Closed

[Chryco Psycho]

our Local race track that Hannah had posted about officially closed down this afternoon @ 1 pm 
 Race City is gone , the next nearest track is 2 hr drive now

[71chally416]

That sucks 

[NoMope Greg]

I know how you feel - we lost our local 1/4 mile dragstrip in 2004 - Carlsbad Raceway  (Anyone remember the MX USGP or Superbikers on ABC's Wide World of Sports in the 70's?  Same facility.).  We lost our best dirt oval in 1985 and our local asphalt oval (Cajon Speedway) also in 2004.  All we have left is an 1/8 mile at the stadium and another 1/8 mile and a 1/4 mile dirt oval up in the mountains, an hour from anywhere.   

[Aussie Challenger]

  It is a sign of the times, the small tracks are closed and the bigger tracks make more. At least you seem to have a few tracks left, here in Australia we have very few and even those are under pressure to close.    
  No wonder more people use the street for racing, I know that there are those ratbag few who use the street and wouldn't use the track anyway.      

[plumcrazy704406]

sad to hear! The cost of running a track (not considering insurance alone) is horrendous! It's a tough market to make money in. Maybe the different levels of gov's could step in and have some incentive for the owners to keep them open? At the end of the day the owner has to make some money! I don't think I would want to see gov. run tracks in my lifetime, but hey, someone has to step up!

 

[cuda]

That really sucks,i cant believe that a city of over 1,000,000 people doesnt have a trac. Im sure a new one will be built one day again but who knows when.

[js27]

That's sad. We had  one of two of our local 1/8 mile track close this year also. The good new is that 3 hours form my house in Charlotte NC the brand new STATE OF THE ART TRACK IS OPENING THIS WEEKEND. IT WILL HAVE 4 LANES AND THE MOST UP TO DATE MODERN FACILITY. It is on my list to visit next year when they run the next NHRA National Event.
Can't make it this weekend because I will be going back to PA for vacation.
JS27

[Chryco Psycho]

the article only made it to page 6 of the local newspapers sports section
Apparently the land will be used for a swap / water drainage from the dump next door 

[4Cruizn]

Thats not good.  I hope thats not a sign of things to come.   

[dougs bs23]

Apparently the land will be used for a swap / water drainage from the dump next door 

Goes to show you that theres big money in trash

[plumcrazy704406]

hey, people gotta eat. people gotta get rid of their sh*t!

that's the way it works!

Capitalism at its best!

 

[moparmaniac59]

Man,
That really does bite. We too lost our 1/4 mile track here in eastern VA (Suffolk Raceway) back in the late 80's. The nearest one to me is about 85 miles. I am sure a major factor is the rising cost of insurance and due in part to frivolous law suits!!


                                                            Matt B.

[ghoulfish]

What pisses me off is that they already had a closing date for Race City then out of the blue they just ignore it and spring this on us!!!!

Freaking politicians!! - now loads of the people who went to Race City are going to take it onto the streets and start endangering other peoples lives

[hannah]

What pisses me off is that they already had a closing date for Race City then out of the blue they just ignore it and spring this on us!!!! 

The owner of the land didn't pull the plug...CIS did...they look after the Secret Street races etc

Freaking politicians!! - now loads of the people who went to Race City are going to take it onto the streets and start endangering other peoples lives

Kinda disagree with you on that one...not the politicians hehe I agree with that. The only alderman that even gave time to this whole thing was McIver and he again has asked the city to see if there is some land that could be used by Race City

As for the street racing those who are racing on the street were doing it when the track was open...most probably they never even went to the track...I don't doubt there may be a small increase but certainly the closure of the track isn't the reason

It's really unfortunate news...not only for Calgary and surrounding areas...but for Alberta even North America

It's all about the money and land is worth big money

It's great to have a local track but you have to support that track and when they rarely get any press...little promotion or advertising you have to go out there. $5 to get in at Race City is not a lot of money...that's a pop & a bag of chips...yet when ever I was there they never really got big crowds

It's $10 to get in a Castrol...lots of cars...but small crowds...yet if what happened in Calgary suddenly happened here...there would be a lot of disgruntled people

The only way tracks around here have a chance is someone who REALLY loves cars and racing has a couple million bucks to pour into it, but comfortable enough to know you won't see it ever again and that's pretty unlikely...I have a dream...car shows during the week...drive-in movies on off nights...access to the track for testing...build a tuning shop...
hehe but that's another story

Anyways expect to see some of the Calgary people show for the 2 day finale at the track October 4th & 5th

Support your local track !!

[hooD]

I remember running my 'Cuda at Detroit Dragway back in '73.  They closed it in 1998 and it became an industrial trucking buisness.  What a loss. 


http://waterwinterwonderland.com/johng.asp