Update on FireBird

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Sounds like great news for your area.
Now, how about trying to find some good news for SoCal drag racers? We'd love to have a quarter-mile track running on a regular basis, and "regular" doesn't mean the NHRA Winternationals every February and Finals in November, both at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona.
Lions is gone.
Irwindale is gone (the current Irwindale is eighth-mile)
OCIR is gone
...and many more before those

http://www.hotrod.com/thehistoryof/hrdp_0309_lost_dragstrips_of_so_cal/viewall.html

 
ocdart said:
Sounds like great news for your area.
Now, how about trying to find some good news for SoCal drag racers? We'd love to have a quarter-mile track running on a regular basis, and "regular" doesn't mean the NHRA Winternationals every February and Finals in November, both at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona.
Lions is gone.
Irwindale is gone (the current Irwindale is eighth-mile)
OCIR is gone
...and many more before those

http://www.hotrod.com/thehistoryof/hrdp_0309_lost_dragstrips_of_so_cal/viewall.html
Click to expand...

hey at least you have something! we done have anything for now...
 
With Speedworld gone (the state sold the guard rails for scrap and all the electronics are gone) there is no more competition. I find it hard to believe that the 5th largest. City in the country can't support a dragstrip
Firebird should reopen by fall
 
Shame about Speedworld, I really liked that track
 
Timmy's Toy said:
With Speedworld gone (the state sold the guard rails for scrap and all the electronics are gone) there is no more competition. I find it hard to believe that the 5th largest. City in the country can't support a dragstrip
Firebird should reopen by fall
Click to expand...

so far from people in the know im hearing next april, but will just have to wait and see. Allen tried to sell all the equipment to the Indians and they told him to shove it (good for them!) but now they have to buy everything from timing equipment to emergency vehicles so they are working on getting all that worked out.
 
I miss Speedworld too. Ugly place but friendly. Relaxed atmosphere. They gave a poop about the sportsman racer. I hear that the State is going to use the land to store equipment. What a waste.

I understand that Charlie's got until May 15th to get out of Firebird. I really wish people would just work together. It is very frustrating to not have a track in Phoenix.
 
Timmy's Toy said:
I miss Speedworld too. Ugly place but friendly. Relaxed atmosphere. They gave a poop about the sportsman racer. I hear that the State is going to use the land to store equipment. What a waste.

I understand that Charlie's got until May 15th to get out of Firebird. I really wish people would just work together. It is very frustrating to not have a track in Phoenix.
Click to expand...

Speedworld reminded of the now gone Island Dragway...Anybody know if the WERA series is still going to race at Firedbird?

Just found the schedule

http://maps.wera.com/schedule/?x=1098

does not look like it.
 
I raced this Saturday evening in Tucson, 230 miles from Show Low! Long weekend and $111.00 in fuel just to get there and back, so I would really like to see Firebird reopen. Anyway I met with ADRA President Scott Hess and based on what he knows and his discussions with the new manager (who is back in Ohio) we believe there won't be any racing at Firebird until next year. The sign is even gone from the freeway! They have lots of work and spending to do and tribe is famous for not wanting to spend money! This is going to be interesting.
 
Mark Yacavone who runs the Southwest Nostalgia drags has some updates on Class Racer.com.

His thread is: http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=46645

Looks like Firebird is going to open in October with a new name. Charlie Allen had registered the name so they will start from scratch. The October race is supposed to be a big Nitro vs. Jet extravaganza. Anyway that's the scoop right now. Check out the thread and you'll get the gist.
 
Timmy's Toy said:
Mark Yacavone who runs the Southwest Nostalgia drags has some updates on Class Racer.com.

His thread is: http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=46645

Looks like Firebird is going to open in October with a new name. Charlie Allen had registered the name so they will start from scratch. The October race is supposed to be a big Nitro vs. Jet extravaganza. Anyway that's the scoop right now. Check out the thread and you'll get the gist.
Click to expand...

i'll take it!
 
The following was posted just a few minutes ago on NHRA.com:


NHRA has entered into a multiyear agreement with Sun Valley Marina Corp., a corporation of the Gila River Indian Community, to bring an NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event to newly named Wild Horse Motorsports Park outside Phoenix beginning in 2014.
Since 1985, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series has visited the Valley of the Sun, and this agreement ensures that the stars of NHRA will continue to make an annual trek to the greater Phoenix area for years to come. Beyond the national event, preserving the right to race for the local and regional racers is very important to NHRA, and this agreement ensures that the track will remain open for business.
The track is scheduled to open in September and will begin running NHRA’s racing programs in October.
“We are extremely excited to announce today that the excitement of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series is here to stay in Phoenix,” said NHRA President Tom Compton. “Working together with the Sun Valley Marina Corp., the new management team, and the Gila River Indian Community, we look forward to staging NHRA Drag Racing at all levels of competition at the track well into the future.”
NHRA will announce the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule soon, but NHRA fans can anticipate the Phoenix event being held in its traditional place at the beginning of the season. The facility also will continue to host an NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional event.
Wild Horse Motorsports Park, formerly Firebird Int'l Raceway, is under new management led by Paul Clayton and Darren Smith of Copper Train Development Partners. Most recently, Copper Train Development Partners hired longtime Daytona Int'l Speedway track executive Dick Hahne to oversee operations.

View attachment whmp.jpg

Great news for the Phoenix area racers and fans!
 
Wild Horse Pass is open and running! I belong to ADRA (The Arizona Drag Racing Association) and we're running again at Wild Horse on April 25th at 5pm. Come on out and check out the facilities. There have been upgrades. Everyone is welcome to race with us. See you there!
 
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