Engines haven’t revved at the Tri-City Motor Speedway in Williams Township since 2004.
But on Tuesday, the historic track may get its first chance at a new life.
An auction for the 55.6-acre property begins at 1 p.m. at the Quality Inn, 501 Saginaw St. in downtown Bay City.
‘‘It’s one of the oldest tracks in Michigan,’’ said Frank A. Bateson, 71, owner of the speedway at 3660 Eight Mile Road.
‘‘It’s a big part of the history and culture here,’’ adds Paul F. Beggs, a Bay City attorney representing Bateson.
Tri-City Motor Speedway opened as a dirt track in 1947. In the late 1950s or early 1960s, it was paved into a half-mile track and became a frequent site for stockcar racing, said Bateson, who bought the track from his son, Bill Bateson, 48, of Auburn, in 1998 and now balances his time between Bay City and Traverse City.
‘‘People up here have always been big race fans,’’ said Bill Bateson. ‘‘We don’t want to see it die. We’re trying to get somebody who can take it on from there. There’s a lot of opportunity in this area and people will drive to a small-town racetrack if it’s done right.’‘
‘‘I think there are a number of people who would like to see it reopen as a race track, people who used to attend races there and would talk fondly of memories of that,’’ Paige said. ‘‘We’ve had some requests from people for information, general historical information on the track.’’
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