“Spirits of Big Bill… and Dale Sr Knocked It” – Fans Blame NASCAR’s Radical Step After Spooky Tragedy at Historic Track

NASCAR’s ambitious plan of converting the 2-mile D-shaped oval Auto Club Speedway into a short track was dealt a major blow. A massive crane toppled during the ongoing demolition of the venue along with the grandstands. NASCAR wanted to turn the iconic racetrack into a half-mile racing surface resembling the likes of Bristol and Martinsville.

Kyle Busch was the last winner at the racetrack in 2023 before it was expected to undergo a major overhaul. The estimated time for the track to be able to host a race back at the newly refurbished venue is expected to be around 12–18 months. However, given the current mishaps and regular delays, it’s hard to see NASCAR get the racetrack back to life and deliver on its promise.

The Southern California market now basically has no NASCAR races. With the Busch Light Clash expected to be moved out of The Coliseum and Fontana being hampered by the delays and accidents, perhaps they would’ve been better off not tearing down the original race track, which had its own unique racing experience, unlike other ovals.

Insider Justin Schuoler shared the video of the crane crashing on the construction site via his X account. The massive crane is seen to have collapsed on the ground, and the visuals also showed a glimpse of a demolished racing surface. However, a portion of the grandstand was still standing.

Needless to say, when the fans heard about this mishap, they were quick to get on NASCAR’s back. Even suggesting that supernatural forces were signaling that NASCAR made a bad call in deciding to revamp the venue.

Fans had interesting opinions on the crane accident at Auto Club Speedway

It is hard to believe that a racetrack would have a living spirit and a soul. However, with the crane collapse, a few fans believed that the track itself didn’t want a new look. And rather, this was the retaliation to the demolition project in the first place, “Auto Club fighting back.”

The Auto Club Speedway was more than just a NASCAR venue. It hosted multiple racing events, such as drag racing, motorcycle racing, and even open-wheel IndyCar races. So it did serve multiple purposes, apart from just NASCAR races. Making the most of this freak incident, this fan wrote, “Well, boys the demolition failed…time to put it all back together the way we found it.”

These spooky responses didn’t stop there, a user went on to suggest that former NASCAR dignitaries and their spirits were somehow behind this crane crash. “Firstly let me say I hope everyone is okay. Now that I got that disclaimer out of the way, the spirits of Big Bill France Sr & Jr, AND Dale Sr knocked it over to show displeasure.”

Another user went as far as to state that God was punishing NASCAR for ruining a good venue in the first place. “God is now punishing the people for their sins of tearing this beauty down.”

Now the community is well aware of the jinx and the haunted stories of Talladega Speedway. And it seems like Auto Club Speedway might join the list as a mysteriously spooky racing venue after the recent turn of events. “Pack it up, track is haunted now…”

Keeping the sarcastic response and bantering aside, the constant delays and muck-up on NASCAR’s part over the revival of Fontana is a worrisome sight. Especially when they are considering investing their time and resources in new markets internationally and on road courses like Chicago. Despite being refurbished, it could fall out of favor and struggle to find its spot back on the schedule.