Spokane– Pacific Raceways owner Jason Fiorito says his company (www.pacificraceways.com) is evaluating Spokane County’s invitation to apply to become the operator of the former Spokane Raceway Park. The County has issued a Request for Qualifications to interested parties who are able to operate Spokane Motorsports Park from July 1 2008 through October 31, 2009. Fiorito says Pacific Raceways is the state’s largest and most experienced auto racing operator and is clearly qualified to move Spokane’s racing efforts to the next level. But he and his team have some concerns regarding the financial commitments the County is seeking and are still evaluating whether to meet the June 13th application deadline. The following are Fiorito’s comments regarding the future of Spokane Motorsports Park: “We applaud the Commissioners’ hard work and progressive leadership in getting Spokane Motorsports Park to this stage. Saving the track and the surrounding open space benefits the entire region by providing badly needed facilities for Spokane’s large and enthusiastic racing community as well as safe and healthy recreational opportunities for our young people. Pacific Raceways is studying the County’s RFQ and considering how we may respond. We are keenly interested in seeing that Spokane Motorsports Park is developed into a nationally sanctioned, well run and safe racing facility. This means the most important thing right now is to find a qualified, first class operator with the skills and experience to make that happen. The park is currently in extremely poor condition and is not certified for any professional racing events. It’ll take several years, a lot of hard work and substantial resources to accomplish this. Pacific Raceways has spent the last eight years taking a facility in very similar condition and investing several million dollars into needed safety improvements to receive and maintain professional sanctioning. We currently host an annual NHRA event that attracts 100,000 spectators and over $15 million of new money each year spent in local restaurants, hotels and other businesses by racing fans. We’re interested in exploring ways to provide our experience in improving and operating a similar facility for Spokane County. It would be a tragedy, however, if the county decided to allow the facility to continue to operate the way it has been over the past several decades.” Jason Fiorito, Owner, Pacific Raceways