![]() D-shaped oval (1997–2023) | |
Location | 9300 Cherry Avenue Fontana, California |
---|---|
Time zone | UTC-8 (UTC-7DST) |
Capacity | 122,000 (total) |
Owner | NASCAR (2019–2023) International Speedway Corporation (1999–2019) |
Operator | NASCAR (1999–2023) |
Broke ground | November 22, 1995; 29 years ago (1995-11-22) |
Opened | June 20, 1997; 27 years ago (1997-06-20) |
Closed | February 27, 2023; 2 years ago (2023-02-27) |
Construction cost | US$100 million |
Architect | Paxton Waters Architecture Penske Motorsports, Inc. |
Former names | California Speedway (November 1995–February 2008) Auto Club Speedway (February 2008–March 2023) |
Major events | Former: NASCAR Cup Series Pala Casino 400 (1997–2020, 2022–2023) Pepsi Max 400 (2004–2010) NASCAR Xfinity Series Production Alliance Group 300 (1997–2020, 2022–2023) NASCAR Camping World Truck Series San Bernardino County 200 (1997–2009) IndyCar Series MAVTV 500 (1997–2005, 2012–2015) AMA Superbike Championship (2002–2010) Rolex Sports Car Series (2002–2005) |
Website | autoclubspeedway |
D-shaped oval (1997–2023) | |
Surface | Asphalt |
Length | 2 miles (3.219 km) |
Turns | 4 |
Banking | Turns: 14° Frontstretch: 11° Backstretch: 3° |
Race lap record | 0:30.900 (380.431 km/h (236.389 mph)) (![]() |
Interior Road Course (2001–2023) | |
Surface | Asphalt |
Length | 1.55 miles (2.494 km) |
Turns | 17 |
Race lap record | 0:53.784 (![]() |
Sports Car Course (2001–2023) | |
Surface | Asphalt |
Length | 2.8 miles (4.635 km) |
Turns | 18 |
Race lap record | 1:29.322 (![]() |
Motorcycle Course (2001–2023) | |
Surface | Asphalt |
Length | 2.36 miles (3.798 km) |
Turns | 20 |
Race lap record | 1:24.287 (![]() |
Auto Club Speedway (known asCalifornia Speedway before and after the 2008–2023 corporate sponsorship by theAutomobile Club of Southern California[1]) is a defunct 2-mile (3.219 km), D-shaped ovalsuperspeedway in unincorporatedSan Bernardino County, California, nearFontana. It hostedNational Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) racing annually from 1997 until 2023. It was also previously used foropen wheel racing events. The racetrack was located 47 miles (76 km) east ofLos Angeles and was near the former locations ofOntario Motor Speedway andRiverside International Raceway. The track was last owned and operated by NASCAR. The speedway was served by the nearby Interstates10 and15 as well as aMetrolink station located behind the backstretch.
Construction of the track, on the site of the formerKaiser Steel Mill, began in 1995 and was completed in late 1996. The speedway's main grandstand had a capacity of 68,000. Additionally it featured 28 skyboxes and had a total capacity of 122,000. In 2006, a fanzone was added behind the main grandstand. Lights were added to the speedway in 2004 with the addition of a second annual NASCAR weekend. From 2011 to 2023, the track hosted only one NASCAR weekend each year.
A 500-mileAmerican open-wheel car race was held underChampionship Auto Racing Teams sanctioning from 1997 to 2002. The currentIndyCar sanctioning body ran a 400-mile race from 2002 to 2005 and a 500-mile race from 2012 to 2015, which was usually the season finale. Its last IndyCar race was the2015 MAVTV 500.
In 2023, the track was closed for reconstruction as part of the Next Gen California project and demolition started in October 2023. In late November of 2024 however, NASCAR president Steve Phelps would say in an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR radio that doubts of rebuilding Auto Club Speedway into a short track were at an all-time high due to high construction costs as well as NASCAR having other priorities higher on their list with Fontana being at the bottom of that priority list.
