LOCAL MOTORSPORTS INSIDER

The lights are back on at Kennedale Speedway Park.

The dirt track, which had been closed since the summer of 2005, was open for business last weekend, with more than 160 cars competing on the first night of racing.

"I'm more excited about this than anything else I've done in racing," said promoter Richard Snider, who was at 281 Speedway in Stephenville last year. "I think the whole racing community is excited about it. We've got a lot of big plans for the track."

The re-opening of KSP gives Kennedale two tracks across the street from each other once again. Cowtown Speedway is right next to KSP and both tracks race on Saturday night.

While that would be a concern for some, new KSP owner Jerry Bransom doesn't think it will be a problem.

"There's enough racing for the both of us," said Bransom, a Burleson resident who bought the track in November. "There's a need for racing like this in the area."

The racing Bransom is talking about is in the International Motor Contest Association. While Cowtown Speedway runs many of the same classes as KSP, they're not IMCA-sanctioned races. Kennedale Speedway Park runs IMCA classes and is the only track in Tarrant County that does so. In years past, area drivers have had to travel to Boyd Raceway, 281 Speedway in Stephenville or Heart O' Texas Raceway in Elm Mott to earn IMCA points.

That's not the case anymore. KSP and Grand Prairie Speedway both are running IMCA races this year.

"There just wasn't a close place to go for IMCA points," said Snider, who worked at what was then known as Kennedale Motor Speedway from 2000 until 2003. "We certainly don't want to hurt the other track. I think there are enough racing fans out there that want to see good racing and I don't think it will happen. Both tracks offer different things and that's important. You can see different kinds of racing at the tracks."

The track runs IMCA races for Modifieds, Southern SportMods, Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks.

The racing hasn't been the only thing that's kept the new occupants of the 1/4 -mile track busy. Snider said the track was in terrible shape, and he's been busy making improvements. He's done work in the pits as well as leveling the ground and putting in new retaining walls.

The work isn't done but progress is being made. Bransom, who has never owned a track, will let Snider do all the heavy lifting.

"The key is letting Richard run the track," said Bransom, whose son, Jay, races Modifieds and Southern SportMods. "He knows what he's doing because he's been a promoter for 25 years. It's going to be a challenge, and I think we've done a lot of work. There are still a lot of things that we have planned, but we're going to keep some of them under wraps for a while."