the freeway did not shut ascot down...from what i heard the lease was up and the owner wanted to build condos........then found out it was a dump many years ago and cant build on it..............freeways were there when it was open still....yea krazy thursday nite speedway we must have crossed paths
Watering eyes, dirt flying everywhere, and great crashes. My pops used to take me there when I was a kid. Always loved the figure 8's and demolition derby. Great memories. Later as a teenager I raced b.m.x. at a track right next to the raceway. Wish I could go back.
Artesia is a long way from 182nd where Ascot was, The Freeways had nothing to do with it closing , and did not take any of the track , Right now its used as a insurance salvage yard where dealers buy wrecked cars , There is another big lot on 190th next to the old Ascot property that was used for RV storage , its been cleared out in the last few months so maybe they are going to build something there soon, There will never be another Ascot , having a racetrack in the middle of the city will never get approval from the city Beaulieu
The last time I was there was in 1986, the Vermont Street exit off 405. Thursday night it was the CRA sprints on the 1/2 mile. It was great to see Rip Williams and Leland McSpadden run. Sunday nights were on the 1/4 mile and I've never seen so many drunks assembled at one race track. We walked up those wide steps and there was puke puddles spattered all over. Fans were passing around quarts in the stands. I stuck to beer at one of the many beer stands they had. I did get in an argument with someone that was s***faced. He took exception to me wearing a Flemington shirt with Billy Pauch in a sprint car on it. The race card was handled as a joke compared to sprint night. I saw a lot of rust-free Impalas and Fords sacrificed to the race car gods. Bob
Oh Yeah! I remember the splinters and the hangovers the following morning. I remember waking up the next morning after an event in the cemetary across the street with a headstone for a pillow. hahaha!
Does anybody know where I might find the photographers that would take pictures of the Friday night races? I think one guy was name is Don Phillips. I had several of me and trying to track those old photos down. I spent many a night there racing motocross and then my friends and I would go next door to the slick track go karts and have almost too much fun
Used to raced there in the late 70s till they closed i started in Bombers and then went to pro-stock dirt cars met alot of good people at that track. was the best dirt track around i know that alot of the guys went to Ventura speedway and saugus speedway i went to suagus speedway but was never as fun as Ascot 33,
I got a book of photos stashed somewhere of SoCal Jalopy Assn 50s and 60s ... something I bought off the internet ... sad thing was nothing from Balboa Statuim where my family raced .... the story is the track phtographer had all his work destroyed on his death ... in sixty-two the chargers came to town and chased motor-racing out of the statium and everyone sorta move out to El Cajon Speedway. As a kid I would spend Sat nite in the concrete bleachers in Balboa and Sunday watch Dick Lane jalops on channel five .... I remember him getting caught up in a fight between Rickey Starr and "The Destroyer" during a wrestleing interview .... I think Dick Lane also did roller derby. You LA folks were some pretty lucky tirds with all your racing action.
Couple of pic's from ASCOT TT Races Dick Hammer=# 16 & Gene Romero # 22 Second pic = # 130z is Me Amateur Class
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