A sneek peek of what will really become of the "Great Park" courtesy of Ken Block Racing

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no_vaseline_IHB

no_vaseline_IHB

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<a href="http://video.kenblockracing.com/flash/player/index.php?vendor_id=204&video_id=9183">http://video.kenblockracing.com/flash/player/index.php?vendor_id=204&video_id=9183</a>



They should turn El Toro into a track like Sebring. ASAP.
 
I would give my pinky to get this done. Alas, it is impossible because of tree huggers and nimby owners.



Well, given how fcuked the soil is at the site already, tree huggers may be appeased by planting a few trees somewhere, but the second problem is insurmountable given the yuppie/family demographics.



If anyone thinks this is doable and can back it up, I would very much like to hear from them.



<a href="http://www.triumph675.net/forum/showthread.php/does-take-build-racetrack-15850.html">More details about the obstacles here...</a>
 
I was involved in three of the Tustin Thunder VARA events held at Tustin in the 1990s. I raced in two and was involved in the celebraty races and drove one of the Chrysler Viper Pace cars as well as my Cobra reproduction giving rides for charity.



It was a blast. If you don't remember it google it as it was a very large event.



I was sad that it was not be renewed but understood it had to do with the City and insurance problems.



Enjoy!
 
This is stupid. This would appeal to and benefit one-half of one percent of the county and, even worse, would attract lame 909'ers.
 
I would be ALL over this, but as mentioned it would offend and disturb ALOT of people. Plus the track would be very, very small. I could see a cart track and maybe a bicycle track. But for cars... well that might be a bit much.



A skate park, bike park maybe even a velodrome would be cool.

-bix
 
[quote author="tkaratz" date=1226726299]This is stupid. This would appeal to and benefit one-half of one percent of the county and, even worse, would attract lame 909'ers.</blockquote>


203 million licensed drivers, 234.5 million cars and light trucks, 6.7 million motorcycles. 20 million spectators within 2hr drive.

And you, Sir, have only 2 posts to your name.



909ers already have California Speedway.



You can definitely fit a proper race track in El Toro -- it is about 1.5x1.5 miles. Laguna Seca is 1x1 mile.



And the sound of 5 and 405 doesn't bother anyone.
 
[quote author="tkaratz" date=1226726299]This is stupid. This would appeal to and benefit one-half of one percent of the county and, even worse, would attract lame 909'ers.</blockquote>


909'ers don't road race. They ride MX. They don't call it the valley of the dirt people for nothing.
 
A friend of mine is a principle in one of the top real estate research companies and actually did a study along these line a couple of years ago. They looked at a full race track, a sort of test track for the auto companies and related businesses located in OC, and a place to hold open track events, karting, drifting and the like.



Economics didn't work in favor of an auto related entity.



It didn't fly.



enjoy!
 
A race track at the Great Park would be really cool. I'm very interested in racing as my new hobby. Where is the nearest track? Anyone have any recommendations on how to get strarted?
 
[quote author="no_vaseline" date=1226671414]<a href="http://video.kenblockracing.com/flash/player/index.php?vendor_id=204&video_id=9183">http://video.kenblockracing.com/flash/player/index.php?vendor_id=204&video_id=9183</a>



They should turn El Toro into a track like Sebring. ASAP.</blockquote>
I'd so love that...I get tired of driving out to Buttonwillow, Rosemead, and Fontana to hit the track. It'd be great to have something around the corner.
 
[quote author="Mcdonna1980" date=1226741436]A race track at the Great Park would be really cool. I'm very interested in racing as my new hobby. Where is the nearest track? Anyone have any recommendations on how to get strarted?</blockquote>


Sign up for a track day. Take it from there. Google

Auto Club Speedway

Willow Springs

Buttonwillow
 
<a href="http://www.speedventures.com/">Maybe this?</a> I'm thinking about the Autocross next Sunday. I did an SCCA event once at Qualcomm. This event sounds more casual.



<em>This Autocross will be set up in a parking lot inside the Speedway. Drivers DO NOT have to work and will get unlimited runs on course (typically 10-20 runs).



A light-based timing system will be working, but we will not log the times, so you will need to write them down yourself at the end of your run.



The course will open at 9am and close at 5pm. You may show up whenever you want.</em>
 
[quote author="earthbm" date=1226729303][quote author="tkaratz" date=1226726299]This is stupid. This would appeal to and benefit one-half of one percent of the county and, even worse, would attract lame 909'ers.</blockquote>


203 million licensed drivers, 234.5 million cars and light trucks, 6.7 million motorcycles. 20 million spectators within 2hr drive.

And you, Sir, have only 2 posts to your name.



909ers already have California Speedway.



You can definitely fit a proper race track in El Toro -- it is about 1.5x1.5 miles. Laguna Seca is 1x1 mile.



And the sound of 5 and 405 doesn't bother anyone.</blockquote>


"203 million licensed drivers"? Your demographic sample is the entire US of A? I guess your an optimistic thinker, or have the common sense of a 909'er.



Either way, the land would be serevrly under utilizied if it were made into a race track, no one intelligent would build a race track. The approvals would be a nightmare (if these things were easy to entitle why is there one in the 909) and from a public use stand point, I can't even imagine the insurance they'd have to carry.



The sound of the 5 and 405 doesn't bother anyone?????
 
[quote author="xsocal land merchant" date=1226740748]Economics didn't work in favor of an auto related entity. </blockquote>


They never do.



<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marchbanks_Speedway">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marchbanks_Speedway</a>



It didn't pencil here then, it won't pencil now.



The history is a little incomplete. There was also a dragrace strip, and it hosted a couple of indycar races. Mario Andretti won there the same year he won Indy or the year before. Somebody got killed in the pit lane during the race, and that was the end of the track.



After Mr. Marchbanks died, my uncle bought the racetrack, and turned it back into farmland.



At the time (this would be about 1980) some arcane section of the tax code allowed you to take the capital disimprovment against profits, which he did. My uncle had purchased the property for farmland value and the estate tossed the track in for free. He effectively got the IRS to pay for the ranch. The IRS protested, but ultimately they agreed with my uncle. Congress amended the tax code a couple of years later.



Racetracks are losers. But the El Toro airbase will not be developed for many years, and its such a waste of otherwise perfectly usable asphalt.



OT: Congrats Cup Champion Jimmy Johnson. Team SoCal homeboys takin' it to those rednecks - again.
 
No_Vas



Very interesting history. I had never heard of that track but am familiar with Hanford, Stockton 99, and of course West Sacramento Speedway. These were all old time USAC open wheel tracks in Nor-Cal.



JJ and team is hard to beat and he stands to best Jeff Gordon's number of championships and possibly surpass Dale Sr.(Oh horror at that thought)



Enjoy
 
[quote author="xsocal land merchant" date=1226927612]No_Vas



Very interesting history. I had never heard of that track but am familiar with Hanford</blockquote>


Kings Speedway (at the Fairgrounds) was exactly three miles west from Marchbanks, which was near the corner of Highway 43 and Houston Avenues.



I think the (former) track is currently planted in alfalfa, with not a single sign that a racetrack ever existed there.
 
No_Vas



This might interest you as far as early history of a Nor-Cal track. <a href="http://www.westcapitalraceway.com/">Lots of history on this site with pix and old programs.</a>



Are you familiar with Jimmy Gordon and Ernie Purcel who were the good guy bad guy heros of West Sac Speedway? Both killed on the Sacramento mile in the same race in two different crashes. Either or both would have gone on to big time fame.



Many of the drives mentioned are from your area.



Enjoy
 
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