By MIKE CORN

mcorn@dailynews.net

WaKEENEY -- Thanks to the efforts of area fans, the green flag is going up for races to resume this spring at WaKeeney Speedway.

Trego County Commissioners were just as excited about the prospects of a full racing season as the 13 people who filled commission chambers Monday.

While they promised nothing, commissioners set the stage for the county doing what it can to help keep the race track open.

The group, with Mike McCurdy as its president, appeared before commissioners to detail its plans and ask for a helping hand in making sure the race track doesn't die.

There had been some concerns WaKeeney Speedway might die a painful death. Earlier promoters were unable to make the venture happen and were forced to retreat from plans to open the speedway this spring.

In response, the group that now calls itself the Trego County Racing Association called a public meeting Thursday.

On Monday afternoon, they appeared before commissioners, a feat that didn't escape Commissioner Herb Schwartzkopf.

After detailing their plan, Commissioner Dean Papes provided copies of previous contracts for the racetrack to the group for review. The group will meet with commissioners again Friday to talk about the contract.

Nine of the 10 board members were on hand for the meeting.

Based on the earlier meeting, TCRA set a tentative schedule for races, sending it along to the International Motor Contest Association, which already has responded with a contract for signatures.

The first race is scheduled for April 17, but most of the races will be in the coveted Sunday time slot.

The group, McCurdy said, isn't asking for money from the county.

Instead, they showed up, hat-in-hand, to ask for other help, most notably in the form of a motor grader and water truck to prepare the track for races.

"We're not one set of people," he said of the people behind the effort to rescue the track. "We're a lot of people headed in the same direction.

"We want a racetrack."

Equipment, McCurdy said, is the greatest need right now.

The track needs repairs for it to be ready for races and will need conditioning before each race.

While the racing association board is made up of fair board members and people associated with racing, the group's single goal is to see the track remain open.

An average of 80 cars race at the track each race night, McCurdy said, and most are from out of town.

While the racers are in WaKeeney, he said, "they spend money."

Throughout the meeting, organizers told commissioners they weren't starting over, but instead using what is available with an eye on improvements in the future.

Even criticism about keeping the pits in the center of the track has been muted, as McCurdy said they plan to put the taller trailers -- those blocking the view of observers -- at the north end.

"We're not going to reinvent the wheel up there," he said.

While commissioners noted the group first needs to sign a contract with the fair board and county, it was all but assured that absent huge issues, the project will move ahead.

"We think this is as important as you do," Papes said.