San Fernando Valley : SPEEDY FAREWELL

The roar of an engine and squeal of tires once again echoed off the the aging, deserted bleachers at Saugus Speedway on Thursday, but only as a reminder of the community’s anger and shock after the landmark track’s sudden closure the day before.

It was a faded yellow Chevrolet muscle car that sneaked past a few employees working at the facility at midday to make two high-speed laps around the one-third-mile track before disappearing. Employees couldn’t do much to keep other cars away except to put a barrier of trash cans at the track entrance.

The 56-year-old facility, which until Wednesday was the oldest operating track in the western United States, closed after its owners received a structural engineer’s report stating that the grandstands were not up to 1994 standards, track employees said Wednesday.

“People want one last lap on the racetrack,” said track general manager Ray Wilkings.