Track-suing scumbags

I ran across this thread on the "Indian Dunes" page in Facebook. It gets good about a third of the way down when Michael Snider asks if anyone knows what the real reason was for why the place closed down. Gary Lamb was one of the owners, or connected and what he has to say is enough to piss off anybody. It makes me want to find Rich Cain. If you have high blood pressure, you'd better stop reading, cuz your brain will explode!

Randy Rudy Butler
Looks like a fresh canvas to open up the "new" Indian Dunes! And you know this.....
February 26 at 12:18pm · Report

Rob Peeples
Wow, Wow, Wow! It looks like heaven. Thank you Elrod!
February 26 at 1:26pm · Report

Chris Hatounian
What about tomorrow?
February 26 at 1:32pm · Report

Toby Lawes
PICTURE MAKES ME WANT TO CRY!!
February 26 at 3:26pm · Report

David Potts
On the way to Piru MX I stop and see if there is anything left to identify the old park by and there is still some of the road you would drive ohn going to the international track left but that's it
February 26 at 3:45pm · Report

Gary Lamb
What a waist..Alot of really good ghosts floating around out there...
February 26 at 4:21pm · Report

Daniel L Cameron
I drove by there maybe 10 years a go to see what was left, and there was nothing left. Even the sand wash was different. Mr. Peabody, can we use your "Wayback" machine?
February 26 at 4:24pm · Report

Chip Johnson
Gary, remember all of the times we were sitting on the starting line waiting for the ambulance to come back because they left for crash on 126.
February 26 at 7:25pm · Report

Daniel L Cameron
Ah yes! Time to run up and go get a hot dog because it's gonna be a while!
February 27 at 7:52am · Report

Paul M. Lane
Hey Chip,,And the same on fri nites until the wee hrs of the nite, sleeping on the line....
February 27 at 9:27am · Report

Daniel L Cameron
In 1986 they filmed part of the movie "The Eye of the Tiger" at dunes. It was about a gang of outlaw dirt-bikers. Dunes had been closed for a while, but all the tracks were still there. During our lunch break ( I was an extra) I walked around and checked all the tracks. The International Track had trees growing right in the middle of the course. Everything was so overgrown. I was shocked to see they leveled everything years later.
February 27 at 9:45am · Report

Steve Souisa
I ride my bicycle down 126 to fillmore and back all the time and all I think about is dunes! My best memory was the asphalt uphill road ( behind the first turn international track)from the pits out. I saw Paul Lane scraping his rear fender on a wheelie. I asked him how do you do that? He said "get the front wheel up and ride the brake" One week later and 35 years today I've rode wheelies! Thanks Paul!
February 27 at 9:49am · Report

Chip Johnson
I remember those nights Paul. Nothing like banging bars with red tired eyes.
February 27 at 10:10am · Report

Rich Truchinski
Best memory is hanging out with friends and my first pro win AME GP International side! Got a check for $100
February 27 at 4:58pm · Report

Michael Snider
I can probably ask Vicki James but does anyone know why the place closed in the first place? What would it take to re-open it?
February 27 at 5:32pm · Report

Mike Keyes
I remember p lanes mom ( which was like a mom to me ) taking us to the racas in the family blue two tone window van, with pauls bike on the trailer idoling because he was trying to break in the new motor before the race. what good times
February 27 at 6:13pm · Report

Daniel L Cameron
Basically, the "Riders" who got hurt sued the owners of Dunes. I believe they were sued 15 times in 3 years where Dunes lost. The owners couldn't afford it. They were supposed to sell it to the State of Cali and it was going to be turned into a state riding area, but Riverside raceway closed and the owners of Dunes backed out of the deal with the state figuring they could sell it to the Riverside folks. The Dunes folks got greedy and the Riverside folks said "No", so they went back to the State, but since the Dunes folks screwed over the State, they State said "No" too. This was the Owners of the Dunes property, not Walt or Gary.
February 27 at 8:43pm · Report

