Racers bid farewell to Irwindale Speedway and Dragstrip after 25 years of business

IRWINDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- It was a final, emotional lap for racers at the Irwindale Speedway and Dragstrip as it officially closed its tracks after 25 years of business.

The speedway celebrated with a farewell extravaganza Saturday night, which featured fan-favorite events like figure 8s, skid plates, recreational vehicles playing soccer and jet car burndowns.

Many racers who've shed blood, sweat, and now tears, came out to see the checkered flag one last time.

"Just seeing my old friends I haven't seen in a few years, because they quit racing, and everybody's out here to say goodbye to the track," said Cecil Phelps, a former race driver. "I could break down crying at any minute."

The dusty-eyed crowds packed the stands at the track dubbed the "House of Drift," known for hosting the first major drifting event in the U.S. in 2003.

"It changed my whole life. So since that day, I've built a drift car, I've done all of it, I've drifted here, and it really just sparked the car love for me," said Derek Stein.

The speedway, which opened in 1999, officially closed after its lease expired, and now the real estate company that owns the 63-acre property plans to build an industrial park.

"We knew what was coming, unfortunately. Los Angeles is a booming town and the land value in L.A. to run a race track is tough," said Irwindale Speedway President Tim Huddleston.

The iconic motorsports venue put on demolition derby, drifting and street legal drag-racing that allowed average joes to put the pedal to the metal without breaking the law.

Irwindale's speedway follows a series of other raceway closures, and as one of the area's last drag strips to shut down, it leaves drivers with few places to legally race.

"I've always been a gearhead, a fan of all the cars, the demolition and destruction derby especially. It's a blast for the kids every time," one spectator said.

"It's a tough day," Huddleston said. "For us, this is home. It's been 25 years here, raised my kids here, won a lot of races here, crashed a lot of cars here, but more than all of that, we've made a family."