For the past four years, there was never any question as to where you could find Christina Lemons on a Saturday night in July. She would routinely shut down her family's auto repair shop in Wright City at 2 p.m. and began preparations for a night of racing at the Montgomery County Speedway. But Lemon's weekend tradition was halted by some disheartening news she recently received. The Montgomery County Speedway, located at Interstate 70 near New Florence, has closed. "It was like hearing that there was a death in the family," recalled Lemons. After eight years of hosting races, owner Mel Kinniard has been forced to shut down the dirt track and offer it for sale. The track hosted its inagural race on July 14, 2001. Its last active weekend was July 11. "It's a shame," said Lemons. "I absolutely loved racing at Montgomery. It had such the family atmosphere there." Kinniard cites economical concerns as the primary reason for the close. According to the longtime racing promoter, fan attendance had dropped off by 50 percent over the past three years. The bleachers, which have a capacity of 2,000, were reduced to a few hundred this season. Kinniard says at least 750 fans are necessary to make operating feasible. "The numbers have been going down over the past eight years, and it's getting worse each year," said Kinniard. "The weather hasn't helped the past two years." "There's been a very noticable difference in the stands," added Lemons, who began her racing career at Montgomery County Speedway in 2005. Kinniard owns the track along with his father, Delbert. While Mel would like to continue his role in the race track, his 80-year-old father is ready to retire completely, he said. Mel asserts that he would be willing to stay on as a part-time owner if someone would invest in the other half of the 36.6-acre property. "I'm not particularly wanting to sell my part," said Kinniard. "If I could get another buyer to operate it with me, that' s what I'd prefer. But it takes several people to run a race track." And the declining numbers in three crucial categories - drivers, fans and volunteers - left him no other choice. "We just decided it wasn't feasible to keep it going at this time," said Kinniard. "Closing was the most practical solution." He is hoping the closure is only temporary. But under financial constraints, he understands someone may want to purchase the land for purposes other than racing. "We're trying to sell it, and if someone wants to buy it as a race track, that's fine or they may have other plans for it," said Kinniard. He admits that the track hasn't been lucrative since it opened. But it was more of a labor of love for him, so he was willing to run it despite the lack of profit. At its best, the track drew 120 cars and enough fans to result in a standing room-only crowd. Kinniard says if the track goes for more than a year without hosting a race, it would be forced to reapply for county zoning permits. Mel, 58, has been involved in racing for over 30 years - first as a driver, then promoter. He understands the impact this will have on his regular drivers. "Everything has changed since I first started racing," said Kinniard. "Racing is gotten a lot more expensive and there is more competition from other events held on Saturday nights." Those faithful to the track, like Lemons, recognize Kinniard's passion and can't imagine anyone else running the operation like he has done. "I know Mel is totally invested in the track," said Lemons. "I believe he has always had the best interest of the drivers at heart. I grew up around the tracks and watched Mel race." She is among the drivers whose cars are temporarily sitting, as they scramble to find another track at which to compete. For the Lemons family, who runs two separate cars, that is complicated by the fact many tracks do not allow rear-wheel vehicles to run. "It does limit us where we can race our cars, definitely," said Lemons. "Because our cars were built for Montgomery County." Kinniard apologizes for the inconvenience the situation has inflicted on his routine drivers. "I had some good, dedicated people," said Kinniard. "I feel sorry for them because they have to drive farther and some may not be able to afford it." He realizes this will force drivers to either park their cars or commute to the next nearest track, which could be in Fulton, Moberly or Belleville, Ill. "Most of my racers travel from over 100 miles away," said Kinniard. He adds that the majority came from towns east of Montgomery County. A handful had attended every race since the track had opened in 2001.