CIRF Long Time Part 2

[Late_Model_Mark]

Did not feel good about some of this crazy posts near the end so I would like to continue on a new thread. I have a whole load of family that live in Sparks, Reno, and Gardnerville Nevada. I have been up there a lot thru the years. You will love Hot Aug Nights, it was really cool in the early days yet it got to be pretty big these days. Virginia City is small but really neat in my book. One vacation rode the train about 10 times in a day, the engineers saw us so much they invited Mrs. LMM and me into the steam locomotive, hot grimy but ultra cool being a railfan.

One trip up there we went to Silver State Raceway for a regular show, it was a lot of fun, still to this day they had the most epic onion rings I ever consumed.

Beer time here in Bama, will post some things about Ascot Park.



LMM

[CIRF]

Did not feel good about some of this crazy posts near the end so I would like to continue on a new thread. I have a whole load of family that live in Sparks, Reno, and Gardnerville Nevada. I have been up there a lot thru the years. You will love Hot Aug Nights, it was really cool in the early days yet it got to be pretty big these days. Virginia City is small but really neat in my book. One vacation rode the train about 10 times in a day, the engineers saw us so much they invited Mrs. LMM and me into the steam locomotive, hot grimy but ultra cool being a railfan.

One trip up there we went to Silver State Raceway for a regular show, it was a lot of fun, still to this day they had the most epic onion rings I ever consumed.

Beer time here in Bama, will post some things about Ascot Park.



LMM

Enjoy happy hour, Mark!! Wish I could join you if for nothing more than to exchange racin' stories and experiences!!

I'll be waiting with baited breath for Ascot stories!

Cheers!!

[Late_Model_Mark]

I will happily oblige with some Ascot stories. I have many.

Ascot at the time for many years as the busiest race track in the West for much of it's time. There were countless week ends myself and my cronies would do a triple.

Friday Nights.
The AMA Flat Track Motorcycle races on the half-mile. Most of the time announced by Roxy Roxwood, I listened to him closely. The would have the expert class, intermediate, and novice class. The racing was excellent, was very, very, well run.

Saturday Nights
My beloved California Racing Association non-wing sprint cars were the headliners, a 1-division beauty of a program, the weekly talent, the other studs that would drop in and the national stars made each and every Saturday night outstanding. The track surface was the best I have seen in dirt racing, ever! I'll stand by that, A guy named Rico Hawkes prepared it. The cushion was nothing short or perfect on most nights. The program was so well run and crisp.

Sunday Nights
Now this is where Ascot had variety. It could be the Baja Bugs and Dune Buggys on the infield TT course. Or it could be the TT Motorcycle only show utilizing part of the half mile and the infield TT course with a big ol jump, it was stout. Or it could be a USAC Midget,USAC TQ Midget show on the "inner-oval" the was racy as heck. Or, it could be a Late Model, Stock Car, and a type of early Modified show on either the half-mile or the inner track. It started a little earlier being a Sunday so you could get home at a very reasonable hour.

Then you could add in a Thursday night in the 80s' with a highly successful Speedway Motorcycle program on the very small track that was built outside of turn 3/4. You could do a 'quad' if you wanted to.

Late Model Mark
Talladega Short Track Announcer

[Late_Model_Mark]

Some of the other cool things about Ascot.

The seating was very good and close, some nights we sat on the front straight but my favorite spot to place my keyster was the seats in turn 1. Where we sat the cars came straight at you and then backed em in, it was a thing of beauty. The track was so heavy and tacky that folks who sat there had all kinds of clod flying protection. Face masks, cool homemade shields and such.

Ascot had a weekly and well done program of which I have some.
They had old school touches like a real souvenir stand with everything, main concessions with good food and beer, the French fries were awesome, the hot dogs grilled and delish! They had a couple of locations to get beer, you could buy ice cold beers in cans, I would get mine on draft that was poured in Ascot Park cups that had logos of every kind of race car that ran there.

