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Published: 2012-01-06 16:18:38 +0000 UTC; Views: 8624; Favourites: 100; Downloads: 32
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Description
In a darkened Crawford City historical building, below inches of dust, under several over-sized books you find a yellowed envelope. Carefully you pick up the fragile piece of paper, probably not touched for 40 years or more, open up the flap and out slides a stiffened cracked photo dated 1920.You gaze thoughtfully at the people in the photo, 1920 seems so long ago you can't even imagine it. You wonder what it would have been like to be there, if you could somehow jump into the photo and travel back in time..
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Yeah, that's the whole idea I had for this, trying to capture that feeling when you find an ancient photograph with people you don't know in them who most likely have sense passed away.. I always thought that was a really neat feeling, I felt that my next picture with the Indy racer would be perfect.. to really give you a feeling of just how old that character is, what kind of world he came from, you know?
Oh and before you look up Crawford Raceway, please don't. lol I just made it up and I didn't even bother to look up if there is one or where it is. So just do yourself the favor of loosing the immersion and just don't! DX
---(additional information)-----------------
Yeah, I'm going to try categorizing my descriptions better.. so people don't just see a wall of intimidating text.. hopefully that helps.
I probably tried way too hard to make this look old, but I think it payed off don't you? I wish there was a way I could make the text look old and crumbly too but I'm not sure how.
Firstly, where the first picture is moment's before Andy's fatal crash, this photo is from years before back when he and Anton were just promising rookies on the fast-track to success. Hense the title if you remember the song I used with that picture. In fiction, Crawford Raceway was just one of many local small-time raceways Andy raced on 'when it started out' slowly gaining wins and notoriety.
I kinda took a different approach with this picture, because I really focused more on the human characters then on Andy here.. though he's still in here and has just as much emotion and presence. This is where I finally reveal Anton Toupin's face and kinda show him more in his normal element. We've also got Anton's riding mechanic and partner Stanley Hughes who you only saw the very top of his HEAD in the first picture.
The other goal I had, besides making the old photo look, was to make a scene that looks very natural.. you know, not all posed and 'presented-like. I went for very open ended poses where you could look at it and see a few different possible ideas of what's going on.. kinda inspiring that 'wondering while looking at old photo's feeling. You can see the old time camera off to the left, so you know they've either just taken their winning photo or are just about to.
Anton has his goggles in one hand and a cloth rag in the other and is a little exhausted looking, so you get the idea he just hopped out and onto his feet not long ago. As with the rag he could have just wiped his brow, or maybe he was running along Andy's hood getting some dirt and grit off of him. See what I mean?
----(Characters)-----------
Duesenberg Racer #8 (Andy): Having just come off the assembly line of the Duesenberg US factory, Andy has the exciting if not intimidating job, along with a handful of others, of representing his model year of cars on the race-track. He's been paired with Anton and Stanley by the Duensenberg US branch and at this point has only been racing for a year and a half. They're his first Masters and teammates he's ever had and he's determined not to let them down.
Anton Toupin: Anton is a 23 year old rookie driver out of Pennsylvania, a first generation French immigrant, he and his family lived on a small farm in a small town. When he was a boy his father would to take him to horse races every season, from this he developed a love for racing, the competition, the speed and excitement. As a teenager he competed in several cycling races and while not winning more then 2 or 3 he almost always came in on the high end.
The year Henry Ford began his mass production of automobiles began, in 1914, early automobiles began appearing on the roads of Anton's town. Being a futurist and open-minded towards new technology he was fascinated by automobiles and wanted very much to try racing in one. With help from Stanley Hughes, a long time friend of the family) who worked in the production line of the a Duesenberg manufacturing plant, he was able to get his hands on a car or two to drive around in the field behind the factory.
