Ontario Motor Speedway (site) (Ontario, California)

USA / California / Rancho Cucamonga / Ontario, California
 race track -dont use, interesting place, historical layer / disappeared object
This was the former site of the Ontario Motor Speedway: Home of the California 500 and the California Jam. Opened in 1970, closed in 1981.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_Motor_Speedway
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   34°4'24"N   117°34'0"W

Comments

  • to bad yous didnt keep this race track, some memories you just cant bury over
  • The reason this track died was both of bad management and it was too high tech for its time (and lack of funds to keep a track like this operating)
  • At least there making a new arena in the empty space
  • This was the site of the best Deep Purple concert ever - 6 April 1974 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfzv3bf9-OY They don't make concerts like that anymore. Can anyone point out where the stage was set?
  • David Coverdale probably couldn't even remember that one.
  • When I looked at Ontario Motor Speedway and Auto Club. It made me to like Ontario Motor Speedway than Auto Club. It's a state of the Art Motorsports complex of California. It's sad the track failed financially and buried in 1981. If that track would have if it survived today, it would be a brilliant Indy clone track for Both NASCAR and CART. I couldn't be very sure of the superseding Oval Track called Auto-Club Speedway. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpPwteOedOs&feature=related
  • waiting at the gate to get in instructions were given to a mulitude of people no glass container in the speedway and then a question what about pot man and the answer hell there r over 200,000 people here there is no jail big enough to hold all of us U GOT IT BURN IT MAN WENT THROUGH MY MIND what a great time
  • My friends at W.H.Taft High School in Woodland Hills CA brought in that flyer with the guitar race car, we salivated over it.I was sold on going there and then but we all had 'issues' with our parents about going.I was nominated as the driver cuz mom had a station wagon. Not to mention,being a racing fan,I had convinced my dad to get an OMS season parking pass. BOOM I was the man in charge.Minor problem was that Mom had FORBIDDEN me to go so I made sure that her sister,(my ally when it came to anything against moms wishes) Called her over for early 'cocktails&gossip" I lifted the spare set of keys from her purse as she left and wrote a note saying I HAD to take the car to help my friend find his lost dog. (yeah right) Oh I felt so cool getting ready on Friday night. We met in the school parking lot and there were about 7 of us packed into the Dodge Monaco as we ambled down 101 to the 10. We arrived about 11pm I think and got 'preferred' parking near the main grandstand. Walking over to the line we found people going in already. So in we went..seems like we had acres of space as we found a central spot just in front and to the right of the mixing platform. Ha..that was easy and we passed around the bota bag with whatever cheap wine was in there and after a while and a few joints of 'commersh' I drifted off to sleep. I awoke the next mooring to the PA being fired up. The first thing they played on it was Steely Dan 'King of the World'It sounded SO GOOD I was enraptured.Never had I heard fidelity like that. At that point, after the song I stood up and turned around and..I could not see the end of the people…it stretched on as far as my eyes could focus. HOLY SHIT.. I immediately had to take a piss. BAD. Off I trundled,stepping lightly over the throngs and made it to the toilets in about 45 minutes.Getting back was another issue.People didn't mind you leaving but going back was another matter.Surly,stoned and indignant were the reactions I met. At one point I stepped through a group of stoners gang banging a young girl. YOUR TURN KID they said and they pushed me onto this chick who was so out of it her eyes were crossed in several directions.She smiled and promptly threw up all over me. Unperturbed, I soldiered on back to where I thought our encampment was.I took, what seemed like, hours and as Rare Earth started their set I saw a flag that was only a few feet from where we were sitting. As I made it back I stripped off the jeans and borrowed a pair of swim trunks one of the guys had brought along. I can't remember anything else about the show. I DO remember the traffic jam on the way out was monumental. Mom was really cool on our arrival back home..Seems she knew all along. Jp
  • it would have been in the west end since you can see the sun going down behind the stage and see the grandstand in the background when the camera looks from the stage outward
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This article was last modified 11 years ago