Auto Club Speedway

On April 20, 1994, Roger Penske and Kaiser Steel announced the construction of a racetrack on the site of the abandoned Kaiser Steel Mill in Fontana, 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 president Bill France Jr. agreed to sanction NASCAR 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.{{Cite news|last=Eisenberg |first=Jeff |title=Looking Back: Key dates in the history of California Speedway |newspaper=The Press Enterprise |year=2007 |url=http://www.pe.com/sports/projects/2007/10years/# |access-date=September 13, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212120327/http://www.pe.com/sports/projects/2007/10years/ |archive-date=February 12, 2009 }} 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, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the project.{{Cite news | last = Glick| first = Shav| title = New Track Is a Steel California Speedway Will Be Built on Site of Old Fontana Mill | newspaper = Los Angeles Times| url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-11-27-sp-7600-story.html| access-date=November 13, 2010| date=November 27, 1995}} The California 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. The {{convert|100|ft|adj=on}} water tower, a landmark of the Kaiser property, was preserved in the center of the track to be used as a scoreboard. {{convert|3000|cuyd}} 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-porous polyethylene was put down and covered with {{convert|2|ft}} of clean soil. Construction of the track was completed in late 1996.

On January 10, 1997, Marlboro Team Penske's driver Paul 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, a NASCAR West Series race, being held the next day.

The track was named the California Speedway from the time it was built through February 21, 2008, when the Automobile 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 {{cvt|0.250|mi|km|abbr=on}} 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".{{cite web|author=Jensen, Tom |date=August 7, 2010 |url=http://www.racingconnection.com/NascarEventPackages/california_speedwayseating.htm |title=California Speedway |publisher=Racingconnection.com |access-date=September 14, 2010}} NASCAR ran two weekends of racing annually until the 2011 season, when the track returned to a single annual race weekend.{{cite web |url=http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/cup-auto-club-loses-chase-date/ |title=NASCAR — CUP: Auto Club Loses Chase Date — SPEED.com |publisher=Nascar.speedtv.com |date=August 7, 2010 |access-date=September 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818074629/http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/cup-auto-club-loses-chase-date/ |archive-date=August 18, 2010 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}

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 (a Wolfgang Puck restaurant), additional shade and lounge areas, a retail store and an entertainment stage.{{cite web|title=2006 Racing Season Concludes, 2007 Just Around the Corner |url=http://www.autoclubspeedway.com/Articles/2006/10/2006-Racing-Season-Concludes-2007-Just-Around-The-Corner.aspx|publisher=Autoclubspeedway.com|date=October 5, 2006|access-date=September 13, 2010}}

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.

Image:Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) - Speedway.svg|Speedway oval

Image:Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) - Sports Car.svg|Sports car course

Image:Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) - Motorcycles.svg|Motorcycle course

Image:Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) - Interior Circuit.svg|Interior test circuit

Image:FONTANA2021.jpg|Overview of facility looking south

File:ACSinfield.jpg

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.{{cite web |author=Gluck, Jeff |url=http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/Jeff_Gluck_fontana.html |title=Lack of attendance remains No. 1 concern at Auto Club Speedway |publisher=SceneDaily.com |date=February 21, 2009 |access-date=September 14, 2010 |archive-date=March 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307215750/http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/Jeff_Gluck_fontana.html |url-status=dead }} 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 owner Roger 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.{{cite web|author=Gluck, Jeff|url=http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/Weather_scheduling_blamed_for_attendance_woes_loss_of_Cup_races_at_Atlanta_California.html|title=Weather, scheduling blamed for attendance woes, loss of Cup races at Atlanta, California|publisher=SceneDaily.com|date=August 8, 2010|access-date=September 14, 2010|archive-date=March 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307215755/http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/Weather_scheduling_blamed_for_attendance_woes_loss_of_Cup_races_at_Atlanta_California.html|url-status=dead}}

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.{{cite news|last=Peltz|first=Jim|title=Auto Club Speedway slashes grandstand seating by 26% to 68,000|url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-nascar-fontana-seating-20140321-story.html|access-date=March 21, 2014|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 21, 2014}} 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.[http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20140323/auto-club-speedway-wins-its-race-long-before-kyle-busch-did-in-auto-club-400 Auto Club Speedway wins its race long before Kyle Busch did in Auto Club 400]

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. The naming 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 for Westways magazine and other consumer tests. The money was used for capital improvements to the track.

