Is Pomona Really Sacred Ground? (1 Viewer)

clwill

Nitro Member
As a number of people pointed out ETown is hardly alone in the short shutdown club, Pomona is just as ugly if not worse. At the risk of being sacreligious, I wonder if Pomona is really as sacred a place as it's being made out to be.

Don't get me wrong, I love traditions, and I respect the history of the sport. But even though I'm there twice a year for the race, and I really enjoy "the hallowed ground", I wonder if it's all that important.

Pomona has a number of problems, the shutdown is only one of them. I was told by a very reliable source (someone you all know, but I won't name) that the only piece of the property owned by the NHRA is the tower building and the actual two lane racing surface. The rest -- the stands, the parking, even the return road, is all Fairplex property. The return road is a bumpy mess, but they can't fix it, it's not theirs.

It's also not clear that the Fairplex really likes having the racing there. They just evicted the Hawley racing school from their building there because "they needed the building". Now that Hawley's not there, how many times a year is the elaborate race facility going to be used? Would the Fairplex rather have the ground for something else?

And it's certainly clear that the city of Laverne (literally right across the tracks) doesn't like the racing. As I've heard it told, there are two old ladies who are largely responsible for the ridiculous curfew hours at the track. I'm told they've been offered paid vacations, and lots of money, to vacate their houses, but just like being sticks-in-the-mud.

So, even though there's plenty of history, there's also a history of NHRA moving as needed (see: US Nationals at the start). I wonder if Fontana -- or some other property? -- wouldn't be a better, nicer, safer Southern California home for the Winternationals and the Finals?

OK -- flame away (ducking for cover) :eek:
 
Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound?

Have you seen the track at Fontana, The shutdown area, Go long and end up on or the other side of Cherry ave,
 
Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound?

Who ever owns the property i bet they would like to get rid of the whole Fairplex. I'm sure corporate entities would love to have the land with airport right across the street.
 
Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound?

Yes Pomona is sacred ground! it's also a 1000 ft track. There is NO WAY Pomona can be lengthened, only improved. One think thats gotten to me about the track is the unprotected poles for the scoreboards and the TV screen. Jeez, some bails of hay would be better than nothing!
Fontana is basically an eigth mile track, can't be legthened either. Plus noise restrictions ( even alky cars are banned ) rule it out.
This leaves NO TRACKS in LA proper. The only alternative would be Bakersfield, 120 miles from LA and it would need millions in imoprovements as well. Ever park in the manure lots? LOL. If Pomona goes, THERE WILL BE NO RACING AT ALL IN LOS ANGELES!
 
Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound?

The County owns the property, NHRA has a long term lease to the track.
 
Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound? Not any more...

It used to be their house

The only drag racing will be the Winternationals and the World Finals, CORR Off Road now has three weekend dates at the Fairplex.

When the Fairplex spokesman was asked if NHRA had a first right of refusal on drag strip dates he responded that NHRA was not part of the decision process for rental dates, “They are only one of the lease holders here.”
 
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Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound?

Fontana needs to be left as mostly a street legal racing facility. It's about the same length as Pomona but after a short sand trap you would be into the side of a hill that supports the Cherry Avenue blacktop. Not a happy state of affairs. Sacred? Not really. Having said that there IS a long term lease for the facility between NHRA and the Fairplex folks and I don't believe either party wants that to end. I'm not aware of any 'little old ladies' or of a specific city that is looking to close the track. Actually NHRA and the Fairplex folks seem to have come to a pretty good agreement with the surrounding communities. They CAN ask for, and have received, 'extra' time if it's necessary and not abused constantly.
 
Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound?

As a side comment, why hasn't NHRA scheduled their own nostalgia series at Pomona?
PROMOTED nostalgia races could fill those big grandstands twice a year.
Throw in a night 16 car FC field and you can't miss in SoCal. The July 4th 50th anniversary race was sro!
 
Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound?

As a side comment, why hasn't NHRA scheduled their own nostalgia series at Pomona?
PROMOTED nostalgia races could fill those big grandstands twice a year.
Throw in a night 16 car FC field and you can't miss in SoCal. The July 4th 50th anniversary race was sro!

The Fairplex is not interested in an event that does not generate a huge crowd, the NHRA does not have a say in who rents the track other than their two existing dates. It is NOT NHRA's call.

What they need to do is hand out free tickets as the ADRL does to fill Pomona for an event other than the National events.
 
Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound?

As far as I'm concerned: YES!

Wanted to go to the Winternationals all my life - took me 'til around age 55 to get there (Maybe I shoulda' walked from Connecticut<G>). Heck, it's California - it's Drag Racing tradition/history.

I had not been in favor of shortening the Fuelers to 1,000 feet (on a temporary or permanent basis) but have come to the opinion that "I can live with it" more important, so can the Pros.

I think it will STILL be a great show!
 
Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound?

So is tradition sacred or not? If it's ok to shut down Pomona, home of 2 of the most important race on the tour with over a 40 year history, then why is 1320' off limits?

