“Don’t Even Bother”: Fans Brutally Bash NASCAR Over Historic Speedway’s Unwelcome Revamp

California Speedway, now known as Auto Club Speedway, was once the hub for NASCAR racing, with big names in stock car racing competing at the special 2-mile D-shaped superspeedway. Not just for racing, but the track has often been used for filming television shows, commercials, and films. In 2000, portions of Charlie’s Angels were filmed at the speedway, and in 2005, portions of Herbie: Fully Loaded were filmed there. In 2007, The Bucket List saw Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman drive a vintage Shelby Mustang and Dodge Challenger around the 2-mile (3.2 km) speedway. The track was used as Daytona International Speedway in the 2019 film Ford vs. Ferrari.

However, there were several demands made by fans to have more short-track races on the Cup Series schedule, and then it was decided that the track would be reconstructed as a half-mile-high banked oval. In response to these requests, NASCAR put the entire speedway under major overhaul. The estimated time for the new facility to host NASCAR races was between 12 and 18 months. However, in light of recent updates on the reconstruction of the racetrack, it seems like NASCAR is miles away from delivering on its promise.

NASCAR is losing its presence in Southern California

NASCAR racing has evolved drastically since the Next Gen cars came into the picture. There has been a lot of debate and chatter on how the new car has affected racing, leading to demands for more short-track races. If we are to put the reason into perspective through an example, then we are sure you have not forgotten the showdown at Bristol Motor Speedway. But still, some drivers felt otherwise.

Drivers haven’t been so happy about Auto Club’s renovation decision. “Auto Club is just so fun from a driver’s standpoint because it’s so slick,” said Chase Briscoe. “It’s wore out. It’s rough. You just bounce around. You literally run wherever on the race track, especially with the Nex Gen car.” Even Bubba Wallace likes the track so much that he wishes it could just be picked up and moved to a different location.

Additionally, Cole Custer believes the track has produced “some of the best racing that we’ve been in NASCAR the last five or six years.” Regardless, even though the drivers enjoy the speedway, it looks like watching from the 20th row of the grandstands at a football field between the top 30 cars, as Corey LaJoie would say, is not something enjoyable.

Depending on construction timelines, stock car racing was supposed to return to ACS in either late 2024 or early 2025 with a new facelift, but it looks like even the officials don’t have an update yet. NASCAR President Steve Phelps, trying to justify the delay in revamping the track via the Los Angeles Times, said, “I would say that we are still planning on building a short track in Fontana. What the timing of it is, I don’t know. This isn’t the best time to be building based on inflation, the cost of capital, etc. But our intention is to continue to be in the Southern California market.”

Interestingly, the only other NASCAR event in Southern California, the Busch Light Clash, is also expected to be moved to a different venue next year. So, it is indeed hard to swallow the claims made by NASCAR. In early 2023, following the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum, NASCAR chief operating officer Steve O’Donnell mentioned 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.”

Meanwhile, there have been reports about NASCAR actively keeping tabs on the sale of the Long Beach Grand Prix, which might explain the holdup in reconstructing Fontana. Though NASCAR did say that they were just listening to the masses, when you scroll through fans’ comments on X, the reality seems quite different. And the delay isn’t helping their case at all.

Reaction to stalled progress by NASCAR in revamping the Auto Club Speedway

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Apart from the 2-mile paved asphalt surface for NASCAR racing, the venue also had a sports car and motorcycle racing course, thus allowing them to host multiple auto racing events. Looking at the demolition of the grandstands along with the partial racing surface, a fan was puzzled to see NASCAR resorting to putting the whole facility down and building a new one. They wrote, “That’s awful and sad !!! I assumed they would leave the track as is and build the short track (or whatever) inside it.”

There’s a new trend of mile-and-a-half racetracks now seen as the best racing surface for the Next Gen car. Moreover, with NASCAR unable to solve the puzzle for the short-track racing package, it is indeed hard to see them spend their resources on constructing another short-track venue.

Sharing a similar sentiment, another fan wrote, “Is there enough time to make it into a 1.5 miler. Short track will suck.” 

Demolition of the track didn’t begin until October 2023. The grandstands have since been totally removed. Additionally, turns 1-2 as well as the backstretch have been excavated. The track plans to build a 1/2-mile speedway. However, plans for the construction still haven’t been approved.

Taking a jibe at NASCAR’s slow progress in rebuilding the race track, a user stated, “Ige never seen such slow progress to make a new race track. It’s been over a year now and they haven’t even touched the actual short track that’ll be made.”

NASCAR expects construction to take 18-months, once construction begins. That means a challenge to build a race track in time for the 2025 season.

Adding to this, another user said, “Unfortunate, at this point don’t even bother with the short track like seriously.”

On March 26th a report from RACER.com’s Marshall Pruett mentioned NASCAR is looking to purchase 50% of the Long Beach Grand Prix. This could allow the NASCAR Cup Series to stage the race instead of IndyCar and render the potential Auto Club Speedway short track obsolete.

However Gerald Forsythe, owner of a 50% stake in the race, bought the remaining stake, committing that the race will remain an IndyCar race.

Further, speculating NASACR’s behind-the-door close dealings and their approach to finding new sponsors and OEM partners, a fan added, “Maybe they are waiting for it to be built until they get there new money for there new oem because that’s what’s halting them to do anything nowadays”.

Not to forget, NASCAR and the teams have not even agreed on the new charter agreements. So, it will be some time until we see Auto Club Speedway brought back to life as a new short-track venue on NASCAR’s schedule.