On April 20, 1994,Roger Penske andKaiser Steel announced the construction of a racetrack on the site of the abandoned Kaiser Steel Mill inFontana, California. A day after the announcement,Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) announced it would hold an annual race at the speedway. Three months later NASCAR presidentBill France Jr. agreed to sanctionNASCAR Cup Series races at the speedway upon completion, marking the first time NASCAR made a commitment to run a race at a track that had yet to be built.[2] Community meetings were held to discuss issues related to the construction of the track and the local effects of events held. The local community largely supported construction of the speedway citing potentially increased land values and rejuvenation of the community. In April 1995, after having toured the sister track Michigan International Speedway, theSan Bernardino County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the project.[3] TheCalifornia Environmental Protection Agency gave Penske permission to begin construction after Kaiser agreed to pay US$6 million to remove hazardous waste from the site. Construction on the site began on November 22, 1995, with the demolition of the Kaiser Steel Mill.[2] The 100-foot (30 m)water tower, a landmark of the Kaiser property, was preserved in the center of the track to be used as a scoreboard. 3,000 cubic yards (2,300 m3) of contaminated dirt was removed and transported to a toxic waste landfill. To prevent remaining impurities from rising to the surface, a cap of non-porouspolyethylene was put down and covered with 2 feet (0.61 m) of clean soil.[3] Construction of the track was completed in late 1996.[2]
On January 10, 1997, Marlboro Team Penske's driverPaul Tracy became the first driver to test on the new speedway. NASCAR held its first open test session on at the track from May 5–7. The official opening and ribbon cutting ceremony was held on June 20, 1997, with the first race, aNASCAR West Series race, being held the next day.[2]
The track was named the California Speedway from the time it was built through February 21, 2008, when theAutomobile Club of Southern California purchased the naming rights in a 10-year deal; thus the track became Auto Club Speedway and has remained as of 2023, as the deal was renewed. The sponsorship was discontinued after March 2023.
With early success following the opening of the track, the speedway began to expand reserved grandstand seating along the front stretch with an additional 15,777 seats. In May 1999, an additional 28 skyboxes were added to the top of the main grandstand. In 2001 the Auto Club Dragway, a 0.250 mi (0.402 km) dragstrip, was built outside of the backstretch of the main speedway. That same year, the infield of the speedway was reconfigured to hold a multipurpose road course. On April 24, 2003, The San Bernardino County Planning Commission approved the changing of the speedway's conditional use permit to allow the installation of lights around the track. Later that year NASCAR announced a second annual NASCAR Cup Series race at the track for the 2004 season, with the second race being run "under the lights".[4] NASCAR ran two weekends of racing annually until the2011 season, when the track returned to a single annual race weekend.[5]
In 2006, the speedway's midway, located behind the main grandstand, was overhauled. The new midway, called the "Discover IE FanZone", included the addition of Apex (aWolfgang Puck restaurant), additional shade and lounge areas, a retail store and an entertainment stage.[6]
In March 2014, the Las Vegas-based company Exotics Racing expanded to California by opening a new 1.2 mile road course at the Auto Club Speedway.
Upon the addition of a second NASCAR weekend at the track in 2004, attendance at the races dropped off dramatically, by as much as 20,000. With such a large attendance swing, drivers and media began to doubt if the track deserved two dates, even if the track was near Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest media market.[7] Weather also became a concern with either extremely hot days or with rain threatening the races. All of this factored into NASCAR's decision to remove a second race from the track with the realignment of the 2011 NASCAR schedule. Former track ownerRoger Penske said the track may be located in a one-race market. Track president Gillian Zucker cited bad weather windows and fans having other entertainment options as reasons for the attendance decline.[8]
Effective in the 2014 racing season, the grandstand capacity was reduced from 92,000 to 68,000. This was accomplished by removing approximately 12,000 seats near turn 1 and installing a hospitality area and a digital display showing speeds along the straightaway.[9] In addition, seats were further reduced as a result of modifying average seat width from 18 inches to 23 inches. The capacity quoted does not include luxury boxes and infield seating, which when added reaches a capacity of approximately 100,000.[10]
On February 21, 2008, the Automobile Club of Southern California (ACSC) became the title sponsor of the raceway, making Auto Club Speedway the track's official name. Thenaming rights deal was for ten years and is worth an estimated $50 to $75 million. In addition to naming rights, the ACSC was to have use of the facility for road tests forWestways magazine and other consumer tests. The money was used for capital improvements to the track.[1]
The track was often used for filming television shows, commercials and films. In 2000, portions ofCharlie's Angels were filmed at the speedway,[11] and in 2005, portions ofHerbie: Fully Loaded were filmed there.[12] In 2007,The Bucket List sawJack Nicholson andMorgan Freeman drive a vintage Shelby Mustang and Dodge Challenger around the 2-mile (3.2 km) speedway.[13] The track was used asDaytona International Speedway in the 2019 filmFord v Ferrari.
