1970 photo of Zora Duntov

[Ralph S.]

Anyone know where this was taken

[Chris H.]

Re: 1970 photo of Zora Duntov

If I had to take a guess it would the old Ontario Motor Speedway.

[Ralph S.]

Re: 1970 photo of Zora Duntov

Chris, Where is that

[Chris H.]

Re: 1970 photo of Zora Duntov

Just outside Los Angeles. A mirror of Indy, with a road course and drag strip. Lots of history there. Only lasted about 10 years.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1970 photo of Zora Duntov

Chris, Where is that

Ralph------

It was located in Ontario, California, right next to the I-10 freeway. It was built around 1969 or 1970. It's "signature event" was supposed to be an Indy car race called the California 500. The whole thing was very poorly managed and eventually collapsed. It closed for good sometime in the late 70's. I remember driving down the freeway when I was in SoCal and seeing the great big abandoned hulk, looking forlorn and overgrown with weeds. It was eventually demolished and redeveloped.

The photo does look like it could be at the Ontario Speedway.

[Ralph S.]

Re: 1970 photo of Zora Duntov

Is this the same place Paul Newman

[Joe L.]

Re: 1970 photo of Zora Duntov

Is this the same place Paul Newman

Ralph------


It could very well be. The cars in the pictures look like 1970 or 71 models. So, it could be that this was part of a "big splash" for the Ontario Motor Speedway either right before or right after it opened.

[Bob D.]

Re: 1970 photo of Zora Duntov

Went to several Ontario 500s when I was in the AF stationed out there. Great venue, you could see the entire track from the stand--no blindspots. Too bad it folded.

[Duke W.]

Re: 1970 photo of Zora Duntov

OMS was expensive to build, but auto racing alone didn't generate enough revenue to make the interest payments on the construction loan. The owners began to supplement income by staging rock concerts, which, as you can imagine, created certain "law enforcement" problems, and the city eventually refused to permit rock concerts, which was the death knell for OMS.

[Chris H.]

Re: 1970 photo of Zora Duntov

Indy car's first 200 mph lap was done there by Californian Jerry Grant in Sep 1972. His teammate Bobby Unser was not happy he didn't get that achievement.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1970 photo of Zora Duntov

Went to several Ontario 500s when I was in the AF stationed out there. Great venue, you could see the entire track from the stand--no blindspots. Too bad it folded.

Bob------


Yes, the now-closed Norton AFB was not too far away from the Ontario Motor Speedway. March AFB is not too far away, either.

California used to have a lot of Air Force bases. Not so many now and I could even see a few of those being on the "chopping block". At some point, I could see Travis AFB and Vandenburg AFB as the only "men left standing".