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Topic: Question for those around the old ASCOT or other gone tracks...
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Page 2 of 2 of 29 replies
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November 11, 2006 at
10:28:11 AM
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This message was edited on
November 11, 2006 at
10:31:59 AM by Twenty8
HighVista We must have been neighbors there. I sat in the same section every week. Wally Baker's youngest daughter was my first girl friend. Being in their section and a Gordon/Wasina fan I had to keep my cheers to myself. Wasnt easy as a 13 year old kid. Great memories. Damn I am getting old. I believe the Thunder raceway you are talking about is still located at the Sacramento Raceway. (drag strip) www.sacramentoraceway.com located on the east side off Bradshaw and Hwy 50.
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November 11, 2006 at
08:20:05 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: David Smith Jr on November 09 2006 at 11:39:53 PM
Just courious about old tracks that I never got to visit and never will now due to the political arena. What has been built at where the old Ascot Speedway once sat? What are your emotions when you drive by the place or do you have any?
What racetracks did you use to frequent or grow up at that are no longer there due to development or whatever? What are your emotions or do you have any and do you often think about your time spent their at those tracks?
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They used to race midgets at Hughs Stadium in Sacramento. in the late 50's early 60's
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November 11, 2006 at
09:15:00 PM
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I have some Baylands and CRA Mesa Marin here cmpvideo2go.com
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November 12, 2006 at
12:11:30 PM
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The hard tops started at Hughes before West Capital. It was before my time but I grew up with in walking distance of the stadium.
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November 12, 2006 at
08:25:29 PM
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Twenty8 - I was pretty young then, but 'The Rat' Mike Andreeta was always a favorite of mine. My Mom was a GP fan, and my Dad was good friends with Rendi Boldrini. They used to have an annual bicycle race for kids, which I raced in 2 or 3 times. That was a thrill, pedaling all the way around the track in front of a full grandstands.
Not sure about the Thunder Raceway/Sacramento Raceway, that could be it. I remember it was pretty small and narrow.
Thanks for the info.
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November 12, 2006 at
08:27:14 PM
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Ascot, Gardena; Saugus Speedway; Mesa Marin, Bakersfield; Baylands, Fremont;
San Fernando Dragway; Lions Drag Strip, Wilmington; Orange County Intl Raceway, Irvine; Ontario Motor Speedway; Riverside International Raceway
Next up: Madera Speedway
Resurrected: Kings Speedway, Hanford
I think I'm a jinx
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November 12, 2006 at
09:21:48 PM
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HighVista Did the bike races myself a couple times. Think it was the only time I wished for a dry slick track. Pedaling on that river bed gumbo was a lot of work.
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November 19, 2006 at
03:18:31 AM
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Not telling my age, but I used to go to the 1/5 and 1/4 mile tracks at the Tulsa Fairgrounds. The 1/5 was an oiled track - at least that's what my older brother says. I believe they were closer to the Ball Park, but not sure.
Many of you have gone to Royse City, East of Dallas, Tx. for the WoO showsin the early 80's, I believe. It is now part of the school system there. At least it's something worth while. I believe the stands and possibly the dirt for Royse City came from Buffalo Park (when it closed) - great little 1/4 mile that Smiley Sitton ran. That is probably residential now. Kenny Schrader won one of the best midget races I've ever seen there.
The "Old Devil's Bowl" in Dallas is an apartment complex... a "gated community" so I can't drive through to see if any of the old limestone abutments are still there.
The Sportsdrome, West of Dallas (1/4 mile - sprints ran there some) is now part of Dallas Auto Auction.
Green Valley was a road course (first Trans Am race held there) and drag strip just NE of Ft. Worth. It is now a residential area... all but the "sweeper" and the 2 bridges over the creek. I believe that is in the flood plain - at least I raced through deep water there once. They also made a paved oval and raced sprints there one summer.
Stateline Speedway in Texarkana closed when, of course, residents moved in and complained about the noise. A neat little dirt 1/4 mile - Miller's Cove - in East Texas on I-30 was turned into a rodeo arena. Another dirt track about 15 miles from there is closed and just rotting away. The stands were always packed at these tracks, too.
There is a book: "The History of America's Speedways Past & Present". It covers most tracks in the nation, but it doesn't say what is there now (like it doesn't have Savage Speedway - a paved 1/4 track for just a couple of years on the South side of Dallas).
The only thing sadder than going to an empty track after the season is over with is going to a deserted, torn down, closed track. If you have a good imagination you can still hear the roaring of the engines.
At least they have finally put something where Ascot was. Thanks for the info. I was there and at Riverside in California. I take it that is shopping centers and homes.
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November 19, 2006 at
12:01:47 PM
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thunder park raceway was in sacramento,it was located across the road from sacramento drag strip.
they opened it with no permits so it didnt last,and yes it was narrow and small.
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November 19, 2006 at
03:27:11 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: SJFast on November 10 2006 at 04:21:08 AM
Twin Cities Speedway (1/2 mile oval) and drag strip (1/4 mile) located alongside I-35W on the north side of Minneapolis. Replaced by a bleak and uninteresting industrial park.
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One of the Mod drivers that raced at Owatonna bought some 8x10's from me and I met him in Blaine yesterday. Ironically he was helping a friend do some landscaping at a business near 35w and County Road J. When I finally managed to find him (thank god for cell phones) I found that the work site would have been on the north side of the old Twin City/North Star Speedway property. It's been so long now since they leveled the track that you wouldn't even know there used to be a Speedway there.
I understand that the old Stillwater Speedway can still be seen but I haven't been there. The Cannon Speedway on Highway 52 is still there but they don't use it anymore. A few people have sent me photos from the old Rex Speedway site and they're posted on gotomn.com. Isn't there a book on this subject called "America's Speedways?"
Stan Meissner
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