BRANDON, S.D. (KELO AM) - Badlands Motor Speedway in Brandon has abruptly canceled the 2017 racing season.
The company announced on its web site Thursday that it was suspending operations until it can find a buyer for the track.
Race tickets already purchased will be refunded, according to the website. Those who purchased tickets online will have their credit card refunded, while tickets bought in person can be returned to the point of purchase for a full refund plus ten dollars for "gas money."
Thursday's statement also mentioned the “onslaught of negativity,” the company received from race fans, race teams, and vendors earlier in the week, after the track cut ties with Med-Star Dirt Track Rescue. According to the statement, Med-Star was given a check for $6,000, the fees owed them for the entire 2017 season, along with notice that they would be discontinuing the relationship.
Badlands management says the decision to dump Med-Star came after they showed up late for the season opening Silver Shootout on May 13th. According to the statement no race cars can be started until a medical team is set up on site, and instead of showing up hours before the race they were not set up until 6:45pm, causing a delay in the start of the races. Additionally Badlands claims the medical team left the racetrack immediately after the final checkered flag, instead of staying until all cars and fans had cleared the premise.
That bad publicity couples with the fallout from the payday loan rate cap approved by South Dakota voters. Badlands owner is Payday Loan Magnate Chuck Brennan, who warned of disruptions to his widespread financial holdings in South Dakota if the cap were approved.
Brennan has lowered his asking price for the track to $7.5 Million, which he says represents about half of what he invested in upgrades to the facility. Brennan had originally set the price for the track at $6 Million upfront and six additional payments of one million dollars over six years, or a one-time payment of $9.75 Million.
(KELO Radio's Mike Leischner contributed to this report)