His family was too poor to afford a car of their own, but at the age of 20, after saving up money on the side for years, Anton was able to afford a cheap base-model Ford car from the factory Stanley worked at. For about a year he raced around on private tracks and after a lot of pushing and luck, he managed to be picked up by the Duesenberg company as a rookie driver. Here is when he was presented with Andy, gleaming new, right off the line. It was one of the greatest moments in his young live.
Ultimately he wishes to become a national and then international racer, eventually maybe getting to race on the European/French circuit, and finally getting to see his home country in person.
Stanley Hughes: Stanley is a 43 year old farmer, or at least was before Duesenberg bought a half his land for their manufacturing plant. Forced with having to live on producing half the crops he used to sell he took a part-time job at the very plant, mostly because it was a new hiring company and was employing most of the people in the town. He'd met Anton's family the first day they moved in down the street from him and often traded fruits and vegetables to Anton's mother in exchange for some of her good French cooking and baked goods.
Having a good friendship with Anton, knowing him since he was a small boy they almost have a grandpa-nephew connection, he was well aware of Anton's love for the new automobiles. At closing he'd roll a performance-test car out after the boss had left and let Anton cruise it around his pasture next to the factory.
Having worked on cars for years, Stanley was Anton's first pick for riding mechanic. He's been there trough all the races and can't help but feel proud of Anton victory after victory, he definitely see's a national racer in the making!
Related content
Comments: 45
CrystalGemGirl14 [2022-01-14 02:18:33 +0000 UTC]
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captainJthgamemaster [2019-01-06 04:57:48 +0000 UTC]
this almost looks like something that Jeff marsh and dan povenmire (creators of Phineas and fern) drew up
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captainJthgamemaster In reply to Half-dude [2019-01-07 16:55:14 +0000 UTC]
im just saying the character design resembles their art style...
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Half-dude In reply to captainJthgamemaster [2019-01-08 20:59:32 +0000 UTC]
Lol okay I had to look up some pictures, I've never watched the shows but I know what the main characters look like. I can see what you mean with the design of some of their side characters. Turns out we do draw eyes and noses pretty similar. Funny.
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Endivie11 [2016-04-19 17:19:34 +0000 UTC]
This is so cool. I love how much thought you put into these historical pictures. It really catches the spirit of that time, like you could feel like you were really there to witness everything. I like this even better than the colored one, it's awesome I wish there was more like that, there isn't too much art set in the 20ties. It's an interesting time period.
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Half-dude In reply to Endivie11 [2016-04-23 04:34:44 +0000 UTC]
Thanks! It's nice to feel appreciated for all the extra research. It was a ton of work I tell ya what. If you're really interested in that historical accuracy you might like to see this legit panorama I was given a while back that actually shows the 1920s Indy track that I featured Andy on.Β orig13.deviantart.net/6535/f/2β¦
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Rkdailey [2014-12-20 22:29:46 +0000 UTC]
Your art style reminds me of Phineas and Ferb. I like all of your drawings of the cars, BTW.
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Half-dude In reply to Rkdailey [2014-12-21 03:47:39 +0000 UTC]
Well I'd take that as an insult if I didn't know it was meant to be a compliment. XD Sorry, just.. that show has probably some of the worst art I've seen in a cartoon..
Thanks a lot!
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moviegeek96 [2013-09-01 10:43:13 +0000 UTC]
I was at Carfest in England a few weeks ago andΒ I sawΒ a Bugatti Type 35 there. I'm sure that's the type of car this guy is based on. It was even a similar color to him.
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Half-dude In reply to moviegeek96 [2013-09-02 18:51:06 +0000 UTC]
Hello there man. Yeah I've never seen a Type 35 in person, but a lot of people claim that the character here was based on one of those cars. I'm not convinced personally, looking at a Bugatti from the front, the grille actually narrows out quite a bit and gets quite small. Andy here has a huge grille though the whole width of his body, but I don't know old race cars well enough to put a definite make or model on him. But I don't think that just due to the fact that he's blue and has headlights should make him a Bugatti. : P
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moviegeek96 In reply to Half-dude [2013-09-03 18:35:15 +0000 UTC]
Ah well, good drawing anyway.
