Bandimere Speedway near Morrison is working on plans for a new location phone keys wallet bag

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Bandimere family is providing more details about its plans to relocate Bandimere Speedway, which is set to close in October, as it hoste the Dodge Power Brokers Mile High NHRA Nationals last weekend.

e speedway along C-470 near Morrison has been operating in that location for 65 years, and company President John Bandimere Jr. said in April that it’s time to nd a better location.

e family has been looking for a new location for about a year, Bandimere Jr. has said, and it will take a year o from the racing business and hopes to relocate to more acreage in the metro Denver area. A large tract of land near Denver International Airport is a possibility.

“I want to make one thing clear,” Bandimere Jr. said at a news conference on July 12. “Some people think we are being pushed out by housing.

ere is no question they’re building a lot of houses here, but not one person has given us a bad time.

“I feel very comfortable with why we are leaving,” he said. “We just need more space.” e current Bandimere Speedway can accommodate 28,500 spectators as it hosts more than 130 events a year. It has nearly 30,000 competitors each season, and it hosts one of the largest youth programs in the country, according to the Bandimere website.

He said the current speedway doesn’t have running water, so he would like to see bathrooms in the new location along with better seating and more parking.

According to Bandimere Jr., John Bandimere Sr. and his wife Frances originally opened the racetrack in Arvada in 1956 as an expansion of their automotive machining and auto parts business and to provide “a place for people, especially for young people, to enjoy the speed and performance of the automobile and to get o the streets.”

In 1958, because of noise and other concerns in Arvada, the Bandimeres moved to what at that time was a remote area west of Denver against the hogback. Fast forward to 2023, and the venue is looking for a new home to allow drag-race enthusiasts to continue to enjoy the sport.

“As we close this chapter, our family is taking the time to re ect on the hundreds, maybe thousands, of memories on under Mountain, and they are great memories,” Bandimere Jr. said in April. “Our relationships with employees, racers, sponsors, sanctioning bodies, guests and service providers will remind us daily of what a privilege it’s been for my family to continue the legacy started by my parents.” when you shop, bring your bag scan to learn more about our collective effort