Another set of yummy grub items. They had this dude who would cook various kinds of sloppy delish burritos, monster size. Also a guy that would cook meat kabobs and teriyaki meat on a stick, stuff was stupid good and addicting. Then there was another guy who made fresh cinnamon donuts. You could watch them made in front of you, The dough would drop in the oil, cook in the river of oil, get flopped over, then land in a pile of cinnamon sugar. You got 13 donuts for $1.00 dollar. Then there was another guy who wore a umbrella hat that sold 'Chipwiches" for $1.00, they were these homemade style choc-chip ice cream stuffed in between choc-chip cookies. Ascot could make you fat!!

I'll get into this next one later but Ascot later built a polished concrete slick track that was perfect, best ever, I've played on many slick tracks, this one was at the top.

CIRF, May I bore you with my pavement track assessment after I do a "day at Ascot" story later today?


Late Model Mark..feeling very nostalgic right now.

[CIRF]

Mark, I believed it wasn't possible for me to envy those who had the good fortune to attend and enjoy Ascot Park any more than I already do, but you have brought that envy to a new level! LOL! You're providing some very cool commentary on a very cool place.

It's a well known fact that the track was built on top of a garbage dump. According to some of the interviews I've seen over the years with people who were there from the beginning who have said that there would be smoke wafting up from the buried garbage decomposing beneath the backstretch dirt. There would also be such things as bed springs and household appliances work their way up through the racing surface. My cousin who relocated to Cali to work for Rodeck and who attended literally dozens of races there said Ascot was in a less than favorable area. All those things, in my opinion, are what gave Ascot Park it's, in a strange sort of way, it's charm and idiosyncratic appeal. It was a similar situation as Pennsboro, WV. I actually saw and attended a couple of events at Pennsboro and although it was THE nastiest facilities that I've ever attended a race, I wouldn't take a million for the experience. I sense that Ascot was, maybe not to the degree of Pennsboro, a less than beautiful overall facility but one that demanded to be seen by any true race fan!

I don't know what it is about the western tracks but they have the best racetrack food I personally have ever had the pleasure to partake. Manzanita served some of the best authentic Mexican Food we have ever enjoyed and Perris has very high quality food and a wide selection of different cuisine's, but be prepared for California prices!!

Here is a video of J.C. Agajanian Jr. telling the real story of why Ascot closed and went away. If all J.C. Jr. says is true, and he should know if anyone does, it's a very sad travesty, indeed. J.C. Jr. does not mince words regarding his bitterness all these years later. From what I've gathered over the years since Manzy went away it fell victim to a totally avoidable fate, as well.

Mark & over4T, you guys may have seen this but if not the demise of Ascot Park is spelled out in no uncertain terms by J.C. Jr.

[Krooser]

Here's a crappy publicity photo for Carrell Speedway.

I was always told Ascot closed to make way for a larger freeway interchange on the 405?

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49736220297_62989c0e63_m.jpg

[Late_Model_Mark]

The Agajanians had a chance to buy it but blew it. Where the track was in Gardena, it wasn't the greatest area at the time but it wasn't a s-hole either. More later.


LMM

[Late_Model_Mark]

Let me refraise that, the landowner blew it.

Cirf, this is how a race night for Mrs. LMM and myself would go on a Saturday night.

We lived in the North San Fernando Valley, if I recall right, we were about 35 miles give or take to Ascot Park in Gardena. The traffic on the San Diego Freeway (I-405) as we older folks called it could have horrid traffic on the way thru the Sepulveda pass, near the beaches, then it would clear out most time after LAX airport, most times. Sometimes by the time we got there we were ticked-off. Sometimes it was a keep moving straight shot. Sometimes to avoid the mayhem, we would take the 101 thru Hollywood into downtown LA and go South on the Harbor Freeway (I-110) to the track.

Race time was 8:00pm. with hot laps around 7:00/7:15 ish. We would leave right on the dot at 3:15pm once again due to the possibility of heavy traffic, we called in TMC, To Many Cars!

