The 125-acre annexation of the former Bandimere Speedway has been approved.

That became a reality when the matter was voted on by the Morrison (Colo.) Town Board at its Aug. 6 meeting.

The deal also calls for the new landowner to transfer 16 acres zoned for mixed-use to the town, giving Morrison control over future retail or commercial development at its front door.

In an article posted Aug. 7 on coloradocommunitymedia.com, trustee Sean Forey described the acreage near C470 and Morrison Road as “prime real estate.”

Then in a second vote, the Town Board approved to rezone the land to planned development, which opens the path for global auto company Copart to move ahead with plans for a vehicle auction center on the remaining property. Copart is under contract with John Bandimere, Jr. to buy the land.

Under the terms of the contract, Copart will take down the grandstands, stadium lights and signs, then fence and revegetate much of the speedway site. Developers describe the planned future operation as a “passive use” that will be quiet and preserve views of the hogback.

That mission of the developers aligned with the sentiment of residents and trustees in Morrison. The city, which is 30 minutes from Denver, has the motto of “Keep Morrison Morrison,’” a slogan built around the idea of maintaining the community’s small-town feel and history.

“Morrison’s not going to get a better deal,” Forey said as he cast his vote for the annexation. “It’s the lowest (impact) use possible. It would be a real problem if Morrison didn’t take advantage of this time to control this property. I’m voting with the majority of the residents in the town to keep Morison Morrison.”

The night of the vote was emotional for Bandimere Speedway owner John Bandimere Jr., who was in attendance with his wife Lorraine during the public hearing.

Bandimere said it’s been his family’s “home away from home” for 65 years but said changes in the racing industry and encroaching development are making the site unsuitable for the speedway. Bandimere plans to move the business to a larger site near the metro area.

“Do we want to leave? No,” Bandimere said while fighting back tears. “This property is sacred ground to me and my family, as well as the community and especially our racers who we’ve seen grow up. It’s probably one of the hardest things we’ve ever had to do. But we do know things in life change. Copart has the same principles we built our business on. We feel it’s important to leave our land in the hands of someone who wants to be an integral part of the community and will make it better.”

Back on April 21, 2023, NHRA and the Bandimere family jointly announced the 2023 Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, July 14-16, would be the last NHRA national event at the historic track. 

First opened in 1958, the Bandimere family agreed to sell the current property and land, with the 2023 racing season marking the end of drag racing at the facility.

Since 1958, Bandimere Speedway had the following:

·      500,000-plus racers and fans on average per year
·      1,700-plus registered racers
·      100-plus events from April to October
·      25-plus different racing categories
·      35-year partnership with Dodge
·      43 years running the Mile-High Nationals
·      $15,000,00 economic impact from the Mile-High Nationals