[racephoto1]

What a sad day. I made it out there for the Copper at PIR. Went to PIR for something to do during the day. Only real reason to go was to go to Manzy. That was one spectacular racetrack. No reason left to go to Phoenix now.

[Supermod]

A sad day indeed. Manzanita was one of those places that needed no explanation when you talked about it. Langhorne, Ascot, Manzy, Eldora, Knoxville - that was all you had to say.

A sad day indeed.

later,

Bob Mays

Originally Posted by billyb Trucking companys must be pretty healthy. lookes like they could lower their rates. They must be like the farmers, not making any money!

What a complete BULLSH*T statement. Go ask a farmer, not the ones with 4000+ acres but the ones with 1000 to 1200 acres if they are making any money. Oh wait, I can answer that, THEY AIN'T.

They MUST get approxmiately $3.90 a bushel at the elevator (not the Chicago markets) to break even.


As to the topic, I am very disheartened that Manzy is going the way of Little Springfield and countless other speedways in America.

I wonder what/if USAC will replace the Copper on Dirt with?

[IndyBound]

Wow, unbelievable and complete shock are the exact words to describe how I feel.
It seems like at the end of the season for everyone of the eight years I have been going to Manzy the rumors would start to fly about there not being a race track there the next year. An every year my friends, longtime Manzy faithful competitors would assure me not to worry those rumors had been around for ever. They are just as shocked today as the rest of us, when I called to tell them they had no clue this was happending.

Leaders Edge & SC96 both of your post are right on.

This makes the fourth track I have ties to that are gone this year, Mansfield, Ohio and Jennerstown. Pa. pavement tracks and Manzy & Casa Grande, Az. dirt tracks. I said it before and I will say it again, get out there and support your favorite track as much as you can.

Seadog mentioned building a new track and not thinking it would happend. Actually in the paper this week they were talking about land being set aside in Goodyear for a race track and nothing having been done about building a track. The article was confusing, it didn't say where in Goodyear the land was or what kind of race track they were talking about building. Who knows maybe a new track could be in the future for the west side of Phoenix? Every thing seems to be coming to the west valley, way not a race track. Until that happends we are left with Canyon in the Phoenix area and Tucson, I believe there is also a dirt track some where in the Prescott area that I have never been to.

I will put an end to my shocking rant.

Patti

[grumpy racer]

This is the worst news I have heard in a long time. I grew up going to manzy and remember the first time I finally got to drive a race which was there. I raced there for 20 years and won the SCOA championship in 1990. My wife and I are doing our tenative schedule for this years racing and planned to take Billy P. out there for western world. I had told her my dream was to race at Manzy 1 more time before I quit even if I was not the driver. I will miss that place a lot I guess dreams don't always come true.:crying:

Originally Posted by AlkyMadness What gives with these trucking companies and classic dirt tracks? That's what happed to Atomic Speedway in TN. Became a Crete Carrier terminal. Well, guess I'll never see this vintage track in person.

You may be on to something. If memory serves me, West Capital in West Sacramento was bought out by a trucking company a few years back. That was a classic dirt track.

RIP Manzanita :checkered:

[sceckert]

Beyond just the normal "That's how everything is going.."-sentiment, did ANYbody see this coming this soon? I haven't been center-punched like this by a non-fatality in my immediate memory. I'll remember the dozens of races I saw there, and the Western of 2007 being the last race my father ever attended. And what a race: Coons, Jr passing everybody on his way to the win. Safe to say that without that track there I'll never venture down that street or chunk of town ever again in my lifetime; Not for nostalgia, not for cheap beer, not for a stolen set of rims...Nothing.

[Seadog]

Originally Posted by Tripcrwn You may be on to something. If memory serves me, West Capital in West Sacramento was bought out by a trucking company a few years back. That was a classic dirt track. RIP Manzanita :checkered:

I remember that Dayton (OH) Speedway had a trucking company take it over way back when. Maybe a guy with a better working brain than this old one can confirm that.

[cmakin]

Originally Posted by Tripcrwn You may be on to something. If memory serves me, West Capital in West Sacramento was bought out by a trucking company a few years back. That was a classic dirt track. RIP Manzanita :checkered:

You are correct. West Capital is a trucking yard now. I felt sick when I heard that news, too.

[Z-man]

Originally Posted by Seadog I remember that Dayton (OH) Speedway had a trucking company take it over way back when. Maybe a guy with a better working brain than this old one can confirm that.

Gregg, don't forget that queen city speedway was used as a trucking school for years after it closed down. There must be something in this trucking deal, maybe race tracks would stand a better chance of surviving if we tried to ban trucking companies.