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DanH

By DanH
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Nokones Collaborator

Nokones

Posted
Posted

In my past experience, Police Training Facilities have been ideal and a lot of work to teardown in order to setup the autocross course and set backup after the event. I'm sure the cops won't entertain the idea of tearing down on Friday and setting back up on Monday morning for the benefit of autocrossers. Also, most police training facilities have some training course elements in the way such as skid pans and/or traffic lane control signal devices.

After you factor in the paddock for not just for cars but, for truck and trailers and grid areas you won't have significant space for a decent course

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Chuck Enthusiast

Chuck

Posted
Posted (edited)

I looked at the training site back when we first learned of it (perhaps even more than 10 years ago) and even watched some of the training .  

It has pros and cons-

Pros:

1) pavement looked like it's above parking lot quality (better integrity, less black dust)

2)- there is quite a large parking lot outside of the training pavement fence, possibly still? plenty for both grid an non-grid general parking plus trailers, motorhomes.

Cons:

1. Exactly what Ken said above. If they have a lot of their own cones set up-- that's a labor problem for somebody (probably us)

- unless we get innovative about leaving them all in place and designing them into our courses.

Are we actually serious about new sites?

  Is this going to be a necessity with the new Region, where at times, there may be same day events in the greater Phoenix area?

Edited by Chuck
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smeyers Rising Star

smeyers

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We need to be pro-active seeking other sites in case Dan Maloney ever decides owning AMP is not all that much fun, and decides to sell the property to the business community. I’ll bet he’s  had offers.

What do you mean by “same day events in greater Phoenix Area”?

PCA is the only other area autocross club here, and even Kim K can’t be in two places at the same time.😉

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Chuck Enthusiast

Chuck

Posted
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Hmm, I reckon "If ever" might just be a matter of time since Dan never made it a secret that AMP was not originally intended to be a "forever" thing.

Then again, only Dan himself knows what he will do and when.

Last weekend arriving from the West, I sorta wondered what's going in on the giant plot on the West side of AMP with all the earth moving equipment.  Google maps doesn't update often enough to show it yet.

 

I really can't imagine a nicer autocross site than AMP.

Well, maybe ultra grippy weathered WW2 concrete without frost heaves would do it==but not much of that available anywhere anymore.

To your question: Same day events might be multiple SCCA regions, NASA, or marque clubs.

Its amazing to me if all there is to Marque clubs in the Phoenix area is just PCA. 

At Marina airport in CA, we used to have BMW, Corvette, Golden Gate Lotus, SCCA, American Autocross Series, PCA ,Lockheed Mart ,and one other club whose name I don't remember ALL running separate events. It was being used almost every single weekend of the year.- sometimes, one club on Sat and and the other on Sunday.  It was nice and smooth, didn't generate much of its own dust, but wasn't fabulous grip concrete. Grip was no better than AMP- possibly not even as good.  Owned by the City of Marina and they decided to sell it off for homesites or something. 

Anyway, if one wants to cruise around on Google maps, there are probably more and more large lots with no parking stops or light poles at abandoned factory or warehouse sites  around Phoenix. I'd start on the West side just off the big I-10 truck route curve

 

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Nick Sloan Enthusiast

Nick Sloan

Posted
Posted

Has anyone contacted Phoenix Raceway? They have three lots separated by roads (not sure if they are publicly accessible) that equates to a much larger lot than AMP. The lots are called Cactus 2, Suite Parking, and Arizona 3. 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/33°22'18.6"N+112°19'00.5"W/@33.3718103,-112.3183619,915m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d33.3718282!4d-112.3167955

Thanks,

Nick

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Manfred Enthusiast

Manfred

Posted
Posted (edited)
5 hours ago, Nick Sloan said:

Has anyone contacted Phoenix Raceway? They have three lots separated by roads (not sure if they are publicly accessible) that equates to a much larger lot than AMP. The lots are called Cactus 2, Suite Parking, and Arizona 3. 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/33°22'18.6"N+112°19'00.5"W/@33.3718103,-112.3183619,915m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d33.3718282!4d-112.3167955

Thanks,

Nick

The club got kicked out of there at the end of 2005. Probably not welcome back.

Edited by Manfred
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Matt U Apprentice

Matt U

Posted
Posted
17 hours ago, Nick Sloan said:

A lot has changed in 16 years. 

I am going to have to second Nick on this one. People can also change a lot in 16 years. A quick Google search shows that Phoenix Raceway is still under the same ownership since 1997, if anyone's interested.

Anyways, it never hurts to ask and explore the potential options. 

I also did some research into the new Gilbert Public Training Facility off of Power Rd and Pecos Rd, and the skid pad is small. Like 500x350 feet where AMP is 800x800. So area wise the Gilbert facility is 27% the area for the skid pad. Yes there are small tight roads as well , but a lot of them have signs right off of the road. Probably won't work out very well.

In all honesty, the old Fiesta Mall site might be a better option to explore. The mall is effectively closed and may re-develop at a later date, but nothing is announced yet and the site lost the Amazon bid. Plus, there is a 2 story car park on the West side. SSS's would probably never approve a 2 story autocross, but that would be fun. Just think of it @Kim, nations only 2-story autocross region!   https://www.google.com/maps/@33.3889417,-111.8606493,1065m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e4 Dimension Financial & Realty Investments currently owns the site that was Fiesta Mall.

