Redding Motorsports Park Agenda Item Draws Large Crowd at November 3rd Council Meeting
REDDING — A packed Redding City Council chamber on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, heard from 32 public speakers who turned out to address the future of Redding Motorsports Park. The long-running dispute over license agreements at the city-owned facility adjacent to Redding Municipal Airport dominated the evening, as residents, racers, club members, and supporters urged the council to resolve years of friction and preserve access for the multiple groups that use the complex. Most speakers favored a two-lease arrangement.
Council member Tenessa Audette was absent due to illness. Vice Mayor Dr. Paul Dhanuka was also absent because of a medical emergency. Present were Mayor Mike Littau, Council member Erin Resner, and Council member Jack Munns.
History of the Park
The core of the facility is the historic Redding Dragstrip, widely recognized as the oldest continuously operating National Hot Rod Association (NHRA)-sanctioned drag racing track in the United States. Local hot rodders, including Roger Whipp and the Shasta Roadsters, began using abandoned World War II-era runways from the former Redding Army Air Field around 1948 as a safer alternative to street racing. The track gained official NHRA sanctioning in 1953 and has operated under the motto “Race the strip, not the street.”
The City of Redding owns the land. Operators have included the Northern California Drag Racing Association, longtime manager Bob Lidell (through roughly 2013), Shirlene Bramson and Redding Dragstrip Inc. (approximately 2011–2021), and the current operator, Redding Dragstrip, Inc. (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit managed by the Trimp family under Tony Trimp), which operates the dragstrip as Redding Motorsports Park. The broader complex has also hosted a road course, kart track, supermoto, and motocross activities.
The groups using the facility have historically operated under separate license agreements rather than formal long-term leases. Starting around 2024, after a Federal Aviation Administration review of the airport-adjacent property (acquired in part with federal funding), the City began efforts to replace those licenses with leases. Staff initially pushed for a single master lease; later discussions shifted toward separate leases so each group could retain its facility. Some clubs’ licenses were terminated or allowed to expire near the end of 2024, limiting access while negotiations continued.
The RFP and Current Disputes
In July 2026 the City issued Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 5716 for the development, lease, and operation of approximately 150.75 acres that include the existing racing facilities. The City’s stated goals were to activate underutilized airport property, promote economic development and tourism, provide recreational opportunities, and ensure compatibility with airport operations and FAA requirements. Proposals were due to address company experience, rent structure, planned activities, development and maintenance plans, safety and regulatory compliance, event scheduling coordinated with the airport, utilities, and concessions. The initial lease term was envisioned at roughly 10 years with a 5-year option. Higher minimum rent and insurance requirements were widely expected to raise operating costs.
Issues that have complicated the process for the past couple of years include insurance requirements, access, potential fee increases, shared use of the site, runoff space for the dragstrip, gate security, maintenance responsibilities, and consistent safety and emergency procedures.
Public Comment and Council Action
The 32 speakers focused on preserving the facility, maintaining affordable access, supporting youth racing, and finding a workable solution so all user groups can continue operating. Most favored separate leases for different areas, saying the approach would protect each group’s investments, clarify access and responsibilities, and allow the groups to continue operating together. Representatives of karting, supermoto, motocross, and other clubs described missed seasons, locked gates, entrance difficulties, and private investments already made in the facility. A Shasta Kart Klub representative supported separate leases and noted the club’s decision not to race this season while continuing to maintain insurance.
Other commenters preferred a single master lease and operating agreement under Tony Trimp and Redding Motorsports Park, arguing that one operator could provide consistent scheduling, safety rules, insurance, and accountability. Jeff Brockeiser, a Redding Motorsports Park board member, said the RFP increased lease requirements by 300 percent and expressed concern that separate leases could reduce revenue to the city. Hawk Mazzotta supported the original single-master-lease approach and described plans for training camps, racing events, charity work, and paid facility use while arguing that existing clubs should retain their identities and receive designated dates through written agreements. Speakers also raised questions about how many proposals the City received, how they were evaluated, whether the RFP would be awarded or canceled, runoff space for the drag-strip, insurance documentation, drifting impacts on tracks designed for smaller vehicles, and the condition of fences and other assets.
Mayor Littau proposed pausing action on the RFP and lease or license agreements stating he is forming an ad hoc committee to meet with track groups and city staff to work through some grievances, "hoping to put some of the quarreling aside". The council later voted 3–0 to continue the item to November 17. The Mayor and Vice Mayor Dr. Dhanuka were identified as the ad hoc committee; the Vice Mayor’s statement supported the staff recommendation for two separate leases. Council members emphasized keeping the facility operational, supporting youth racing, encouraging respectful discussion, and repairing working relationships. Final lease agreements would still return to the full council for approval.
Groups That Use the Park
The complex supports several distinct user groups:
Redding Dragstrip / Redding Motorsports Park (operated by Redding Dragstrip, Inc. under Tony Trimp): Hosts NHRA Summit ET Series events, junior dragsters, street-legal racing, grudge races, test-and-tune sessions, and larger shows including Kool April Nites related events.
Shasta Kart Klub: Uses the road course for kart racing. The club has been associated with the track since the late 1980s.
Shasta SuperMoto Club: Conducts supermoto events that combine pavement and dirt sections on the road course.
Stillwater MX: Operates motocross racing on the dirt track portion of the complex.
These groups, along with occasional drifting and other motorsports events, have shared the city-owned property under separate or overlapping arrangements.
Other Business
Interim City Manager Michael Webb presented an informational review of General Fund vacancies. Six leadership positions were vacant (City Manager, City Attorney, Assistant City Attorney, Finance Director, Police Chief, and Fire Chief). Eight public safety positions fully funded by the General Fund were also vacant, along with 24 additional positions funded wholly or partly by the General Fund. Staff recommended maintaining a hiring freeze where operationally feasible while recruiting to fill the eight public safety positions. Potential General Fund savings from unfilled leadership vacancies were estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for fiscal years 2027 and 2028, though actual savings depend on vacancy duration and backfill timing. Council members requested further review during priority-setting sessions in December 2026 or January 2027.
In other action, the council adopted a resolution 3–0 authorizing the California Municipal Finance Authority to issue up to $40 million in tax-exempt bonds for a multifamily rental housing project at 930 Canby Road. The action did not approve project entitlements or permits and carried no fiscal impact to the city. The council also directed private fiber developers to proceed through the city’s established permitting process rather than waiting for a public-private partnership.
The Motorsports Park item, along with related emergency declaration and utility rate matters, is scheduled to return to the council on November 17. A “Meet the Machines” open house was announced for November 8.
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