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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
January 26, 2012     Shelton Mason County Journal
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January 26, 2012
 
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Shelton's Ridge Motorsports Park will have its logo on the No. 22 Porsche GT car in the Rolex 24-hour race at Daytona this weekend. Courtesy photos Shelton's Ridge Motorsports debuts on national stage By NATALIE JOHNSON ii!i!i!i !i! iiiii !iiii i iii! i!iii iiii ii!ii iii i i iiiii !!iiiiii! ii i i i i!iii i ii! ! ! !i !ii iii ii ! i ii ii i ii! iiiii ii!iiiiii !i ii i ii!ii iiii! iiii!iiiiii i!i !i! ii! ii! !i i iiiii !iii ii ii ! ii i The Ridge Mot0rsports Group, owner of the Ridge Motorsports Park on Eells ill Road outside of Shel ton, plans to get attention on a national level this ~or~]~fo~io~i~da~in~at~a~[ weekend. ~fi~ ~ On Saturday and Sun- day a Porsche GT (car No. 22) bearing the Ridge Mo- torsports logo will compete in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, a 24-hour race on the 3.56- mile Daytona Beach, Fla., road course. Rod Powell, part owner of the Ridge Motorsports Group, plans to travel to Florida this week for the race. "This is to announce to the community that they've got a horse in this race," he said. "If you've got an in- terest you can watch your horse run." When Steve Paquett, owner of Canada's Bullet Racing, took a few laps on the Ridge, he was hooked, Powell said. "Steve came and saw the track, fell in love with the track, fell in love with the community and wants to locate his company here," Powell said. While sponsoring Bul- let's No. 22 Porsche GT in the race would normally have cost Powell's group approximately $300,000, Paquett covered the cost to help give exposure to the new Mason County track, Powell said. GT means Grand Tour- ing class, which includes street cars modified for a race track. The Ridge Motorsports Group plans to rent a space during the Daytona Grand- Am race to promote their track. "It presents to the ama- teurs that we appeal to that we're a professional- level operation," Powell said. "We're going to talk a lot about Shelton and a lot about Mason County ... No question - this is going to bring people from around the world to Shelton." Powell said this is the 50th anniversary of the prestigious race and will think we have a strong chance of being on the podium. Win, lose or draw, it doesn't matter, we get to be on TVo" get worldwide television coverage. He hopes that it will bring attention to Shelton's own Ridge Mo- torsports Park. "The driver lineup is a who's who in the world of motorsports," he said. "If you're into racing, you know every guy in this race." The race will be broad- cast on the Speed Chart- nel, Powell said. It starts at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, and ends at the same time the following day. "I think We have a strong chance of being on the po- dium," Powell said. "Win, lose or draw it doesn't mat- ter, we get to be on TV." Bullet Racing is part of Grand-Am Road Racing, which will bring several teams to compete at the Rolex 24 race. The experience is exhil- arating, but also surreal, Powell said. "Most people spend a lifetime trying to make it to this race ... It's very, very cool, it's very weird," he said. "When you have an idea and you nurture it, you have to convince your- self first and as you pro- ceed you have to convince others ... as it comes to fruition, it's like having a baby. Our baby is growing up in a hurry." While Powell is excited about traveling to Florida for the Daytona race this week, he is also planning ahead for the sold-out 2012 racing season at the Ridge. "We have several mar- quee events that will be nationally publicized," he said. "We're getting excited and we're getting nervous." The first event is sched- uled for March 15. During 2012, 172 track dates have been sold. Races only take place on weekends, Powell said, but organizations can rent the track on weekdays for non-race events." The scheduled events are primarily for the fin- ished road course, Powell said. The separate drag strip is still under con- struction and should be completed by May 15. Other amenities, includ- ing buildings, at the track will be completed through the next three years, Pow- ell said. "We'll be able to run both surfaces independently in May," he said. Regularly Love your Sponsoring Bullet Racing's No. 22 Porsche GT would normally cost approximately $300,000. / V/SA t Regularly All your doctors. they all knew one another and actually talked to each other? It would make your care more successful. What a concept! Quality. Caring. Community. All right here. MGH Ankle & Foot (360) 427-0366 MGH Eye Clinic (360) 426-8717 MGH Family Health (360) 426-3862 MGH Mountain View Women's Health Clinic (360) 426-0955 MGH Oakland Bay Pediatrics (360) 426-3102 MGH Shelton Orthopedics (360) 427-0663 MGH Surgery Clinic (360) 426-4142 MGH Sbelton Family Medicine (360) 426-2653 Mason General Hospital & Family of Clinics Mason General Hospital 901 Mountain View Drive, PO Box 1668, Shelton, WA 98584 * Shelton (360) 426-1611, from Allyn (360) 275-8614 www.MasonGeneral.com TTY/TTD: (360) 427-9593 • Equal Opportunity Provider..Translation Services Provided.. Se habla espa6ol.. Approved by the Joint Commission.. Healthcare's Most Wired Hospital, 2011. Wishing You 50 More Love from -- Bob, Beth, Barry, & Bonny Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - Page C-5