🏁Death of Ascot Raceway - Gardena, CA🌴🌴
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- čas přidán 31. 12. 2019
- 🎥 From the cutting room archives of "FREEWAY CITY"....
J.C. Agajanian's moving - never before told on film - story of how the world famous institution, Gardena's Ascot Park Raceway, was ended in 1990.
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My friends growing up had a cat named Ascot. They named it that because that’s where they found it!
I’m bitter too Ascot should have been designated a historical location. The place was magical!
Visit Perris Auto Speedway America's premier Clay oval
Jay told me the whole sordid story in my Sacramento motel room after the 1980/90-something AMA Mile, and maybe a couple of drinks. I've pretty much kept it under my hat all these years, but now that it is in the eternal ethernet, it's a "secret" no more , and a weight is taken off my shoulders. My Dad Walt Mahony originally built and operated the track as Los Angeles Speedway, but got swindled and lost the deal. J.C. jumped in in the 1959 season and the rest is history, as they say. Pop and I used to live in an old barn outside of what would become turn four as construction was under way. I had a set of keys to every lock for about 15 years, and rarely missed over a month of some sort of racing for 25 years. Ascot, and racing in general, consumed the next 35 years of my life, and, with my "old picture business", continues to keep me in dog food money still today. HA! I even knew three ways to sneak into the place that none of you knew about. Yeah, I miss it.
Ascot was a Cathedral of motorsports. On the west coast, there was no equal. From Sprints and Midgets, off-road buggies, Flat Track, TT , MX and Speedway motorcycles to Stock cars to those crazed Figure 8s. It launched the careers of some of the all time motorsport's greats. From Parnelli to the Mears brothers, Evil Kneivel to countless dirt car and motorcycle giants. If you could win at Ascot, you could win anywhere.
I remember leaving Ascot for the final time at the last 1/2 mile motorcycle event. It was a somber night. They gave out posters that I still have framed in my shop. Those who experienced how special Ascot was can thank the Agajanian family for all the great memories. Thanks Jay for doing this video👍🏻
Ascot was an institution that served thousands of people in southern California. Replacing it with a parking lot was nothing short of criminal. Thirty years later, and I still share J.C.'s frustration.
Raced at ASCOT with CMC from 1987-1990. Thank you for the memories, I'll never for get the lengdary ASCOT RACEWAY!!
I’m still bitter about it to, born, raised, and still in Gardena it played a major role in my childhood and have many memories there from being in the stands to racing r/c cars. Something I would hoped I could share with my kids. And when we weren’t able to attend, my brother and I would sit in our room open the windows and listen to the races because we lived close.
I grew up in Gardena and as a kid I could hear the racing at Ascot as I was going to sleep with my window open.
Can you imagine if CRA, Ascot, and Manzanita were still around like the old days?
Visit Perris Auto Speedway America's premier Clay oval !!! 😊
My dad raced figure 8 there. One of my earliest memories was of my father welding in a role cage in his racecar for ascot. We also had a few close family friends that all raced at ascot. I wish i could get ahold of the old reel-to-reel footage of them racing at ascot.
That is so cool that your dad actually drove in the figure 8s !! That was always my favorite event at Ascot. The one driver’s name that has stuck with me through the decades was Eddie Sour. Did your dad race with him ? The reason that his name stays in my memory is that a guy who was in some of my classes in high school in Montebello, CA had the same last name. My buddies and I used to joke about that and envisioned our classmate behind the wheel :)
Thanks for the story sir, and for reminding me of some great memories :)
Mike M
@@michaelm3214 lol.. thats funny..
And sorry.. that name doesn't ring a bell.
My father and friends raced there in the late 70s and early 80s
I am with you, brother! It was not just a racetrack, it was also a weekend home to a lot of its patrons. I was there just about every weekend for close to twelve years before it closed, and if it had stayed open, I would still be going to this day. I would have been able to bring my children there, like my dad brought me and my siblings. Oh, I forgot to mention that I raced my KT100 go kart on the small track next door to the main one for five years. Ascot was a huge part of my life, and I miss it and everything it stood for every day. Thank you, Agajanian family, for some of the best years of my childhood and teenage years.
