SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — An event families have enjoyed for more than a half of a century hosted at the Sacramento Raceway Park had its last show Saturday.
The raceway, located near Mather Airport, hosted one of its biggest crowds as it marks the end of era for the annual Governor's Cup race.
For thousands of fans and participants, the day was bittersweet after owners of the raceway announced they'd be closing by the end of the year.
The drag strip came alive with the roar of more than 200 cars.
“It's a clean sport, a hobby,” said Joseph Hansen, who has raced at the track and watched countless races.
“I have been a drag racing for years,” said Craig Hansen, racer, and Joseph’s father. “He has been coming here since he was 10 years old.”
The father-son duo, and thousands of others, say it's been 53 years of thrilling excitement, racing and memories.
“I have been sideways here,” said Craig Hansen when asked about his favorite memory. “[Joseph’s] was probably the wet t-shirt contest at 12 years old.”
For the thousands in attendance, it is the memories they will hold onto and cherish.
“This is the 53rd Governor's Cup. And it is our last big Hurrah,” said Rick Morris, who is tech and safety inspector at the Sacramento Raceway Park since 1966.
The Smith family tells ABC10 it is closing the racetrack in part because of the ongoing back and forth with Sacramento County. They've been in talks to close down since at least 2017.
“It is going be hard for everybody involved at the track and all the racers,” said Morris. “They have come in all the way from Oregon, Nevada, Arizona and Washington. They've come from everywhere... There will be a lot of tears shed.”
Nostalgic for fans and organizers as the curtain for legal drag racing in the Sacramento area comes down.
“It will be a big loss. It really will be,” said Morris.
This weekend was the last big race at the Sacramento Raceway Park. Over the next month, there will be a few smaller races before the track officially closes.
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