A local businessman is now the owner of the former Mansfield Motorsport Speedway LLC.

  Grant Milliron, owner of Milliron Industries, presented the winning bid of $800,000 Friday morning during a Richland County Sheriff's sale at the Sheriff's Office.  The starting bid was $308,827 the amount the county owed in past-due property taxes.

  Milliron says he had no definitive plan to buy the property, but was attracted to the size of the real estate, which includes just over 177 acres, two entrances, and a railroad stem.

  Milliron visited the property Wednesday and decided to make the purchase Friday.

  "Could there be an opportunity for the community, yes," Milliron said. "I personally don't want to get involved in marketing, developing, operating a race track but there may be some phone calls that come through to me where others are in that business and we can sell that to them at a very reasonable price."

  Milliron outbid Bill Bader of Norwalk Summit Motorsports Park.  Bader in return extended an invitation to Milliron to visit his racetrack in Norwalk to learn more about the business, which Milliron is accepted and says he is looking forward to.

  Milliron said they will preserve the property, make it presentable to the public, maintain the buildings and begin work this spring on plowing the land and planting.

  As far as the future of the racetrack, Milliron says he's "very hopeful it will survive and be a great asset to the community."