{"id":13671,"date":"2015-04-01T10:09:45","date_gmt":"2015-04-01T17:09:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=13671"},"modified":"2015-04-01T10:09:45","modified_gmt":"2015-04-01T17:09:45","slug":"irwindale-speedways-immediate-fate-still-unclear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/irwindale-speedways-immediate-fate-still-unclear\/","title":{"rendered":"Irwindale Speedway’s Immediate Fate Still Unclear"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"unnamed<\/a>The Irwindale Speedway<\/a> holds\u00a0a small, but important role\u00a0in the tiny\u00a0California town which houses it, and a great big role\u00a0in regional drag racing history. \u00a0Built in 1999, the Event Center and Speedway houses a 6000 seat stadium and twin oval track with an 1\/8-mile drag strip, drift facilities and a stock car driving school. The Speedway supports a variety of different series in addition to drag racing and drifting including midget, stock car, sprint car, supermodifieds, legends, trucks and others. It’s a true all-in-on facility with an enthusiastic fan base, and it has already come back from the dead once after the original owners declared bankruptcy in 2012. \u00a0The track was closed for a year, but re-opened in 2013 as the Irwindale Speedway under the leadership of Jim Cohan.<\/p>\n

However, a city council vote in mid-March\u00a0will end the racing dreams of many. \u00a0By 2017, the Speedway will be turned into an outlet mall, and the\u00a0role as a home for multiple forms of racing will become just a memory in the history of the sport, and the town. \u00a0Citing the economic boost and influx of jobs that a shopping center\u00a0will bring to the region, the city council voted to approve plans to demolish the Speedway in favor of a 700,000-square foot outlet mall. \u00a0The Speedway will finish out the 2015 season, but the timeline past that point remains unclear. The demolition won’t start until a “certain number of tenant shops are secured for the outlet mall,” according to the L.A. Times, so there is a possibility for a 2016 season.<\/p>\n

Jim Cohan, president and CEO of the Irwindale, released a statement on March 24 promising open communication and commitment to the 2015 season. \u00a0 The loss of the Speedway is another blow against regional raceways around the country. A large number\u00a0have closed or changed hands due to economic reasons, whether from a decline in spectators or participants, many who are either withdrawing from racing due to the costs, or have lost the taste for the sport.<\/p>\n

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Irwindale represented the passion for all forms of racing that is part of the Southern California car and racing culture, and its loss will be deeply felt. \u00a0So, for now, lets enjoy the 2015 season which kicked off it’s Day of Destruction series in February, and began night racing the weekend of March 28, 2015.<\/p>\n

If you have a story about your local track or speedway closing, or the efforts it’s making to stay open and bring in new business, email us at\u00a0theburnout@motorheadmedia.com\u00a0<\/a>.<\/p>\n