Losing Our Drag Strips ... (1 Viewer)

[Bobby Bennett]

http://competitionplus.com/drag-rac...strips-worst-enemy-the-masters-of-the-obvious

 

[Horsepower & Heels]

So ignorant. That's like moving to Alaska and complaining about snow or moving to Florida and complaining about rain/humidity.

 

[mw6789]

You know if your dumb a** builds a house next to the airport---you should listen to the airplanes. But it doesnt work that way in our politically correct "gee it cant be MY fault" country these days. Just another example of the total idiocy running rampant in this country.

 

[Dry Hop Doc]

And the ghosts of innumerable other ill-fated tracks cry out in the dark. Where have you gone OCIR, Irwindale, and Lions?

And those were just the tracks that folded where I grew up.

"The silence is deafening." Indeed.

Great piece, BB.

Doc

 

[Bobby Bennett]

http://competitionplus.com/drag-racing/news/16351-bobby-bennett-it-used-to-be-my-playground

To get the full effect of this one, you need the Madonna song "This used to be my Playground" playing in the background.

 

[jackass]

Some one needs to show these people the books on how much taxes are paid... then ask if that went away .. would they be willing to begin paying more taxes to make up the difference....

 

[yoda]

And the ghosts of innumerable other ill-fated tracks cry out in the dark. Where have you gone OCIR, Irwindale, and Lions?...

Doc

Considering what replaced those tracks, I would have to say that industrial expansion and property values (and taxes) overwhelmed any value the drag strip may have brought to the community.

A better example would be New York National Speedway (now a community of McMansions), and dozens of tracks in the SouthEast, also victims of communities and local politics needing more homes in the area than they needed race cars and whatever revenue that may have brought in.

S.I.R. In Tucson got it right- the track is built on County land in association with the County Fairgrounds, on what I assume is a long term property lease. Seems they took a page from the Pomona playbook... Where they really got it right is that they are bordered by State and Federal land, so the issue of encroaching neighborhoods is slim, at best. Might be a good idea for future track builders- either that or buy eight times more property around the racing plot and tell the neighbors to piss off....

 

[mick]

......S.I.R. In Tucson got it right- ....

or cordova, ill. rite across the highway from a nuclear facility.

 

[Larry]

Yep as the urban spread closes in on facilities it gets harder and harder to hang on to them .
Racers are beginning to favor tracks that still have no curfew because they can't hang out after 10 or 12 .

I see growth around several tracks in Texas I go to including the tracks with National venues !

 

[HEMI6point1]

Englishtown is one of those tracks I fear we might lose in a couple of years.

I remember years ago E-town was just a dinky little down with nothing.... but the racetrack. Then some developers thought it was a brilliant idea to build these huge homes 10 feet apart from each other.

 

[Toejam]

I've said it before and I will say it again, if more racers would get POLITICALLY involved when these issues come up, some of these tracks could be saved! They tried on a couple of occasions to shutdown Albuq. Dragway, but 200 Racers and supporters showed up at City Council meeting to vent their arguments, local street racing problems, etc...The City Council and the Land commisioner both relented! Instead most racers just figure its the Track owners problem, then ***** about losing tracks! Racers blame everyone but themselves!