Calif. oldest track Orange Show Speedway has closed

What a shame. Ive seen some crazy stuff at that track. Had good times there.

 

im sick of them *******s making ***anine decisions with the tracks , whats next , pomona , calif speedway ? calif needs more tracks , not less ! boycott all orange shows !

 

Back in the early 70's there were at least three private airports in North Dallas, Richardson, Plano, and Garland area. Developers came in and bought up the land when it was cheap and closed the airports. The ones that stayed open had to go to court to stay in business because the ones that bought homes next door complained about the low flying aircraft over their homes. If you don't like low flying planes, don't buy near an airport.

 

well if you drive down Est you will understand, S/B is in sad shape, **** even the del taco didnt make it. too bad lots of good times

 

I think you are talking about Saugus Speedway.

 

Turn 1 Section C. Good times. But anyone who (road farmer, you should knew) can sell out and make a TON of money is just being smart.
Lots of this dirt was bought up years ago. Shame, the new owners do not think like us, but I am not surprised
I am surprised, really, it lasted this long

 

Was stationed at Norton AFB in the early 80's and The Orange Show was a regular hangout for me and fellow enlisted when on station...both the car races & speedway on Wednesdays. There was also figure 8 racing and I recall one driver who I don't remember his name, drove the **** out of a blue 67 Chevelle...he had the hottest car I think but no handling & had everyone on the edge of their seats the whole race-every race! Great memories....sad to see it go....like someone else said its like loosing and old friend.

 

When Santa Fe moved its operation from San Bernardino to Kansas and Norton AFB shut down.. It was all downhill from there! The base, really kept the economy moving around here.

 

Here we are under the constant threat of losing our last circle track the Bakersfield Speedway est 1946 and has had continuous racing since. There is an 11 o'clock curfew for the track to be done with racing. The 90's and very early 2000's were good times to be a fan or racer. Full fields and full stands every night, not so much anymore for the racers. These last few years we have been lucky to have full stands most nights. Most of the other tracks I have been to have half to less then half full stands in my years of spectating and racing. Blythe Speedway, Orange show, Victorville, Portervillle aka "The Rock", Santa Maria, Perris, Irwindale, Mojave, Showlow, Lake Havasu. I am pretty die hard when it comes to weekly local racing. I go every saturday night for the most part with the thought in my mind that someday it will not be available to go to. Its a matter of time.... the EPA will shut it all down. Anyone hear of Diesel Exhaust Fluid? Its getting amazingly hard to get Race Fuel here in Calimexico, good luck getting aviation gas unless you got the hook-up with your local Cooter. Parts for the cars and cars to build into race cars are getting more difficult to find as most the full-frame cars are almost 30 years old now, attrition. The shop built cars have gotten out of reach of your average joe 9-5. Only people really racing here live to race or race sporatically throughout the year due to lack of money. Its 45$ at the pit gate to get in nowdays. When I started getting into the pits with a fake ID at age 13 it was 25$ I am 26 now. Racing fuel is 8$ a gallon when I used to think 3$ was crazy for race fuel back at age 13. Tires were buy 3 for 75$ get the 4th free at pepboys. Its 100$ a tire now at pepboys no ****! Rims are 45$ where they used to be 25$. Inflation and technology have made it cost prohibitive to race. Purse for the cl*** we run is 350$ to win the main event of 22 cars. Used to be 200$ to win.

To race 1 night

No race damage, flats, or critical drivetrain failures and the cars cost about 15,000$ to build if ya want to win and run up front. We'll pretend that I have no crew to pay for either.

45$- 1 pit p***
80$- 10 gal race sunoco 110 fuel
20$ Food and drink from the cooler in my pick-up

145$ to race, how much do you make in 1 day of working? It takes me 3/4 of a day of work to race this cheaply haha.


We lost Mesa Marin when they built houses directly across the street. Funny thing is they are middle cl*** homes and all the street names are Nascar track names or famous driver's names. The people knew when they moved in the track was across the street and began to complain immediately about the noise of the track. There was nothing around for miles for years until they build that housing developement. Well in the early 2000's the track owner sold out the property to developers for a good sum of money. They tore down the whole track and didn't build ****!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now there is a giant wasteland across the street from all those peoples houses I get a kick out of seeing this. There was another asphault track built out by the interstate 5 freeway but it went bankrupt before they finished it. Now I drive by it on the way to work everyday.

Get out there and support your local Jalopy Racers and the place they race if ya want to see it for a while longer.-Weeks

Me in 2002 in my sisters hobby stock, looks like a street car for the most part still, original body and alot of stock parts.



