Memphis Motorsport Park done

[harvick#1]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=Al3oBL7L2lMxr4vrDhd412Xov7YF?slug=ap-nascar-memphistrackclosing&prov=ap&type=lgns


why can't this happen to Auto Club Speedway instead :mad:

[call_me_andrew]

That's a shame.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Harvick, Cuz Autoclub speedway is owned by ISC, who were/are not as hard up for dough as Dover Motorsports are AND contrary to popular belief, sell about 80% of their tickets for the full price...

That said, Memphis looks like a LOT more fun, but with no real stands...I am not surprised.

[BobbyC]

Memphis had put the emphasis on the drag strip, which was very popular and hosted a crucial round of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, and was used for club racing.

This is the second major track closure in the Volunteer State; earlier in the month, Nashville mayor Karl Dean announced plans to take over the Tennessee State Fairgrounds for redevelopment and thus, shutting down the historic Fairgrounds Speedway on site. Many racers are very angry at the move.

Gladeville (TN) will now host two Truck and Nationwide races each (Truck April and August, Nationwide April and June) and Madison (IL) will now be hosting two Nationwide races (July and October) and one Truck race (July).

The NHRA will not replace the Memphis race, which first raced in 1988.

[Wade91]

thats sad :(

[Alexamateo]

Well, It's sad for me. :( I've been going out there since they first put the original 1/2 mile dirt track in 1988. There's nothing better than 410 sprinters on a 1/2 mile IMO. They took that track out and put in the 3/4 mile paved track in 1998 and I was there for that first show, an ASA /USAC silvercrown show.

I went to the Busch/Nationwide race every year, and a couple of the truck races.

The best race was Bobby Hamilton Jr. winning in 2003. IIRC, he was 4th or 5th with 50 laps to go and he ran all the leaders down and took the lead with 3 laps to go, green all the way, no artificial gwc to spoil the show. It was one of the best victory celebrations, too, truly heartfelt for an almost hometown hero.

The worst was David Reutimann's caution-fest race in 2007. It was awful, no flow whatsoever, but you know as they say, a bad day at the race track is better than most days anywhere else. :)

This year's race was good, too although I started off the day pulling for Brad Keselowski, at the end of the day I was hoping somebody would put the punk in the wall. :p :

I took my three year old for his first track outing at Friday's practice to see the race cars, and he had a blast. I was looking foward to taking him to the actual race when he got a little older, but alas, it appears it won't come to be at least at this track which holds so many memories for me.

Oh well, there's always Riverside as far as local tracks, still going strong since 1949. :D