uhcougs Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 FROM JAYSKI.COM Irwindale Speedway closing? On Saturday, workers appeared to be closing down the Irwindale Speedway facility, which has had the biggest NASCAR short track races on the West Coast for more than a decade. Workers were dismantling the pit grandstand, which is adjacent to the first turn. They were also taking apart storage areas. The large billboard bordering the San Gabriel Valley River Freeway was not lit up for the first time in its history, barring power outages, and the track's web site was taken off the Internet. "They went out of business," said a prominent Irwindale racer who did not want to be identified. Vice president and general manager Bob DeFazio and some staff members were in the locked administration building Saturday morning, a moving truck backed up to the office's side entrance and a moving box stacked outside. DeFazio, through track operations director Bob Klein, refused to comment. Klein would only say an announcement would be made Monday. Efforts to reach DeFazio were unsuccessful. The track's eighth-mile facility remained intact on Saturday, but according to a source, workers were given a final paycheck after last Thursday's regular street legal session. The elimination of the pit grandstand is significant because teams usually put their crews in those seats so that if there is a problem on the track, they could quickly get to their pit stall and fix the car and get it racing again. L.A. Racing, a school not owned by Irwindale Speedway LLC, the consortium of owners led by Jim Williams, has 12 schools planned within the next month. "They have not said a word," L.A. Racing's Ozzie Blackwell said. "We have no idea. We're assuming it's a go. We've been told it's a go." If only the racing operation is closed, the track could still be used for filming commercials, movies and television shows, an endeavor that has been very successful. Many racing commercials, with the likes of 1969 Indianapolis 500 champion and 1978 Formula One champion Mario Andretti and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart, have been shot at the facility. Recently a Hyundai commercial viewed during the Super Bowl was shot. That shoot took three nights. Rumors have swirled for months about new ownership. Lucas Oil Products and Tony Stewart, who owns tracks including famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, were rumored to be interested in buying the facility.(in part from the Los Angeles Daily News)(2-13-2012) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jracer98 Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 You had to see this coming when they canceled that TV East West shootout deal "all of a sudden". jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racer61 Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Another fine facility going down the tubes. Lets see, Toyota took over Irwindale and then runs off and the place is scraped. Yeah, Toyota has done so much for the American economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truck99 Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Irwindale is an awesome facility. Somebody will pick it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesHigdon Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Another fine facility going down the tubes. Lets see, Toyota took over Irwindale and then runs off and the place is scraped. Yeah, Toyota has done so much for the American economy. Hey...I know that story! Toyota comes into town, everyone spends money to get their business, Toyota never spends any money and everything built up in anticipation goes belly up. The logo they put on the back of the Tundra's built in town should have a line added; "Born in Texas, Built by Texans, Profit shipped back to Japan." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 This from Autoweek.com. Very sad. Brings back memories of the traumatic San Antonio Speedway closing... Click here >>> Autoweek.com article Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 I wouldn't dig the grave just yet on this track. There are two very prominent names that have expressed serious interest in Irwindale. Both are current racers or car owners, and currently own tracks or have title sponsorship on very successful venues. In other news from out there, it looks like the Kern County Speedway west of Bakersfield, which is the Mesa Marin replacement, is finally a go after several years. There is a new ownership group in place now, and they are currently cleaning the neglect from three years of sitting. They are pushing for a race or two in late 2012 if they can get everything done, but they are talking to sanctioning bodies for 2013. Nothing is confirmed yet, but a current nascar racer is rumored to be a major player in this project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racer61 Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 I wouldn't dig the grave just yet on this track. There are two very prominent names that have expressed serious interest in Irwindale. Both are current racers or car owners, and currently own tracks or have title sponsorship on very successful venues. If the name is Hamilton I will bring the shovel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 If the name is Hamilton I will bring the shovel. Not even close; remember I said they are involved in SUCCESSFUL venues. On the subject of Hamilton, his replacement at Nashville, Nicky Formosa, is getting tons of support from both racers and businesses alike in his resurrection of that storied track. Formosa is a former racer there, as well as a previous promoter. Regardless of the names, let's wish the respective track owners and promoters the best in taking these tracks back to the top, and that includes Monroe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted February 18, 2012 Report Share Posted February 18, 2012 The latest Irwindale Speedway update from the Pasadena Star-News. click here. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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