While I agree with you about the local community's needs, but the only way to sell things like this to the local city governments (who ultimately have to approve it) is to sell them on bringing in some sort of tourism. Race tracks are not thought of as good things by the sorrounding communities. They have reputations (justified or not) of being noisy, bringing in bad things to their area, polluting the environments, causing injuries, etc. Local residents mobilize to oppose race tracks everywhere. Many of them only vote for city councils in opposition to things like this. What does that tell you when a bunch of (what the councils see as) reckless kids come in front of them asking for a vote on this. To oppose it you have to get local corporations and important people behind you. You also have to give the councils some reason to support you as opposed to those "resident voters" that will surely oppose it. The most profitable things to local communities is attracting tourists. To get tourists you have to have some big events that will attract people from out of town that will need to rent hotel rooms, visit resturants, etc. That unfortunately takes big facilities and big events. The other possibility is to sell the low budget facility as a startup with the plans to grow it to a major facility. The success of the "tuner" events that are weekend parties can make this sale, but it is harder than a big spectator event like National event drag races.