" By EARL KRAUSE Wall Township, NJ — Before a wheel can turn at Wall Stadium Speedway this year, a non-racing problem has the start of the 73rd season at the high-banked third-mile paved oval on hold.

The delay is due to an unexpected environmental testing requirement given to the owners of the property. Since 2011, the Krause family has leased the facility and successfully promoted racing there.

“I’m a frustrated promoter that’s ready to open Wall Stadium for racing but can’t right now,” said track general manager Emily Krause.

She was told by the Stadium property owners that until all of the testing at the track property is done there could be no activity on the grounds so as to not interfere with the project.

That includes events for the Garden State Quarter-Midget Club which has its ‘Little Wall’ 1/20th mile paved oval on site. It is not yet known how or when the testing will take place at Wall Stadium, or to what degree it will affect its previously planned schedule.

“I am afraid the circumstances may force us to delay our opening a few weeks. That’s why I can’t release a schedule yet, even though I’ve had it ready for more than a month,” said Krause. “I don’t want to say we’re going to open on a specific date, then have to pull it back. We’re staying positive and gathering as much useful information as possible.”

The reason for the environmental testing relates to the sale of land adjacent to Wall Stadium and the building of warehouses. The property surrounding Wall Stadium on two sides (beyond the backstretch and alongside turns one and two) had been sold late last year.

The new owner of the former Fred McDowell Inc. gravel pits has proposed plans to build 10 warehouses with 2.1 million square feet of warehousing space next to the speedway. Very importantly, contrary to recent rumors, the Wall Stadium property has not been sold and is not part of the warehouse project.

Krause confirmed that she has an active agreement with the current Stadium property owners to operate the speedway as usual. However, environmental testing has and will be done on the 262 acre former McDowell property. But it will also take place on the neighboring Wall Stadium land in compliance with ordinances to prepare for the proposed building of the warehouses next door on the McDowell site.

“Our main goal is to open on time (late April) and to provide a full season of fun events here at the Jersey Shore. We are working proactively and moving closer and closer to a schedule release,” said Krause. “We are ready to go! Our staff is ready, and I know our racers and fans are anxiously awaiting news of what’s next. We’ve been informed of numerous new entries coming to race this year.”

Technical rules for 2023 have been updated and posted on the track website wallspeedwayracing.com. Most notably added to the rules is the soon-to-be New Jersey State Police-required fire suppression system.

“Preparations were started and have now been halted. Before we got far enough to experience any tire supply drama, we were slapped with an environmental snafu! It’s a reminder you never know what kind of hand you’ll be dealt,” said Krause.

Saturday night plans already in place for 2023 at Wall Stadium include long-distance, high-paying Modified races, including the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race on July 8. The famed Turkey Derby will again end the season in November. Multiple events for the touring ATQMRA TQ Midgets, demolition derbies, Family Fun Nights, twin races, interactive theme nights and possible Slingshot events as part of the Sunday Series of Go-karts and Micro Stocks are planned along with new racing merchandise. “I hope we are able to resolve this quickly so we can all go racing!” emphasized Emily Krause, who advised that she will continue to monitor the situation and keep Wall’s loyal racers and fans updated. "

From - https://aarn.com/2023/03/27/newsmaker-of-the-week-wall-stadium/?fbclid=IwAR3IAv_5KojfOZhGLBK5fG8h7zRAwxLpxGvsbkSsIijOZRwKfgM6-E5Dlfg

This don't smell good.

Govt red tape bureaucratic bull feces..........I just went through the same BS  twice in 3 vrs.  Small business extortion for sources of revenue. All these enviro contractors and testing labs are all big campaign donors......the $$$$ stays in the circle of the chosen few well connected. The rest of us are sheep. 

It wouldn't suprise that even if the oil turns up clean............the report will say itt's contaminated fron the speedway. But only in the area of the track. Hence the town gets it's tax revenue from the wharehouses and gets the speedway shut down. It will be a win /win for the township.

This sucks...If there is a problem with Wall Dirt then the warehouse company will try to buy more property cheap... Dont get me started....I have seen this many times with small family car lots and similar businesses and have been put out of business for a Large hardware store or small strip mall that pays better rent..

As a resident of Wall I have to say the officials from Wall Twp have supported the speedway for decades. As soon as Amazon got approval in the gravel pit it now made Wall Stadiums property more valuable. We will see where this goes but when buying commercial property the first thing to do is soil testing to cover your ass and to get financing it's usually required too. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Usually, the last major step in a purchase agreement, is the environmental phase. If clean, a purchase agreement follows. The owners don't want people on the property during testing because of the amount of holes they will be digging.   We will see!

I always said, if someone buys it, it is one hell of a hole to fill to make it level !

Yeah Kevin, I've always figured if that property ever got developed. The track or the hole would always be there. But, maybe it all could get leveled and used. I hope it never gets to that. 

The property owners should give the Krause family approximate dates when the testing will begin. To allow them to schedule actual racing dates. When they tested for underground oil tanks and drilled holes for other contamination on our property. They gave us a specific date to prevent scheduling conflicts. Plus the drilling company did not work on weekends, they charged enough, to begin with. Wall is a big property but it should only take a few days to drill core samples. 

Amazon wants to change Rt 34 and Hurley Pond Rd. The few people that live on Hurley Pond Rd are going to get the short end of the stick. Hope the environmentalist get in an uproar and fight to save the land. N.J. does not need more warehouses! There are plenty or new warehouse space between Cranbury Rd and Rt 130 in South Brunswick that are empty. Curious about where all these new employees will come from.

We spent a few days last week back in Jersey and my wife and I both said the license plate should be redone.  Instead of the Garden State, they should say The WareHouse State.

A road across the speedway property would provide direct access to Rt 34. This would be a plus for any application that would result in a lot of truck traffic by doing away with the need for them to go down Hurleys Pond Road.

--just the ways of the world we live in , boys  -

my friends & mentors  ,  the late  bob emmons and harry treacy  used to say:

"if ya' can't dazzle  'em with brilliance, then baffle 'em with B.S." !! 

blessings !!

bill--

I'm in the Lehigh Valley also...rt 33 is becoming a warehouse giant...also off rt 100 that's a huge spot...traffic surveys show the area between 78 & 100 south have 7000 trucks a day...going west on 78 past 737 exit it's solid with them almost to rt 81.