Sometime around 4:00 thru 4:30 we would arrive. At Ascot you could either pay and park inside the track for a buck or two, or park on Vermont for nothing. We liked to park on Vermont under the Ascot sign, not cuz we were cheap, it just allowed a quick getaway.

Ascot would not officially open for ticket purchases if memory serves correct until 6:00pm. However us folks who had to have 'our' seats would stand at the bottom of the stairs in mass. At a certain time somewhere around 5:30, a official would say ok, go. People would run to blanket their seats, they were not seat hogs at all, just got what little they needed. We mostly wanted our same seats in turn 1. You had a few minutes then they would clear you out.

At that point a regular group of about 20+ would head over to the slick track and play for maybe an hour or so. Some of the local non-racing fans that were on the slick track thought they were cool and good. Us race fans would use the faster high-groove and work em. We would pull just gorgeous slide jobs or diamond the corners on these jokers.


After that was over we would head over to the ticket booth, pay our money to the same guy who wore a crisp white shirt AND tie. What was next, well food and beer, we were creatures of habit.
Took our food to our seats and watched Rico water the track in that huge water truck with the Ascot logo on it. You could hear longtime race official Evelyn Pratt yelling at the racers thru her Ascot logo laden bull horn to get on the track for wheel packing. The track was so flippin wet and heavy, pristine cars that glistened during wheel packing turned into ultra heavy rolling balls of mud. You thought the track would never run in but it did.

Somewhere after 7:00 hot laps began and the sticky mud would fly at us in our seats, it was glorious! After hot laps the CRA would qualifying the 1-division show. Around 7:50 time trials were over and it was approaching race time. Right at 8:00 the National Anthem was played and the top-4 qualifiers ran a 4-lap trophy dash. Then they ran 4 qualifying heats, a semi main, then it was feature time. The 30-lap main was normally over around 10:15 to 10:30. A easy dash to the car under the Ascot sign, then it was off to the house with little traffic.

Ted Otto did the announcing for the CRA at Ascot and he was so good. As soon as we left we were looking to head back to Ascot unless there were other big shows the following week.


Late Model Mark

[Late_Model_Mark]

Go to YouTube and click on Rolling Thunder-Sprint Car Racing from Ascot, frickin sweet!!


LMM

[CIRF]

Once again Mark, I envy your experiences in regards to Ascot Park. Having spent a fair amount of time in Southern California I can somewhat relate and thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated your in-depth description of attending an event at Ascot.

I remember a west coast driver who ran in the Midwest quite a bit, I believe it was Cory Kruseman, said the tracks out west are tackier and heavier after the A-main than most Midwest tracks are following hot laps. I found that to be true everywhere I've been out west, even Manzy, which was in the desert.

I gotta' tell a story I heard on a racing podcast a few years ago. It doesn't involve Ascot Park but a western track that no longer exists. I don't remember who told this story but it was a driver who was racing at Manzy for the first time. He struck up a conversation with Rip Williams who was, at that time, one of the west coast badasses along with Gasman Griffin, Cory Kruseman, Ricky Gaunt, Leland McSpadden and Damion Gardner, et al. The young driver asked Rip if he had any advise for a first timer at Manzy. I have to preface this with information I'm sure you are aware of, Mark, but others who might read this may not be. Manzy was surrounded by junk yards which appeared to be run by Latino's since most signage was in Spanish. There also was a huge dairy farm about 1/4 mile off of turn 2 and when the wind was just right you could get a whiff of some sweet country air, if'n ya' know what I mean!

Anyway, with that said, back to the point. The young driver asked the Ripper for a little advise. Now, I never met Rip Williams but I've been told that he was your quintessential rugged cowboy type that had been around a while at that time. It was not uncommon for racecars to leave the track and end up in one of the many Mexican owned auto salvage yards near the track and those salvage yards all had the obligatory mean junk yard dogs. He told the kid to go to the concession stand and buy himself 2 or 3 hot dogs. He advised the kid that when he went out on the track to race be sure to take the hot dogs and also stuff a $5 bill in his drivers suit somewhere. The kid looked at the Ripper in a perplexed way and asked why do all this. The way the story goes the Ripper said to the kid, from what I've seen and heard of you up 'till now you're probably going to take a tumble outa' this place, and when the car comes to rest out in or near one of the junk yards you're gonna' need to keep the mean dogs busy with the hot dogs and you'll need the $5 bucks to give to the owner of the junk yard so he'll allow you and the racecar to leave his property. Now, whether all that is true or not is up for discussion but from what I've heard about Rip Williams I sure wouldn't dispute what he had to say!