A parody of the track was used in the 2006Disney/Pixaranimated filmCars in the end of the film. It is the venue for the Piston Cup tiebreaker race between the movie's main characterLightning McQueen (voiced byOwen Wilson), retiring veteranStrip "The King" Weathers (voiced byRichard Petty) and perennial runner-upChick Hicks (voiced byMichael Keaton). The race is held at the Los Angeles International Speedway, which is a conglomeration of theLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum, theArroyo Seco inPasadena where theRose Bowl is located, as well as the Auto Club Speedway.
During the1999 Marlboro 500 CART race, Canadian driverGreg Moore died in a crash along the backstretch of the track. It was determined that after sliding along the infield grass, Moore's car hit the edge of oncoming pavement, which caused the car to flip into a concrete retaining wall. The incident prompted the track owners,ISC, to pave the backstretch of both Auto Club Speedway and its sister trackMichigan International Speedway in an attempt to prevent a similar accident. Shortly after the crash, CART mandated the use of a head-and-neck restraint system on all ovals. The rule eventually became mandatory on all tracks.[14][15]
On April 5, 2002, Ricky Lundgren was killed in a qualifying session for a motorcycle race.[16]
On August 7, 2004, a police officer from San Diego, John Barr, died during an open track event after coming off his motorcycle.[17]
On June 2, 2005, two men died while participating in an event sponsored by the San Diego Chapter of theFerrari Club of America.[18]
On October 15, 2010, a 24-year-old woman died while participating in a driving school at the track. The woman was driving a replicaIndycar as part of the Mario Andretti Racing Experience when she lost control and hit the inside wall of the track.[19]
On September 8, 2020, it was revealed that documents for the reconstruction of the facility as a half-mile high banked oval had been filed with San Bernardino County. As first reported byThe Insider, the new short track layout would feature long straightaways likeMartinsville Speedway and high banked turns like those featured atBristol Motor Speedway. According to the published preliminary site plan, the new layout would fit inside the footprint of the current layout's trioval, and utilize much of the existing infrastructure such as the garages (which would be outside the new track), main grandstand and pit road suites (which would overlook the relocated backstretch). The work was scheduled to start after the 2021 Auto Club 400, and to be completed in time for the 2022 season.[20]
In December 2020, it was announced that the 2021 race weekend had been cancelled due to complications surrounding theCOVID-19 pandemic.[21] On February 27, 2022, Auto Club Speedway president Dave Allen announced onSirius XM NASCAR Radio that plans to convert the speedway had been put on hold.[22] With theBusch Light Clash now being held at theLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum beginning in 2022, there was now no official commitment from NASCAR to follow through with plans to convert the speedway. In early 2023, following theBusch Light Clash at The Coliseum, NASCARchief operating officer Steve O'Donnell made mention that NASCAR was, "evaluating the market as a whole and what's the best place for us to race within the totality of 2024 and beyond."[23]
In 2023, the track was closed for reconstruction as part of the Next Gen California racing project. Demolition began in October 2023.[24]
