After years of stalling, a racing authority will soon shift into gear.
The Cayman Hot Rod Association is nearly through the bureacratic processes involved in opening High Rock Raceway. With approval from the Central Planning Authority already in hand, the group is set to get the green light from government for a world-class race track.
Karyll Iton serves as the association’s circuit racing director and said development of the track – east of High Rock Road in East End – should commence soon.
“Over the course of the last year and a half, the team has been in the process of getting through the red tape … we have to, to be in position to reach our goals,” Iton said. “We have planning approval and we’re waiting on the Crown lease extension letter. The association needs this to extend its ownership of the land. From there, we can proceed.
“We’ve had tremendous support from Ozzie (Minister of Sports Osbourne Bodden) and the Ministry of Sports. I’m confident over the course of the next year, you’ll see significant development.”
According to planning records, the planning authority approved an application from the association last September for a commercial auto race track facility. A drag strip and circuit course are the main components and, according to association official William Ebanks Jr., meets are planned to be held once or twice a month.
The association’s planning application was sent in December 2012, but the group has been looking to build the track since at least 2009. The general area of the track was a site for drag racing in the past.
The initial plans for the track called for a quarter-mile drag strip, a road course with several turns, pit areas and grandstands. Documents also featured a pair of two-story buildings for VIP seating and race control – one for drag racing and one for the road course – as well as a one-story building for administration, bathrooms, concessions and gift shop. There were also plans for a 711-space general parking lot, two additional parking lots for media/VIPs and personnel and space for future parking lots.
Previous documents showed the 2.02-mile road course to be shaped like the outline of Grand Cayman, with 14 turns. The circuit track in the current plans does not resemble any of the Cayman Islands.
Cayman’s motorsports community has been without an official home since December 2011, when Breakers Speedway held its last official race. Owner Robert Campbell sold the 51-acre property to U.K.-based Crown Acquisitions Worldwide in November 2012 for US$1.65 million. The developer got planning approval in March 2013 for a 115-lot residential subdivision.
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