Tucked away in the unlikeliest of locations, at the southeast corner of Highway 70 and Kingshighway, sits the Penrose Velodrome. Barely perceptible from the Interstate, it lies idle, low and lonely while viaduct construction takes place above it.
In its heyday the grass infield was probably filled with tents, cyclists, and their fixed gear bikes.
Looking back at turn-two from the top of the bank, one can easily imagine the riders flying around the sweeping turns churning their pedals with all out effort.
The surface has remained remarkably well-preserved. It is definitely rideable, but is far from raceable. The fact that it is canted all away around hastened summer rain drainage, and winter melt off , minimizing freeze-cracking.
The back straight and turn-three require a brush hog to expose the entire 30 foot wide track.
Racers had to find the right balance of speed and gravity to hold their lines as they sped into the turns.
Looking up at the imposing 45 degree bank from the infield grass.
Most of the perimeter fencing and all of the spectators are long gone.
The finishing stretch faces west into the sunset. No light standards were evident which obviously meant day light racing was the norm.
The only access point was this small pathway near what most likely was the finish line.
Looking back up the home stretch towards turn-three, the track shows a few repairable fissures.
With a little manicuring and some patch work, the track could be resuscitated. Alas, if only it could be picked up with a divine hand and moved to another location.