Legendary Track for MC Flattrack & TT Lovers, It was like attending an AMA National every Friday Night with the highest Caliber of Racer Talent; Also was host going back to 1958 for the AMA 8 mile National with great National Numbers like Al Gunter, Neil Keen, Sammy Tanner, Mert Lawwil and other top racers riding there sometimes weekly during the season. Just telling people that you even raced at Ascot was something special. It was a fast unforgiving Track that showed no mercy whether you were a lowly Novice or accomplished Expert/National Number. Roxie Rockwood announcing every week for years. All good things eventually come to an End but Memories will go on forever, Here is a list of all the MC Riders who ever raced at Ascot over the decades courtesy of vintage flat track forum. Some of them lost their lives there,some ended their Career there, but anyone that ever raced there was a Brave Soul for sure ...R.I.P. ASCOT PARK vft.org/AscotRiders/AscotRiders-Alph.html
so/sad, I was lucky to go to Ascot a few times in the late 80's while living in Hollywood,
and went to an AMA Motorcycle races there in 1985 and 1989...
.best wishes from an old guy in Florida,.....
the Agajanian Family are still the best.....Paul
Grew up in Gardena as a kid. The first $20 bucks I made was as a flagger for the dirt bike races at Ascot when I was 12, had to beg my parents to stay out past bed time. Always wondered what happened to Ascot, good to know.
Similar to carlsbad raceway. The land was sold to a developer to build a business park about 15 years ago. It's literally a ghost town. Very few units leased. And a national treasure gone.
Wow, my sentiments are lovely of Ascot Raceway. My Dad would race there on the weekends with my Mom's boss. We had a ball watching the cars go by. This was in 1969-1971.
Thanks for sharing
Slick track with fresh baby powder. Good times!
I grew up in Gardena a couple of blocks from Ascot. What a great racetrack. The sound of race cars as you entered through the front gates was awesome. The grandstands had metal sheeting on the backs along the midway consesions area which added to the ambiance. Rick Mears would occasionally be announced as in attendance. The Agajanian family did an excellent job with the facility. It was unlike any other dirt track I have been to. We were saddened to see it go. But thrilled when Ascot was in existence.
Such a sad story.I am from northern ca. and to Ascot once for a WOO race in 83 or 84. Am glad that I got to see that landmark place.
What a huge loss Ascot Raceway was... not only for the automotive racing but the BMX and motocross racing as well.
Yes, you are right, we needed the track for our kids and their kids like it were there for us all in this comment section.
Sometimes I think the world is getting too civilized for its own good.
@@DrJeffDrJeff ya think?
You also forgot to mention the r/c track! That was fun
I'm still bitter. Every time I drive by there I remember all the great times I had there, Sprint Cars, Motocross, Speedway Motorcycles, RC Car racing, Slick Track and good food.
Well said!
I raced AMA Motocross at that Track when I first started. They made a track inside of the oval. Short but sweet. The Memory's are priceless.
Thanks J. for telling us the story. I have so many years of great racing memories in my mind. Mrs. Ziegler and her developers can never take them away from me.
I worked for JC Jr and Sandy Seaman back in the 70's at Ascot. I was in charge of the concession stands.
Jim, you worked at Ascot? I knew Judi Meleka who did the programming in the mid 70s and her daughter Betty (Bettina) who sold them. Do you know if they are still around and/or have any contact details? Judi married a guy named Ellis, moved east and had a baby. She could still be alive and Betty would be in her mid 50s. I went to Ascot several times during visits in 75 and 76, taking heaps of photos of the sprintcars from the infield. I would really like to catch up with them. My email is olympia8(symbol@)tpg.com.au Ray Dean, Sydney Australia. I am also on facebook.
@@raydean9758 Those names aren't familiar. I worked directly for JC Jr and Sandy Seaman.
Being from OK when I thought of Socal in the late 60s to early 70s Ascot Park was the 1st thing I thought of. Legendary.
Thanks for the clarification, Ascot was the best fastest racetrack ever, and many many people still miss it! It was a huge part of our lives!
Not only the auto racing, speedway was rad!! And I raced BMX there for years. Known as the smoothest well kept track in the sport. Slick track, arcade...... big part of my childhood.
i used to go to sleep on a thur , fri or saturday night , listening to the racing from Ascot ! and i lived off 238th and western , i used to race rc cars behind the main track , and spent many a night in the grand stands and in the pits watching the racing and helping work on a friends race car
i miss that place !
