Eff you, shopping mall, Irwindale will live on. The track, which was supposed to run it’s last ever event at the end of January before being leveled down and turned into yet another shrine to in-person money harvesting, will in fact be living once again. On December 28th, 2017, a group called Group of Motorsports Enthusiasts, led by a racer named Tim Huddleston and backed by Huddleston’s Justice Brothers distributorship, has signed a new lease that will give Irwindale two more seasons of activities at minimum.
Prior to this deal, Team 211 Entertainment had held year-to-year leases for Irwindale, but last July land owner Irwindale Outlet Partners LLC had informed Team 211 Enterprises and their parent company, Irwindale Events Center, that they would not renew the lease. In November, Irwindale Outlet Partners came back to Team 211 to see if they would renew another lease, but Jim Cohan, the CEO of Team 211 and Irwindale Events Center, refused to renew, having already been in discussions with Huddleston. What happened to the mall plan? There’s rumors aplenty…there was no “anchor store” for the mall to even come to life, or that the soil tests came back with problems (Irwindale was built on a former landfill.)
Tim Huddleston has three Irwindale Late Model Championships under his belt, and his son, Trevor, has three as well. With drag racing, NASCAR events, RallyCross, and of course being the roots for a paying drifting event in the United States, Irwindale holds a strong connection to the automotive racing scene. And, of course, California doesn’t need to lose yet another racetrack. Two seasons isn’t long, but for now, there’s another racetrack open in California. Time to go support it before it does get torn up and leveled for something else!
Courtesy: Los Angeles Daily News
I may be in Indiana, but that’s great news!
Glad to see some developers grow a surprising fit of common sense. Who goes to shopping malls these days anyway?
I can’t imagine California needing another shopping mall. Hell with the growth of online shopping I thought shopping malls were all struggling? Great news for racers and race fans anyway, and a nice start to the New Year.
Some good news coming from California since Jerry Brown is allowing felons and illegal aliens to smoke dope there while limiting firearm owners on ammo.
75 Duster for President!
75 Duster for President! –> X2!
Great news! Irwindale is a wonderful facility! Everything is paved, great bathrooms and concession stands –> very fan friend.
I’ve a New Years resolutions to go to a few events this year.
Best news I’ve heard all week! and ’75 Duster gets my vote, too!