Michael Snider
It sure would be cool if a group could be put together to reopen the Dunes. Just make sure the releases are like a race tracks where people can't sue.
February 28 at 9:15am · Report

Gary Lamb
I'm going to say this one more time..The Dunes didn't close for any one reason.Newhall land and farm decided to get out of the liability business, they sold Magic Mountain when people started falling out of roller coasters, they sold the boat rentals at Castaic lake when people fell out of the boats and drowned..and they closed Indian Dunes when a play rider got awarded punitive damages in a lawsuit..When the Dunes first opened we had Insurance co's. lined up to sell us liability insurance, in 1985 the year we closed We couldn't even get a quote let alone a policy..They were still lined up to sell us race insurance (Racers don"t sue) but we could not find general insurance for the everyday operation..Due to Play riders running into each other and sewing us ..We even had play riders injuring them self in the desert somewhere and having their buddies drive them to the Dunes to say they were injured there knowing out insurance co. would settle with them..These people would even have us call a ambulance for them..One Monday morning we only had two riders in this 600 acre park and they ran into each other, they both filed a claim...THE WORD WAS OUT crash at the dunes and get a payday..
February 28 at 10:10am · Report

Vicki Welty
The only ones we have to blame are those inexperienced idiots that went out to play, usually after a few beers to get the courage to even get on a bike! I remember going out to practice one day and having some punk on the practice track run into me - his excuse was he was going so fast that he didn't know which brake to use without crashing - duh! So instead of using the brakes he plowed into the side of me. First thing he said was "If you are hurt you know you can sue this place" If I had been able to get up, I probably would have kicked his ass all the way to the International Track! Those are the people that actually Closed Indian Dunes! We all fought very hard to keep it open, but without Insurance it couldn't be done. Although Indian Dunes is closed, we all have so many wonderful memories! I grew up there and pretty much raised my daughter there as well, when they closed the gate for the last time it was like losing a family member!!!
February 28 at 11:54am · Report

Daniel L Cameron
From what I heard, the "Straw that broke the camels back" was a first-timer on a ATC or Quad who was riding down the pit road. She made a left turn in front of a bike that was pit racing and got T-boned. Now if this had been on the street, the lady making the left turn would have been primarily at fault for an illegal left turn, and the pit racer would have been associated due to his speed, but Dunes got the blame for not having "Baby Sitters" out there making sure people knew how to ride, and not working speed enforcement. This was on a week day when the park was almost empty!
February 28 at 12:50pm · Report

Gary Lamb
The lady your talking about paid a dollar spectator fee for the day, she should not have been on a bike at all.. she was riding her sons ATC for the first time,,She was hit by another bike in the middle of a u-turn in the parking area north of the ATC track..Her injuries were as I remember a broken leg and bruises ..In the million dollar law suit she filed her lawyer got punitive damages added to the suit, Saying that Indian Dunes was grossly at fault because we opened our gates that day and took her dollar knowing it was a dangerous place to ride..( SHE DIDN'T PAY TO RIDE, SHE PAID TO BE A SPECTATOR) We all know Indian Dunes wasn't dangerous, inexperienced riders with there heads up their ass were...The guy that hit her was injured worse then she was and knowing she was at fault he didn't sue. Stating to me" I hear you guys got enough lawsuits and I don't want this place to close..Because of some stupid thing I did"..
February 28 at 4:01pm · Report

Chip Johnson
That’s what I always liked about you Gary; the truth will always stand the test of time!!!Only you know what really happen out there. Thanks for setting it straight.
February 28 at 4:20pm · Report

Daniel L Cameron
Smart lawyers and stupid judges have done more to screw up this country, if not the world, than anything else!!!