Brother in laws car in 2011, not so much stock anything and so much power at the rear wheels gotta have 145$ bead locks to keep the tires on the beads.

 

thanks weeks , i just moved to taft , from riverside , i see a lot empty space in bakersfield that could support a track , there needs to be more support from the racers before its all gone !

 

Sad I remember going to the races there, demo derby also.

 

I spent a lot of time there as a teenager. I lost interest after they paved it. Shame to see it go.

 

I am very familar with Orange Show Speedway. My Dad raced his midget there the first year the track opened, in '47. We saw a lot of damn good midget races there in the 50's and 60's. I am also familar with the area surounding the track. I guarentee it will not be developed for homes. And in an area as depressed as that part of San Berdo is, I seriously doubt it will be developed for retail space. My money is on the fair board wants to use the land for something that will be a bigger draw during the Orange Show. I was involved with the garden railroad at the Pomona Fairplex, and know the operator of the railroad well. That railroad has been on that ground since 1936, and is a big crowd favorite. But it's now on thin ice because the thorough bred ***ociation is demanding that the configuration of the horse track be changed because the turns are too small and it causes the horses legs to break down. The Pomona fair board wants to alter the track with a plan that will wipe out the railroad. Never mind that the railroad has been a favorite for generations, the horse track makes money. End of story. Money talks, and I'm sure that's the situation at the Orange Show track. It's sad, but that's life in the big city.

 

the problem causing the orange show speedway to close is Dan Jimenez President of the Orange Show Fairgrounds and the board would rather make $1 million a night having raves supporting underage use of illegal drugs and alcohol. We have had raves there where the businesses around get destroyed afterwards. please everyone write your ***embly people senators and the governor. we need to stop this money grubbing Dan jimenez. he is supposed to be running a non profit organization but he is all about the money.

 

Is this the same facility that added a quarter midget track on the grounds after Pomona's track on East End shut down a few years ago? And if so, that would be the absoulte last quarter midget track in the entire southern California area. This is sad news either way.

 

That's too bad.I've seen quite a few races there over the years.It will be missed like Corona & Riverside.

 

Saw my first circle track motorcycle race there! When will a gearhead become governer?! Mayor?

 

That ****s. The kids and I have had fun there. The last promoters really tried, with concerts after the races, but no crowds was the main problem I think.

Hope someone can pull this back together.

 

Very sad. But if they get the horse racing going there, maybe they could also run vintage dirt trackers? Just a thought.

 

Hi Have the same problem here in Oz..insurance is the biggest killer....

 

sad to hear the news but i don't think this is the first time this has happened or at least been reported. i went a couple of times over the past couple of years to watch my father-in-law run is elto midget. and yeah, as you can tell the stands are totally empty. one night that we did go the stands filled up pretty good but i think most the people there are family or crew for the guys racing.

vid of elto making some laps along with some other period midgets:

 

As I said, it's about what makes a few people the most money.

The horse track at Pomona has been running thoroughbred racing there since the early 50's, and now, after 60 years, the track has been deemed harmful to the horses. Still trying to figure that one out. And Agajanian promoted many sprint car races at Pomona in the 50's before he built Ascot Park. They still run AMA flat track motorcycle races on the track. I saw the final race for the championship there a few weeks back. Hell of a show. Great track for flat trackers.

 

Beef, that looks like the WRA boys. Who's your father in law?

 

Around the Inland Empire you still have Lake Perris Speedway dirt track and near by is Irwindale Speedway

 

Both Perris and Irwindale are NOT financially healthy either !
Toyota is no longer the sponsor at Irwindale , both tracks have reduced the number of events on their schedule...
Dave

 

I have never been there but it's the same everywhere, it's $ not complaints or politics. If you don't sell tickets you can't pay the bills. Blame the fans or lack there of. People like to have these things around and cry when they shut down but when they are open nobody goes. Shame.

 

Just announced Orange show will not close just turn back to clay for 2013
A final asphalt race to be run Dec 15 2012 see web site
http://www.dirtentertainment.com/orange-show-stadium.html

As for asphalt racing in Southern California

Willow Spring (summer racing) this track is similar to orange show and is located on the outskirts of the bigger mor well known road track
http://www.racingwest.com/news/articles/23997-willow-springs-speedway-to-drop-the-green.html

Blythe (winter Racing)
http://www.i10speedway.com/

And Bakersfield's new track opening 2013
http://www.kernraceway.com/

 

That is awesome!!!!! kinda going backwards a bit, hahaha, but I love it.