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wildthing1h (Offline)
  #11 5/24/10 12:34 AM
I know i'm off topic here but another old track that can barely be seen is the old armscamp speedway in alexandria. Wondering if anybody has photos or stories about the old place.
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RcrSkyChk (Offline)
  #12 5/24/10 10:42 AM
I remember going there a few times and I really enjoyed the track. I was thinking it always had a good turn out and everything else but I was younger. IT was a fun place a shame it couldn't stay open. I can't believe how its fallen apart!
racefan20 (Offline)
  #13 5/24/10 12:20 PM
Originally Posted by RcrSkyChk:
I remember going there a few times and I really enjoyed the track. I was thinking it always had a good turn out and everything else but I was younger. IT was a fun place a shame it couldn't stay open. I can't believe how its fallen apart!
By the end the crowd was so small that you pretty much knew everyone there. 500 or less, half came with the competitors.

John Hoover

“To whom little is not enough, nothing is enough.” Epicurus
hoosier race fan (Offline)
  #14 5/24/10 4:48 PM
Originally Posted by racefan20:
By the end the crowd was so small that you pretty much knew everyone there. 500 or less, half came with the competitors.
Sounds kinda like some of the tracks operating today.

You can still see some of Armscamp using Google Maps or Google Earth. http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=4...06877&t=h&z=17

There's an outline of what appears to be a racetrack on the northeast side of Upland that I've been meaning to ask about for a while. Never heard of a track there but it definitely looks like one, even with a wall and grandstands.
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=4...03439&t=h&z=18
Torry (Offline)
  #15 5/24/10 7:49 PM
Originally Posted by racefan20:
By the end the crowd was so small that you pretty much knew everyone there. 500 or less, half came with the competitors.
... and they chewed up a lot of cars on that "track"

A lot of folks thought they'd get a chance to hobnob with the Indy crowd but they quickly learned otherwise.

There was potential to operate a profitable track... but they chose not to.
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Eric C (Offline)
  #16 5/24/10 7:58 PM
I was involved with a small group that looked into it a little while ago and we discovered that the city will give you a Free lease on it but the maintenance and just getting it back into shape would cost a small fortune.

Eric Cottongim
treecitytornado (Offline)
  #17 5/24/10 8:01 PM
I really miss 16th Street Speedway. It remains one of my most favorite tracks to compete at. I feel fortunate to have gassed it up around that place a few times before it bit the dust.

J.T. Stapp
racefan20 (Offline)
  #18 5/24/10 9:35 PM
Originally Posted by Eric C:
I was involved with a small group that looked into it a little while ago and we discovered that the city will give you a Free lease on it but the maintenance and just getting it back into shape would cost a small fortune.

Eric Cottongim
The place is full of lead paint, to run that track again would cost a small fortune. It's a shame. I think at the time the IMS people didnt think they had to promote. After all back then they didnt promote at all at IMS, they sold out every year and had a waiting list for tickets. I think they thought they could just open the doors and the place would magically fill up. Didnt happen and they closed it rather than do the hard work to make it work. Also they didnt endear themselves to the surrounding community like a 20 minute fireworks show at 1am after a late running show etc.

John Hoover

“To whom little is not enough, nothing is enough.” Epicurus
RandyB
  #19 5/25/10 12:14 AM
They are going to develope the stadium into high price condos.......I just heard this last week.
Tony Barhorst (Offline)
  #20 5/25/10 8:37 AM
I had a conversation back in 07 with a former promoter who knows..and he said that the people who closed 16th Street to racing, made sure they took the fence, barriers, and all out so there would be sure racing would NOT come back.
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