Fans of NASCAR have been drawn to the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana for decades owing to the sound of engines ripping through the vibrant beaches of Southern California. Plans for the 26-year-old track’s demolition, however, commenced soon after the checkered flag was waved for the final race in February of last year.  

‘Fontana’ has played a major role in NASCAR history, from holding races that hosted iconic names like Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart, to making full-time cameos in Hollywood. That being said, SoCal is home to not one, but two, iconic tracks located only fifty miles away, with the other one being The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the venue for the third Clash exhibition, another short-term solution with an unclear future.

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Fans of The SoCal Speedway are extremely excited as the dust settled after the 2-mile oval’s demolition almost a year ago. On the contrary, Fontana’s track president, Dave Allen, acknowledged the uncertainties surrounding a potential comeback. “We’ve got some internal approvals to work through, but the hope is to have something to go out with sometime in the near future,” Allen stated in a recent release of the Los Angeles Times. With a speculated “12–18 months” construction period, even a 2025 comeback appears improbable for Fontana.

Many drivers hold fond memories of competing at the legendary short track, including the 2020 Cup Series champion, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Busch, a five-time race winner at Fontana. “I hate to see it go,” said Elliott, driver of the #9 Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports. He continued, “I enjoyed the race track, it’s a long ways out there, though. It always seemed to have a good crowd, too. … Who knows what’s next?”

Meanwhile, Busch, who won the last edition of the fabled race at Fontana in 2023, reflected on the track’s pivotal role in his career. “The first time I was there in a Cup Series car, I sat on the pole, got my first pole award…  The following race that same year [when there were two NASCAR races a year] I won my first Cup series race. That was pretty awesome. In 2009 they had a doubleheader with the Truck series and the Xfinity series. I won both those races and it was the first time a NASCAR driver won two races on the same day.”

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The 2-time Cup Series Champion, reminiscing further about his various milestones at the iconic oval, stated, “I won my 200th Cup series race there in 2019. There are a lot of good memories there.”

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As the Busch Lite Clash and NASCAR’s three-year deal with the LA Coliseum approaches its end after the 2024 edition, the relationship between the Fontana deconstruction and the Coliseum becomes a central theme. Plans for the event in Los Angeles are a major question mark. After a disappointing second edition, the audacious experiment—once a success—faces uncertainty. With major ramifications for NASCAR’s future in the rich Southern California market, this conversation gathers even more momentum as we approach what could be the final edition of The Clash at the Coliseum in a few days.

However, when it came to Southern California racing, NASCAR president Steve Phelps expressed optimism in a public statement last November. “Our intention is to remain in the Southern California market… It is our intention to build a short track in the Inland Empire,” he emphasized.

Nevertheless, some wonder where the Clash will end up in the long run given NASCAR’s pursuit of other markets. This year’s inclusion of the ‘King Taco La Battala’ hints at the event’s potential as a traveling event. But will NASCAR establish a long-term foothold in the area, or will their diminishing presence only make fans long for the excitement of NASCAR racing in Southern California?