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IDreamOfTheWind [2012-10-13 00:18:53 +0000 UTC]
he sounds like a henry but he looks like a frank to me. But andy's good enough.
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Half-dude In reply to IDreamOfTheWind [2012-10-13 04:07:46 +0000 UTC]
Henry, really? That name sounds more snobbish and dignified to me.
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Half-dude In reply to mechatrain150 [2012-09-05 23:31:50 +0000 UTC]
Really? : D Thanks!
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mechatrain150 In reply to Half-dude [2012-10-09 17:55:10 +0000 UTC]
i mean it. imean who dosent love cars with class.
X3
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warriorcatroseeyes [2012-01-20 15:53:44 +0000 UTC]
AH, finally. *claps hands together* I meant to do this last night, but shit got in the way, AND NOW I HAVE A SNOWDAY SO YEAH.
First things first... I must say, you did REALLY well making it look like a candid picture! It seems like one of the billions of pictures newspaper photographers take, picking the one or two actually good ones they might have gotten, with luck. But this wasn't one of the pictures that was put in the newspaper, but it was kept by either the photographer or someone for whatever reason and was kept ever since C:
Even though you only added a couple background people in detail, it did wonders for the pictures realism! And the fact they're quite casual and going about their business in the crowd doesn't make them look clunky.
I love that girl in the background there, such a cute looking thing~
I love how Andy just kinda blends in normally. I'm not sure if it's because I'm used to seeing 'alive' cars or not, though. But it's like "Hmm, normal picture, normal pic-- oh, the car has a face!" It almost kinda gives the BLT 'dead object' illusion normal humans have, if that makes sense?
I glanced at your colored version of this and liked the addition of the clouds. I can easily imagine people frantically moving around trying to get things done and moved, and after pictures, Andy's crew laughing as they get downpoured on while trying to get going XD Then they go home, Anton and Stanley still damp with wraggly wet hair, enjoying a meal Anton's mother had ready for them for when they got home and talking about the race C: While at the same time, Andy's in his garage with the flowers still on his nose, telling the same story to any appliances that are in there. And at this point, he just sounds like a young, excited teengaer.
You caught the stormy atmosphere really well too, I love the glow of the sun through clouds |3
Call me odd, but I have the biggest thing for Anton's expression here. He sounds... like a normal-personality guy with an odd expression always on his face, but it's attractive and I like it C: It reminds me of a fellow in my school (well, fellows, they're twins).
And as for the letters, perhaps you could have put the grunge texture over that as well? If the texture is too strong, then you could fuzzy-select the words (it doesn't have to be clean and exact) and erase the grunge layer with the eraser on low opacity. Then, if you want to get in detail, you could zoom in and 'scrape' off a few bits of the letters.
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Half-dude In reply to warriorcatroseeyes [2012-01-21 01:12:16 +0000 UTC]
Oh YES, I've been waiting for THIS haha.. ^^
That was a big goal with this picture, I wanted it to look completely un-staged.. within the obvious staging of what's going on haha. Stuff like people not really looking into the camera, roaming background characters.. stuff like that. I'm glad that you think I did a good job, it means a lot. That IS a big mystery as to who actually kept this photo, bothered to caption it and all.. maybe Anton himself or maybe Stanley wrote that on it and kept it for a while. But I think that goes back to the inspiration, how often do you look at old B/W photos and wonder who had kept them for so many years before you got your hands on them. For all I know this might have been taken just by some hobbyist photographer.. you know? One of those people who love photography and have a dark room set up in their basement? XD In the early days of photography I bet there were a lot of hobbyists in it..even more then today.
