Yesterday may have been the end...

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inkjunkie

inkjunkie

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...of Spokane County Raceway. Have had several conversations with the promoter...he is losing his *** this year...as many promoters are. No spectators, no concessions, both funny car events cancelled. The Soverign race cancelled. SCR had an Open Road Course event get cancelled the day before it was set to happen...2 people lodged a complaint about something, just so happened that the tool of a Governor was in town that week. We were shut down by the Liquor & Cannabis board, never did understand the whole thing but it came down to something about the track having a Liquor license....oddly enough the only time the beer garden is open is at drag events but....
At the drivers meeting yesterday an announcement was made that there will no longer be payouts to the class winners ( I knew about it ahead of time, thanks to a phone call I had with the Promoter). Needless to say THAT went over like a lead balloon. I was taking pictures at the winners circle and asked the folks to put masks on, was told "dude, we are not coming back so". There goes 4 of the regulars. Heard that pretty much all of the points racers are done...then this text shows up this morning...
107523429_10158682459492360_312165518164437262_o.jpg

Not going to speculate how the Saturday Drag Racing events can be "cancelled due to Covid" yet the Friday night drag racing did not...
 
Terrible news. I just spent four days at a big money race in Ohio and it was so great not to watch the local news. Four days of no BLM or coronavirus.
 
sucks... atco raceway seems its going the way of e-town.. has been sold and sound sliek its going to be a huge parking lot.
 
This sucks. I built my car because my son wanted to race at this track.
 
There's a reason I refer to it as "Washington governor jay efftard Inslee"
 
Sounds like the beginning of the end there. Go out in style and be the official photographer for the last runs there.

:steering:
 
I've written several letters last few years to Spokane County Commissioners to encourage them to support this. It is very important and not just for the Spokamentro area. Even though I can't race, it provides a place for Idaho and even MT guys, and since they have a road course that is more options.

Doug, don't they still use this for things like LEO training?
 
67Dart273 said:
I've written several letters last few years to Spokane County Commissioners to encourage them to support this. It is very important and not just for the Spokamentro area. Even though I can't race, it provides a place for Idaho and even MT guys, and since they have a road course that is more options.

Doug, don't they still use this for things like LEO training?
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No, that actually ended shortly after it started. County realized that they were in essence paying themselves to use something they own.
With the Covid crap Craig took a big hit. None of the big events happened. Both funny car events were cancelled. The Sovereign event was cancelled. Porsche club event cancelled. No concessions/beer sales.
Craig was coming up $1500 or so short every points race. So he decided to stop payouts...and back out of the NHRA due to having to pay them royalties. As of right now the Friday T&T are still scheduled, as is the Open Road Course stuff.
Craig has told me that once the Covid crap started the County stopped all negotiations that were going on. Which is why he decided to sign a lease for this year.
Rumor has it, from the Public Relations team that Craig is planning on signing another one year lease. So I wouldn't be surprised if he did this just to keep the track open until the County makes a deal with someone to run it.
Craig told me a while back that he was able to absorb any losses into his business tax filings. From what I have read he sold his Agricultural Spraying company so now the losses come right out of his retirement.
Needless to say the rumors are running rampant.
I'm hopeful that he did what he did so that the track will at least survive the counties non-negotion period, that once the Covid crap clears out someone signs a lease and turns it back into a sanctioned facility again. I have been to Walla Walla and Renegade. While they are nice facilities neither one of them are as nice, in my opinion, as SCR.
Just sucks...I jokingly said I didn't want to be known as SCR's last photographer....and...well....
 
H22A4 said:
Sounds like the beginning of the end there. Go out in style and be the official photographer for the last runs there.

:steering:
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Well....the last points race pass has already been made...
 
Thanks for the updates, Ink. It is so sad to see all these American institutions disappear. I wonder what the peak number of strips in the USA was back in the 60's? Hundreds I would imagine.
 
Damn, I was prepping my car to come up there later this summer to race & visit some friends. I guess that "ain't" going to happen, I had on my agenda to meet Doug face to face when I was at the track.
 
This is sad indeed.
I wouldn't count it out just yet, after November, the ''Covid 19 crisis'' will magically disappear if you guys know what I mean...........
2021 will be a different thing, and things will get back to more normal.
It's waiting out the storm is what's the real *****.............
 
Dartnut, you are absolutely correct about waiting out the storm. My problem is that being retired, is I have to pick & choose my races & visitations. My wife is still working, albeit from home at the moment because she hasn't hit retirement age, yet. She & I make a good team on my car & she has the system down from the time I suit up until the car gets back to the trailer & then the cool down between rounds.
 
fratzog lover said:
Thanks for the updates, Ink. It is so sad to see all these American institutions disappear. I wonder what the peak number of strips in the USA was back in the 60's? Hundreds I would imagine.
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Thing is, Jim, there are no other options up here in this part of the country. 500 or more miles to Seattle/ Tacoma and even more down into Oregon. Montana really has no major tracks at least in the W end of the state. Boise has a track a LONG ways from up here.
 
fratzog lover said:
Thanks for the updates, Ink. It is so sad to see all these American institutions disappear. I wonder what the peak number of strips in the USA was back in the 60's? Hundreds I would imagine.
Click to expand...

The track closest to us is holding a position of not opening up until all chips are in to make it profitable when he opens the gate. He knows the numbers so from a business perspective it all makes sense. Leave no doubt that our local county would like to see it go away and the property is worth a chunk. It will happen one day unfortunately.... Times are definitely changing....

JW
 
Local governments that own the land these tracks are on need to lease them for $1. All they are giving up is a little tax revenue. If a track is not available street racing becomes the only alternative. They'll spend more money trying to stop that versus providing a space for people to play safely.
 
67Dart273 said:
Thing is, Jim, there are no other options up here in this part of the country. 500 or more miles to Seattle/ Tacoma and even more down into Oregon. Montana really has no major tracks at least in the W end of the state. Boise has a track a LONG ways from up here.
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Lostcreek in Anaconda is NHRA, but only 1/8 mile. Lots a fun.
 
KENTON said:
Lostcreek in Anaconda is NHRA, but only 1/8 mile. Lots a fun.
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Yeh. That's still on the order of 300 miles from here, one way. for an old man like me, that's a 3 or 4 day deal counting a day at the races

Plus it's a mile above sea level LOL
 
67Dart273 said:
Yeh. That's still on the order of 300 miles from here, one way. for an old man like me, that's a 3 or 4 day deal counting a day at the races

Plus it's a mile above sea level LOL
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I know a guy who tunes his engines at 5000 ft. lol
 
thesiren74 said:
Need to make these tracks Historical sites so they can be protected and preserved.
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They really are historical sites.... If the human species never raced cars imagine what the automobile would be today.... I suspect apples to oranges. The grass roots of cars is racing... Nice idea...

JW
 
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