What to do For Dessert on Thanksgiving
Something else for which to give thanks
If you happen to be in the Los Angeles area on Thursday, and don’t want the family fun to end with the pumpkin pie, then round up the young’ins and head over to the Toyota Speedway in Irwindale for the 69th running of the Lucas Oil Turkey Night Grand Prix, which is presented by Agajanian Promotions.
Pre-dating the Irwindale track by five decades, the Turkey NIght races have become a southern California institution. The Toyota Speedway took on the tradition when it opened in 1999 For the longest time it was held at Ascot Raceway in Gardena, and the event bounced around between various tracks after Ascot closed in 1990 before finding a home at Irwindale.
There will be over 200 laps of excitement for your tryptophan-heightened excitement topped by an Agajanian-feting 98-lap USAC midget race, which will provide some of the fastest lap times of any of the speedway’s races. The track opens to the public at 4:00, and the Taco King fan appreciation autograph session, which will let you rub elbows with the drivers out on the track starts at 5:45 p.m.. Racing gets underway at 7:00. And remember, the fun doesn’t stop when the yellow flag drops, and that’s because Lugnut, the Irwindale mascot is there with his tee shirt cannon to keep the spectators cheering.
The Toyota Speedway is where the 605 Freeway and Live Oak Avenue COLLIDE! Discount tickets are available.
Image Source: [Flickr]
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No go, I'll be in Minneapolis chairing the family candy auction, potato peeling and jellied cranberry committees.
This is totally acceptable, unless you are like me, from the mid-west and like the tradition of falling asleep due to overeating or watching the Lions lose on National TV (not a Lions fan).
Do you always feel obliged to cheer for the Lions? I do for some reason.
Sometimes. Maybe its due to the "lovable loser" aspect. However, I always root against the Cowboys, that is, if they are playing on thanksgiving.
I root against the Cowgirls any time they're playing, and I couldn't care less about the Lions.
/stirs the pot…
Weren't the Lions always supposed to win on Thanksgiving? Didn't Madden decree that years ago?
I just enjoy the Dallas home games with the go-go girls in the upper deck. Nothing says family entertainment like scantily clad women swinging around a chrome pole in the nosebleed section.
"Thats good clean entertainment right there Cotton"
so… baseketball promotions have made their way to real-life??
"welcome to free-range chicken night, here at…."
I wish I was there, I'd go in a heartbeat.
I used to go to the OG Turkey Night GP at Ascot every year. I can't remember the first one I went to as a little boy, but as I got old enough to drive, my brothers, friends and I would go every year. I do remember watching Rich Vogler flip in turn 1 and get caught in the fencing, and I remember watching a very young Jeff Gordon race the Diet Pepsi midget. Everyone sitting around us in the turn 1 stands agreed he was going to be a superstar.
Anyone in So Cal definitely needs to go. Highly recommended.
Gordon finishes 4th at NH!