Pomona has the longest sand trap on the tour by 20'. By going to 1000' that gives them a lot of room to add more sand trap and possible some sort of energy dissipating barriers to help stop the cars safely.

If you are using Pomona as an example, then Denver should also go away. They have about the same length from start to hard obstacle as Pomona, but they have a shorter sand trap by 70'. E-town of course would be screwed, as would Somona and St. Louis since they both are a little longer, but with basically no sand trap to speak of (less than 100' each). Heck, you might even include Seattle on the list. They have a long track, but only 31' from the end of the track to the obstacles. In case of a catastrophic failure, 2800' of asphalt (e-town is 2234') is not going to help slow down an out of control car as much as even the shortest sand pit.

Take a look at the numbers on all the national event tracks. Yes, some tracks have very long shut down areas, but next to no speed dissipating area. The key is to look at how much space there is if the car makes it through the sand trap. Even Indy would be suspect - 231' of trap, but if you make it to the end of that you are screwed.

So the question is, do you scrap a bunch of tracks when there are very few that could take their place to begin with, or do you shorten the racing surface to give you the room to implement safety features. Slowing the cars will not be enough. They will still be doing 300ish mph regardless of what changes are made, and that is still plenty fast to kill you if you don't have something slowing you down before the impact zone. As a driver, would you rather be doing 300 mph with X feet to stop or 300 mph with X+320' to stop?

::: Drag Racing Online ::: Columns - Agent 1320 - 7/3/2008
 
Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound?

Unless that big mound of dirt and trees at the end of track is a burial ground, I'm sure R. Fuller could get CAT people to lengthen the track.
 
Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound?

The Fairplex is not interested in an event that does not generate a huge crowd, the NHRA does not have a say in who rents the track other than their two existing dates. It is NOT NHRA's call.

What they need to do is hand out free tickets as the ADRL does to fill Pomona for an event other than the National events.

I don't think thats true at all! I have no idea what the NHRA/Fairplex deal is, but The swap meet is a regular and it hardly attracts "huge crowds". The LA Roadsters show is well attended, but not 100,000 people like the Winters or Finals.The Goodguys and SuperChevy events were discontinued by their promoters, not just at Pomona. Both dropped their roles as sanctioning bodies. The Fairplex had nothing to do with that.
Pomona is an iDEAL venue for smaller shows, its just that nobody is ptting them on.
 
Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound?

I don't disagree with 1000', it's a big change being made really quickly, but the more I think about it, the more I agree with it. Will it save lives? I don't know. But if the folks who are risking their lives want it, I'm all over it.

I think there needs to be a LOT more research into the technology of slowing down an out of control car. Maybe there's a way in there to make Pomona, Denver, ETown safer without more land.

My question was in many ways rhetorical, thinking aloud about a better "home" for the sport. Certainly SoCal needs a world-class facility, and it should be the home of the start and end of the season. But is that Pomona? Could it be a shiny new track ala Vegas or Charlotte? I dunno. That's my question...
 
Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound?

Unless that big mound of dirt and trees at the end of track is a burial ground, I'm sure R. Fuller could get CAT people to lengthen the track.

At Pomona? There's a road and a golf course on the side of a huge hill at the end of the track. None of the three of those are likely to move.
 
Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound?

I don't think thats true at all! I have no idea what the NHRA/Fairplex deal is, but The swap meet is a regular and it hardly attracts "huge crowds". The LA Roadsters show is well attended, but not 100,000 people like the Winters or Finals.The Goodguys and SuperChevy events were discontinued by their promoters, not just at Pomona. Both dropped their roles as sanctioning bodies. The Fairplex had nothing to do with that.
Pomona is an iDEAL venue for smaller shows, its just that nobody is ptting them on.

Gary,

The Fairplex facilities booking office is NOT interested in booking another event onto the drag strip, the Fairplex is not interested in one or two day nostalgia shows. Call there to the office on Monday. Goodguys and Super Chevy left because of the daily cost of renting the facility from the Fairplex, you think that Pomona is IDEAL for smaller shows, the Fairplex booking department disagrees with you.
 
Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound?

There IS NO WAY a new track could be built in LA. The cost would be astronomical, plus noise, traffic and other consideration make it impossible,
particularly for two events a year. Even out of LA proper it would be very, very unlikley.
 
Re: Is Pomona Really Sacred Gound?

Darr is right. When NHRA did the 50th Nats they had to get a special deal from LaVern to allow the race to happen. They have a limited number of days they are allowed to race and no one with a say in the matter is interested in increasing the number of race days allowed. If you've never been to Pomona, it is bookended by public streets on either end. There is no way in hell that they will ever be given permission to expand. Even if they were there is no way they could buy the property needed for the expansion. It's simply not going to happen. SoCal has spoken - they don't want any more race tracks. Of the ones that remain, Pomona is the only decent track. LACR is a pile and Fontuky is 1/8 mile if I remember correctly.
 
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