Port Orford, what was cause of failure?

L

lee_fjellanger

Well-known member
I have been lucky enough to have gotten some of the old
memos and newsletters lately to remind me of the old
days and fill me partly in on some of the times I missed
completely.
A considerable amount of effort, and fair amount of money
has spent on trying to add racing venues to ICSCC.
That was definitely true of Port Orford, OR.
Now, most failures have multiple reasons, but does someone
care to give their opinions on what caused the final end
of sports car racing at Port Orford?
 
I don't believe that "failure" is an appropriate description for the loss of the Port Orford venue. The temporary track was an old WWII B-17 Auxilary airfield that was/is being used by the US Forest Service, and eventually the US Forest Service did not give permission for it's use as a race course.

At that time, and check other similar airport-type race venue history, the US Gov't was denying use of many their air fields to racing clubs as a matter of policy. Liability issues, perhaps?

Least ways, that's how I remember it. Someone else may have another perspective.
 
Just as a disclaimer: I was really young when the races were run at Port Orford. I do remember going down there for at least one year.

I heard that there was some issue with the locals and noise? Is there any truth to that?
 
Steve, the locals loved us for the most part. We even had a convoy of race cars that would drive into town from the track parade style, and there was a big party in town as well for us on Saturday night. Not sure that happened every year, but it did a few times at least.
The director of the FAA was a devout non-race fan so the story goes, and so the plug was pulled on not only Orford but our Olympia venue went away also after a few years.
 
Ditto with Deer Park. I believe the FAA put an end to that venue. We (NWMS) had to remove all of the tires, turn stations, barriers, stands and out-buildings when we moved out.

I kinda liked Richland also, but I'm not sure what happended there.

Oly was cool because TC always had great after meet shin-digs!

Lawrence
 
As for the Tri-Cities Grand Prix... I seem to remember that the City Fathers decided that they weren't interested after the first and only.

Too bad to. That's where 'Air' Heidi got her name. Lots of memories from that weekend.
 
We were asked not to return to Tri Cities because 3 individuals threatend to sue the city fathers because of noise. This was an active airport with a DC3 taking sky divers aloft. I don't miss Oly or Port Orford but Tri-cities was an interesting track. G
 
The amount of effort that went into Tri-Cities by Steve Gamerardini and his crew was staggering. But in the end all it took was a few grumpy residents to axe the event. Those DC3's flew all week-end as I recall, and a bunch of our guys went up for tandem jumps, but our cars were somehow too noisy?
As usual the city loved the considerable revenue that came to them courtesy of us, but one particular elder lady was adamant that it could not continue, and so it did not...
 
I have very fond memories of Port Orford. The only bad year was the one where they decided to run the track clockwise...
 
I too remember quite a jump on part of the Tri-Cities course!
Port Orford was the only track I had to use 2nd gear in my Vee...never ran it clock-wise though.
Ya know with amount of revenue that came in to these areas with a race you'd think the City Fathers would wisk the persons that don't like the noise off for the weekend to some resort or something. (Read: buy them off!)
Not so easy with the FAA though :(
 
I'm pretty sure that there were 2 races in Tri-Cities. I have t-shirts from both to commerate the events. The first year t was black with pink writing. The second year was like neon green with sky divers on it.

I remember laying in the pits looking straight up at the sky divers. Weren't they going for a record for most people joined together in mid jump or something?

Same as Port Orford though, I was only 9 or 10 years old .. so my memory may be wrong.
 
I thank everyone who has added our information.

Yes, I recognize that "failure" was not an ideal word.
But, lacking a better short one, I thought I'd use it in the
'title', then explain it better in the body.
I stalled, then figured I better send before forgetting!

So, on a close related topic, can somebody please
explain why the racing event at "Coos Bay International
Speedway" did not achieve long term glory and success?
(can't blame FAA for that one!)
 
Ahhh Port Orford...was the first taste of Conference racing where I was truly welcomed. Things I remember: I developed my very strong affinity for Don Smethers there. I learned how much Tequila a Chief of T&S could drink and still score the next day. The race car parade up 101. The one-armed bass player at the Port & Starboard. We were there when Princess Diana died. Larry proposed to Roxanne at the Saturday party. Steve Leonard IS super human. James Hepburn smells really good (I was trophy tart one year). "The Tarantula has landed in the Tree of Sanquility".
 
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