DOUGLAS n Race car engines will roar this summer at Douglas Motorsports Park, albeit with an abbreviated schedule.

Following a board meeting Saturday to evaluate the latest communications with the Converse County commissioners, officials decided to start the 2007 a month later, in June, and run eight weekends instead of 10.

That should keep racers coming to the track, could break into some of the $140,000 in debt accrued in recent seasons, and should encourage sponsors to stick by the struggling park.

The raceway has struggled with needs for major improvements n most importantly, resurfacing the track for safety and to attract the faster cars that would bring in more money. Also, the National Hot Rod Association is mandating installation of concrete guard rails for safety by the 2008 season - an expensive proposition.

Track officials said they have an anonymous private investor willing to put up to $300,000 into the improvements to the quarter-mile straight track, on the condition that the raceway secures a long-term lease from the county so he can recoup some of the investment.

County commissioners, however, have cautioned the raceway group of the high risk they assume in a contract lasting beyond their term of office. Nonetheless, the two groups appear ready to pound out a compromise. A work session is scheduled Thursday, and track officials said they are optimistic that the county will agree to a 10 or 12-year lease at a reasonable rate. The raceway presently has a valid lease through 2007.

For the past several years the raceway has leased the acreage along East Richards Street from the city, which leases the land from the county on behalf of the motorsports park. The raceway group pays $25,000 a year, although that rate may decrease, raceway board member Mark Knickerbocker said. The tax value of the land is about $1,500 a year.

"There have been all kinds of dollar figures shot around, but it appears to be significantly less than we've been paying," Knickerbocker said. "That actually may make it workable."

Former commissioners cited the potentially high value of the property for development purposes when negotiating leases. Now, with Wal-Mart planning a super center west of town, the Richards Street land may have lost some of its value, Knickerbocker speculated, saying that would be good news for the raceway.

"With Wal-Mart going in, they really don't see this as a high priority piece of property at this point," he explained. "To their credit, they're at least aware of that and trying to do something."

In a recent meeting the commissioners asked the raceway group for a business plan. Knickerbocker said the board will move forward on that, but the plan depends in large part on a long-term lease.

"If it's a long-term commitment, we actually can establish what we need to do," he said. "It's kind of the chicken and the egg thing."

Without a long-term lease to secure the private investor's money for improvements, officials have said the raceway might close.

This year, the raceway will concentrate on two key events slated for weekends absent competition from other regional raceways n the Jackalope Bracket Nationals and the National Dragster Challenge, which tend to bring in higher car counts, board member Todd VanRensselaer said. And, officials still hope to resurface the track before the 2007 season gets underway, although that is pending a long-term lease and, then, the availability of crews to take on the work.

"We've made some progress," Knickerbocker said of negotiations with the county. "I'm really tickled with, in particular, the two new guys coming on (the commission). It appears they're really trying to help us and do what's good for the community."