Would a *legal* drag strip business click here in the Phils.?

**roberto_minosa** · July 22nd, 2009 04:45 PM

I was thinking about this business for quite a while now. Would a legal drag strip click? I'd want to make an alternative to street racing, hence a proper race track. I'd like to set it up with all the equipment that a proper drag strip should have. The timers, the pits, the whole thing. Even safety regulations for a change. Yes, it's tough and I have no idea on running a racetrack. But would would-be racers here want to try out their cars on a proper drag strip? Is a drag strip feasible?

But of course, I won't be building it anytime soon. I'm still in college, and I have a lot of work to do before I make enough capital to do that project.

So, whaddaya think guys?

**ghosthunter** · July 22nd, 2009 04:51 PM

It is possible BUT the amount of land might make it an expensive venture if you want to locate it near or within Metro Manila. You will also have to provide area for the paddocks, parking for support vehicles, grandstand for visitors watching, etc

Currently there is already the race track at Subic and the raceway at Clark (near the old expo area).

**Altis6453** · July 22nd, 2009 04:57 PM

Two words: Insurance and Liability.

You got to have your business covered from damage or injuries caused to participants of races, and even patrons who come to watch them. Otherwise, everytime you have a race, its a potential lawsuit waiting to happen.

You have to ensure that there are adequate safety measures in place at all times before, during and after the race event so as to avoid getting sued for negligence.

**roberto_minosa** · July 22nd, 2009 05:11 PM

*GH

My ideal place for my drag strip would be in Bulacan. There are still places there where land is cheap. No problem about the funds, I still have 2/3 of a lifetime left to make money. Though there's no guarantee if it'll be enough

...I also heard from a few friends of dad that the strip at Clark has been doing well although they said it's a makeshift drag strip. In contrast to that, I want to build a drag strip similar to the ones in the US.

*Altis6453

This also concerns money, and I have to make a lot so I may get a fat insurance policy plus a lawyer to come with it. No worries, I have all the time to imagine my first Philippine International Drag Raceway...then imagine some more...

**niky** · July 22nd, 2009 05:27 PM

There's a reason many dragstips in the US are old airports... it removes the capital intensive portion of building one... roads are expensive to build.

The only way to make it a commercially viable operation is through tie-ups and by having it serve more than one purpose. Build an airstrip/dragstrip/racing track.

-

Insurance considerations? Wuzzat? Implicit in the terms of use for the track is a disclaimer signed by the participants which states that they're well aware of the risks and will not hold the track owner liable for any damage or injury sustained on the track due to poor driving or a poorly maintained car. This is SOP for the racetracks that are already operating.

You can also have a video system set-up to show why an accident has happened (such a system will only add about 100k pesos to a track for around two dozen cameras and a couple of DV recorders) and they'll have no way of holding you accountable.

Especially considering that:
1. This is the Philippines. A lawsuit will take decades.
2. The moment you show their video to their insurance company, bye-bye insurance coverage.

:hysterical:

The big problem is finding customers on a regular basis (not just vacation weekends)... that's why you want the track to be multi-purpose (heck, have a karting circuit on the infield).

**roberto_minosa** · July 22nd, 2009 05:40 PM

*niky

Yes, that's the main problem that's been bothering my imagination. The customers themselves. I can't expect that there will be people racing everyday. But if we disregard construction cost for the moment, would the weekend and holiday customers suffice at least the operational cost of the strip?

I'm also trying to imagine a couple of restaurants and shops as tenants inside the property (away from the lanes of course) to aid recovery of the money spent in construction, and it's starting to look like a mall/dragway/park. Sounds like a bad combination, huh?

**niky** · July 22nd, 2009 05:57 PM

Actually, we were considering that concept, and that's the way to make it really click.

Design a mall... lots of places to eat and drink. Add a separate sub-mall in the "parking lot", dubbed an "auto-mall", with garage services and a modification shop.

Give it a park-like atmosphere... lots of roadway, trees, play-areas... biking lanes, etcetera... add a go-kart track somewhere inside.

Then, on the weekends, seal off the parking-lot, bike lanes and kart trak and turn them into a racetrack... complete with ARMCO...

... you'll have walkways above the track between the mall and the service area where people can watch... or they can watch from trackside restaurants... Keep an underground parking lot in the mall (many malls have underground parking, anyway, even if they have acres of parking outside) for customers and have the entrance go under the front driveway (which will be part of the track) so people can drive in even when a race is going on. I can see just that sort of set-up working at, say, SM Santa Rosa or SM Southmall in Las Pinas (both have huge parking lots serving middling sized malls).

Such a place would be enormous fun. And the width of the track and the strategic use of ARMCO would qualify it for use as an AF3 track (though you really won't have straights long enough to get out of third gear on most cars).

Probably too expensive... too insanely expensive to make any economic sense... but really fun.

**Altis6453** · July 22nd, 2009 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by niky

Insurance considerations? Wuzzat? Implicit in the terms of use for the track is a disclaimer signed by the participants which states that they're well aware of the risks and will not hold the track owner liable for any damage or injury sustained on the track due to poor driving or a poorly maintained car. This is SOP for the racetracks that are already operating.

You can also have a video system set-up to show why an accident has happened (such a system will only add about 100k pesos to a track for around two dozen cameras and a couple of DV recorders) and they'll have no way of holding you accountable.

Especially considering that:
1. This is the Philippines. A lawsuit will take decades.
2. The moment you show their video to their insurance company, bye-bye insurance coverage

Disclaimers don't automatically relieve the operator of liability, that's why he has to show that all precautions have been taken to minimize, if not eliminate injury.

Yes, a lawsuit can take years, even decades to resolve. But, would you really want to spend that money on legal fees everytime your hearing's up?

Taking videos would be a very good precaution against accidents caused by driver error. But, its also a double edged sword if the camera happens to catch something attributable to the operator of the track which contributed to the accident.

**gearspeed** · July 22nd, 2009 08:54 PM

May land ako para sa ganyan ang problem funds din.

**roberto_minosa** · July 22nd, 2009 10:18 PM

Hahahaha, thanks for all your insights! Niky's plan sounds like real awesome fun, but it'll take someone of the Henry Sy caliber to make something like that! But who knows, maybe one day I may be able to realize this and make safe racing fun for any enthusiast. That's a plan for the win. A race-themed automall and racetrack! Now, who would volunteer to provide the PhP75M budget? Anyone?

ps. If only the racetrack won't run out of enthusiasts that'll race...