I too miss Ascot. I used to get in with a free pit pass. My dad, Elmer E. Kent, was one of the ambulance attendants (he was a former Navy Hospital Corpsman). My uncle, Elbie Stewart, was one of the flaggers.
Yes that is what I wanted to know. Thank you for asking. And thank you for answering.
And now it's an auto salvage yard. What a lousy deal.
Yeah I know
My family mud bogged at Ascot, it was an institution for us and many others. Thank you for sharing this story!
Thank you for telling the story, Jay. We're all bitter...
Well said....great memories..
I still miss Ascot raceway. Spent many Friday nights racing motocross there.
Wow you could feel his heat coming through the internet. Greedy woman lost out also but Ascot gone 4ever.....sad
Hell the man spent most of his life until 1991 at ASCOT, Jay was always there and doing a great job and probably having more fun than anybody. Good People the Agajanians
WOW.. the straight scoop... Thank you for the share....
Sad. I have a jar of Ascot dirt on my shelf - raced bikes there in the mid-seventies (13R) - best years of my life.....
I was so saddened to hear that ascot park raceway Had been been closedown. I spent a lot of my childhood at Ascot, my uncle Rudy and aunt Dorothy sponsored cars for the destruction derby. Are used to love the weekends because we would always go to watch the races. Now I know why it was close and that saddens my heart. So many memories. Thank you for sharing this story
our Family is from Vt. and we are avid race fans. We went on a vacation to Calif. and one of our stops was Ascot Park!!!! Great racing!!! Great facility...Gone too soon.
I always wondered what happened to Ascot. I used to race my BMX bikes at the track there for a couple of years.
I always wonder what happen to the races at Ascot Raceway and why they stopped. Thank you for telling that story. I never got the chance to go and see a race at Ascot, but I could read and dream about the great Flat Track motorcycle races that were held there.
WOW. A good but sad story. I was at the last race & that sad weekend with Billy V getting an award for his Grandfather at Turkey night & dying that Sunday at the USAC race. Those were the 2 reasons I went to Southern California that weekend.
Thanks for posting
Tim
Hanesworth
I love these stories. Great interview. 👍
That was awesome! I always wanted to hear that story!
I miss Ascot Raceway and it's a shame the way it was run out of business by the land owner. However I get the feeling there was external pressure from the surrounding residents to eliminate the race track that went beyond the simple greed of the land owner and the short sightedness of the so called developer. I knew someone who lived in the nearby Redondo Beach neighborhood and you could hear the race events from his front yard (that's why he lived there!) but I imagine his other neighbors were not so enthralled to live so close to a race track. Too bad, it was a great place to watch racing and the prices were reasonable. I'm grateful that I got to watch an AMA flat track race there in 1988 where the crowd of fans was huge. Great memories!
Greed over history.
But I do wonder, with the development around there, except for the cemetery, how long could it have lasted?
Miss that track.
I mean the houses were there for years with very little issues so it could have a few more years
I grew up two blocks away. Class 85 GHS saw many races there😊
Thank you for sharing this story. I grew up in Gardena & went to 135th Street Elementary School from 1965 until 1972. We lived in Teton Street. I could hear The Ascot track from my neighborhood in the evening when we played outside.
Great Story.
Thank you for enlightening us and being so candid about it. Yes, it was indeed an institution! In 1982 while living in Tulsa Oklahoma (before I moved to SoCal) my car was stolen; I could not afford to replace it but I could afford a down payment on a motorcycle...bought a brand new red Honda FT 500 Ascot. Today I ride an XR 1200 HD, love American flat track racing and the beautiful machine the sport spawned. Spent many a nights at Ascot from 1985 until it closed...heart wrenching, could not believe the end had come!
JC Jr..... Our Fathers grew up together and were friends from San Pedro! My Father knew your Grandparents! I just posted this on the Carson High School 1960's site! I know your cousin Dennis! -----"The Agajanian Brothers and their father were GREAT people! The brothers grew up in San Pedro and were my Father, Eddie Brooks good friends! (JC, Ascot Park, Elisha Bank President ,Newhall and Ben Agajanian former kicking coach for the Dallas Cowboys) They grew up on a corner lot in a big house in San Pedro. Their father owned the Waste company. These were all men from the greatest generation! San Pedro Grads"
Thank you for sharing this story. What a shame that she didn't listen and sell the property.
