Speed World Arizona - Going, going gone...

[SStockDart]

Well, Mark, I fall into your category of retirees on a fixed income. The days of us traveling the country and racing are over. Even though we are really close to Speedworld, their is no way we would risk hurting our Dart at a local event there. We would race our roadrunner and show our street rod, however.... We live about 7 miles off Grand Ave and Patton Road, so we are close to Speedworld. I frequently would drive by Speedworld on a Friday or Saturday night to see what kind of crowds they were getting. It appeared to me that they had a great turn out....the staging lanes would be full on a "street" night. That doesn't mean that they were making any money.......it just means that I think they had a lot of street cars.

If you look at the successful racing venues around the country, you will see that they are diverse. Dirt tracks, NASCAR tracks, road courses at the same location.....And some of them are not doing well. So, other than the "large venues", I believe the only ones that make money are the 1/8 mile "outlaw" type tracks......Ozark Raceway in Springfield, Mo comes to mind where the 10.5 cars bounce off the walls. It is my belief that something similar would work in the Phoenix area.....too bad.......it is probably too late for Speedworld.

[Philip Saran]

Those of us here in SOCAL feel your pain, we are lucky in that we have
the 1/8th mile at Irwindale and maybe someday they will raise the $$ to
build the sound wall at Fontana, but after spending most of their $$ to
fight the law suit, it will take time.

And hey Bakersfield is only a 3 hour drive north of us over the Grapevine.

[Jeff Lee]

To be fair to Dan Matthews, it looks like the Speed World drag strip probably would have gone out of business when the last track operator left. So maybe Dan prolonged the inevitable. But then again, a good operator could have turned it around. Guess we will never know!
Personally, I like the operating style of Al Corda (who is an Arizona snow bird if you don't know). His track is closed a lot of the year. Yes it snows there. But when it's open, the racers come in the hundreds. I always felt that Speed World was open TOO MUCH. Too much overhead for a few through the gate.

[Stock726]

"Wittmann, ARIZ. (April 20, 2013) – The reality that the Valley has lost a fixture that has been in existence in Arizona drag racing for more than 50 years has begin to set in for many. Generations of drag racers have grown up at Speedworld Dragstrip. Any future for a motorsports facility on the property managed by the Arizona State Land Department looks bleak as lost law suits from injuries sustained on the motocross have left a the state in a position that they do not want motorsports venues on state land. The reality of this position may be seen when the leases of other motorsports facilities on state land come up for renewal."

I think this says alot about the situation there. Sad to lose another track.

[Dan Bernay]

Waiting to hear racer reaction to the changing of the guard at Atco this weekend.
Should be interesting.
Hope everything goes well.

[Pat Cook]

Yep, I do believe Speedworld is a memory. I too am one of those on a fixed income retired with a little side income from a few broken cars. Was working on moving to Wickenburg to be closer to Speedworld and my relocated company it was going to be the ideal deal. But....things change.

Who knows might just move there anyway, I really like that town.