The Auto Club speedway was served by a specialMetrolink station, opened only on race days.[25]
Preceding station | ![]() | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Rancho Cucamonga towardL.A. Union Station | San Bernardino Line (race days) | Fontana towardSan Bernardino orRedlands |
The original track length was disputed by CART and NASCAR that ran at Auto Club Speedway. The NASCAR timing and scoring previously used a length of exactly 2.000 miles (3.219 km).[26] The IRL timing and scoring also used a length of exactly 2.000 mi (3.219 km).[27] CART measured the track as 2.029 mi (3.265 km) and used this length for timing and scoring between 1997 and 2002.[28]
The closed-course practice and qualifying lap recordsArie Luyendyk had set in the run-up to the1996 Indy 500 at 239.260 mph (385.052 km/h) and 237.498 mph (382.216 km/h) respectively were improved byMaurício Gugelmin at the1997 Marlboro 500. He was clocked at 242.333 mph (389.997 km/h) and 240.942 mph (387.759 km/h) respectively, based on a CART-recognized track length of 2.029 mi (3.265 km).[29]
AfterJuan Pablo Montoya had narrowly missed Gugelmin's practice record,[30]Gil de Ferran set a new one-lap qualifying record of 241.428 mph (388.541 km/h) at the2000 Marlboro 500, a CART event.[31] As of August 2023, this is the fastest qualifying lap speed ever recorded at an official race meeting.[32]
The2003 Toyota Indy 400 was the fastest circuit race ever in motorsport history, with an average speed of 207.151 mph (333.377 km/h) over 400 mi (640 km), based on an IndyCar-recognized track length of 2.000 mi (3.219 km),[33] topping the previous record average of 197.995 mph (318.642 km/h) over 507.25 miles (816.34 km) the2002 CART race had produced.[34]
The fastest official race lap records at Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) are listed as:
Record | Year | Date | Driver | Time | Speed/avg. speed | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NASCAR Cup Series | ||||||
Qualifying (one lap) | 2018 | March 16 | Kevin Harvick | 38.147 | 188.744 mph (303.754 km/h) | |
Race (500 miles) | 1997 | June 27 | Jeff Gordon | 3:13:32 | 155.012 mph (249.468 km/h) | |
Race (400 miles)* | 2012 | March 25 | Tony Stewart | 2:39:06 | 160.166 mph (257.762 km/h)
| |
Race (400 miles, not rain-shortened) | 2020 | March 1 | Alex Bowman | 2:37:07 | 152.753 mph (245.832 km/h) | |
NASCAR Xfinity Series | ||||||
Qualifying (one lap) | 2005 | September 3 | Tony Stewart | 38.722 | 185.941 mph (299.243 km/h) | |
Race (300 miles) | 2001 | April 28 | Hank Parker Jr. | 1:55:25 | 155.957 mph (250.988 km/h) | |
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series | ||||||
Qualifying (one lap) | 2006 | February 24 | David Reutimann | 40.228 | 178.980 mph (288.040 km/h) | |
Race (200 miles) | 2003 | September 20 | Ted Musgrave | 1:22:14 | 145.926 mph (234.845 km/h) | |
NASCAR West Series | ||||||
Qualifying (one lap) | 2001 | April 28 | Mark Reed | 39.649 | 181.593 mph (292.246 km/h) | |
Race (200 miles) | 2001 | April 28 | Brendan Gaughan | 1:28:47 | 152.316 mph (245.129 km/h) | |
CART | ||||||
Qualifying (one lap - 2.029 mi) | 2000 | October 28 | Gil de Ferran | 30.255 | 241.428 mph (388.541 km/h)[31] | |
Race (507.25 miles) | 2002 | November 3 | Jimmy Vasser | 2:33:42 | 197.995 mph (318.642 km/h)[34] | |
INDYCAR | ||||||
Qualifying (one lap) | 2003 | September 20 | Hélio Castroneves | 31.752 | 226.757 mph (364.930 km/h) | |