I got the ASCOT program stand in pieces in the loft in my garage ( it fell apart over time but I didn't have the heart to toss it ) . At the last race I guess people were taking things and my dad took the program stand....I sure miss that place....
Your not the only one bitter about it Jay, worked there for you guys for years my father and I .lt broke our hearts to see it go. Miss all the friends we made there.
It's perfect wow I didn't know that was the story that's crazy
Good stuff Leo. Always wondered why they closed it and now I know why.
Amen brother!
And, time passed does not diminish my sadness every time I drive by the property...
WE all got screwed!
Now we know the rest of the story.
Ditto....every day on my way to work.....remembering the bmx track, go carts, pocket bikes, Friday night MX..and the roaring of the big V8's into the evenings.....the pos realtor reminds me of the pos realtor that sold my apt building....same level of greed......
@@dushooter exactly I miss the sound of the motors revving going around the track and watching the cars go by too
I still remember the arcade room with packman on the wall, walking to the desk for trophies after bmx races. Raymond Raspberry always came in first place…
Ascot is in my thoughts and memories often, good times.
Lived in the cul-de-sac of West 185th @ Vermont Ave. as a youngster. Ascot Park was a happening place then! We used to walk our mini bikes across Vermont, and ride them outside the park. Challenge of how tough you are was to ride up the outside to the wall.... Also, a great place to fly kites. The Goodyear Blimp used to moor not too far away. Life would take us away from the area. I have always wondered what happened to the place. Thought Honda had some kind of building there at one time... Good memories...
Our favorite racer on the Figure 8 Track was a car called "Snuffy Smith." Seems like I remember seeing Paul Newman race there a time or two, as well...
Another thought.... (Sorry for the excessive posts, but just remembering some really good times.....). I remember Steve McQueen racing there often. We would see him up during the day riding his motorcycle in the big parking area outside the stadium, and run to get our mini bikes and ride with him! He played around with us, and made us feel like stars ourselves!
Thanks for the memories Ascott.
I remember as a kid (1984-1990) driving south on the 110 freeway and seeing the track and hearing the cars.
Went there as a kid in the late 60's. Midget and flat track races...How cool...!
Hell right I’m bitter too. Raced motocross, turn 2 local watching speedway. BMX and slicktrack. 🇺🇸
Good times at the speedway..
I remember riding my BMX bike there
Jay like his dad is damn good , honest people !
Another loved and cherished aspect of my year of birth through adulthood stripped out of my life that will never come back.
I have memories at Ascot Park. Now I know the full story. You also have a new subscriber.
Legendary track I remember when I was a kid dirt racing was huge in the northeast ...but never had t.v coverage ...then there was ascot Park ...I remember the first time I saw a race on t.v.... the sunset the palm trees and the best sprint car racing I've ever seen... I've been to syracuse mile for the wOo...racing at ascot was just as impressive
Real estate agent. Yes that leaves me with a question about if she had anything to gain in the development of the Vermont Drive-in just up the street. If I remember correctly they closed the drive-in and developed it into residential property just after Ascot closed. There were nearby parcels that might have gained value if the track closed and I would bet they had a hand in making it come out the way it did. Of course there were politicians who wanted the development so they could increase the tax base as well.
The businesses who were there for Ascot were a big part of why Ascot was so successful and could race 3 or even 4 nights a week. Off roads, open wheel and stock cars and in later years Speedway bikes all racing in the same week! Irwindale has tried to get competition on the level Ascot had but have proved how hard it is to establish the ties to the local community to support the number of events Ascot had.
Loved going there watching Demo derby and figure 8. No other venue had the same thrills per second! I wish I kept all the merch I had like my ascot nylon zip jacket!
Amazing story. Thank you.
Man I loved going to ascot when I was a kid. So many memories watching the sprint car races. I can remember names like Ron shuman and walt Kennedy, Rip williams. Also remember how pissed everyone was when they shut down and than we saw nothing happen to the land.
I used to go to the figure 8races
Hard to believe it's been 30 years since it's been gone. Ascot used to have some of the best racing anywhere. From Street Stocks to Winged Sprints, Flat Track and Steeplechase, you always got a good show. I still drive by on the freeway regularly and can't ignore the irony of the junk yard that's there now. I raced there in the late 70s and early 80s, Street Stocks mostly. We had a good time.
