looks like we are losing another place to race... IRWINDALE

Soon, all of us old geezers will just have memories, I feel sorry for the youngsters that never got to feel the thrill...

 

That sucks!

 

wow this is another blow to all the short track guys.
leaves perris auto speedway and victorville for us locals, man this sucks

 

Roger Penske was the force behind building the Fontana Speedway. Penske knew the land would only be worth more and more each year as the track attendance dwindled. Penske doesn't ever lose money and when that last nail in the coffin closes Fontana, he'll walk away richer than before.

Note that both the Irwindale Speedway and Fontana Speedway were opened in the years of 1998-99. Now one is closing and the other is teetering.
And, consider myself a "car guy", yet I have never gone to an oval race at either venue.
If Fontana closes down (which you can put money on), the only thing I'll miss is the "Antique Nationals" in June that I post photos of here each year.
Someone mentioned that this is the fault of California's economy. That's not true. That's just looking for some "boogie-man".
Irwindale had many half-price races and many discount deals from local venders. It's a whole bunch cheaper to go to the races at Irwindale than going to a Dodger game.
People choose to "do" whatever it is that they "do" with their money. The oval races at Irwindale were competing for your dollars that were spent on beer, cigarettes, the family "dinner" at McDonalds ($20-25) and lottery tickets....ALL BAD choices in my mind, but it's not my money.
So, after a hard working guy buys his "goodies" for the weekend (smokes, beer, lotto ticket, junk food), OF COURSE there's no money left for the races.
If I were to put all the money that I would have wasted on "crap" in a jar every day, I'd be able to go to the races every weekend.

My problem is, there's nothing that goes on at Irwindale for me to drag my ass down there some saturday night.
And, as far as Fontana goes, many of the races were scheduled in the middle of summer. I think the Indy car race was scheduled for years on Labor Day weekend.
I didn't bust my ass my whole career to now go sit in the Fontana sun all afternoon when it's 100 degrees and watch a bunch of guys named "Helio" drive around in circles. When it comes to heat, Fontana is SoCals microwave.

I'd pay to go to Irwindale if they'd have "Figure 8" races with all the members of Congress driving Pintos.
Hey, there's a way to solve multiple problems with one laugh-filled event!

 

we went to the supercross race at the big A angles ball park, not a seat to be had, sold out $25 buck a head and $11 dollor beers unreal

 

To bad the Hudson just about doubled it's horsepower again.

 

damn, i feel responsible . I haunt gone to see a race in forever! I always loved going to the drags and the figure 8's ... damn.

 

I finally made it to Irwindale last Thursday for their Thursday night drags. Little did I know it would be the last. There was a good turn out with a good vibe. Was looking foward to going back... As far as the oval track goes. I have gone a few times a year since it opened and I always enjoyed the open wheel cars or figure eights the best. I don't know what would have put more butts in the seats.
Don't forget about Ventura Raceway. The best little Dirt Track in America. They have had their problems to, we need to support race tracks if we want them to stay around.

 

Don't ya just love narrow minded assholes.
Southen California is losing yet another place to gather and race and this is your comment?

So it sounds like to you no drag strip is better than an 1/8 mile one huh?

Tell the guys in the southeast and the ADRL their not "real" drag strips.

 

Heres some info on the closing of the Irwindale Speedway

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/story/_/id/7572437/struggling-irwindale-speedway-cancels-season

 

That was a good article from jcmarz. I hope they find a sponsor soon! I felt like I was back in high school drag racing. I surely would miss this track! (The Lynwood Flash)

 

I remember the All-star race about 3 years ago. The friday night race was rained out so all the divisions raced on Saturday night, or tried to. Very close to 150 cars, every car in the pits were allowed to race and in the Super Late Model race about 52 cars started. WOW!! To see that many cars on a half mile was incredible. IIRC none of the 3 races on Saturday night went the full distance because of all the wrecks. What a night of racing!

 

yeah and carlsbad closed in 94 i think. i'd like to check out barona soon.
LACR closed and it was starting to get back on its feet but i think that project stalled too.

NMCA West is coming to bakersfield and fontana this year.
not your typ. hot rods, but drag racing that isnt NHRA.

 

Don't quite see how it can come back. Drove by there yesterday as I had business down the street from the track. Bleachers were being dissmantled, looks like its all over with.

 

Unbelieveable. The very friend that introduced me to this great track, called me last night to tell me about it's demise. Not sure why the brainless powers that be couldn't just let the lease play out. There was still another year left on it for the racing community to enjoy more memories and good times.
What makes me so sad about hearing about this tragic closing, is that every Thursday night was like a mini wedding anniversary for my wife and I.
We were the VERY FIRST couple to exchange our wedding vows in front of our families and friends right there at the "tree" on Irwindale Dragstrip. At least there were alot of photos taken for our wedding album, because we will only have the pictures and memories of that perfect day. No more Thursday night anniversaries...Thanks Toyota bi@#hes!
I only hope some of the rumors could be true about Lucas Oil stepping in to save the day, because everyone knows Pomona won't run a weekly event, and I'm sure as hell not driving out to FonTucky every week!!
And it's not just the fans that got the shaft on this one. How about all the racers? You know all of those annoying rice burning imports are just going to end up back on the illegal street racing scene...where else is there to run every week?? And my personal favorite...the EX class...that sweet, sweet smell of the race fuel, some of the unusual vehicles that would show up to run. I remember [eople would come from the dealership and test drive the sports cars down the track, with the salesman inside with them!!!
Who knows where Mooneyes will end up? Even though it had run out of room at Irwindale and the show overflowed onto Live Oak, it was still good times.......We're going to miss you Irwindale, hopefully the next phone call I get, or article I read will be about the next Grand Opening of the New Irwindale Dragstrip!!!!!

