Keith Lair a staff writer for the Daily News Los Angeles is reporting this morning that Irwindale Speedway is going out of business. While we are almost 100% confused we cannot imagine these issues being true. We will work on firming up this news with Formula Drift tomorrow but the news reports that the track was in process of closing down yesterday.
The story focuses on the fact that yesterday the pit grandstand was being dismantled along the first turn. The big sign along the 605 freeway was turned off at night (first time in history minus power outages) they report along with the track website being removed from the Internet.
The more research I have done shows that NASCAR dropped them from the schedule for 2012 leading the track to head towards filing for bankruptcy. The 28 races at the track pulled an average of 1,800 people (pretty sure XDC did better than that) and we all know Formula Drift sells out every seat and then some when they come to town. Is the House of Drift really dead and gone for good?
XDC is right around the corner and slated to kick off its season at Irwindale Speedway while Formula Drift isn’t booked in until October for the finals at the place we know, or maybe use to know, as the House of Drift. Check back to Wrecked Magazine as we will have updates on this situation as it unfolds.
This would be very bad news. I know it’s one of the last drag strips in SoCal that is open regularly to the public too. Is Palmdale even still around?
I wonder if the track is for sale or if they are just going to close it down and demo it
this is a sad and true reality however there is light at the end of the tunel. there are multiple bids in on the facility from other people whos names i can not disclose at this time. but what i can say is that its not going to be closed long and should be up and running by fd, providing all the paperwork has gone threw by that time.
so dont get all huffy house of drift is not dead!!
I heard last night that is was just changing ownership
so further details are as follows the tracked owed nascar 500k and there contract was up forcing nascar to pull from the facilitys and go els where this setting them way over there head they had no choice but to clcose and file bk.
like i stated above there are multiple offers on the facility but the problem is going to be the land lease
ill post more detailes as things unfold tom. but for the mean time do not fret this place will re open!!
That’s crazy. Maybe Tony Stewart will buy it and turn it around.
Btw, Hollywood, 500k debt in a business that size is pretty normal nowadays, thought most people would know this.
Next up… A new Costco. Honestly , no big deal irwindale was so boring to watch.
If its not open for Formula D then stick a Texas event in there, and make Vegas the finale.
I think we should wait and see. These type of things always have their weird twist and turns like it could just be the management is being fired or that is really is turning into a Costco.
+1 for turning into costco. They always have the lowest prices for my jumbo pack of toilet paper, having one in the Irwindale area would be wonderful.
I don’t think that FD wants to end the season anywhere outside of LA. The amount of media at the LA Events (Long Beach and Irwindale) is probably triple (or more) the next highest media round (maybe vegas?)
Updates from the House of Drama Irwindale Speedway:
http://www.wreckedmagazine.com/blog/2012/02/12/irwindale-speedway-updates-along-with-statement-from-jim-liaw/
come to Phoenix! PIR would be awesome.
PIR does not allow drifting anymore… but nice try
PIR can suck it.
Drift the streets of DownTown Phoenix!
The best place I would love to see a drift event held in Arizona has to be Westgate in Glendale by the Cardinals Stadium. That GIANT parking lot by the highway is screaming for a World Championship style layout like Long Beach.