viperbob

My first time on a Race Track, was just outside of St. Louis at a place called Mid America Raceway. It was a nice 2 ish mile long road course. Nice elavation changes, and a concrete wall apex on the main straight like Sebring. The owner had issues with the car clubs, and pretty much closed it down in the '80s (also refused to do work on it for years). I even saw Paul Newman there in his Nissan at the time. Now as you can see in the pic, it will be completely gone soon in favor of some sub-divisions... What other tracks did you race on that are no more?

Z-man

Bridgehampton. Sadly, they closed it down about a year before I got into this DE thing.

I still want to drive up there, and if they let me in, at least put my car on a section of track they haven't bulldozed yet...

RIP The Brige...

-Z

flashgordon

Bridgehampton for me too. The track was a blast in a formula ford! The track had a great variety of corners and a nice long straight. There was a kink in the straight and the track dropped off at the apex. The car would get light and unbalanced, but if you overcame the urge to lift, it was a real ride.

jim3

I raced formuls fords on the road course at Thompson Speedway and Bridgehampton back in 1972/73 where I also went to the Fred Opert racing school and then club raced a 944 Porsche at the Bridge in 94-95 in a stock class. Thompson had a bunch of slow corners and a hairpin plus one end of the oval banking. Was fine for FF's but too tight for big iron fast cars. The Bridge was spectacular though bumpy. Friday afternoons used to be for open practice, motorcycles, volvos, sports cars, race cars would be out there at the same time! Moss said it was the most challenging track in America.

schwank

There was a thread on The Car Lounge forums a while back about this. Lots of great info and pictures.

half a dozen pages o' memories

My story is about the Mt Clemens racetrack just north of Detroit Michigan where I grew up. Spent many evenings there watching local racing, stock cars, outlaws, and demo derbies. Great stuff, I can still close my eyes and hear the roar and smell the oil and gas and rubber. It was owned by some family friends so we went pretty often. On summer nights you could hear the cars from my house.

About 10 or 15 years ago they bulldozed the whole thing, and put in the crappiest giant flea market crap place you've ever seen. Ah well. It lives on in the memories of countless folks, and I will never forget the time spent there with my father when I was so young.

Mt Clemens Race Track

RickBetterley

There is a website that lists closed ski areas in the northeast; something like 500+!
Link is http://www.nelsap.org/
I wonder if there is anything similar for tracks.
When you see these stories about closed tracks, it makes me realize how fragile this hobby of ours is. If even 1 of my 'local' tracks (meaning within a day's drive) was closed, it would really take a big chunk out of my choices. Considering that my only long tracks within a day's drive are Watkins Glen and Tremblant, I would hate to lose even one.
Not likely with The Glen, considering its location and importance to the local economy, but still...

Mike in Chi

Two in the Chicago area, though I didn't race there either -- too young.

Meadowdale in West Dundee, Illinois. Long track that incorporated a replica of the old Monza wall. Lots of elevation change too. http://www.meadowdaleraceway.homestead.com/

Wilmot - a short track basically built around the lodge of a ski area just across the cheddar curtain into Wisconsin.

RickBetterley

That Meadowdale website reminds me of VIR before it was resurected - too bad they won't be doing the same with Meadowdale; I'll bet it was a fun track.

TR6

I guess on a "glass is half full" note, it would be interesting to also look at new tracks that have opened or are opening soon to replace those sentimental favorites we've lost. I wonder if the ratio of new tracks opening is at least equal to those closing.

hammerwerfer

Bryar. NHIS now. The old road course was a lot more fun althought the facilities were rudimentary to be very complimentary.

Geo

The only reason it's not likely at The Glen is the money that is now behind it. I lived in Rochester most of my life and The Glen started fading away after the last USGP in 1980. CART had a race there for a year or two, but the place started a seemingly inexorable decline. Then Corning stepped up to the plate to ressurect it. Thank God. In the middle 80s it did indeed seem possible that The Glen could perish. Truth be told, were it not for securing the NASCAR race there, it still may have perished.

No track is a sure thing.

Geo

For real? It's been sold to developers?

I used to live in StL and have been to MAR several times, including the very same race where PL showed up. I never set a wheel on the track, but I have lots of good memories (and good photos) from there. That first turn was daunting. It was the site of many a wreck. Mark Webber, the well known sports car photographer used to try to get to turn one for the start of the pinwheel, er, Formula Ford race to watch the carnage.

Last I heard it was still an operating drag strip. Too bad it was never revitalized. Gateway was built right after I left StL and it was originally a good road course from what I understand. Then they got into the oval business and it's not so good from what I understand. MAR could have been a great track.

Bummer.

Geo

Oh yeah, the SCCA did a series in Sports Car about the "Ghost Tracks" a few years back. It was very interesting.

Bull

Riverside and Ontario Motor Speedway for me, back in the '70s. Now covered with shopping centers, hotels, housing, etc.

cab&coupe

My home area track of Spokane Raceway Park is in jepordy of closing. Consists of a circle track, 2.5 mile road course, drag strip (long time NHRA), and adjacent moto-cross track.