I'm getting BETTER at drawing background characters and detailed. I used to be, and still am a little scared away from doing it as I feel like it clutters the picture.. of course it doesn't once it's colored.. but it looks cluttered when it's black and white. That one Scymanterian picture is a good example: [link]
My favorite is the KFC Colonel over there with his cigar.. XD Looks like one of those 'gpha! good SHOW old boy!' You know, after searching for 1920s references I'm convinced.. the 20s had some of the most attractive woman's clothing styles like ever.. it was sexy but didn't look whorish like today's fashions.. it still had elegance to it. I freaking LOVE those big dome-hats they're so cute.. [link]
Well, as with Andy.. I had the same goals.. I wanted him to look very natural.. I also wanted him to look very 'object-like' being as he's in a very public place.. like I said in the description, I wanted you to be able to see what he would have looked like as just a car.. but still have the ability to see his face.. if that makes sense. I tell yah, it was hard to draw his tires turned at that angle like that.. I was thinking of having the second and third place cars in the background looking maybe a little pissed at Andy XD but there wasn't enough space..
OooOooh I LOVE it when you do this, just let me hear what your imagination comes up with! It almost gives me a chance to feel like one of you guys about my own story.. hearing things happening in it even I didn't think about! ^^ Mmm I can almost smell the steamy fresh right out of the oven butter-rolls on the kitchen table surrounded by some good home-cookin' as rain pitter patters on the windows gently as the storm rolls in. It's a comforting thought you gave me.. that relaxing feeling when you're all wet from a storm but you eat some nice warm food and it warms your bones? Mmmm I love it. ^^
I hadn't even thought about Andy.. I wonder if he'd have many appliances to talk to.. like if there'd be that many electronic devices in the garage back then.. he really does seem like a teenage car doesn't he? He has the youthful look..
Thank you SO much, I actually drew those clouds with not much trouble at all! I'm so glad that I'm getting good at drawing them.. I never thought I'd be able to draw clouds. XD This was the first time I'd ever drawn clouds and actually HAD the sun in the frame.. let alone shining through the clouds.
Odd expression? What's odd about it? XD I was kinda going for a look like he was semi-exhausted. I'm not a race-car driver but I ASSUME driving that fast for long periods of time.. passing cars, the vibrations and loud noise dust and exhaust blowing on you.. I assume you'd feel pretty whipped afterwords. Ok so you DO think Anton's not too bad on the eyes? /: )
I know, I should have put the letters under the grunge layer.. I think I'd already saved the picture and had the layers flattened.. that was the problem.. but I didn't even THINK about making the letters semi-transparent!
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warriorcatroseeyes In reply to Half-dude [2012-02-01 19:16:49 +0000 UTC]
Every time something new comes out, there are a million hobbyists that get right to work expanding and exploring it. It's beautiful really~ And that's how things improve and change and develop -- each person who got a camera and used it in that era would find new ways to take certain pictures, change the design to... say... make it possible to hold it at an angle?, make the flash brighter, make it lighter, make it smaller, make it work without the tray of gunpowder or WHATEVER it was they used to use?, etc...
WAIT, HOW DID I END UP RAMBLING ABOUT ALL THAT-- oh well xD
If I ever have the time and the muse, I kinda feel like drawing a short one-page comic of someone finding this photo. Just to kind of put a face to your little story intro C:
Yeah, that image is kinda cluttered, but not too much It's sorta forgiveable because everything's the focus, sortof, right? What some artists tend to do is give a slightly thick outline around individual figures to make them stand out a bit, but if it isn't done right, they end up looking like stickers stacked on top of each other :T
I know, bahha, I almost want to image him coming up after this scene and patting the two on the back saying JUST that XD
And I agree <3 They wanted to look pretty, not whorish; it was all about respect, sortof
^//^ Haha, I'm still always so giddy how much you enjoy hearing me just blurt out my imagination like that. I love it too... in the group I rp with, a lot of them will come out and say, "Hmm, say, what if Mort's mom lived, would he still have control issues? " or "I imagine Mort's dad kinda bald with a mustache... and manly, but still kindof awkward? Oh gosh, 'the talk' must have been hard for him..." And then I just get all excited and think MORE, MORE, SPILL OUT YOUR BRAIN TO MEEE.