The track was often used for filming television shows, commercials and films. In 2000, portions of Charlie's Angels were filmed at the speedway,{{cite web|url=http://www.seeing-stars.com/locations/ca1/CharliesAngels3.shtml |title=Charlie's Angels Filming Locations — part 3 |publisher=Seeing-stars.com |access-date=September 13, 2010}} and in 2005, portions of Herbie: Fully Loaded were filmed there.{{cite web|title=Trivia for Herbie Fully Loaded |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0400497/trivia|publisher=imdb.com|access-date=September 13, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100912170322/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0400497/trivia| archive-date= September 12, 2010 | url-status= live}} In 2007, The Bucket List saw Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman drive a vintage Shelby Mustang and Dodge Challenger around the {{convert|2|mi|km|adj=on}} speedway.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0825232/locations |title=Filming Locations For The Bucket List |publisher=IMDB.com |access-date=November 13, 2010}} The track was used as Daytona International Speedway in the 2019 film Ford v Ferrari.

A parody of the track was used in the 2006 Disney/Pixar animated film Cars in the end of the film. It is the venue for the Piston Cup tiebreaker race between the movie's main character Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), retiring veteran Strip "The King" Weathers (voiced by Richard Petty) and perennial runner-up Chick Hicks (voiced by Michael Keaton). The race is held at the Los Angeles International Speedway, which is a conglomeration of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena where the Rose Bowl is located, as well as the Auto Club Speedway.

Image:ACSpits.jpg

During the 1999 Marlboro 500 CART race, Canadian driver Greg 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 track Michigan 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.{{cite news|title=Moore, 24, killed in horrifying CART crash|url=https://www.espn.com/auto/cart/news/1999/1031/144448.html|access-date=September 13, 2010|work=ESPN News Services|agency=Associated Press|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|date=November 3, 1999|location=Fontana, California}}{{cite web|title=Greg Moore |url=http://www.danspitstopracing.com/greg_moore |access-date=November 13, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531214158/http://www.danspitstopracing.com/greg_moore |archive-date=May 31, 2010 }}

On April 5, 2002, Ricky Lundgren was killed in a qualifying session for a motorcycle race.{{cite news|last=Henderson|first=Martin|title=Motorcyclist Dies at California Speedway|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-apr-06-sp-death06-story.html|access-date=January 19, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|date=April 6, 2002}}

On August 7, 2004, a police officer from San Diego, John Barr, died during an open track event after coming off his motorcycle.[http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/san-diego-policeman-dies-in-crash-during-track-ride-day-at-california-speedway/ San Diego Policeman Dies In Crash During Track Ride Day At California Speedway]

On June 2, 2005, two men died while participating in an event sponsored by the San Diego Chapter of the Ferrari Club of America.[http://www.utsandiego.com/sports/20050603-1041-ca-speedwaydeaths.html SignOnSanDiego.com > Sports - Two San Diego County men killed in Fontana speedway crash]

On October 15, 2010, a 24-year-old woman died while participating in a driving school at the track. The woman was driving a replica Indycar as part of the Mario Andretti Racing Experience when she lost control and hit the inside wall of the track.{{cite web| title= LA woman killed in crash during racing class at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana| date= October 17, 2010| url= http://www.swrnn.com/southwest-riverside/2010-10-17/news/la-woman-killed-in-crash-during-racing-class-at-auto-club-speedway-in-fontana| access-date= November 13, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101023085346/http://www.swrnn.com/southwest-riverside/2010-10-17/news/la-woman-killed-in-crash-during-racing-class-at-auto-club-speedway-in-fontana| archive-date= October 23, 2010| url-status= dead| df= mdy-all}}

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 by The Insider, the new short track layout would feature long straightaways like Martinsville Speedway and high banked turns like those featured at Bristol 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.jayski.com/2020/09/08/auto-club-speedway-to-be-reconfigured-to-half-mile-short-track/ |title=Auto Club Speedway to be reconfigured to half-mile short track |website=Jayski's Silly Season Site |publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. |date=September 8, 2020 |access-date=September 9, 2020}}

