Dave Grayson

IRWINDALE EVENT CENTER. IRWINDALE, CA. www.irwindalespeedway.com

Sadly, we are reminded here that the future of this first class motorsports facility will soon come to an end but, until a ending date is announced, the IEC will continue on until they learn the actual date of their final night.

On Saturday, January 23d, the IEC will treat their fans to one of their super fun Night Of Destruction, presented by LKQ. Scheduled on track action will include an enduro race, the Irwindale race truck series, the Pick Your Part compact car demolition derby, Seidner's Collision Center skid plate racing and the always fun trailer racing.

On race night the spectator gates will open at 2pm followed a fan meet and greet autograph session at 3:45pm with the first event seeing a green flag at 5pm.

Pre sale discount tickets are available through the center's website. General admission tickets, age 13 through adult, are $10 presale and $15 on race day. Kids tickets, are six through 12, are $5.

WE'RE STILL WAITING TO HEAR ABOUT THE FATE OF THE IRWINDALE EVENT CENTER.

This time last year we knew one thing for certain: the state of the art racing facility was going to, and did, run a full 2015 schedule that included stock cars on the paved oval, NHRA sanctioned drag racing, Formula Drift and special car show events in the facility's pavilion area. The IEC had a very busy and prosperous 2015 season that entertained tens of thousands of fans all year long. The IEC management and staff had every right to be proud of their accomplishments during the 2015 season.

Here's what we don't know for certain: how long is it going to last? Late last year we were told how the sale of the 63 acres, that has been the home of the IEC since 1999, had been completed, in September of 2013 for $22 million, and the track would eventually become a retail outlet center, to be built by Irwindale Outlet Partners LLC. that would also feature an entertainment stage, central plaza and dining courtyard. This was followed by published reports, in area newspapers, that said, from construction workers to retail employees, this project could generate approximately 5,000 jobs along with an estimated $2.6 million in annual tax revenue to the local economy.

Here's something else we don't know for certain: when is this construction going to start? There was speculation that construction would begin in early 2016. However, late last year Irwindale Outlet Partner LLC made it clear they were not going to begin construction until they had signed lease agreements for a minimum 65 percent occupancy of the available store fronts. Whether or not they have achieved this goal, or how close they are to it, isn't exactly clear at this point in time.

In the meantime, the IEC recently released a partial 2016 schedule, from January 7th to July 28th, indicating they are willing to present racing until someone tells them to stop. The vast majority of the schedule features their famed NHRA Thursday Night Thunder Drag Racing program. However there are two special dates also on that new schedule. The first is the aforementioned IEC's fan favorite Night Of Destruction on Saturday and the return of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West on March 19th.

Until the development of this outlet mall begins, it's important the we, the fans, continue to support the special programs at the Irwindale Event Center and thank them for being a major staple in the southern California motorsports landscape during the past 16 years.