Mesa Marketplace Swap meet might be another idea. https://www.google.com/maps/@33.3822296,-111.6034768,725m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e4

This may sound odd, but the BNFS auto distribution center may be a possibility. It's not like they are super busy yet. https://www.google.com/maps/@33.6161507,-112.319272,367m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e4

Tempe Diablo Stadium https://www.google.com/maps/@33.401065,-111.9688868,291m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e4

Okay, last idea that I had written down. The Nissan Technical Center.https://www.google.com/maps/@32.9520529,-111.9800031,611m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e4

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MTP-Madmat Explorer

MTP-Madmat

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, bill said:

Looking on the map there are a lot or large parking lots around the old Metro Center.  Do not know how long it is before it is razed.

I thought about that also. There are a lot of light poles in those lots. Also it’s supposed to be torn down and a whole community built in its place in the next few years. 

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Chuck Enthusiast

Chuck

Posted
Posted (edited)

This may be the one on the East side of I-10 from Firebird that Don Roberts said many years ago (1994?) was nearly gravel when he tried to do some testing there. So be prepared. But since it may be easy to look at, I'd do it anyway just to be sure no one has improved it. 

There was another strip on the OTHER side (way West) of Wild horse up against South Mtn that I looked at around 2002.  That one had covered parking and the strip was a rather long asphalt in good shape with some short taxiway lanes.  It was used for airliner landing training. I cannot find it again, so maybe it is gone now. I think the old Butterfield Stage Rd. was close to it. 

 

Did anyone mention Turf Paradise? Looks abandoned and the parking lots are enormous. 

mapquest phoenix az - Search (bing.com)

Edited by Chuck
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AaronM Rookie

AaronM

Posted
Posted (edited)

Just to entertain the Idea of PHX Raceway being a Autocross spot. Id recommend it being a central area just like Fontana does the Autocross in there parking lot. Plus it gives them a opportunity building up the area around it but sound ordinates etc..  A long list of why it can work or not. The metro mall is wide open but a lot of light poles,  a lot of Variables because the area around us is developing so fast buying land. Hint why PHX raceway still has dirt lots for a parking lot compared to Fontana Race way. But pave it and you can make it into a motorsport complex. Yet it is still so close to homes how it works unfortunately yet Willow springs has homes around it. 

Edited by AaronM
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DanH Newbie

DanH

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I mountain biked through the Gila River Memorial Airport about 12+ years ago.  (Back when there were still 2-3 parts planes on site.)  I recall the run/taxiways were badly broken up, gritty, and would probably not hold up to autocrossing. The center strip was resurfaced at at some point, but it was barely wide enough for a slalom. 

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  • 1 month later...
smeyers Rising Star

smeyers

Posted
Posted

And……

The master plan, which a quick review of the drawing will illustrate, sits directly atop the existing Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park 1/4-mile dragstrip, the neighboring Firebird Lake, the various road courses, and all associated property. The master plan, already approved by the Gila River Indian Community, is intended to include a large-scale sports and entertainment district, hotels, a wellness center, an event center, an outdoor amphitheater music entertainment venue, sports facilities, outdoor recreation and parks, restaurants, retail, and an office park. The development will also include a larger-capacity stadium for the Phoenix Rising Football Club.

“This expansion furthers our vision to provide additional economic development opportunities for Wild Horse Pass, GRIC, and the Greater Metropolitan Phoenix area,” said Donald Antone, Chairman of the WHPDA Board of Directors.

“The new development plan will create exceptional entertainment and lifestyle experiences, new jobs for community members, and will evolve our culture and legacy,” said David White, WHPDA General Manager.

Wild Horse Pass officials are reportedly suggesting the development could take upwards of 10 years to bring to fruition, providing a little extra life for the 37-year-old Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Reliable sources have told Dragzine that members of the tribe have openly discussed the possibility of rebuilding the track elsewhere on its expanse of protected land should the development go through.

😢😥🤦‍♂️

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morbid Enthusiast

morbid

Posted
Posted

It's been pretty obvious that the new owners of that facility never took it seriously.  Friday night drags have been gone for a long time, and they only have open drags during infrequent special events.  Those are so crowded that I got 2 runs in in a whole night.  20 years ago I could get 4-6 runs, and even leave early.

The city/county should be trying to help find a replacement drag strip.  With FIR and Speedworld gone, there are no drag strips left in Maricopa county.  Then I read news that street racing is on the rise, and new laws have been passed to combat them.  History has apparently been lost.  I wonder how long (or if ever) they'll take before they remember why having public drag strips were a public safety solution.

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  • 5 months later...
Nokones Collaborator

Nokones

Posted
Posted (edited)

Scott - Arizona Border Region scored a large lot at a Sports Complex. The sports complex is named "Kino" and there are a bunch of baseball fields but, no craps and blackjack tables. Although, there may be some private betting going on between some individuals on the games being played. 

Their (AZ Border) first event at the Kino Sports Complex is scheduled in October.

Edited by Nokones
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