OH MY GOD.
Butter rolls <33 Fffuu, those are the best when you're chilled to the bone. They're so homey~ Mm, I'd've loved to visit Anton's mother's home for dinner XD
Maybe some bottles of oil or antifreeze? Or a radio, perhaps Anton or his partner do work on him on the weekends and listen to the races?
Oh, I see, well congrats! The effect was very cool <3
Hmm, well, how to explain it... >.<;;; FF IT'S HARD. I mean, he does look exhausted, I got that impression the first time. He just still holds a certain low-lidded effect to him? *is making absolutely no sense*
Yes~ C8 I prolly woulda gushed over him if I was somehow at one of his races XD
Derp >3<
You know what I do? Gimp has this option, I'm not sure about whatever you use, but I usually go to the top of my layers and right click, choosing "New From Visible". Then I just copy&paste the complete image in another file and save. That way, if I need to change anything, all my layers are still there ;D
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Half-dude In reply to warriorcatroseeyes [2012-02-16 10:23:30 +0000 UTC]
Yeah it's exactly like you explained it, I figured there were tons of amateur photographers running around..especially at big events like the town race. It reminds me of the hobbyists who tinker around with short-wave radios these days.
Hey that'd be pretty cool, maybe you could even make it more personal and have it be your character Wakor finding it. :3
Ooh that probably would have been a good idea, I think I was also just pretty lazy darkening that picture.. I actually hate going back and darkening the lines because it's just copying.. not drawing.. it's boring.
Haha they'd get an endorsement from the Colonel maybe? XD Free Kentucky fried chicken if they race with a KFC banner strapped to Andy's side. XDD
You're gitty at that? awww hehe.. I guess you just don't understand how cool it is for me to hear your ideas like that. Please, if you ever have any random ideas don't hold back trying not to ramble.. ramble all you want, tell me ALL your ideas. :333
I wonder what more.. common French meals are like. I mean everyone knows about stuff like escargot, but that's like traditional and fancy food right? What's the more standard food they eat in France I wonder?
Andy talking to a bunch of anti-freeze/oil cans he sat around him?
That's an interesting idea though, that Anton and Stanley would listen to it while tinkering on Andy. Haha I can imagine Anton having to drag Stanley over from next door whenever he runs into a issue, Stanley not wanting to work on anymore cars most of the time since he WORKS at the Duesenberg factory doing just that as a job haha. Maybe they wouldn't listen to the races but maybe just sports in general? Or weren't radio serials a popular thing back then?
Thank you.. thank you :bows:
*scratches head* : / yeah.. you make no sense. XD I think maybe it's just the expression he happens to have.. you probably wouldn't get that effect if I drew him more. I need to break down and actually draw some b/w sketch drawings of all these characters in-between these big colored ones.. would probably be a very good idea. It's so funny I used to never color now I can hardly ever NOT.. the color just adds so much more life and mood! Can you imagine that Storytime picture without the warm summer colors and shadows of leafs?
Haha I was thinking about drawing a picture of when Anton and Andy first meet, that big emotional moment when the Duesenberg suits tell him that he'll be driving one of their newest models and Anton realizes his dream has come true as some workers wheel Andy out. EHEM rambled at bit there.. but the point I brought that up is because I was thinking of showing Andy as having kind of a natural light-scruffy mustache. The idea being that for the idea of marketing they had him trim up his stashe all fancy like it is.. to make him look all 'French gentleman'y' I guess I kinda like the idea of like.. the marketing team making the fact that he has a stashe be part of his 'look.' XD
Gush! you will gush at his sexy stashe! >O.. XD
Yeah there were a lot of whys I could have fixed it. Just blame it on me fishing it at like 9am. ><;
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Rollerwings [2012-01-08 14:40:42 +0000 UTC]
Wow, this is amazing. The color version is well-done but this sepia-toned version really does look like a vintage photo, complete with a caption in whatever they used to write those in white ink.
