>
>Marlboro....like Cumberland were two wonderful race courses in Maryland
that
>didn't survive....as other venues of motorsports did elsewhere. But the
>Marlboro memories and the distant scent of castor oil are still
recognizable.
>Perhaps some of you will also share some stories as well....
>
>Lee Raskin, Brooklandville, Maryland ( Arnolt-Bristol and 356er)
>
Maps of both Marlboro (http://www.na-motorsports.com/Tracks/Marlboro.html )
and Cumberland (http://www.na-motorsports.com/Tracks/Cumberland.html ) Can
be found on Richard Welty's North Americian Motorsprts pages.
I am a bit young to have attended races at either of the tracks, although my
parents went to cumberland every year to camp and spectate and hmmm... My
birthday is about 9 months after. =) Here is a few tidbits I have picked up
about both tracks.
While Marlboro stands pretty much complete, but falling apart, a few
years ago a new airport terminal and parking lot were built at the
cumberland airport. The terminal stands pretty much where the right-left
after the finish line was. I doubt there will be any revivals there.
On the second floor of the terminal is a history of the airport and
city, and about a 4th of the display is an account of the races and the
people who ran in them. I would love to see a copy of that as it is the most
complete writing about races thre that I have seen.
According to a recent article in the Washington DC region magazine _The
Straightpipe_, the "official" reason for the close of Marlboro was that the
straights were too close together and therefore constituted a safety
hazzard.
There have been times in the past with talk of either resurrecting
marlboro, or building another racing complex in the Baltimore Washington
corridor, but has faced alot of negative pressure. I am sure that if VIR
succeeds over the long haul with the country club, there will be plenty of
folk wanting to do the same at Marlboro.
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