Although no construction start date has been set, the new Bandimere Speedway project reached a major milestone in April when the Hudson Town Council unanimously approved the annexation and zoning of about 1,100 acres near Interstate 76 and Colorado 52, northeast of Denver.
The Bandimere family is now preparing a formal site development plan, the next major step before construction can begin, Hudson Town Manager Bryce Lange said.
Still, the lack of visible activity at the property has led some residents and fans to question the pace of the project, but Lange said much of the work happens before construction starts.
“A lot of this takes a lot of work, so it’s probably frustrating from a public point of view,” Lange said.
“There’s just a lot of work that’s going on behind the scenes, a lot of conversations that need to happen to make sure that this is a development that’s really well thought out.”
Those conversations involve engineers, planners, the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and other agencies.
Lange said everything about building the new speedway comes down to three fundamentals: traffic, wastewater and water.
Before construction can begin, the town must assess whether nearby roads can handle race-day traffic and whether Hudson’s water and wastewater systems can meet peak demand when thousands of spectators use restrooms and other facilities simultaneously.
Those questions will be addressed through traffic studies, engineering reviews and the site development plan process. The project cannot move forward until those studies are complete and the town approves the final plans, Lange said.
Track owner John Bandimere Jr. announced in 2025 that the family had acquired land in Weld County for a new motorsports complex after closing the longtime Morrison speedway in 2023.
The family has continued to update supporters throughout the entire process, including after the annexation and zoning approval.
“We are incredibly grateful to each and every one of you for your unwavering support throughout the annexation and zoning process for our race track in Hudson,” the Bandimere family said in a statement posted on the speedway’s website after the April vote.
“This moment would not have been possible without your encouragement, your voices, your attendance at meetings, and your continued belief in what we are building together. Your support has meant more than words can express.”
John “Sporty” Bandimere III told The Post last week that the project has “a lot of moving pieces” as work continues on the site plan. He said more details will be shared once planning advances and ongoing negotiations allow.
Demolition of the longtime Bandimere Speedway in Morrison began in early June, bringing an end to more than 60 years of racing at the venue.
The speedway’s history dates to 1958, when John Bandimere Sr. purchased land in Jefferson County and started developing a small but functional drag strip to complement the family’s auto parts business, according to their website.
The project also fulfilled Bandimere Sr.’s vision of creating a safe place where young people could learn about cars and race them off the streets.
As the sport grew in popularity, so did the facility. Over the following decades, the speedway expanded to meet increasing demand, including a $4 million renovation in the late 1980s that increased seating capacity from about 8,000 to more than 23,500.
The track eventually became a world-renowned destination, drawing thousands of spectators to watch racers compete on the quarter-mile drag strip.
But as development in the area increased and the need for more space grew, the Bandimere family decided to surrender the former speedway’s land.
While saying goodbye to the Thunder Mountain racetrack has been bittersweet, the new location is already sparking change. Lange said the project is generating interest from developers and businesses looking at investing in Hudson.
He said he expects the drag strip to have a huge impact on Hudson’s and the region’s economy, drawing thousands of visitors who will stay in Hudson and well beyond town limits.
With 1,100 acres to work with, the family-owned track is envisioned as an anchor that can pull in retail, grocery stores, food establishments and hotels around it, filling what Lange described as “holes or gaps” in the community.
“The chalice of Hudson will kind of fill and overflow,” he said, adding that neighboring communities and Weld County could also benefit as the speedway attracts more investment to that area northeast of Denver.
Even as Hudson embraces Bandimere as a legacy project, town officials know residents are watching closely for impacts on noise, traffic and future growth.
During the April annexation hearing, several Weld County residents questioned the potential impacts of the proposed speedway. One resident even voiced the project “doesn’t belong” in the area.
Lange said those concerns remain the most common questions he hears from residents, including an agricultural neighbor who initially worried the drag strip could disrupt operations.
Still, Lange said he believes the Bandimere family is committed to working with the community.
“This is a family-owned business; their legacies are attached here too. So they want to be a great community partner, and I personally have every confidence that they’ll work to mitigate any issue that would arise,” he said.
If the planning and review process stays on schedule, Lange said he could see dirt to begin moving around the site next year.
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