The pose does look natural and Anton's almost regarding Andy like a faithful steed, leaning on him a little and maybe wiping him down like you said. I like the sense of pride this conveys on the part of all three. It'll be really interesting to hear exactly how Andy ended up at the junkyard after his wreck.
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Half-dude In reply to Rollerwings [2012-01-12 05:44:29 +0000 UTC]
Thanks a lot Rollarwings, I really should have remembered to link to it.. but a lot of that old effect I owe thanks to a tutoral I found online that also supplied the worn texture I used. I unfortunately put the text on after I deleted the original PSD.. so I couldn't put it under the worn layer and make it look old too. : / But I'm glad you like it!
Yeah that's the impression I get, haha I drew it and I'm not even sure what impression to have. XD But yeah.. you can tell Anton's proud of the whole team not just himself.. a good characteristic to have indeed. But yeah, I'm totally with you, you really get a warm happy vibe from this picture which I gotta admit I'm proud of. Don't you worry, unless something stops me we'll be seeing the end of his story too.
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ChevyRW [2012-01-07 21:18:58 +0000 UTC]
This actually looks like an old photo!!! Great job!!!
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BobcatAngel [2012-01-07 04:32:44 +0000 UTC]
Wow, the texture on this looks so awesome! I think Andy is a good name for him too; it really does suit him. ^^
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Half-dude In reply to BobcatAngel [2012-01-07 09:05:25 +0000 UTC]
The texture was actually supplied with a tutorial I used, thinking back I probably should have linked to it. : /
YEAH! I just don't know what it is.. something about his face I think.. just looks Andyish.. ya know?
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phychoticsilence [2012-01-07 03:44:58 +0000 UTC]
I think the emotion you invoked with this picture is perfect! And it comes across so well! Everything in this is great, the car, Anton, Stanley, the background characters, the time period, lighting and composition. Your art gets better and better. If I saw this in an old album, I'd frame it.
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Half-dude In reply to phychoticsilence [2012-01-07 09:06:14 +0000 UTC]
Thank you Phycho, so you agree that it looks very natural then? : 3
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Tesla51 [2012-01-06 20:53:40 +0000 UTC]
Oddly, this is the feeling I get when I see an old photograph. Nice pic, it depicts the era nicely.
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Half-dude In reply to Tesla51 [2012-01-07 03:46:41 +0000 UTC]
Well it's not odd if everyone feels that way is it? But seriously, thanks a lot, that means a lot.
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Hrodwulf123 [2012-01-06 18:09:53 +0000 UTC]
Weeelll, there is a Crawford County Speedway in Arkansas
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Hrodwulf123 In reply to Half-dude [2012-01-07 10:36:43 +0000 UTC]
Well, there are a lot of now-abandoned raceways across the US that people don't even know about.
Here's an example: my friend lives in Clinton, Mississippi. One day, while looking at this town, I noticed some oval-looking thing sitting in the middle of the forest. He didn't know what that was, but after some googling, I've found out that this was Jackson International Speedway which operated from 1968 and 1984, and it was abandoned because residents complained about the noise.
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Half-dude In reply to Hrodwulf123 [2012-01-07 19:59:31 +0000 UTC]
Wow, now that's something! That must have been cool! So there was nothing left but the track?
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Hrodwulf123 In reply to Half-dude [2012-01-07 20:13:26 +0000 UTC]
Yup, here's the satellite photo from Google maps:
[link]
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Half-dude In reply to Hrodwulf123 [2012-01-08 11:30:11 +0000 UTC]
That is too cool! I wouldn't be surprised if people still ride motorcycles or dirt-bikes on that track.
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Hrodwulf123 In reply to Half-dude [2012-01-08 11:58:11 +0000 UTC]
Well, judging by what's seen wed zoomed in, they do.
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