[Late_Model_Mark]

I have heard the same story and then some in various versions. There was a wild driver who was on the gas, fearless, maybe reckless named Anthony Simone. This dude drove fuel drag boats, winged and non wing sprints and midgets. The guy had a brave sack the size of a watermelon. He did it at Ascot and he really did it at Manzanita, out of the park in turn 3 and over the fences.

Now Rip Williams, he was a no doubt a bad hombre, there were so many times I got so pissed at him for his rough yet on the gas driving. He punted out some of my favorite drivers.

The guy still to this day I enjoyed most on the West coast was the "Flying Shoe" Ron Shuman. I don't think I need to list his accolades. I saw him win so many shows all over. I have a mini-tribute to Shuman in my man room. My favorite ride of his was the Tamale Wagon.

One last thing about Ascot, in turn 1 next to the fence behind the grandstands was a double-decker English bus. There was this English guy who loved Ascot and boy could he party as well as his cronies. 1 night he invited me up there and I filmed the entire Friday night portion of a WoO show.

Also I forgot to mention the hair raising figure-8 races on the inner oval, those were excellent.


Late Model Mark

**O how I wonder what a 2020 Dirt Late Model show on that dirt at Ascot would be today!**

[CIRF]

By the time I started going out to Cali and Arizona Ripper's career was starting to wind down. Not to say he was totally washed up at that time but his day had come and gone by then. I also got to see the Ripper drive a Silver Crown car at the Indy, Springfield and Du Quoin Mile's back in the mid 1990's. The last time I remember seeing Rip racing was at Perris. He and Troy Rutherford had a bit of a dust up with Rutherford putting an end to Rip's chances to make the race. It was apparent that Rip was not happy but he must have thought better of going to Rutherford's pit. I don't blame him, Rutherford is a big guy and seems to have an edge about him, as well.

Getting back to Ascot, I've seen very little video footage of the figure 8 racing that took place there but it must have been chaotic and very entertaining!

You had eluded to pretty highway scenery, earlier. We flew into Las Vegas, rented a car and drove from Vegas down to Phoenix. It was just a few months prior to the bridge opening that allowed for the dam to be bypassed. Driving across the Hoover Dam was something we'd always wanted to do and we did it in the nick of time. Driving across the Colorado River on the dam will likely never be allowed again. The trip from Vegas down to Phoenix was/is a spectacular drive. We were lucky enough to make the drive down to Phoenix during the daylight hours but it was dark coming back. The only route that rivals the Vegas to Phoenix drive is the trip from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Sacramento, California. The first of the trips we've made through that area is when we became quite interested in spending some time in the Tahoe/Reno area. We hope that happens soon!

[Late_Model_Mark]

It has been a while since I have been to a pavement race in California, since 2008. I am going to give a review of my favorite tracks and some decent tracks in the hardtop oval genre.

Just like the Ascot post, my favorite all time Cali pavement track will be Saugus Speedway, went there as a very small boy and was there at the last race.

From South on up.

Cajon Speedway near San Diego. Only went there 2 times, it was a clean 3/8mi. medium banked joint. In a somewhat industrial area, was fairly racy. Saw a nice tripleheader with Supermodifieds, USAC Midgets and USAC TQ's. The other show was a Southwest Tour event. Pretty good track.

Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino. Right in the middle of town in the Orange Show Fairgrounds. This little bullring was a tough little joint with some stout local racers. Saw about 30+ shows thru the years there, mainly big Stock Car specials, Nascar type stuff, Southwest Tour. Great seats, good food, best race track popcorn ever. Clean joint, great racing. The battle's of the locals like Rick Becker, Glen Cummings, the Sheideckers and many others made this place fun. Saw a Southwest tour battle royale with Ron Hornaday, Rick Carrelli, Ron Esau, Becker, Cummings and others in a 100-lap brawl.

Speedway 605 in Irwindale. Went about 10 times thru it's existence. A very odd egg-shaped high bank joint, very plain and simple track, no palace. Even saw 1 Turkey night there. Sure was fast and it sure could bite the drivers.

Irwindale Speedway, just across the (605) from Spwy 605. This really could support the argument as the finest short Track in the USA. Everything is 1st class, parking, seating, food and fan comforts. Has elevators that can take you up top of the very nice seats. Was there on opening night for a great Supermodified show. Saw mostly boring Turkey Nights there. Stock Cars are better but being mostly a dirt guy we kind of called it "Boringdale." However with age the place got very racy. It also could be the most expensive place for a weekly show.

Saugus Speedway...going to save this for a stand alone post.

Trojan Speedway, this close to downtown L.A. track ran for only a few years, only went once and I don't recall much about it honestly.

Whiteman Stadium in Pacoima in the San Fernando Valley about 10 miles from my house. This track was owned by Marv and Art Whiteman who also owned the adjoining airport. Very fast yet small joint.wentabout 5 times, it was a rough and tumble 60's track with the barest of amenities. One night a neighbor came to the track with a shotgun and threatened the Whiteman family over the noise. Track got shuttered over countless crying over the noise. This track was under assualt from the neighbors from the get go.

Over the (I-5) Grapevine to the Central Valley of Cali.

Kern County Raceway Park. never got to go as it opened after I left the state but I hear from my cronies out there that it is great.

Mesa Marin Raceway on the very East side of Bakersfield. This is my second favorite paved short track oval. When it was built around the mid-70's it was out in the middle of no where. A sweet high-banked 1/2 mi. gem of a racetrack. Excellent seating with no blockages, infield pits that didnot block views. Frickin' racy as hell, a superb atmosphere, good food, great beer, nice lights and sound system. Was one of the last Cali tracks with out a muffler rule. They had Winston West, Southwest Tour, CRA non-wing sprints, TQ"s and many Supermodified events. The October Classic was a doozey I loved to attend. Friday night was a Late Model Special, Saturday it was the Supermodifieds and the Southwest Tour. Sunday was usually a Winston West event.

The track could and did bite back hard, saw up close Billy Vukovich get killed in a Sprint car and Tom Naylor in a Super. Saw a Sunday doozy Sprint show with Rich Vogler and a young
Jeff Gordon.

More later as I move North up the state.


LMM

[CIRF]

More interesting stuff, Mark. Thanks. I've seen some racing from Kern County on MAVtv. Personally, the only asphalt track we've been to in Cali is California Speedway in Fontana. We attended a NASCAR Truck Series race that was run in conjunction with the Indy Cars on the same weekend in early November of 2002. We were in Cali for the Oval Nationals at Perris anyway so we drove over to Fontana to see the place and take in some super speedway racing.

Fontana is very near where the old Ontario Motor Speedway set. I never saw Ontario but I have stayed in a hotel that is directly across the street from Ontario Mills Mall. I've read where Ontario Mills is located on the very spot where Ontario Speedway was. A few times when we were in Cali for the Ovals and Turkey Night we stayed in the hotel by the mall. I knew the area very well and since we always flew into the Ontario airport this particular hotel was very convenient and close for when we arrived and departed the airport. I have an interesting Black Friday story from when we went west for the 2012 Turkey Night Grand Prix at Perris but we'll leave that for another time. I'm already writing a novel! LOL!

Fontana is one of the nicer racing facilities we've ever seen. We live less than an hour from Chicagoland and have attended an event at Las Vegas and all three of those venue's are first class. Although, they all pale in comparison to Daytona. We scored some very good but inexpensive tickets (which is to say they were free!) to the rain date at DIS back in February and that place sets the bar VERY high.

