Drivers Take Final Lap at Saugus Track

The Saugus Speedway--oldest racetrack operating in the western United States and a Los Angeles area motor racing mecca for 56 years--closed Wednesday, generating a nostalgic turnout by race drivers who took over the track for a night of their own.

The remainder of the Winston Racing Series stock car season has been canceled and there are no plans to resume racing in the future at the Santa Clarita oval, known as “The Super Track,” it was announced.

In a spontaneous response, about two dozen drivers showed up at the track Wednesday night as their telephone grapevine spread the word, taking to the asphalt in a roaring circle before stands empty of spectators, throttles open in a last sentimental salute to their pastime’s home.

Track General Manager Ray Wilkings said he turned on the lights as more and more drivers showed up, towing race cars on trailers, so they could enjoy a few laps “for nostalgia’s sake.”

Canyon Country driver John Wapkinson said that when he drove past the track on his way to work Wednesday morning, the track’s marquee listed the coming events. As he drove home, he saw with a start that it had been changed to: “REMAINDER OF 1995 RACING SEASON CANCELLED.”

Wapkinson hurried home, hitched his Grand-Am modified car to his trailer, and headed back to the track.

“We’ve built up a nice little family here,” said Wapkinson, 38, who has been going to the speedway since he was 8. “The fans have been great. After the races, I would sit and sign autographs for dozens of little kids.”

The track management announced that a structural engineer’s report filed with the principal owners of the facility, the Bonelli family’s Rodeo Land Co., revealed that the grandstands do not meet 1994 standards. When the report was received, the owners announced that racing would be discontinued.

The midseason closure stunned Santa Clarita city officials and racetrack personnel alike. Although the reason given was the aging grandstand, both groups said the bleachers were indeed old--decades old in some cases--but they had heard of no serious problems at the site.

“I’m astonished,” said Santa Clarita City Planning Commissioner Jerry Cherrington. “I had no idea.”

Tony Nisich, a Santa Clarita city engineer, said his office does an inspection of the track before the start of each season and had evidently found no reason to request repairs.

Increasing land values in the area--boosted by the recent opening of a Metrolink station nearby--had track regulars worrying about the future of the raceway early this spring, said Virgil Kilpatrick, the track announcer for the last seven years. Flyers were tacked up around the infield reading “Save Our Track,” he said.

In 1993, the land had an assessed value of $550,000, according to tax records, but local developers in the past have estimated the value of the 40-acre site at closer to $20 million.

The Bonelli family could not be reached for comment late Wednesday.

Track officials said that one reason the track was closed was so the owners could give more time to a swap meet there. The swap meet, now held only on Sundays, is expected to expand to two or three days a week, they said.

“The Bonelli family . . . said they had no plans to bring the grandstands up to current standards or to build new ones,” Wilkings said. “Essentially, they told us to close up shop.”

“I can’t believe that this is happening,” said Reseda driver T.K. Karvasek, sitting with several other drivers in a stunned silence on his trailer Wednesday night. “I’ve never missed a weekend in the three years I’ve raced here.”

Nearby was Ron Hall, promoter for the Kern County Raceway in Willow Springs, handing out business cards to the homeless drivers.

“We patterned our track after Saugus,” Hall said. Said Karvasek: “Kern County--here we come!”

Glick is a Times staff writer and Rodgers is a correspondent. Times staff writers Eric Slater, Steve Elling and Nicholas Riccardi and correspondent Douglas Alger also contributed to this story.