[SoulSurfSD]

I got an email from Auto Club Speedway (Fontana, CA), that says they're in talks with the county to redevelop the track.
So apparently their plan is to build a "high-banked half-mile track", so I'm assuming another Bristol.
It makes sense from a "get more fans" perspective, since you really don't see much of the race at a Super Speedway.
I find myself looking at the big screen to try and figure out what's going on, rather than at the track, except when they go tearing by on the front strectch.
So something like Bristol, where everybody can see the whole race all the time would be easier to get new fans interested in attending races.
If the bumping and wrecking is anything like Bristol that should help too.

All I can say is "Don't F**k with the Drag Strip!!"

 

[chasracer]

I am surprised that anyone would want to make the investment in the track. NASCAR here in the south is not exactly a hot ticket anymore - maybe out there it is? Friends of mine went to the fall Richmond race a couple of years ago and the race was getting ready to start in 30 minutes or so - they walked up and bought tickets for $25 and were told to sit anywhere they wanted.

 

[ericnova72]

Something like this never bodes well for the dragstrip....

Hearsay and rumor says the land the Fontana strip is on has been sold.....who knows at this point.

Hearsay also says Sacremento Raceway is also going to be defunct in a few years....

Commiifornia....

 

[SoulSurfSD]

I am surprised that anyone would want to make the investment in the track. NASCAR here in the south is not exactly a hot ticket anymore - maybe out there it is?

The odd thing is that it isn't popular enough out here...
I assume that's why they want to change it to something with more appeal to attend the race.
I hope it works, since I want the speedway and the drag strip to stay here.
Bristol still seems to be very popular.

 

[SoulSurfSD]

But I'm afraid it may just be a scheme to sell much of the property...

Just figures that all this happens as I'm working on completing an entire drivetrain buildup of my Chevelle. ($$$)

"Build it, and they will Shut It Down"...

 

[chasracer]

The odd thing is that it isn't popular enough out here...
I assume that's why they want to change it to something with more appeal to attend the race.
I hope it works, since I want the speedway and the drag strip to stay here.
Bristol still seems to be very popular.

Actually Bristol is not doing all that good. Of course we have to toss 2020 out the window but 2019 wasn't too hot either. The track can handle 140,000+ but I think attendance has dropped to the 35k-40k mark. Most of the seating was closed off the last couple of years. I raced the World Footbrake Challenge at Bristol Dragway last year which is right next to the speedway and talking with some locals that work both tracks, they indicated that their work hours with the speedway were pretty slim. It's had a huge affect on the local economy - lot of the small diners and fuel stations near the track were shuttered when I was there.

 

[chasracer]

But I'm afraid it may just be a scheme to sell much of the property...

Just figures that all this happens as I'm working on completing an entire drivetrain buildup of my Chevelle. ($$$)

"Build it, and they will Shut It Down"...

Well certainly hope the drag strip hangs on and stays open for ya'll out there!

 

[SoulSurfSD]

Yeah, I'm just seeing what's on TV and they get pretty excited about Bristol...
Sucks that it's down that low on attendance!

If they take out the dragway, I likely won't go to the Nascar races.
Support me, and I'll support you.
Local racers are going to need to make that clear.

 

[ericnova72]

Nascar drove off all the die hard fans with the cookie cutter cars and that "Chase" baloney....then the trendy chasing fandom found something else to chase and their interest left too.

NASCAR was their own worse enemy.

NHRA did the same thing. Now they just cut al Pro catagory purse payouts by 65%....while the ivory tower executives gave up nothing as usual. Damn shame what it is coming to..
It don't even pay a Top Fuel car enough to win the event to even cover the cost of 2 qualifying passes down the track.

 

[SoulSurfSD]

Wow...

 

[chasracer]

Nascar drove off all the die hard fans with the cookie cutter cars and that "Chase" baloney....then the trendy chasing fandom found something else to chase and their interest left too.

NASCAR was their own worse enemy.

NHRA did the same thing. Now they just cut al Pro catagory purse payouts by 65%....while the ivory tower executives gave up nothing as usual. Damn shame what it is coming to..
It don't even pay a Top Fuel car enough to win the event to even cover the cost of 2 qualifying passes down the track.

On the NASCAR deal it took me quite awhile to get an idea of what was happening. I think that one of the complaints they were getting from the new wave of fans was how one or two cars could out-run the rest of field. So NASCAR in their great wisdom tightened up everything and went down that road from which they have never recovered. And just like you said, they haven't gotten it right since then and those "fans" are long gone now.

