Scarborough’s well-known former Beech Ridge Motor Speedway has been torn down to make way for a FedEx facility.
Beech Ridge was once a fixture for race fans from around the region. The short-track racing venue was lively with weekend events, hosting races for 70 years. The speedway was considered a proving ground for future NASCAR drivers.
But, after lying dormant for the past four years, the speedway has been demolished, with heavy equipment razing the once-crowded stands. As of this week, all that remains is the sponsor wall.
With the demise of Beech Ridge, Maine has just three remaining auto racing tracks: Wiscasset Speedway, Oxford Plains Speedway and Speedway 95 in Hermon.
The former owner, Andy Cusack, announced the closure in 2021.
In recent years, the racing community, as well as some residents, urged Scarborough officials to keep the property in local hands. However, Autumn Speer, the planning board director, told Mainebiz in an email that the property was privately owned and “went through the proper development process for approvals.”
Plans for FedEx site
The 55-acre property was sold to Setzer Properties, a Lexington, Ky.-based firm that has developed FedEx buildings across the U.S., from North Carolina to Tennessee and Colorado.
Setzer Properties bought the property for $5 million.
According to the town’s planning board documents, plans call for a 30,560 square-foot warehouse, a 5,818 square-foot office, and an 11,705-square-foot maintenance shop. It will also have a parking area that will accommodate up to 925 vehicles.
The project is slated to be completed in the summer of 2027.
