Saugus Drivers Hit Road : Auto racing: With track closed, they look to Mesa Marin, Kern County and Ventura.

Rumors of Saugus Speedway’s closure swirled around the racing community for years. But when Wednesday’s decision to finally close the 56-year-old racing facility was announced, drivers and fans were stunned.

Because an engineer’s report stated the grandstands were not structurally stable, the Bonelli family, which owns the track, canceled the racing season.

Sources at Saugus have said the Bonelli family wants to increase the popular Saugus Swap Meet from once a week to two or three days a week.

“I got word at 3 p.m. that the owners were shutting down the racing program,” track promoter Ray Wilkings said.

The short notice of Saugus’ closing has sent local drivers into a frenzy in an attempt to find an alternative venue to race.

Several drivers who were unaware of the track’s fate spent Wednesday preparing their cars for Saturday night’s program.

Steve Nickolai, who competed in the Super Late Model division, had just spent several hundred dollars on car parts.

“I had been at the Victory Circle auto shop getting a front spindle fixed,” Nickolai said. “When I got home I worked for four hours putting the car together only to find out there’s no more racing.”

Nickolai faces the same dilemma as other drivers.

“Where do I compete now ?” he said.

Moments after sending a fax to local media outlets, track officials turned on an answer machine that stated the racing season had been canceled and that no plans existed to resurrect it.

“The owners have no intention of fixing the grandstands to the 1994 safety code requirements,” Wilkings said. “I wish that I had somewhere for these guys to race, but I don’t.”

Wilkings allowed drivers to use the one-third mile track one last time on Wednesday night for practice runs. Nearly two dozen took their final turns on the asphalt oval.

T.K. Karvasek, a Street Stock driver, said he plans to race at Kern County Raceway.

“I can’t believe they’re closing this place,” a somber Karvasek said. “It’s just like when they closed Ascot. Nobody thought it would happen and it did.”

Saugus was the only racetrack operating in Los Angeles County before it closed. Drivers who commuted from as far south as San Pedro and Pine Mountain Club to the north are looking to Mesa Marin in Bakersfield and Kern County Raceway in Willow Springs.

Ron Hall, promoter at Kern County Raceway, was at Saugus Wednesday night passing out business cards to drivers.

“If they want to come and race at our place we’ll find a spot for them,” he said.

Jack Long, promoter at Mesa Marin, echoed that sentiment.

“While I’m saddened to hear about Saugus closing, we would welcome new drivers with open arms,” he said.

The racing season had 11 dates left, including a Southwest Tour event in September.

Lee Elder, media coordinator for the Southwest Tour, said because Saugus is closed the circuit will have a hole in its schedule on September 9.

“Instead of having 18 races on our circuit we’re going to run 17,” Elder said. “There’s not enough time to reschedule.”

Local race fans were angry at the Bonellis’ decision to cancel the season.

Debbie Panama, 39, said her sons Micah, Gabriel and Ben attended the races on a regular basis and were devastated by the news.

“They nicknamed T.K. Karvasek ‘Dr. Bones,’ ” Panama said. “When they got his autograph it made their day.”

Karvasek, who raced with a skeleton in the passenger seat, won Saturday night’s Street Stock oval feature, the last such race held at Saugus.

Linda Raper of Ventura, called The Times asking if there was a way to start a petition to save the track.

“My friend called and told me about this and we are in shock,” Raper said. “I’ve been going to Saugus for 16 years and they always treated you like family.”

Simi Valley’s Dave Phipps, a Grand American Modified driver, has attended races at Saugus since 1960 and driven there since 1980.

“I’m pretty disappointed,” said Phipps. “I don’t know what to do.”

Phipps, 47, has won seven points championships in a variety of division at Saugus. Now he’ll need to find new haunts.

“There’s Ventura Raceway, but that’s a dirt track,” Phipps said. “I guess if I stick with it, I’m going to dirt.”