Race (400 miles) | 2003 | September 21 | Sam Hornish Jr. | 1:55:51 | 207.151 mph (333.377 km/h)[33] | |
Race (500 miles) | 2014 | August 30 | Tony Kanaan | 2:32:58 | 196.111 mph (315.610 km/h) | |
Source:[47] |
(As of 3/1/20)
Most wins | 6 | Jimmie Johnson |
Most top 5s | 13 | Jimmie Johnson |
Most top 10s | 18 | Jimmie Johnson |
Starts | 27 | Kurt Busch,Kevin Harvick (tie) |
Poles | 4 | Kurt Busch |
Most laps completed | 5,906 | Jimmie Johnson |
Most laps led | 990 | Jimmie Johnson |
Avg. start* | 9.8 | Austin Dillon |
Avg. finish* | 7.6 | Jimmie Johnson |
*from minimum 5 starts
Season | Date | Official race name | Winning driver | Car No. | Make | Distance | Avg speed | Margin of victory |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | June 22 | California 500 | Jeff Gordon | 24 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 500 mi (800 km) | 155.012 mph (249.468 km/h) | 1.074 sec |
1998 | May 3 | California 500 presented by NAPA | Mark Martin | 6 | Ford Taurus | 500 mi (800 km) | 140.22 mph (225.662 km/h) | 1.287 sec |
1999 | May 2 | California 500 presented by NAPA | Jeff Gordon | 24 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 500 mi (800 km) | 150.276 mph (241.846 km/h) | 4.492 sec |
2000 | April 30 | NAPA Auto Parts 500 | Jeremy Mayfield | 12 | Ford Taurus | 500 mi (800 km) | 149.378 mph (240.401 km/h) | 0.300 sec |
2001 | April 29 | NAPA Auto Parts 500 | Rusty Wallace | 2 | Ford Taurus | 500 mi (800 km) | 143.118 mph (230.326 km/h) | 0.27 sec |
2002 | April 28 | NAPA Auto Parts 500 | Jimmie Johnson | 48 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 500 mi (800 km) | 150.088 mph (241.543 km/h) | 0.620 sec |
2003 | April 27 | Auto Club 500 | Kurt Busch | 97 | Ford Taurus | 500 mi (800 km) | 140.111 mph (225.487 km/h) | 2.294 sec |
2004 | May 2 | Auto Club 500 | Jeff Gordon | 24 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 500 mi (800 km) | 137.268 mph (220.911 km/h) | 12.871 sec |
September 5 | Pop Secret 500 | Elliott Sadler | 38 | Ford Taurus | 500 mi (800 km) | 128.324 mph (206.517 km/h) | 0.263 sec | |
2005 | February 27 | Auto Club 500 | Greg Biffle | 16 | Ford Taurus | 500 mi (800 km) | 139.697 mph (224.821 km/h) | 0.231 sec |
September 4 | Sony HD 500 | Kyle Busch | 5 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 508 mi (818 km) * | 136.356 mph (219.444 km/h) | 0.554 sec | |
2006 | February 26 | Auto Club 500 | Matt Kenseth | 17 | Ford Fusion | 502 mi (808 km) * | 147.852 mph (237.945 km/h) | 0.338 sec |
September 3 | Sony HD 500 | Kasey Kahne | 9 | Dodge Charger | 500 mi (800 km) | 144.462 mph (232.489 km/h) | 3.427 sec | |
2007 | February 25 | Auto Club 500 | Matt Kenseth | 17 | Ford Fusion | 500 mi (800 km) | 138.451 mph (222.815 km/h) | 0.679 sec |
September 2 | Sharp AQUOS 500 | Jimmie Johnson | 48 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS | 500 mi (800 km) | 131.502 mph (211.632 km/h) | 1.868 sec | |
2008 | February 25 | Auto Club 500 | Carl Edwards | 99 | Ford Fusion | 500 mi (800 km) | 132.704 mph (213.566 km/h) | UC |
August 31 | Pepsi 500 | Jimmie Johnson | 48 | Chevrolet Impala | 500 mi (800 km) | 138.857 mph (223.469 km/h) | 2.076 sec | |
2009 | February 22 | Auto Club 500 | Matt Kenseth | 17 | Ford Fusion | 500 mi (800 km) | 135.839 mph (218.612 km/h) | 1.463 sec |
October 11 | Pepsi 500 | Jimmie Johnson | 48 | Chevrolet Impala | 500 mi (800 km) | 143.908 mph (231.597 km/h) | 1.603 sec | |
