Southern California’s racing community will witness the final laps of their iconic racetrack, Irwindale Speedway, this Saturday. The half-mile speedway track is soon going to be razed and replaced by an industrial park. But, before this happens, the local racing community and fans will be able to enjoy an epic farewell race that will mark the closure of the racing venue.

Speaking of the local, NASCAR Cup Series driver Cole Custer also has fond memories of embarking on his stock car racing career at Irwindale. And he didn’t shy away from speaking his heart out, sharing his feelings on how special the racetrack has been for him. Moreover, he also expressed his desire to be able to compete in the final race at his home track.

Cole Custer explains why Irwindale Speedway is so special

Ask any NASCAR race fan what they miss about NASCAR racing in the Next Gen era. And the answer you’ll get is frantic racing action, side-by-side, aggressive passing, and dive bomb moves. Well, this is because NASCAR racing has evolved over the years, and it’s become more strategic and execution battles more than anything else. But the same cannot be said for Irwindale Speedway.

The Southern California track is indeed unique as it can be converted into a half- and quarter-mile racing surface with banking. Moreover, the track also features a ⅛ mile drag strip, thus making the venue a proper racing destination. This racetrack was also the home for events like the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown and the Turkey Night Grand Prix. However, constant ownership changes and financial troubles led to the closure of these races.

Now that the racetrack is going to run its final lap, Cole Custer has opened up the significance of Irwindale in his racing career. “The biggest thing is just how special that place is. It was my home track for the most part. I think what’s made Irwindale special is just how racy the racetrack is. I mean, it puts on some of the best racing you’ll ever see with side-by-side battles and slide jobs and people using each other up. So it’s definitely gonna be missed.” Custer said this on X.

The send-off is going to be an extravaganza with the racing community from Southern California coming together to celebrate the racetrack. The festivities include autograph signings, fireworks, traditional racing, destruction derbies, and auto soccer games. And this has got Custer excited, so much so that he is trying to compete in the final race at Irwindale. “Somebody is going to be able to walk away there and say that they were the final winner at Irwindale. I think that’s a cool experience, and hopefully get to have a shot at it,” he added.

Given that the racetrack opened in 1999, this closure feels premature. NASCAR fans are accustomed to seeing historic tracks being overshadowed by the road courses and new racing facilities. Most of the time the reason behind NASCAR’s decision to ditch the old venues is financial constraints and unstable management. And Irwindale suffered a similar fate.

Reasons behind the closure of Irwindale Speedway

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NASCAR races at Irwindale were expected to bring big profits. But after six years the Speedway opened, NASCAR struggled with popularity in the region, and by 2011 the track was dropped from the schedule altogether. The company that managed the racetrack filed for bankruptcy the very next year; there were plans to demolish the track and construct an outlet mall in 2015, but the plan didn’t go through.

By the year 2017, Irwindale was destined for closure. But Late Model driver and track champion Tim Huddleston, along with K&N West team owner Bob Bruncatti, tried to breathe new life into the venue. This brought back the iconic All-Star showdown race after the ten-year hiatus, but this joy was also short-lived as the owners announced the permanent closure of the oval track and drag strip by the end of 2024.

Irwindale Speedway was an ambitious project that didn’t live up to its expectations. But this sorry state of affairs is common among most of the racetracks in the Southern California market. Auto Club Speedway, Riverside International Speedway, and Ontario Motor Speedway have also suffered a similar fate. Perhaps it is time that NASCAR takes notice of the dwindling presence of stock car racing in the region.