In December 2020, it was announced that the 2021 race weekend had been cancelled due to complications surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2020/12/08/nascar-2021-schedule-auto-club-races-shifted-to-daytona-road-course/ |title=Auto Club races shifted to Daytona Road Course |website=NASCAR.com |publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. |date=8 December 2020 |access-date=8 December 2020}} On February 27, 2022, Auto Club Speedway president Dave Allen announced on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio that plans to convert the speedway had been put on hold.{{cite web |url=https://www.jayski.com/2022/02/27/plans-to-convert-auto-club-speedway-to-short-track-are-on-hold/ |title=Plans to Convert Auto Club Speedway to Short Track are on Hold |website=Jayski's Silly Season Site |publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. |date=27 February 2022 |access-date=28 February 2022}} With the Busch Light Clash now being held at the Los 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 the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum, NASCAR chief 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."{{Cite web |title=Moment to celebrate: NASCAR starts its 75th anniversary season with a continued eye on change |url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2023/02/13/Upfront/nascar-75th.aspx |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.sportsbusinessjournal.com |date=February 13, 2023 |language=en}}

In 2023, the track was closed for reconstruction as part of the Next Gen California racing project. Demolition began in October 2023.{{cite web |last1=Rosvoglou |first1=Chris |title=Longtime NASCAR Track Is Currently Being Demolished |url=https://thespun.com/more/nascar/nascar-fontana-track-is-currently-being-demolished |publisher=The Spun |access-date=17 March 2024 |language=en |date=16 March 2024}}

The Auto Club speedway was served by a special Metrolink station, opened only on race days.{{cite web |title=Special Metrolink service to Auto Club 400 available |url=https://metrolinktrains.com/news/news_item/news_id/908.html |website=Metrolink |access-date=29 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318024553/https://metrolinktrains.com/news/news_item/news_id/908.html |archive-date=18 March 2014 |date=12 March 2014}}

{{Adjacent stations|system=Metrolink (California)|line=San Bernardino|left=Rancho Cucamonga|right=Fontana|note-mid=(race days)

}}

• All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (2004, exhibition race)
• Champ Car
• Marlboro 500 (1997–2002)
• IndyCar Series
• MAVTV 500 (2002–2005, 2012–2015)
• IROC (1997–1998, 2002)
• NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
• San Bernardino County 200 (1997–2009)
• NASCAR Cup Series
• Pala Casino 400 (1997–2020, 2022–2023)
• Pepsi Max 400 (2004–2010)
• NASCAR West Series (1997–2006)
• NASCAR Xfinity Series
• Production Alliance Group 300 (1997–2020, 2022–2023)
• Rolex Sports Car Series
• Grand American 400 (2002–2005)

• Red, White and Cruise  — A July 4 festival consisting of a car show, various family-friendly entertainment and a fireworks show.
• Epicenter 2010 at the speedway's midway
• Cardenas Festival — The annual Cardenas Festival is held in the parking lot. This is a festival where all the companies that sell food at the Cardenas supermarket chain give out free samples of new or upcoming food. There are also performances from many artists.
• Hard (music festival) was held in 2016, 2018, and 2019 in the midway and parking lot of the speedway.

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 {{convert|2.000|mi|km}}.[http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nascar-tracks/auto-club-speedway.html Auto Club Speedway at NASCAR.com] The IRL timing and scoring also used a length of exactly {{cvt|2.000|mi|km|abbr=on}}.[http://www.imscdn.com/INDYCAR/Documents/3315/2015-06-27/indycar-race-results.pdf 2015 IndyCar race result at Indycar homepage]. CART measured the track as {{cvt|2.029|mi|km|abbr=on}} and used this length for timing and scoring between 1997 and 2002.[http://www.champcarstats.com/races/200218.htm The 500 Presented by Toyota result on champcarstats.com]

The closed-course practice and qualifying lap records Arie Luyendyk had set in the run-up to the 1996 Indy 500 at {{convert|239.260|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} and {{convert|237.498|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} respectively were improved by Maurício Gugelmin at the 1997 Marlboro 500. He was clocked at {{convert|242.333|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} and {{convert|240.942|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} respectively, based on a CART-recognized track length of {{cvt|2.029|mi|km|abbr=on}}.{{cite news|last=Glick|first=Shav|date=September 28, 1997|title=At Marlboro 500, Change Is Almost as Quick as the Cars|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-28-sp-37232-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110021404/http://articles.latimes.com/1997/sep/28/sports/sp-37232|archive-date=November 10, 2013|url-status=live}}

