You see it driving past Goodyear from the I-10 just past Estrella Mntn Ranch exit.
I snuck in on my way back from San Diego this weekend....
The place is creeepy as f@$k!
Lots of birds live there, so I chose not to sneak inside the 2nd fence.
This is what I had wanted to see:
I may go back some time and reshoot with better light if I can muster up the courage!
There is a very interesting story regarding this abandoned concrete shell of a raceway.
It was opened in 1965. Built by an East Coast developer named James Dunnigan who was romored to have mob ties. It was originally projected to cost $3mill but after a few Italian architects got their way, it ended up costing about $10M!! -Bankrupting the poor developer. It was built of reinforced concrete and was said to have been able to withstand a direct hit from a hydrogen bomb (so don't get any wild ideas you finatics)
In 1966, after just two seasons in operation the raceway was closed and sold to Sportservice for peanuts. Sportservice bought it to make sure no reincarnation took place and thus, its greyhound operation in Phoenix was protected...
The only action this raceway has received since is in this old Charlie Sheen movie No Code of Conduct:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKSbvnpAk8s
or try this if youtube isn't working:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x63y7q ... shortfilms
Beware of the cheesiness! If you skip to 1:38 you can see the building and remaining windows being blown to smitherenes (but not the almighty shell!).
A sad story regarding those birds:
http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/UWS ... llout.html
Cooool photos:
http://scotthaefner.com/photos/place/Ph ... ting+Park/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/statecolle ... 937518885/
http://itine-rant.blogspot.com/2006/11/ ... essay.html
http://www.uer.ca/locations/viewgal.asp ... alid=14739 (I dig the "never tell" pic)
More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Trotting_Park
Phoenix Trotting Park Suspends
Racing Indefinitely
From December 14, 1966 Harness Horse
Citing insufficient public support, Phoenix Trotting Park some 20 miles west of Phoenix, Ariz., suspended racing indefinitely on Wednesday, December 7, 1966, after 13 cards of a 58-night meeting had been held. The track first opened in 1965, but neither the inaugural meeting nor the meeting last winter were successful.
Hopes that interest in betting on harness racing would be sufficient this year to support a meeting faded soon after the November 6 opening. In a desperate effort to attract fans, the management instituted free parking and admission, added quarter horse racing and on Thanksgiving Day offered a special turkey dinner with all the trimmings for 97 cents. Attendance rose to as many as 3,000 or more, but the per capita wagering remained at less than $10 per person.
In announcing the decision to suspend operations, James J. Dunnigan, Sr., the track president, stressed that they had made every effort to avoid the move in order to prevent hardships to owners, trainers, and drivers. At the same time Dunnigan expressed his belief that harness racing might return sometime in the future. He based his optimism on the strong possibilities of additional new industry in the area, plans to extend the freeway adjacent to the track, and other economic factors. Future plans for the $10 million plant are indefinite, Dunnigan said.
Michigan horseman, Dean Fileccia added the following:
"I was fortunate enough to winter train at the Phoenix track the winter of 82-83. It was intended to be a premier facility but placement and the weather didn't help their cause. I understand from talking to some of the residents, that not only were the roads not adequate being 20 mile out of town for the expected traffic, but when they had scheduled the meet was the time of year that they had drenching rains causing washouts and impossible to cross floods. The facility is entirely built from poured concrete as are all of the barns. The barn sections were poured on the ground and lifted into place after setting. There were two tracks, the main 5/8ths and a mile training track which we used. I understand that the facility is still in use but for show horses. I don't believe that the grandstand can ever be used. Over the years the facing, which was about two feet thick had separated from the main portion. I was told it would cost more to fix than to replace. It was eerie going through the deserted grandstand, we ran across old tickets from the original meet and old money sacks. By the way Don, if you would like more info, the track is actually located in Goodyear, AZ (where they build fly and repair the Goodyear blimps) and I might still have the supt. number around somewhere"
-JC
