Goodbye Irwindale Speedway, Hello Regional Shopping Mall

[jhwalker]

L A Times reports that the city council voted to allow developers to tear down the speedway complex and build a Regional Outlet Mall.
They are still running, so if you want to work on your launch, git out there!

The same article said that the track currently contributes about $20K a year to the city coffers, and the new project is planned to contribute $2million plus.
NO ONE showed at the council meeting to speak out against demolishing the speedway (including the 1/8 mile drag strip and a drift facility).

I liked the Dale, a great place to work on stuff without being subjected to that boring last half, the NO ACTION half, of the 1/4 mile. In the first half you get the burn out, the launch, the 1-2, 2-3, -- all the good stuff. In the last half you get the challenging 3-4 and you get to see if you remember to keep the steering wheel straight and keep your foot on the floor.

But I digress. Hate to see the 'Dale go away... but with the numbers quoted, I'd say it is a goner this time.

[SonicVenum]

From my visits there, something tells me the majority of the folks that go there don't follow news too closely, so they won't know about this until the rumors start flying around at the track, which is, obviously, too late.

It's sad that yet another motorsport facility in So Cal will be gone. With such a strong car culture here, I don't know why it is that we don't get behind tracks/drag strips the way they do in other parts of the country. Too many tree-huggin' hippies out here? Real estate to valuable? Probably a combination of those two.

I can't blame Irwindale. Right now, they're known for a beer plant, and the track. A mall would bring A LOT more attention, and $$$ to the area.

[SVTRonDogg]

Supposedly they will be running through the 2015 season. I've only run the 1/8 mile there once. Wasn't the biggest fan but if it were closer I would surely dick around more.

My fondest memories of Irwindale stem from the dozens of D1GP, Drift Day, and Formula D events I have been to over the years. Always a great time, and they called it the House of Drift for a reason. Will be sad to see it go. Especially since the only other drift event we get is the "streets" of Long Beach, which I no longer bother going to. Getting in and out of the area sucks, and a real speedway is better than makeshift grandstands any day.

The geniuses of Irwindale most recently tried to run the Sriracha factory out of town due to the smell lol. I only know of Irwindale as smelling like tire smoke. The speedway is in an awful area for a mall. It is nothing but industrial use in the immediate area.

[jhwalker]

Supposedly they will be running through the 2015 season. I've only run the 1/8 mile there once. Wasn't the biggest fan but if it were closer I would surely dick around more.

My fondest memories of Irwindale stem from the dozens of D1GP, Drift Day, and Formula D events I have been to over the years. Always a great time, and they called it the House of Drift for a reason. Will be sad to see it go. Especially since the only other drift event we get is the "streets" of Long Beach, which I no longer bother going to. Getting in and out of the area sucks, and a real speedway is better than makeshift grandstands any day.

The geniuses of Irwindale most recently tried to run the Sriracha factory out of town due to the smell lol. I only know of Irwindale as smelling like tire smoke. The speedway is in an awful area for a mall. It is nothing but industrial use in the immediate area.

Yes, that area is pretty rough. I didn't realize they were doing that much drift there.
I had a friend that ran a late model car at the Speedway. I never made it to an event...

[SonicVenum]

The Irwindale Speedway was behind the Sriracha mess??? I had heard it was "neighbors," but I thought that meant residents. I use Sriracha WAY more than I used the 'Dale. Screw you, Speedway!

[Brakelate]

The speedway is in an awful area for a mall. It is nothing but industrial use in the immediate area.

Man, if you guys only knew...

The City of Irwindale is a complete corrupt, cluster-fuck of a shit hole. From the City Council to the Police Department. Absolute corrupt inter-connected family bullshit. Might as well been some small village in Mexico (sorry James) the level of integrity and nepotism going on there. This, since they incorporated long ago. Well into the '80s anyway.

They ran off all the good, honest and "stand-up" Cops and paid off what few residents the place has. Total shit pit. Philosophically, Literally, Geographically as well as Geologically. It really is just a "Big Pit" in the middle of the San Gabriel Valley. You ever go up the 605 to the 210 and see that mess??? Right in the heart of So Cal's Los Angeles County? C'mon people.

That said, I too never took the time to make a pass at the 1/8 mile there. One, for it being what it was (I'm a 1/4 mile kinda guy) and perhaps more so, because of the "quality" of the attendees that were have said to line the track and talk mad shit, while getting drunk, stoned or stabbing and robbing each other all at the same time.

Now, I WILL miss the Drift Event coverage, and agree that it's track and facilities really was "Ground Zero" for the spark that ignited the North American Drift movement / scene. And for that, it is a shame if it too passes the way of all the other Drag Strips, The Ontario Motor Speedway, etc.

But, time moves on.

[SVTRonDogg]

The Irwindale Speedway was behind the Sriracha mess??? I had heard it was "neighbors," but I thought that meant residents. I use Sriracha WAY more than I used the 'Dale. Screw you, Speedway!

No, it was the shit head residents and greedy Mayor.




Another good read

http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/irwindale ... 693487128/

[xbacksideslider]

If drag racing was politically correct, then there'd be a movement to preserve it as a cultural and historical artifact for the edification of future generations.

[SVTRonDogg]

Here's a few videos of me dicking around at Irwindale on a Thursday night from about 4 years ago. Running 28.58" diameter Nitto 555Rs with 3.31s and only a few mods. Crappy drag setup for sure.

The left lane was driving me NUTS because as soon as I would stage and let off the brakes, the car would start to roll forward.

phpBB [video]

This one was my 'grudge' match against a buddy's GTR. Adrenaline caused me to squirrel the launch, and I didn't have enough room to run him down with only 1/8 mile:

phpBB [video]

[SVTRonDogg]

There's also this running around, COME ON OBAMA!!!


https://www.change.org/p/city-council-o ... ef=Default