Southern California - no place to drag race in the birthplace of drag racing

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Dan the man said:
My question is this, if it's so popular then why do they keep closing tracks down?
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Because stupid people who don't do research before buying a home, complain, a lot. They tried that with Brainerd International Raceway years back. Dumb idiots moved up from the cities and didn't like the noise. It failed, and the track is doing well with many events on most weekends, drag and closed course cars and bikes.
Dan the man said:
They canceled a car show in my town due to the fact that they couldn't get any judges for the show.
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Most shows here are participant judged, no need for someone with a big head to be hired.
 
LocuMob said:
Because stupid people who don't do research before buying a home, complain, a lot. They tried that with Brainerd International Raceway years back. Dumb idiots moved up from the cities and didn't like the noise. It failed, and the track is doing well with many events on most weekends, drag and closed course cars and bikes.

Most shows here are participant judged, no need for someone with a big head to be hired.
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New Residents are trying to shut-down the Cleetus McFarland Freedom Factory in Florida for the same reasons.
He's fighting back, seems that it's safe... for now.
 
eekvonzipper said:
seems that it's safe... for now
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I hope so. The nearest track for me is about three hours away. They were trying to make a motorsports park (three mile closed course circuit with garage condos, no seating) but got shot down because they didn't say which birds and deer would be effected by turning a farm field into a race course. I'm sure they would have approved a big housing development on the same land no problem. Then a family helping shut it down bought some of the land intended for the track, ultimately killing the whole project. Oh yeah, it would have been right next to a four lane highway, and they were saying the track would contribute more noise and pollution than the highway. I was bummed, I wanted that track to happen, an hour away and fun to be had. Nearest road course is the same distance as the dragstrips are.
 
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One big reason tracks are closing down, at least in CA, is property value. The land these tracks are on is worth waaaaayyy more as residential, commercial, or retail property, than what they bring in as a private race track. It just doesn't make financial sense to maintain the land as an operable race track. Add to that population growth/urban sprawl and pressures from local officials, and I can totally understand why a track owner would say **** it.
 
mopowers said:
One big reason tracks are closing down, at least in CA, is property value. The land these tracks are on is worth waaaaayyy more as residential, commercial, or retail property, than what they bring in as a private race track. It just doesn't make financial sense to maintain the land as an operable race track. Add to that population growth/urban sprawl and pressures from local officials, and I can totally understand why a track owner would say **** it.
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But the way Gavin is running California there won’t be anyone left that wants to live there I know I wouldn’t
 
Just hope they never close done Pomona raceway that would screw up the world finals for NHRA
 
mopowers said:
I'd consider Idaho if it weren't for that white stuff that falls from the sky in the winter. Give me dry 100s any day of the week over that crap.
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Must be another driver that can’t drive in the snow we call them snowflakes on the east coast
 
What do you think the tax revenue generated by a racetrack would be for the city/county vs having 200-1000 homes on the same plot of land. It's not hard to figure out where the city/county managers opinion may reside.

They don't care about approving homes next to a track, listening to the bitching and following/conducting the money train.
 
mopowers said:
One big reason tracks are closing down, at least in CA, is property value. The land these tracks are on is worth waaaaayyy more as residential, commercial, or retail property, than what they bring in as a private race track.
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Bandimere sold for $50 Million.
 
33IMP said:
Land values and noise.
I DONT think those are the problems at Irwindale.
The money going in the toilet for the roundy round is killing the dragstrip AGAIN.
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Current track land owner wants to build something else. Went for public sale and sold since track founder/builder left lease in 2015-ish.

Current track renter makes/made enough money to buy Kern raceway.
 
LocuMob said:
Bandimere sold for $50 Million.
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$300k payment on $50 mil

Does that drag strip facility bring in over $300k/month just to make mortgage?

That’s $10K/day just to cover that.

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I was going to Englishtown, NJ since the mid 80's. It was pretty much in the boondocks, homes were few and far apart. Over the years starting in the 90's they started building like crazy around the track. The Summer Nationals were held there, Mopar swap meets, and spring and fall swap meet. The track has been relegated to the storage of cars. They still have the fall and spring swap meets but the thrill is gone.
 
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