I read into late last night about the NHRA deal. A lot of upset folks on that one and one saying that it will probably be 8 car fields in Top Fuel and Funny Car next year. The count is maybe 11 cars that could consistently run the entire series.

 

[ntfday]

NASCAR lost me when they banned the Hemi and then tried to blame Bill Simpson for earnhardt's death, the pompous ass killed himself. The "cookie cutter" cars didn't help either as now it's just follow the leader. NHRA screwed up when they went to 1000' for Top Fuel and Funny Car, they own or certify, too many short, land locked tracks, Pomona is one of them. And Pro Stock camaro is a waste of time.

 

[2old2fast]

There really isn't any auto " racing" any longer , its all strategy , like a chess match , ever watch a chess match ? BORING !

 

[SoulSurfSD]

The Fontana facility currently has several things that people (you know, "race fans") can take part in driving their own cars (go karts, autocross, SCCA, "exotics", street legal drags, NHRA Summit Series).
In the "plans" for the new facility I don't see anything that looks like anything that any race fans can take part in.
It looks like it's just the short track, parking, and supporting facilities for the short track.

If that's the case, and they don't change their plans to include a drag strip (the south side access road could be turned into a drag strip), I'll completely quit even watching Nascar.
If NHRA doesn't at least start doing Street Legal Drags at Pomona, since we're losing Fontana Dragway, I'll boycott NHRA too. If I can't take part in some "civilian" racing, I can do other things with my life than sit around watching their races.

Edit: I'm holding Nascar responsible, because I only just realized that Nascar owns the Fontana facility, so it's Nascar making these decisions.

 

[chasracer]

That situation sounds like the one that I have just north of me. We had a dragstrip up there along with a small oval track. This jerk that came in and promised the county commission that he would build a "NHRA National Event level track" in exchange for being allowed to tear down the old tracks and build his new ones. What's up there now is a NASCAR oval, a very short road race course, a drive-in theater and something he calls "Street Drags" on the front straightaway of the road course. From top to bottom it probably has a 30-40 foot elevation drop. There's no real timing system, no safety equipment or EMT staff. It's not much better than street light racing. And cars have to have registration and license to run. In other words, no real drag cars. Last I heard was that the bank was going to call his note due to falsifying information for the loan and the county was talking about pulling his business license but that was before the Covid mess and I guess nothing has or is going to happen. It's just off I-95 and is about a 30 minute ride from my house. I was really looking forward to having a new track closer to home.

 

[SoulSurfSD]

Yeah, the Fontana speedway is just about 4 miles from my house... I can see it from my back door.
So I did this major upgrade on my Chevelle so that I could drive up the street and race at the Street Legal Drags.
Now I'm just totally pissed off and bitter. We'll have to see if they change their evil plans or not.
But it's going to take alot of input from "race fans" who want to go fast...

It seems backward that the auto manufacturers keep putting more and more HP in the new cars, and the "racing" people keep getting rid of places that people can use that HP for anything other than trying to boost their "little weenie" egos.

 

[SoulSurfSD]

On a more cynical note, something that chasracer said makes me think that this could just be a ploy, to get permission to tear up the speedway, then say that it isn't feasible to build the new facility, and then just sell the entire property.

You know, there used to be a big speedway just a stone's throw from the current speedway.
Ontario Motor Speedway.
My old man said it was a real nice facility too... but it didn't last long, and they tore it up.
Now there's a mall there.

 

[Too Many Projects]

I'm, actually, surprised CA allows ANY form of auto racing, what with all the pollution those vehicles throw into the air. Maybe NASCAR and NHRA will morph into electric car racing...
I would place my money on the smaller track "possibly" being built, but the drag strip will be sacrificed to development. Then it won't be long before the oval track gets pushed out too. TAXES kill many sports facilities too. If the local government wants the land for their own, selfish, desires they will keep raising the taxes until the facility can longer function profitably and be forced to sell, or loose it to "eminent domain"... Happens around here all the time.

 

[ntfday]

I was in the Marine Corps with a guy from Fontana whose brother was in the Hell's Angels. Fontana is more known as the birthplace of the Angels than anything else. In the 60's it was known as an "outlaw strip", been there a time or two though I was fonder of Lions and Irwindale and later OCIR.

 

[SoulSurfSD]

Yeah my old man hung out at San Gabriel (predecessor to Irwindale), Lions, then Irwindale when it was built.
My earliest memories are of being at Irwindale on Saturday nights, when I was 3 or 4 (68-69).
You must be referring to "Fontana Drag City"... different strip, but it was very near the current speedway and strip.