DEC 27 THE:checkered: DROPS IT WILL BE ALL GONE! IF THOSE ROOMS COULD TALK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND THE POOL THAT CALE YARBOURGH DROVE THE RENT A CAR IN! AND THE LATE NITE SKINNY DIPPIN!!!!!!!!!! (ECT) :redflag:

How long has this been planned?

The Speedway has seemed to be able to avoid "modernization" but I guess with the road course, the new pagoda, it's inevitable that the rest will go by the way aside.

For once I agree with Duke: Not just the rooms but if that hotel could talk.

Somebody said it was falling apart on the upper room walkways.

Just like the Georgetown Apartments and now the motel.

:dologob:

It will be missed.

Could anyone imagine if those walls could talk the stories of races won and lost, of good times and bad that would echo through those walls. It will definitely be different going to the Brickyard without the old hotel being there!

That place was a quazi time machine. On race mornings there was no better place to be. That is where all of the best sight seeing was.

Driver past and present. Celebrities from the past. (Jim Nabors and James Gardner) The stories like the car into the pool or Evel Knievel doing wheelies in the parking lot.

The Beatles and Doors stayed there. The pool with the mosaic tile inlay of the wheels and wings logo.

One of my best times there was during the year that Weldon won and watching the race on closed caption w/the radio play by play over the top with the door open listening to the crowd react to the race. It had been years since the crowd had both been that big and that into the race and there was an electricity in the air on race morning that hadn't been there in years bcause of Danica.(I am not endorsing her, but it is true that the crowd was especially up that day because of her)

One of my favorite things that I saw was the last year Robbie Gordon did the double, he got together a group of friends and fans to do both races as well. They left California in the early morning and was basically going to do it all in 24 hours.

The friends and fans arrived on a tour bus a little before the race and as the fans got off the bus, many of them noticied Parnelli as he was standing outside his room when they got off. The stepped of the bus and started wanting autographs and pictures. Then one said he had to find a restroom and Parnelli offered his. Pretty soon the whole bus was just walking into his room(s) (adjoining) and using the rest room like it was theirs. He didn't mind and was laughing about it. I would say that in this day of guilded celebrity, that would not have happened anywhere else. The opportunity would never had even existed.

I still notice the old "Speedway Motel" sign missing everyday when I pass there. To me there was absolutely nothing cooler than seeing the "Congratulations" to the winner that they placed on there after each years race. It would go up immediately after the checkered flag and was on there as the people passed on their way home.

Unfortunately that place was in great disrepair and had been on life line for many years, but for a few days in May every year, she could still shine with any high rise anywhere.

Story is that it would cost too much to bring it up to date. Unfortuatley, nothing lasts forever. It was built in 1963 so it's use was probably stretched longer than it might have if it was just a regular motel. They will be looking at a new use for the property. They may build another hotel, but it of course wouldn't be the same. I hate to see it go, but not much that can be done.

I saw an interview with PJ Jones a couple years back. He said he has spent part of every May of his life in the same exact room of the hotel. That's history.

A book about the place may be more interesting than a book about the Speedway itself.

I stayed there last month.

The rooms, by todays standards are small with few extras that many Super 8s offer. And it is quite quaint(old).

There are many signs of age,wear and tear. The sidewalk is cumbling, the parking lot is cracked and has pot holes,the second floor walkway has deterioating concrete and only one ice machine was working.

There was a clue this was coming when they redid the drive and parking lot in front of the restaurant and bar, but did nothing to the Motel area.

I seem to remember hearing that they were going to build a new Motel across the street on the location of the hotel that was razed.

Anybody else hear this rumor or know anything about it?

please don't agree with me!