 

You folks remember the movie Planet of the Apes? That's the direction our beautiful state is headed... maybe even the country!

 

Barona's nice. It's only 1/8th mile, but it's still fun. I not to ever miss the Antique Drags there.

 

yep thats crazy..i deliver the san gabrial tribune to a distribution center right off live oak..right next to the speed way.it was on the front page..i was like whaaaaat???..its guna be sad to drive by any empty race track...

 

There were many reasons, but declining racers and fans were the number one problem. NASCAR dropped their sanction for the circle track stuff at the end of last year because of the lack of participants.
one of the big problems that no one seems to talk about much was the problem of getting to the track, especially on Thursday and Friday nights. The traffic around this area east of LA just absolutely sucks, and after sitting for hours trying to get to the track after work, people just didn't want to keep doing it - and I can't blame them. Fact of life in So Cal.

Lucas is not likely going to save it at this point, as when I went by there yesterday, they were starting to take apart the drag strip bleachers.

The owner of the property is hoping someone will step up as he doesn't want to sell it - wants to leave it to his kids. But KIA is pushing to buy the land, so .......

Mazooma - Penske sold out of Fontucky years ago. It's owned by Speedway International, which is owned by the France Family - you know, the ones who own NASCAR. They are still very committed to So Cal as a viable market that they need to have a presence in.

 

I really am heartbroken. I was actually going to take my husband, 61Continental, to the drags this Thursday for his birthday, since we haven't been able to go for a few months. I wanted to spend our first anniversary there, since we did get married at the drag strip tree, and hope they would announce it for us. I am now expecting our first child and all I've been saying is how I can't wait until our baby is old enough to take to the Irwindale drags. It's just a drag strip, but I got married there and spent many Thursday evenings drinking Belushis and eating King Taco while watching bitchin cars race for cheap, and I feel like a huge part of my life has been taken away from me. I wish I could post a wedding photo but the uploads kept failing.

We also really enjoyed Moneyes and the Halloween night of destruction. Irwindale Speedway will surely be missed.

 

Been there. Loved it. Great memories. Sad to see it go.
(The Mooneyes Xmas Parties were godhead.)

 

Hey- If the fans of the GreenBay Packers can own their own team, why can't we own our own track?? Split the schedule . One Saturday, drag race, the following circle track. Throw in a few demo derbies, get rid of the current management, and install racer related people who can get the stands filled, and we are all happy.....

 

thats a shame. i live real close to the old route 30 strip in indiana and drive past it every once in a while. its still has the lanes the ahra shield in the middle and everything. its sad to see something with so much life die off.

 

Got some news just a bit ago. All I can say is do not let your slicks go flat..... Stay tuned...

 

Are they gonna knock out the oval track and make it into a full drag strip venue?!

 

The direction Southern California is headed has really been worrying me..

I'm 29, and in my lifetime I've watched all these drag strips go (not in order):

Pomona Street Legals (Track is obviously still there, the event has been gone since 2001).

Carlsbad - Gone and paved

LACR Palmdale - Is now part of a rock quarry.

Fontana speedway parking lot -Disassembled.(Even the current drag strip is at risk of closing).

Inyokern - Still an airport last I heard.

Terminal Island (Long Beach) - Don't know what they're doing with that land.

The only active dragstrips that I know of are:

Fontana, Famoso, and Barona which are very far from each other.

Guess So. Cal is no longer the hot rod capitol.

I'm not too optimistic about Irwindale re-opening as bad as I'd want it to.

I'm definitely gonna make it to the next street legals at Fontana in March before that track closes, other wise it's back to industrial streets after midnight, they leave us no choice.

 

The track in bakersfield should be done in Oct...

 

This from BangShift.com: 02-16-2012
Posted by Brian Lohnes via:Berserko Bob

We were tipped off to a link today that indicates the company which owns the track and offices wants to see the facility opened and operating again, “as soon as possible.” This report was published by SCV News which is a local news station in Santa Clarita, California. The report states that the company which owns the property, “NU Way Industries” is located in Acadia, California and has every interest in seeing the track back in action. The owners of NU Way Industries pulled no punches when talking about the former management of the facility.

Jim Mnoian is the head honcho at Nu Way and he was quoted as saying, “We wanted to re-lease the site or sell it. Our company’s intention is to find a new tenant. We want an operator who has experience operating a track and take it over. The people who were running it didn’t have the experience and didn’t find anyone with experience in 15 years. Anyone is better than what they had.” So we’re thinking he was not a fan of the former group that was leasing the facility. One of the reasons may be the fact that they didn’t mention to Mnoian that they were going to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy and just went ahead with it. Mnoian seems to believe that the Jim Williams, the majority shareholder in the now bankrupt Irwindale Speedway LLC company had the money in his own pocket to stave off the bankruptcy filing, but refused to spend it.

To us, this is good news in a roundabout way. Once the mess of the former management group is sorted out, a new group should be able to step in and flip the switch back on at the facility. If the people who actually own the track want to see it operate again, we have to believe that it will. Hopefully sooner rather than later!
...link to original article 02-15-2012: http://scvnews.com/?p=26343
...

 

Hmmm... Seems like there may be a little more hope than I thought. Thanks for the update.

 

Is this the same Nu Way that has a Recycing Center and a car wash nearby?