The Cal-look Lounge

Yes, you read that right. In an unrelated court case with the recent closure of Irwindale Speedway, the 1/4-mile drag strip at the California Motor Speedway has closed. This could mean that the up-coming Bug-In, slated for Sunday, April 29 could be cancelled. Issues with excessive noise and complaints from local businesses are said to be at the heart of the closure. From what we have heard, the track has to build a massive 1700-foot sound wall along the backside of the track to reduce the noise exposure. And that million dollar wall will take time to build! During the past one month, the VW industry has lost three major events in the Southern California area! Yikes.

Let's all think positive.

Off their Website:

A Superior Court has suspended operation of the Auto Club Dragway.  The suspension results from a successful challenge of a San Bernardino County sound standard by a group of concerned residents.  San Bernardino County officials had approved an amendment to the County Sound Standard in 2010 to accommodate louder sound arising from races at the Dragway.  The Superior Court found that the underlying Environmental Impact Report which the County relied on to approve the sound standard amendment was not sufficient.


We are currently reviewing the court ruling and evaluating our options moving forward. We hope to have more detailed information about our future operations at the Dragway soon. 

The NHRA Street Legal Drags on Saturday, March 3rd will be canceled.

So they want a sound wall built in between the track and the railroad tracks?   ???

Unbelievable!

Major Bummer...

When everyone stops crying in their beer....come to the March Meet at Famoso this weekend for some good old fashioned drag racing.

http://www.famosoraceway.com/bakersfield-march-meet-2012/9-26-11_release.html

Wow! Three VW events cancelled all within a month's time. :'(

What are the 3 events canceled?

Drag Day (in March) & ?

Bug In has not been canceled yet.  Why don't we wait till we hear from Rich & Ron, till we speculate!

I'm with Susy... It will suck not having Drag Racing but we can still have the rest of Bug-In.

Hey Susy... maybe this will give you and Mike a chance to hang with us!

Firebird is closing 2013 also.

http://bangshift.com/blog/is-firebird-international-raceway-going-to-close-in-2013.html

This really sucks, well, it's time to put in our streetable motor's now, or start getten trailers for Sac, or Phoenix, OH!, they may shut that down too! The really bad thing is that some racers may start street racing, and that is not good. Well, lets see what happens like Suzy says, you never know, somebody may get Irwindale and start it up again, and Fontana may solve there issues. Wouldn't throw the towel in yet!

Ted

Once an EIR has been drafted, it can be a thousand pages, or so. It needs to be filed, and a minimum of 45 days must pass to prepare for public hearings. This is the minimum. This is also the draft version, not the follow up versions, or the final versions. I don't think the courts or the EPA could care less that it might interfere with a VW event. I doubt the engineering and wind sheer studies of a retaining wall, let alone the  construction would be done in eight weeks. Of, course, they can't even start that until the EIR is done. Well, maybe they'll get a judge that's a race fan...

I just had take my flight ticket for bug-in
noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

My concern is with the possible closing of these tracks; there will be a rise in illegal street racing. Its time to change over to cheater slicks. Woohoo!

When was Fontana Raceway built? People who bought or build a house nearby should know that a racetrack means some noise...

It's like people who buy a house near an airport and then complain about planes...

 Solution : "VOLTS"wagens , they are quiet , everybody wants em...................... sorry , I just had to.     ;D

Aww sorry to hear that. Change the flight for The Classic instead ;)

I think that's what I may have to do also.
 :'(

The (oval) track was opened in (I think) '97.

The drag strip opened later. It was first on the front side of the track and was later moved to it's present location in '02

This sums it up nicely..

http://captiongenerator.com/378/No-VW-Drag-Racing-in-Southern-California

LMAO!!
Thanks for that ;D

I've always wondered how it is that Pomona is able to remain open with its nearby neighborhoods and businesses.  Granted they only have two events per year, but still.

As for the comment above about people moving in after the track and knowing that there's noise, well....  Remember El Toro Marine Base?  The flight path became hillside homes and pretty soon the lawyers started lawyering and the rest is history.  Riverside, Fontana, Irwindale, Palmdale/Antelope Valley, and the many, many others that wound up closing due in part to noise.

Why is it always dragstrips and never Nascar or Formula 1 type tracks ?

We lost Ontario and Riverside, which hosted USAC, SCCA, NASCAR and a dragstrip.  Dragstrips seem to have shallow pockets and excessive noise.
 When I lived in NE Santa Ana, I could hear the fuelers at OCIR under ideal weather conditions. Not to mention the smaller tax base per acre in
comparison to subdivisions and retail stores.

Don't forget Ascot Phil!

Living in North Tustin, I could hear the OCIR "Grudge Night" cars on a good night. Anytime they ran Fuel cars, I could hear them!  ;D

Isn't 'North Tustin' just a posh name for east Santa Ana? :D :D :D

http://www.pe.com/local-news/breaking-news-headlines/20120301-fontana-court-decision-shuts-down-drag-strip.ece (http://www.pe.com/local-news/breaking-news-headlines/20120301-fontana-court-decision-shuts-down-drag-strip.ece)

LOL Well yes and no.

We were in an area that was not within city boundaries. We were closest to Tustin but our mailing address was actually Santa Ana since it was the closest "large" city and was where the county government was located. When my parents moved there in '62 Tustin was less than 5000 residence. Tustin was in between where we lived and the actual city of Santa Ana.

Greg Bunch actually lives a few blocks from where I grew up.

Rick, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Santa Ana rocks (usually to the sound of gunfire, agreed...).  ;D ;D

At least it's not Stanton!  ;D

LOL, You guys are killing me.  I have lived in 92705 for the past 23 years, and your correct, it is in the county of Orange (not City of...), yes it is a Santa Ana mailing address, but it's only one block from the City of Orange and two blocks from Tustin.  My high class neighbours call it North Tustin, but we call it Santa Ana.

The noise from OCIR, El Toro base, Tustin Marine helicopter base, and The Santa Ana Drag Strip (which was replaced by John Wayne Airport) does not bother me anymore, but I can set my clock to the 9:35 PM fireworks from Disneyland in the summer.

Yes... 92705! My mom still lives in the same house they bought in '62. Over by Browning & La Colina.

BTW: Santa Ana, North Tustin & Cowan Heights are all acceptable cities in the 92705 postal code according to the US Post Office.  ;)