Back to the subject.


You mentioned Billy Vukovich III. I have a mildly interesting story to relate about Billy III. It was 1988 and we'd gone to Milwaukee for the Indy Car race that was run on the weekend following the Indy 500 in those days. We had stopped for fuel somewhere just north of the Illinois-Wisconsin state line. While in the process of gassing up the car an older gentleman I'd guess to have been in his mid 50's and a young kid I thought I recognized were next to us doing the same. I had just been to the Indy 500 the week before and Billy III was ROTY in that race. Billy III was just a few years older than I (I was 20 at the time) and we struck up a conversation. At some point Billy III went into the convenience store and the older gentleman asked us if we had attended the race at Milwaukee and if we recognized the young guy that was with him. I said we had been at the Milwaukee race and that I didn't recognize the young fellow with him. He explained that they had just left Milwaukee where Billy III had worked in the pits for his Indy team owner and they were driving back to California together. He said they put him in charge fearing Billy III would get sidetracked enroute to California.

When Billy III came back to their car the older gentleman introduced him to us and we had a nice chat. In the months following our conversation with Billy III I became a big fan mainly due to seeing him race on the dirt miles at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds just 3 months after watching him run top 15 at Indy. I have always loved the guys who had tasted the big time that were willing to also strap their asses into a dirt car and sling 'em sideways at 150 on the mile dirt tracks!

Needless to say we were quite saddened by the news of Billy's passing. I believe the throttle hung wide open at Mesa Marin and the rest is sad history. The Vukovich family has endured a lot of race track tragedy. During our conversation at the gas station Billy III emphatically implored us to look him up at Indy the following year and we did.

None of this means much to anyone but us but when you mentioned Mesa Marin and Billy III it dredged up a few pleasant memories of a driver we thought had a bright future in Indy Car but it wasn't to be.

[Late_Model_Mark]

It was an ugly accident and I can still remember the sound it made when he smacked the wall and then smacked it 2 more times.

Moving North.

Stockton 99 Speedway. Sometimes you have heard the phrase, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it. Well I am going to say it. This track, those fans that went, and the folks that ran it when I went 2 times, shame on me after trip 1, sucked. The a-holes that ran this crappy joint at the time were not top notch. The fans were obnoxious, angry drunks, direspectfull, and boy don't say anything even remotely bad about their locals. The seats, restrooms and food were a joke. The racing was a crash fest most times. I saw the Southwest Tour twice at this place, demo derbies. The fans and their attitudes ruined it.

Madera Speedway. What a nice track that was at the time of my visist was well run, racy, fun and a joy to attend. Saw some Super Modified and great stock car action. Nice vibe at the place, good food at a great location. Makes me smile when I see the Madera Racing on MavTV. A very fun race track.

Altamont Speedway. The track made infamous by the Rolling Stone concert tragedy, we got rained out when trying to go.

Now way up North in Cali.
Shasta Speedway, Anderson California. I was younger and could do it but the drive was massive. This track was a blast once you got there. Hit some Southwest Tour shows in the 80's. The fields in that era were stout and loaded. You could get some of the Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Nevada racers for these shows. Just a cool track, nothing special but it had character and a great atmosphere. When you were at Shasta you were at an event and a race. Seemed even practice was serious, qualifying was fun to watch and the races all night had charisma. Good food, decent restrooms, normal track food and at the time you could bring in (mmm-sneak) beer. The racing was quite intense and my view it was the raciest pavement track in Nor-Cal.

Redwood Acres Raceway in Eureka, tried to go but was rained out in route, a really long drive.

Lakeport Speedway. Nice place in a sweet setting. No real big shows but at the time was doing well. Had nice car counts in the stock car and pavement modified divisions. Well run clean track that drew good crowds and really good food that was set in a local type atmosphere.

Ukiah Speedway, a sister track if you will to Lakeport, it echo's my same thoughts as Lakeport. They never did have a real big show but it was just a neat track.

Next post, my beloved Saugus Speedway.


LMM