2010 | February 21 | Auto Club 500 | Jimmie Johnson | 48 | Chevrolet Impala | 500 mi (800 km) | 141.911 mph (228.384 km/h) | 1.523 |
October 10 | Pepsi Max 400 | Tony Stewart | 14 | Chevrolet Impala | 400 mi (640 km) | 131.953 mph (212.358 km/h) | 0.466 sec | |
2011 | March 27 | Auto Club 400 | Kevin Harvick | 29 | Chevrolet Impala | 400 mi (640 km) | 150.849 mph (242.768 km/h) | 0.144 sec |
2012 | March 25 | Auto Club 400 | Tony Stewart | 14 | Chevrolet Impala | 258 mi (415 km) ** | 160.166 mph (257.762 km/h) | UC |
2013 | March 24 | Auto Club 400 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Toyota Camry | 400 mi (640 km) | 135.351 mph (217.826 km/h) | UC |
2014 | March 23 | Auto Club 400 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Toyota Camry | 412 mi (663 km) * | 132.987 mph (214.022 km/h) | 0.214 sec |
2015 | March 22 | Auto Club 400 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | Ford Fusion | 418 mi (673 km) * | 140.662 mph (226.374 km/h) | 0.710 sec |
2016 | March 20 | Auto Club 400 | Jimmie Johnson | 48 | Chevrolet SS | 410 mi (660 km) * | 137.213 mph (220.823 km/h) | 0.772 sec |
2017 | March 26 | Auto Club 400 | Kyle Larson | 42 | Chevrolet SS | 404 mi (650 km) * | 136.359 mph (219.449 km/h) | 0.779 sec |
2018 | March 18 | Auto Club 400 | Martin Truex Jr. | 78 | Toyota Camry | 400 mi (640 km) | 147.526 mph (237.420 km/h) | 11.685 sec |
2019 | March 17 | Auto Club 400 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Toyota Camry | 400 mi (640 km) | 143.113 mph (230.318 km/h) | 2.354 sec |
2020 | March 1 | Auto Club 400 | Alex Bowman | 88 | Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE | 400 mi (640 km) | 152.753 mph (245.832 km/h) | 8.904 sec |
2021 | Cancelled due to the state of California COVID-19 restrictions | |||||||
2022 | February 27 | WISE POWER 400 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Chevrolet Camaro | 400 mi (640 km) | 114.222 mph (183.822 km/h) | 0.195 sec |
2023 | February 26 | Pala Casino 400 | Kyle Busch | 8 | Chevrolet Camaro | 400 mi (640 km) | 127.603 mph (205.357 km/h) | 2.998 sec |
* – Race extended due togreen-white-checker finish** – Race shortened due to rain
Season | Date | Race name | Winning driver | Winning team | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CART | ||||||
1997 | September 28 | Marlboro 500 | ![]() | PacWest | ||
1998 | November 1 | Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota | ![]() | Chip Ganassi Racing | ||
1999 | October 31 | Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota | ![]() | Patrick Racing | ||
2000 | October 30 | Marlboro 500 | ![]() | Newman-Haas Racing | ||
2001 | November 14 | The 500 by Toyota | ![]() | Newman-Haas Racing | ||
2002 | November 3 | The 500 | ![]() | Team Rahal | ||
2003 | November 9 | King Taco 500 | Canceled due towildfires in the San Bernardino mountains[48] | |||
IndyCar Series | ||||||
2002 | March 24 | Yamaha Indy 400 | ![]() | Panther Racing | ||
2003 | September 21 | Toyota Indy 400 | ![]() | Panther Racing | ||
2004 | October 3 | Toyota Indy 400 | ![]() | Aguri-Fernández Racing | ||
2005 | October 16 | Toyota Indy 400 | ![]() | Andretti Green Racing | ||
2006 to 2011, Not held | ||||||
2012 | September 15 | MAVTV 500 | ![]() | Ed Carpenter Racing | ||
2013 | October 19 | MAVTV 500 | ![]() | Team Penske | ||
2014 | August 30 | MAVTV 500 | ![]() | Chip Ganassi Racing | ||
2015 | June 27 | MAVTV 500 | ![]() | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing |
34°05′19″N117°30′00″W / 34.08858°N 117.50000°W /34.08858; -117.50000