Irwindale closes
+5
Vincent Giacalone
Tanrar
PYLrulz
RealRacer4
conrail1990
9 posters
Page 1 of 1
Irwindale closes
On Saturday, workers appeared to be closing down the Irwindale Speedway facility, which has had the biggest NASCAR short track races on the West Coast for more than a decade. Workers were dismantling the pit grandstand, which is adjacent to the first turn. They were also taking apart storage areas. The large billboard bordering the San Gabriel Valley River Freeway was not lit up for the first time in its history, barring power outages, and the track's web site was taken off the Internet. "They went out of business," said a prominent Irwindale racer who did not want to be identified. Vice president and general manager Bob DeFazio and some staff members were in the locked administration building Saturday morning, a moving truck backed up to the office's side entrance and a moving box stacked outside. DeFazio, through track operations director Bob Klein, refused to comment. Klein would only say an announcement would be made Monday. Efforts to reach DeFazio were unsuccessful. The track's eighth-mile facility remained intact on Saturday, but according to a source, workers were given a final paycheck after last Thursday's regular street legal session. The elimination of the pit grandstand is significant because teams usually put their crews in those seats so that if there is a problem on the track, they could quickly get to their pit stall and fix the car and get it racing again. L.A. Racing, a school not owned by Irwindale Speedway LLC, the consortium of owners led by Jim Williams, has 12 schools planned within the next month. "They have not said a word," L.A. Racing's Ozzie Blackwell said. "We have no idea. We're assuming it's a go. We've been told it's a go." If only the racing operation is closed, the track could still be used for filming commercials, movies and television shows, an endeavor that has been very successful. Many racing commercials, with the likes of 1969 Indianapolis 500 champion and 1978 Formula One champion Mario Andretti and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart, have been shot at the facility. Recently a Hyundai commercial viewed during the Super Bowl was shot. That shoot took three nights. Rumors have swirled for months about new ownership. Lucas Oil Products and Tony Stewart, who owns tracks including famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, were rumored to be interested in buying the facility.(in part from the Los Angeles Daily News)(2-13-2012)
conrail1990- Champion
- Posts : 1063
Join date : 2011-08-06
Age : 33
Location : The Cal-de-sac (Delaware)
Re: Irwindale closes
I really hope someone buys the track. It's truely ashame that the track has to be shut down.
RealRacer4- Legend
- Posts : 2090
Join date : 2011-12-18
Age : 30
Re: Irwindale closes
The wrong race track in LA got shut down!!!
Had Fontana never got built, but Irwindale did, what they should of did was put a little extra banking in the track, build it like a stadium, and had Cup go there.
Had Fontana never got built, but Irwindale did, what they should of did was put a little extra banking in the track, build it like a stadium, and had Cup go there.
PYLrulz- Legend
- Posts : 2050
Join date : 2011-08-06
Age : 39
Location : Mountville, PA
Re: Irwindale closes
> Irwindale, a decent track, closes.
> Auto Club Speedway is still open and has a NSCS date.
:mymindisfulloffuck:
> Auto Club Speedway is still open and has a NSCS date.
:mymindisfulloffuck:
Tanrar- Champion
- Posts : 1070
Join date : 2011-08-06
Age : 28
Location : Oklahoma
Re: Irwindale closes
Vincent Giacalone- Champion
- Posts : 1276
Join date : 2011-08-06
Age : 30
Re: Irwindale closes
Tony Stewart should buy the track. It's a shame the track had to close.
rightdrive1- Development Driver
- Posts : 102
Join date : 2012-01-16
Re: Irwindale closes
Some where in the world, Dkracer is crying.
One of the better short tracks in the US gets shut down. Damn shame.
One of the better short tracks in the US gets shut down. Damn shame.
Alta- Legend
- Posts : 3999
Join date : 2011-08-06
Age : 100
Location : San Francisco, California
Re: Irwindale closes
I havn't felt this bad since USA Speedway closed back in 08, and that too was a great track.
navycook75- Legend
- Posts : 4976
Join date : 2011-08-06
Age : 35
Location : Portland, New York
Re: Irwindale closes
If Columbus Motor Speedway ever shut down, I'd probably kill myself.
No joke.
Okay, maybe slightly, but you get my point.
No joke.
Okay, maybe slightly, but you get my point.
PackerMan71- Legend
- Posts : 2741
Join date : 2011-08-06
Age : 39
Location : Groveport, Ohio
Similar topics
» Marussia Motors Closes
» NASCAR returning to Irwindale
» 2013 Late Model 150 (Irwindale)
» 2012 CRL Developmental Division - Round 1 - Irwindale
» Irwindale Speedway rumors could send CRL elsewhere to open 2013
» NASCAR returning to Irwindale
» 2013 Late Model 150 (Irwindale)
» 2012 CRL Developmental Division - Round 1 - Irwindale
» Irwindale Speedway rumors could send CRL elsewhere to open 2013
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
|
|