Actually, Carrell Speedway was on Vermont not Normandie and it was Artesia Blvd that took out the race track. It cut off the North third or so of the track. I can remember when the part of the track and the announcers building were still there. The track flooded and made a lake in the winter. Someone built rafts out of the former seating planks and we would float around the lake.
My dad always spoke highly for Carrell Speedway, and Judge Carrell. He got back from WW2 and got into racing, what a love he had for open wheel cars he had. He even told me about the winter "lake". Each Sunday we used to go to Grandparents house in Compton, for color TV, Bonanza, Disney. Went out Artesia and could see the south turn from Carrell Speedway, I think I saw a small tear in my dad's eye each time.
Lilian is going to be living on a rent-to-own Raft, full of holes, down on the Lake, if she wants to.
Thinking about my parents. Thought about the summer nights at the park. The figure 8. The demolition. Too bad we are unable to share the thing of yesterday. At least not the way we could. Local race tracks and other things have been replaced with a virtual experience.
Ascot, great memories.
bummer... i loved the BMX track.. lots of great memories there..
I remember hearing the races all the way in Harbor City. And the buffalo burgers by the raceway were dome of the best in the world.
My family ran the concessions in the pits for the last 5 years and had a burrito stand that was an old trailer converted into a kitchen people loved the burritos and tacos.
I never went to ascot, but have heard stories about the burritos there, and some hot sauce you had to be careful with
I learned to Tokyo drift way before Toretto and his crew at the slick track write next to Ascot 😢
Never missed an AMA race from May 1974 to closing! Went to a few Outlaw Sprint car races too. Best racing for spectators ever! So sad when it closed. Now it’s a parking lot for car dealerships.
My friend and her family would watch the figure 8 races there every weekend, they referred to it as church , because they would go every weekend never missed a race.
Never met a developer i trusted. Theres just something about the way they slither.
I'm bitter too. I miss working there. I miss the employees, the burrito stand and the baked potato stand. Mmmmm
So heart breaking. I remember crying as a kid when I found out Ascot was closing.
Ascot was a great track, losing it was a great tragedy.
My dad and uncle performed and raced there. Casteel Family brothers any one remember or have pics or stories would be truly grateful.
My dad Leonard. Uncle we're churck or Charles charlie, Tommy and Bob or Robert Casteel. Part of chucks stunt shoe also. Ascot big Los atee demolition I learned how to ride a dirt bike there. Memories
photos.app.goo.gl/iXskBHACTkPTGrA97
My dad Leonard Casteel did figure eight. Uncle Tommy did midgets.
My uncle Chuck was Chuck Casteel stunt show, at Ascot and surrounding race track like Lions and Saugus. Any one gas pics or video please share with me.
I like this guy. I'm also irritated as to how Ascot met its demise. Ascot was a legend in motorcycle racing when I was a kid and to find out, even after all of these years, what a stupid and unnecessary mess its closing was is to make me hyperventilate.
I have so many great memories of my grandfather and uncle taking me there to watch the sprints and the early model stock cars run in the 60's. Sad that it is gone.
I remember watching many races there as a kid to include a lot of my family members. Bill, Billy Jr, Lonnie Jimmy Clabaugh aka Cla-tech Racing.
I remember when I worked at Vermont Drive In Theatre across the street in 1979 JC used to drive his white limo with beautiful women to watch movies. I wouldn’t charge him anything because he would give me passes to the Park. That was so cool. I also remember 4th of July program always featured a skydiver who landed on the infield.
R.I.P. ASCOT
🙏
Check out the movie Pit Stop! Shows Ascot park in it's prime in the 60s
Im bitter too.Movin on there's Perris auto speedway America's premier Clay oval
Used to flat track race motorcycles on Gardena race way (1955-1956). Spent most of my time in the dirt instead of on the dirt. Was sorry to see Gardena and Carroll (spelling ?) race tracks go.
i miss ol ascot park next to kennedale, texas cowtown speedway i miss both racing facilites y all no joke
So many historical places in Los Angeles County are being demolished, very disappointing
C-Stunt, sums it up.
rightfully so!