After Juan Pablo Montoya had narrowly missed Gugelmin's practice record,{{cite web|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/11903|title=Montoya threatens all-time record in practice|website=Autosport.com|date=October 28, 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110000536/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/11903|archive-date=November 10, 2013|url-status=dead}} Gil de Ferran set a new one-lap qualifying record of {{convert|241.428|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} at the 2000 Marlboro 500, a CART event.{{cite news|title=De Ferran wins pole, sets record|url=http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2000/oct/28/de-ferran-wins-pole-sets-record|newspaper=Las Vegas Sun|date=October 28, 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110003755/http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2000/oct/28/de-ferran-wins-pole-sets-record|archive-date=November 10, 2013|url-status=live}} As of August 2023, this is the fastest qualifying lap speed ever recorded at an official race meeting.{{cite web|url=http://www.prnmag.com/opinions-commentary/553-who-holds-the-worlds-closed-course-record-aj-foyt|title=Who holds the world's closed course record? A.J. Foyt|last=Webster|first=George|date=May 16, 2009|website=PRN Motorsport Magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810200943/http://www.prnmag.com/opinions-commentary/553-who-holds-the-worlds-closed-course-record-aj-foyt|archive-date=August 10, 2018|url-status=live}}

The 2003 Toyota Indy 400 was the fastest circuit race ever in motorsport history, with an average speed of {{convert|207.151|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} over {{cvt|400|mi|km|abbr=on}}, based on an IndyCar-recognized track length of {{cvt|2.000|mi|km|abbr=on}},{{cite news|title=Fastest race goes to Hornish|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2003/09/22/fastest-race-goes-to-hornish/|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=September 22, 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109235840/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-09-22/sports/0309220140_1_hornish-toyota-indy-irl|archive-date=November 9, 2013|url-status=live}} topping the previous record average of {{convert|197.995|mph|km/h|3|abbr=on}} over {{convert|507.25|mi|km}} the 2002 CART race had produced.{{cite news|title=Fastest-ever 500 won by Vasser|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qPEeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=A4UEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6670%2C6255541|newspaper=Charlotte Herald-Tribune|agency=Associated Press|date=November 4, 2002}}

The fastest official race lap records at Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) are listed as:

(As of 3/1/20)

| Most top 5s

| Most top 10s

| Starts

| Poles

| Most laps completed

| Most laps led

| Avg. start*

| Avg. finish*

* from minimum 5 starts

* – Race extended due to green-white-checker finish

** – Race shortened due to rain

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Commons category|Auto Club Speedway|
Auto Club Speedway}}

• [http://www.autoclubspeedway.com/ Official Auto Club Speedway website]
• {{Racing-Reference track|Auto_Club_Speedway}}
• [http://www.racingcircuits.info/north-america/usa/auto-club-speedway,-fontana.html RacingCircuits.info: Map and circuit history]
• [http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/cal/index.html Auto Club Speedway Page] on [http://www.nascar.com/ NASCAR.com]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20051219202720/http://www.jayski.com/pages/tracks/california.htm Jayski's Auto Club Speedway Page] — current and past California Speedway News.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060816083642/http://www.trackpedia.com/wiki/California_Speedway Trackpedia guide to driving this track]
• [http://racing.ballparks.com/California/index.htm Auto Club Speedway Page] on [http://www.ballparks.com/ Ballparks by Munsey & Suppes]

{{Coord|34.08858|-117.50000|region:US_type:landmark|display=title}}

{{Navboxes

|list =

{{NASCAR Cup Series racetracks}}

{{NASCAR Xfinity Series racetracks}}

{{Champ Car tracks}}

{{D1GP circuits}}

{{Grand-Am circuits}}

{{Indy Racing League}}

{{Indy Lights racetracks}}

{{International Race of Champions tracks}}

{{MotoAmerica circuits}}

{{Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America circuits}}

{{NASCAR Truck Series racetracks}}

{{NASCAR K&N Pro Series racetracks}}

{{Super GT courses}}

{{IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge racetracks}}

}}

{{Authority control}}

Auto Club

Auto Club

Auto Club

Auto Club

Auto Club

Auto Club

Auto Club

Auto Club

Auto Club

Category:Sports venues completed in 1997

Category:1997 establishments in California

Category:2023 disestablishments in California