want to sell the property.
“I’m not going to say the amount. I do not want to be responsible for anybody that has a heart attack and are unable to spend Christmas with their family, so I’m not going to tell you the amount that they want. I’ll just tell you that it doesn’t fit my budget.”
Muzzillo, who also owns the Sprints on Dirt series, said he intends to open the track one last time on Dec. 31 to allow fans and competitors the chance to walk the track.
“We have to vacate the property by Dec. 31 at midnight,” Muzzillo. “So on Dec. 31 from midnight to 4 in the afternoon, we are going to open the gates one last time and people can take their final walk around the race track.”