As I sat thinking on Christmas Eve, my dad mentioned that he had recently visited Carson City's defunct Champion Speedway (formerly known as Silver State and T-Car) and recoiled at the sight of the half-destroyed former raceway. He told me that the tower and many of the surrounding structures had been demolished, but that the motocross track still remained as it was just after the final moto ended three months ago. He later showed me a part of the starting gate he had removed and taken home for a keepsake.

Although the things he described were not comforting, I knew that I too should return to the track on Christmas and photograph what was happening. I care deeply that we lost a site as prime and historic as Champion, which, for those who don't know, was sold to real-estate developers earlier this year. So I felt that I should show people what exactly was occurring, in whatever grisly detail might exist, to a place that many of us had known and loved for years.

It was not easy to see what was there. Racing artifacts from three decades sat in various states of decay, having become no more than random garbage to the demolition team. Race banners, tear-offs, used tires and various other reminders of the races littered a landscape that will never again hear the sound of a start. I felt empty looking at it all.

The only bright spot of the visit came from my foresight that bringing my camera would not be enough. I had decided to bring my bike too. I felt it deserved the same closure I sought.

Please take a look at the photos that follow (you can view each in large size by clicking on the thumbnail below.) I fear it is the last that most of us will ever see of one of my favorite places in the world.