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

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My question is this, if it's so popular then why do they keep closing tracks down?
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.
They canceled a car show in my town due to the fact that they couldn't get any judges for the show.
Most shows here are participant judged, no need for someone with a big head to be hired.
 
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.
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.
 
seems that it's safe... for now
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.
 
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.
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
 
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.
Must be another driver that can’t drive in the snow we call them snowflakes on the east coast
 
Maybe someone will open a new racing facility in Arizona….. maybe even call it Arizona Bay Raceway….
 
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.
 
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.
Bandimere sold for $50 Million.
 
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.

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 (and justify buying) Kern raceway.
 
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Bandimere sold for $50 Million.

$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.

IMG_0530.jpeg
 
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.
 
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.
What’s funny is I heard a rumor last Saturday while I was at Irwindale, that core samples have been taken and the land is not usable for residential or commercial growth. Could just be a rumor but it made me question all the reasons I thought the track was going away.
 
:lol: People are leaving Cali heading to Idaho. The Cali dream is going away if not already gone.
Keep laughing. They're going to turn your state into the next Cali. Even if you think it's just XYZ group and they're good people because they're leaving Cali, they'll bring the politics and the trash with them because they can be middle class in Cali and yuppie snobs in your state.

I watched it happen in Colorado in the '90's.
 
Keep laughing. They're going to turn your state into the next Cali. Even if you think it's just XYZ group and they're good people because they're leaving Cali, they'll bring the politics and the trash with them because they can be middle class in Cali and yuppie snobs in your state.

I watched it happen in Colorado in the '90's.

How long, if ever does it take to change their attitudes once they la d in a more hostile climate?

Also keep in mind, the concentration of nimby commies is on a relatively thin strip from Sacramento along Hwy 80 to the Bay Area, and along the Hwy 101 from Marin county down the coast to Southern California. Almost all of it is urban.

North along the coast to the Oregon border is also blue with old hippies as well, but the population density is very low and its basically inaccessible for any commerce.

The pre-hippy population is decidedly not blue.
The rural/agrarian population is decidedly not blue.

California went hard left when the hippies came here in the 60's, then even more left with the millions of Mexicans coming in since then as well.

I wonder how many of those who have left since the 90's, and who have exported their leftist philosophies were long time Californians, or had only been here for a generation or two.

Leftism and it's accompanying lawlessness is a mindset of poverty and envy. It is a weapon used against populations. Cui buono.

I just finished the book, The Secret Histories by Procopius. It is about Justinian and Theodora. I wouldn't be surprised if Stalin had read it as well. You may want to get it in physical format, I don't trust having access to Bezos' Kindle and Audible forever (for certain literature)... Ask yourself why that would be.
 
What’s funny is I heard a rumor last Saturday while I was at Irwindale, that core samples have been taken and the land is not usable for residential or commercial growth. Could just be a rumor but it made me question all the reasons I thought the track was going away.
Irwindale is 99% industrial! The 500 people living there are grandfathered in, and city ordinance prohibits home building. (Former Irwindale chief of police is a buddy ).
I have no idea what the land owner is planning.... but it ain't homes!
I STILL believe the roundy has HUGE rent, and the leasors are losing money daily.
 
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