Only in America can you screw up royally, blame somebody else for it, and get paid for doing it!!!
February 28 at 4:33pm · Report

Toby Lawes
all i know is some one took my mx park away from me and my fellow racers!!! my son will never know whatit was like to have a mx park like the dunes!! people came from all over the world to ride & race ther! what a dam waste!!!!!!!!!
February 28 at 7:03pm · Report

Jackie Morris
Johnston So sad that it is all flat and un-used ((((
March 1 at 8:51am · Report

Mark McBride
I can also back up what Gary has said. I remember the morons out there getting a buzz and crashing. I can't count the times I saw the ambulance haul off people because of their stupidity. I also remember Walt and Gary literally pleading with people to please be careful. I remember the flyers that we handed out with the R.I.P message...and it eventually came true. I personally think that someone could come up with a plan to re-open the place. I hate driving by when I come down there. it is actually painful to see row crops where the tracks used to be. Like Toby said..think of all of the famous people who rode there in their prime. Gary..can ya come back and run it?
March 1 at 2:30pm · Report

Brian Mayfield
pass the site often always brings back good thoughts miss it and its a shame my son will never see one of these parks
March 5 at 7:17am · Report

Rob Bernabe
Looks like it's wide open to be re-opened.
March 6 at 11:21pm · Report

Brian Mayfield
Dream come true but Walts gone and things are kust way different these days
March 7 at 7:18am · Report

Rob Bernabe
Breaks my heart. Used to be so many places to to ride. One word - LAWYERS. Sad.
March 7 at 7:27pm · Report

Kevin Scott DeLorto
Geeezo !!!! I, like most racers have broken many bones and messed up several joints but NEVER EVER would I even consider suing !!!!! U put in the quarter, u go for the ride !!!!
March 9 at 8:32pm · Report

Rob Bernabe
Agreed! That's the problem these days. I recall a kid that got hurt at Saddleback because he got on the track on his 80 BACKWARDS during open practice. Of course, the track gets sued.
If you ride - you will get hurt. Deal with it.
March 9 at 9:17pm · Report

Kevin Scott DeLorto
Amen Brutha....
March 9 at 9:32pm · Report

Jerry Fasold
Gary's right on about wht it was finally closed,That lady!! i hope never to find her!!
March 15 at 1:19am · Report

Rob Bernabe
Lawyers and no accountability for one's actions. That's why we are so limited as riders. I long for the days of old. Thanks Gary for the posts!
March 15 at 8:14pm · Report

Brock Suter
for the last 25 years, I have told my family that if and when I die, I want to be cremated and have my ashes spread at indian dunes. that is where i grew up & really learned how to race. I've raced all over the country but that is the place I truly call home. friends & families were connected there, friendships which still continue today. my best memories, bar non, are of indian dunes. 10 years ago, I had the idea of getting together as many of the dunes locals as I could find. I'm still in contact with around 10 and figured it could find at least another dozen. the plan was to get together out at the entrance off 126 walk around the location and talk. it seams like there was more left back then, at least something! then we'd go to valencia to the chucky cheese like we all did in the early 80's, after races & practice days. I started to all the info I could get but unfortunately, I screwed it up by a bailing out of the tree in front of my flat in hollywood from 3 stores up, endoing on my noggin which resulted in coma/brain damage/the start of my disabled chapter. I'm sorry that i wasn't able to follow thru on my plan to get the dunes kids & families together. I'm just happy to still be here and sorted enough to ride every day! I still feel the same about having my ashes scattered at the dunes, but I want them to take the titanium plate out of my head first and give it to my wife of ex.
March 17 at 10:57am · Report

Rob Bernabe
Well....if there's a gang that wants to go out there, I'd be there in a heartbeat. Between Indian Dunes, Claude Osteens, Saddleback and Escape Country - my heart was broken (ok - I survived). But the Dunes was my favorite. I'll never forget the day I called to ask about practice and the I was told they were closed.
March 17 at 9:19pm · Report

Brock Suter
and ascot. i was very sad to see that track go. so many nights in the '70s/'80s racing mx & TT. I was a LA kid and those were my home tracks. :-/
Thu at 12:06am · Report

Kevin Scott DeLorto
I say we all get together and crash the gates at Saddleback, Carlsbad and the Dunes and burn in some new lines on what's left !!! Heck, I'm 48, the parties almost over anyway,,,lol
Thu at 9:53pm · Report