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The end of the 2023 racing season in October means the end of a 65-year run for Bandimere Speedway, the nationally renowned drag strip west of Denver in Jefferson County.

With development in the area growing, “our family is prepared to surrender the location we’ve called home for six decades,” John Bandimere Jr. said. “The place has never been ours. It belongs to God.”

The confirmed rumors that have circulated recently.

For years, the family has searched for another possible location. The hunt continues with the goal of opening another facility in the area. “The days ahead are exciting 鈥� they’re stressful,” Bandimere said.

The family “worked with investors on a possible new track and facility location,” a National Hot Rod Association news release said.

“We have been blessed to occupy one of the most unique places in our state and feel that our commitment to the sport is not done yet,” Bandimere said in . “It抖阴ap part of the fabric of our family鈥檚 life, and we鈥檙e hopeful that another equally unique location can be found to continue the legacy that was started by my parents over six decades ago.”

The Bandimeres haven’t said publicly if there’s a buyer for the property.

Fans can still attend drag races at Bandimere Speedway for a Events start Friday and run through Sunday, Oct. 22.

Typically, the track hosts , and claims 1,700 registered racers, according to its website. Around 225 cars are usually featured weekly.

The National Hot Rod Association will hold the 2023 Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals on July 14-16 as at the speedway. It’s previously attracted across three days, according to the Bandimere Speedway website.

The track, referred to as “Thunder Mountain,” challenges drivers and their teams because the elevation “affects everything from engine tune-ups to aerodynamics,” the NHRA said. Bandimere sits at 5,800 feet above sea level.

As the world’s biggest auto racing organization, the NHRA is currently discussing the replacement of the Denver date on next year’s schedule.

“We look forward to celebrating the 65th anniversary this year to close out this chapter at Bandimere Speedway and remain optimistic about future opportunities to have NHRA Drag Racing stay in the Denver area and to continue to work with the Bandimere family in the future,” said聽President Glen Cromwell.

Bandimere Speedway fans flocked to Facebook quickly to express feelings of heartbreak and love.

“Thank you for so many years of memories at one of my all time favorite race tracks in the world!” Kyle Loftis wrote. “We hope to see the new track underway with racing asap!”

Abdul Yacubu called it a “sad day truly.”

“Bandimere Speedway is one of the best racetracks in America and is home to every car guy in Colorado,” he wrote.

While Yacubu admitted that he supports new developments, “at some point, the city has to understand what makes Colorado great isn鈥檛 just mountains and fancy houses,” but its people.

Track history

On Friday afternoon, all was quiet at the track. But directly across Colorado 470, construction workers toiled at mixed-use community .

Several houses sat in unfinished states, while “sold” signs were stuck on others. With cars parked in driveways, others had already welcomed residents home. The developing neighborhood boasts a view of the Bandimere Speedway.

Nearby, the community also grows 鈥� and current residents maintain different opinions about their neighbor, the Bandimere Speedway.

As she walked her dog with her daughter, one woman noted that her family moved into their new house in December. She can hear the sounds of Red Rocks Amphitheatre clearly, so she worries about noises from the track 鈥� and its impact on her sleep.

Another resident confirmed that he can hear the speedway some days, but recognizes that it’s a part of Colorado history. He ultimately wonders if a race track or another housing development is better suited for the area, adding that only time will tell.

Bandimere Speedway previously ran into hurdles during the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the cancellation of the Mile-High Nationals in 2020. It served as the site of a legal battle over personal freedoms as it held a July 4 event that year, hosting a crowd of thousands that superseded the 175-head cap set as a coronavirus restriction.

Randy Corporon, who served then as the family’s attorney, directed questions about the pending closure to the Bandimeres on Friday. A spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The history of the quarter-mile drag strip dates back to 1958 when John Bandimere Sr. bought the land 鈥� “the fulfillment of a life-long dream of dad and mom’s,” the younger Bandimere said. It served as an expansion to the family’s auto parts and machine shop business.

The speedway counts as one of a few NHRA national event tracks with an all-concrete racing surface, according to its website.

Over the decades, buildings were replaced, and the event schedule expanded.

took place in 1988, with capacity boosted to more than 23,500 seats. In 2008, the site underwent track resurfacing and the installation of a lighting system. It uses a track cooling system that Bandimere Speedway considers “unique to drag racing.”

But the location remained the same 鈥� until now.

The Bandimere family’s business approach was always “to hold it lightly, knowing that we would not have it forever.”