24 replies to this topic

[Marco Carvalho]

We at Electric Dreams are thrilled to announce the acquisition of two tracks from legendary Buena Park Raceway: Gary Gerding's blue King and the famous Flat track. We've been monitoring the situation with BPR's current owner, hoping to see the tracks repositioned to a good place where they could be assembled and enjoyed. But it did not happen. 

 

The blue King is the most beloved King in the country. It hosted many important races and racers all those years at BPR (please check the 2019 Checkpoint Cup). It was built on location by Gary, according to Craig Williamson. This is its first time moving, the first time out of that building.

 

The Flat track came from NorCarl, the home SCRRA races, and Keith Tanaka's Hardbody series - my unquestionably favorite class - and we'll find a way to keep it going.

 

The tracks are now being taken apart, packed, and moved by Bob Scott to our secondary storage facility. They will be adequately taken care of until we have an expansion plan. We do not have the space to put them out at our building in El Segundo. We have two active tracks focusing on the 1/32 world. But this might be the fuel we needed. 

 

I want to thank Robert Range for the deal, Walter Baynes and Sam Rackham for the mediation, and Mill Conroy for his priceless support. And, of course, Scott Bader, Electric Dreams owner, for approving this deal, comprehending the importance of this place and tracks for the history of slot cars. 

 

Again, tracks are going to storage. There are no plans to reassemble it now. We are not opening a new raceway. Everything else you hear is just pure gossip or people assuming something untrue. Please stay away from this; there is no reason for more damage. 

 

I keep you posted here on this post. As I said, we are happy to save two great pieces of slot car history, promising a good future for those gorgeous ladies. 

 

I appreciate your support. I can't wait to read your comments. 

 

Marco Carvalho

Partner at Electric Dreams Slot Cars 

 

 

[kustomfab1]

Great news, Marco!!!

[Tim Wood]

Awesome! Thanks to all involved and to Scott Bader for preserving some slot car history. 

 

These are the tracks I started my slot car adventure and enjoyed all the friendships made there.

[Tim Neja]

Wonderful news, Marco, and thank you, Scott. It's awsome that these historic tracks will be preserved for future use. The slot car community is blessed with these great efforts! 

 

Merry Christmas! 

[Mad Mark]

As sad as this is its great news to know it went to good hands and not just end up on the scrap heap.

[Mad Mark]

I raced USRA Nats in like 2001 on that King as little kid.

[MG Brown]

Thank you for sharing the news, Marco. I hope that the 'plan' comes together soon and that E.D. can expand into 1/24 racing.

[Tom Eatherly]

Glad to see the flat track getting a new, safe home. I'll wait for the re-build, as that track is the only one I race on.

 

Thanks, Marco, for the update.

[Jaeger Team]

Very good news.Thanks to Scott, a real mecenate!

[eshorer]

We've seen time and time again the support that Electric Dreams has provided to our little world of little cars. The closing of Buena Park Raceway is sad, but it looks like a positive result of the closing is on the horizon. I'm looking forward to racing on those tracks again, but for now we've got a number of other racing opportunities, including the monthly racing at Electric Dreams. If you're in the SoCal area this coming weekend, check out the 1/32 NSR Western Nationals that will be there, and you'll get an idea of how they're focused on putting on a racing program.

 

Thanks much, Scott and Marco, and all those who were involved in the acquisition of those tracks.

 

Eddie

[bbr]

Thank you, Marco and Scott.

[Tex]

Well done, Electric Dreams!

[Bridgehampton66]

Huge thanks to everyone involved. a fantastic outcome.

 

Will sit tight for any further news.

[Alchemist]

That's excellent news!

 

Thank you, Scott/Electric Dreams, for stepping up to retain and preserve a bit of slot car history.

 

This is a landmark!

 

Happy Holidays, gentlemen!

 

Ernie

[Mike Patterson]

If you wanted a true historic King track, you should have purchased the one from Tom Thumb Hobbies in Columbus, OH. It was in constant use from 1967 to 2022.

[Marco Carvalho]

Bob Scott finishing his work today. 

 

 

[Tim Wilkins]

 Check those dust bunnies carefully, Marco. You might find hundreds of axle spacers and loose pinion gears.

[Eddie Fleming]

I appreciate the good side to some of this but I can't bring myself to hit the like button on any of it. 

[Tom Eatherly]

I appreciate the good side to some of this but I can't bring myself to hit the like button on any of it. 

 

Roger that.

[drrufo]

I am leaving this website with the closing of Buena Park Raceway. I sold the controller business and have no more involvement with slot cars.

 

John Andersen 

[pn6]

Sad to see it all go!

[Phil Hackett]

Sad to see another raceway close.

 

We should start a betting pool on how long BPR's building will be vacant until another business moves in or the complex is torn down.

 

The catagories:

 

1) under 60 days

 

2) over 60 but less than 120 days

 

3) over 120 days but less than 180 days

 

4) over 180 but less than 1 year

 

5) 1 year or more.

 

 I'll bet that whole property (not just BPR) gets bulldozed #4. SoCal real estate is too expensive to ignore a property that size for redevelopment. (For those not up on BPR"s location: it's adjacent to Cypress College, located adjacent to a major intersection in Orange County, borders a large residential area, has high traffic count and visibility).

 

Circle-T was closed because the landlord wanted $$$$$$ and wouldn't negotiate and the building was vacant for *years* (I believe over 5 years) before a martial arts studio moved in. In the meantime, *nothing* was done to the property. I guess inflation caught up with the asking price.

 

(I'm starting to believe in a vacancy tax....)

[NSwanberg]

re vacancy tax. Our retail renting model is holding a lot of entrepreneurs back. As I understand it, banks do not have to write down a loan as long as the property rental rate that the loan was based on, whether or not the property is rented, remains in effect. The loan can be nonperforming, but it does not have to be written off, which affects the bank's capital structure. Somebody must know more about it than I do but seeing raceways close and the property remain vacant for years afterwards is heartbreaking. Amazon is killing retail but is it progress? I think the Amazon model is based on hoped for coming autonomous delivery systems.

[Phil Hackett]

I am on good terms with the shop's landlord and what I have been "informed" is the banks are somewhat dictating what rental rates should be. He has told me he doesn't go to banks for loans.... they come to him to loan him money. I know he doesn't particularly think highly of bankers but he will take advice when it's to his advantage.

 

I had read somewhere that the Tokyo government has a vacancy tax so a small group of landlords can't withhold properties from rental just to push up the rental rate. I'm not sure if this is true (I'm too lazy to search this out) but it makes sense. I have seen buildings all around the Los Angeles areas be "for rent" and vacant for over 10 years. Whether taxing something like that would make a difference is debatable. I *do* know it might be considered a seizing of property by government and the tax being contested in court.

[jimht]

"Buy, Borrow, Die" a way for the rich to make untaxed money.

 

An asset like real estate doesn't have to be occupied for this strategy to work, in fact it may be more profitable tax-wise if it isn't.

 

This is also why there are unoccupied apartments worth millions in New York City that are owned by Russians and Saudis .

 

https://smartasset.com/investing/buy-borrow-die-how-the-rich-avoid-taxes

 

https://medium.com/@cboogaerts/why-100-million-apartments-in-nyc-are-empty-cc780e2c2fdc