Since Ca speedway is now closed for drag racing, anyone know of where to go ? Anyone know of any clubs in So Cal that rent a track for private track day ? Thanks in advance of any help.
Pomona? or does that only get used for the NHRA stuff? it is a shame that SoCal used to be loaded with all types of tracks (dirt oval, paved oval, road course, drag strips) and almost all have been developed or NIMBY'd out of existence
NJ too. I remember going to Trenton Speedway to watch pre-CART USAC races. We also had Flemington Speedway - gone. I live by Old Bridge Township Raceway Park - long home to the NHRA Summernationals. Since the 60's, it's been here - way before any homes were around it. I started going in 1970 at 2-3 years old (still have film of it) and every year until the 90's. It's still around, but the residents living in homes that popped up nearby are doing everything they can to shut it down. Shame. SoCal had legendary tracks like Lions (gone), OCIR (gone), Riverside (gone), Irwindale (not the "new" one). It's really crappy that so many tracks that gave us great memories have faded away...like we need another "Lowe's" or office park somewhere.
Whoda thunk that if you want motorsport history you need to come to Wisconsin! I feel lucky to live within a 1 hour drive of 2 of the oldest operating tracks in the US - Great Lakes Dragaway in Union Grove, and Road America in Elkhart Lake. Both have been operating in nearly their original configurations since 1955. Road America is an integral part of the town, I've never heard even a whisper of anyone wanting to shut it down. Great Lakes Dragaway has had its ups and downs, a couple years ago a few of the Johnny-come-lately locals tried to shut down the dragstrip but did not gain much traction since it was hard for them to argue that they didn't know there was a race track there for the past, oh, 55 years! The track is still way out in the boonies, going there is like time-warping back to 1972. My dad used to take me there when I was a little kid and now 40 years later it looks almost exactly the same except the track was rebuilt to NHRA standards a few years ago. Their control tower, concession stands, bleachers, all that still look the same as it did when I was a kid. GLD also has more racing sessions than any other dragstrip in the country, I take my '67 GTO there a few times a year to rip off some low 12-second passes. You come home smelling like burnt rubber and VHT.
have any membership tracks opened in Southern California? we are getting a bunch in Texas and area now. we haven't lost any tracks except some of the airport tracks, but plenty of new ones.
Jeff, I grew up in the Chicago burbs and used to go there all the time as a kid. That place is very cool and its a time capsule. I had a 66 vette stored in Wisconson there for years just to race there in the summer and take it to Bloomington Gold. Race all night, stop at the Brat stop on the way home...........shame nothing out here in so cal like it.
If you ever went to OCIR, here's a cool thread to reminisce: The rise and fall of Orange County Int'l Raceway
Pomona is only open twice a year, Auto Club is shut down, Palmdale long gone, the only regular drag night is at Irwindale and its just an 1/8 mile....
Small world! Great Lakes has open racing almost 7 days a week from April 1 until it snows. A warm summer night, grudge race your buddies, stop at the Brat Stop or White Castle on the way home and re-live the nights races. Doesn't get much better than that. Sad that in SoCal, where it all started, it is now virtually extinct. On top of that, I just have a hard time getting excited about 1/8 mile drags. It just seems wrong. 1320' or bust! Here's a photo of me and my goat at dusk at Great Lakes Dragaway - Image Unavailable, Please Login
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipTmL2EOjl0]Drag race - YouTube[/ame] Check the bystanders holdinng thier ears................hehehe
Cool! How long ago was that? My car has been running in the 12.0 range. Can't quite crack into the 11's, I have a Tremec TKO600 5-speed and the ratio gap between first and second gear is not drag-race friendly. The 2-3 shift can also be a little balky. With a properly set up automatic I would likely be in the 11.5's. A ton of fun, none the less.
The video is about 3 years ago. The car has the original 427-450 short block and with Edelbrock aluminum heads. Originals are wrapped and saved. 850 Demon carb, headers etc etc. Richmond 6 speed and 4:10 rear. Broke 2 rear ends on the launch pad there, untill I bought an IRS from Toms differental out here in So Cal. Wanted to keep the IRS look and originality for the car. This rear end is bullet proof. Have made at least 200 passes on it and never a hint of a problem. That includes launcing at 4000-6000. Fun stuff.
